For all of you looking for a great resource that is in video format, check out Nooma

Nooma’s are short spiritual teachings that work into all kinds of situations. Previews are available on their website. I have used these for a while in all kinds of situations, including general service and small group settings. If you are looking for a place to start, look at nooma number 1 "Rain", it’s my favorite.

Well, if you have served in ministry for any period of time, you realize the importance of knowing people’s name and being able to recognize them. I work in youth ministry, been doing it for many, many years… but the value of knowing someone’s name has never gotten any less important. Now, I can honestly tell you I am not the greatest with remembering names. Like the rest of us in this boat, I have used the excuse before, "Well, I’m a picture person… I always remember their face."

Sound Familiar???

Honestly, this excuse just doesn’t work. People want others to remember them by name. There is just something special about remembering a persons name that shows them they are valued and thought about… Especially if you have only met them a few times.

Give me the Solution!!!

For all of you that are just like me, you are face people… not name people. All this means is we have to try harder, but not necessarily work harder. I use Nspire software to help with the name remembering thing. Your probably saying, "Well, of course you use Nspire… you work there." Yes, I do work at Nspire, and love it… but I used the software before I worked here and I would use it if I was not here… It helps me in ministry… Let me emphasize "helps", not "requires me to learn SQL and Binary Code to use it"

This is what we do. We have picture directories that we print from Nspire that all of us that work at the church have. Of course this directory has the name and the picture (with some other stuff) but mainly those two. We have made it a priority to have pictures of all our youth that we can refer to during the week in remembering their name. So, by the next week, when they come back… We know who they are… By name. I can’t tell you how much impact this has in a youth’s, or anyone’s, life. So, if you are having problems with remembering names, try the picture directory for a few weeks… I think you will be pleased at what you really can remember, with a little help.

- Learn more about Nspire church software by going to www.nspiresoftware.com -

I read an interesting article today about church blogging and the power of it. You can read the article here. Since I have been doing this "blogging thing", I have realized how much information is out there to discuss. You can find a blog on just about any topic or interest. It goes to show the world is communicating in a totally different way than before and a question the church should ask is, "Are we communicating our message?" If your church doesn’t already have a blog, I encourage you to take a moment and start one. There are all kinds of free sources on the web to help you with starting out, a few are:

Blogger.com (A free site, owned by google might I say, that gives you a free blog spot, hosting, and the works. Easy to use and a great place to start)

Feedburner.com (A free site that allows you to track who subscribes to your blog and follow your blog traffic)

Using Blogger (A quick resource I found that gives you step-by-step instructions on starting a blog using Blogger)

This should be enough to get you started. When you create your church blog, be sure to let us know and we will place your blog link in one of our periodic post’s of church blogs. You can let us know by placing a comment under this post with your blog web address.

It’s Saturday afternoon, you have had a great weekend so far and you are just enjoying the rest of your afternoon. Then it hits, you forgot to email your groups about the event on Sunday. You live 30 minutes from the church office and ironically do not have the email addresses you were so sure were in your laptop. You now have to go all the way out to the church to get the email addresses, write the email and then get back before the rest of your day is gone. There has to be a better way.

I can’t tell you how many times I have been in this situation. Something so simple ends up taking so long and I wondered for a long time, "Is there a better way?" Well, for all of you out there that have walked in these shoes before, I have an awesome tool that will solve your problem. Best of all, it’s a Freebie!!! The service is called LogMeIn.com . LogMeIn provides a free method of accessing any of your computers over a Secure Internet Connection.

All you have to do is click on the big green button that says, "Get LogMeIn Free Click Here" and you can start the process of creating your account. After you create your account you will have to setup the computer you want to connect to by going to that computer and installing some software from LogMeIn. The easiest way to do this is to log into your LogMeIn account from the computer you would want to connect to (AKA your church office computer) then click on "Add Computer" This will walk you through the process of installing the software.

When you want to connect to the computer from another location, using LogMeIn, just log into your account and you will see the computer listed there. Click on the computer and type in the password and you will be set. LogmeIn creates a secure connection over the internet, so you do not have to worry about information getting into the wrong hands. LogMeIn also allows you to create a single account and give access to specified computers on your account to other people. Great Product, and it really is Free!

So, the next time you find yourself needing to connect to your N-Spire Software or any other application on your office computer you will not need to leave the house, all thanks to LogMeIn Free. Have Fun!