Archive for December, 2009

Better design

Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by .

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graphic-design-butterflyI’ve had a little series tucked away in the back of my head (and several drafts written already) for the past 6-7 months. I decided that I would actually post/write these during the week between Christmas and New Year. It’s a holiday and so many people are on vacation. Since this is a Children’s Ministry blog, this series isn’t core to the topic (although I do believe it relates… which I’ll explain later), so I’ll plant to post these when most of my readers aren’t all reading. This way the content is here if you’re looking for it but not annoying the readers who are just looking for ministry related content.

So, here’s a little series on design.

I’m by no means a professional graphic designer.… Read the rest

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Flickr vs Picasa

Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by .

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picasa_flickrAbout 6-8 months ago I started thinking a lot about all my pictures. Literally, I’ve got thousands of digital pictures I’ve taken over the last 5-7 years. Most of them are on external hard drives that aren’t so convenient to access. I felt like I needed a plan to make these more accessible as well as an effective way to manage the photos I was continuing to take. The only two options I really knew of were flickr and picasa. After a little bit of investigation, I chose flickr. It looked cheaper and it seemed like more people used flickr as it’s a pretty established entity on the web. I also use an eye-fi card (which I love) that uploads directly to any of these web services.… Read the rest

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-12-27

Posted on 27. Dec, 2009 by .

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Too late for Christmas

Posted on 23. Dec, 2009 by .

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Screen shot 2009-12-23 at 1.53.02 AM

It may be too late to get this for your loved one for Christmas, but you can get an early start on next Christmas. This it totally going on my wish list for next year..… Read the rest

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Portable decor issue

Posted on 23. Dec, 2009 by .

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So I need some ideas. Those of you who are portable church experts might have a simple solution for us, but all are welcome to make suggestions.

Corey Schwarz, Gateway’s South Campus Children’s Pastor just rearranged where the kids are meeting. I think what he’s done is a GREAT idea. It’s better use of space and has the potential to be much more fun. However, we have one problem. Ugly trophy cases. As you enter the kid’s space, you see the check-in and welcome area. They plan to purchase a 20 foot long banner that will hang over the railing right above check-in which should look great and make it very obvious as to where to check in. However, as you walk into the kids area, you’re greeted by a giant 18 foot wide trophy case.… Read the rest

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Dedicated to my friend Sam Luce

Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by .

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bustedtees.2634d46178748a5841a32cc450e4cbb1This should have just been a tweet, but having an actual blog post feels more special. I couldn’t resist when I saw this. I don’t usually spend $20 on a funny t-shirt, but I can’t tell you how close I am to buying this just so that I can wear it when I’m with you next.

How’s this for bustin’ your chops?… Read the rest

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Family ministry musings

Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by .

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family lifestyle portraitA few weeks ago I just finished Barna’s book, Revolutionary Parenting. I bought 10 copies to distribute among church staff and leaders (not just kids staff). I just can’t stop thinking about what this book talked about. I think the premise of the book hits the nail on the head. What we in children’s ministry would truly see as success is a child who enters adulthood with a solid biblical worldview. Yet that’s not what we currently track to measure ministry success, is it?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 4-5 years, you’ve seen “family ministry” become the big buzz word among children’s pastors. Incredible new resources have been developed and powerful ideas have been presented.… Read the rest

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Calendar Planning: Promotion deadlines

Posted on 22. Dec, 2009 by .

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Screen shot 2009-12-21 at 11.35.24 PMA few weeks ago I wrote about the calendar planning retreat I took the kids staff on. We took about 12-14 hours to map out all of 2010. We wrapped up that retreat with a pretty clear idea of what the following year would look like (there were a few unknowns, but those would be determined within a few weeks). There’s nothing like having your year all planned out. Next year we plan to do this retreat in August or September so we have a bit more of a head start.

However, I’ve noticed a flaw in the fully planned out ministry calendar. It’s happened to me and I’ve talked to dozens of others in the ministry who’ve been plagued by this problem.… Read the rest

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Forget resolutions. How about vision maps and life themes?

Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 by .

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So we’re a little over a week from 2010. It’s going to be a big year… I can already tell. It’s got some nice even numbers. 2010. I like it. Let’s see… we’ll do another census here in the US. Those are always really exciting. I think the Winter Games are even scheduled for this year. Oh, I’ll turn 33. It’s even cooler than turning 22.

Okay, all that stuff isn’t really that big of a deal unless you work for the census bureau , unless you’re an Olympic athlete going to the games or you’re turning 33 as well. But the biggest thing I can think of about 2010 is the potential it holds for my life. I remember many years ago someone telling me that through this journey as a Christ follower, ever year should be better than the previous.… Read the rest

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Thoughts on Oral Robert’s life

Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 by .

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originalToday at 2:00, the Memorial service will air here.

His passing last week has given me time to think about the significance of this man. I’ve found that over the years, the mere mention of his name (either because it was the school I was planning to attend or becasue it was the school I attended) typically brings a reaction. About 60% of the time, I get a benign response from someone who knows little to nothing of the man/school or thinks highly of the man/school. About 30% of the time I get the “look.” It’s the one eye big, other eye narrow, “REALLY, you went to that school. I’m really confused right now and I think I’m going to keep a closer eye on you now” look.… Read the rest

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