Mister Nifty

I stumbled upon a simple web application called WorkFlowy. At first glance I was a bit bored to be honest. I thought, “Oh great, another online text editor and outline application.” But, I gave it a shot to see if I could organize an idea quickly. After writing a few outlined notes, I had the WorkFlowy epiphany. I accidentally pressed a key combination and it navigated the entire page into the sub outline I had created. I pressed it again, and it took me one level deeper, showing me only the information connected to that grandchild bullet. In other words, the zoom in/out feature makes one text document not just one book, but a library of information that I could navigate through with simple key strokes.

When you traverse an outline, WorkFlowy displays breadcrumb links to help you zoom out from your current position on the document. You are given one document to create a world of information. Main points are like books, child bullets are like chapters, etc… You can literally map your entire ministry on one easily accessible document. The search feature is simple, quick and accurate and helps you find information fast. The plethora of keyboard shortcuts makes traversing your document super fast.

Finally, the ability to export specific contextual information in plain or rich text is off the chain – yes I throw down some slang when I’m tired. If you’ve been kicking the can to get an idea organized, or you simply need to diagram your workflow to help your productivity, WorkFlowy is a jewel.

I recommend everyone to start your Workflowy document today. It’s dead simple and free to use.

Go to WorkFlowy

This past year has been a difficult adjustment from working in a traditional office to freelancing out of my home. The distractions I face in a day are enormous especially since I am a web developer. There are some many great sites that I love to visit on a regular basis. The problem arises when I get tired of a project and procrastination starts kicking in, there is no barrier to guard against wasting my time on frivolous info sites.

A few months ago, I found a couple of great browser extensions that work really well. I’m able to set which websites to block during my work hours. I know at 5:30pm every night, I’m able to check the news and see what’s happening on my favorite blogs. If you are having trouble staying focused or you need to regulate your kids homework time from Facebook, try these great extensions:

1. LeechBlock (Firefox Extension)
2. StayFocused (Chrome Extension)

This has helped me immensely psychologically set boundaries for my time on the Internet.  If you need a procrastination killer, get to installing these free extensions!

A few years ago, before cloud computing, I came up with a concept that I call The Centralize Doctrine. It is very simple and can be applied to any context where teams collaborate, especially in churches.

Information Flow

I’ve identified three information progressions for a team to be efficient:

• Programs need processes
• Processes need data
• Data needs a base

Each of these progressions involves people.

• Programs are administered by people
• Processes are executed by people
• Data is accessed/recorded by people

Core Values

The Centralize Doctrine holds true to the these values:

1. Relevant Data – data is worthless without context
2. Current Data – data is worthless if outdated
3. Accessible Location – relevant and current data are worthless without access
4. Protected Backup – all data is worthless if corrupted/lost
   

Definition

The Centralize Doctrine can be defined as:

Placing relevant, current data in a central,  secure location for team collaboration and optimal program efficiency.

Linear vs. Central Access

An example of decentralized data would be a church who houses their member information on one computer in the secretary’s office. Every day, the secretary fields calls from team members to pass along member data for their programs and processes. This data is decentralized behind the key of one gatekeeper. Team members are not efficient and the gatekeeper is sure to become burnt out on the drudgery of single data access.

An application of The Centralize Doctrine would be to subscribe to an online membership management software that allows team members to access member information at will based on their permission level. Church members can also login and update their information so the database is current at all times. The data now resides in the center of the team (in the cloud) rather than behind the gate of one weary keeper. The team is more efficient and the time saved can be used to make a program more effective.

Data Stewardship

Examine and analyze your programs, processes, and databases and conclude whether or not you are hindering the efficiency and productivity of your teams. If you find that your data is unnecessarily restricted, find a platform to centralize your data that includes the previously listed core values.

We are called to be good stewards of God’s resources. One of the most vital resources of our churches after the Truth of God’s Word and the body of Christ is our data. Are you managing and sharing your data wisely, or are you hoarding that outdated data and burying it in the ground like the foolish servant of Matthew 25?

Cloud Resources

Here are a few platform suggestions to centralize your data:

• Google Apps – Online email, document storage/creation, shared/personal calendars, and collaboration tools.
• Networked Hard Drive or File Server – Store files in a central location rather than on individual computers
• MailChimp – Place your mailing list online rather than in one person’s Outlook where other team members can send newsletters and updates to their segmented groups.
• Church Management Software – There are dozens of great online membership management apps available. A simple Google search for “church management software” will get you well on your way to centralized bliss. A good example The City from Zondervan.
• Enable remote access on your security DVR for security team members to monitor the property from home on off-nights.
• Google Calendar – Create a central web calendar with subscription features rather than storing your events on Excel or Publisher.

It is imperative for churches to stay connected with their congregations. I’ve worked with many pastors and secretaries who simply use a static block of email addresses to communicate with their constituents. The problem is that data quickly changes and becomes irrelevant before the list owner knows it. Plus, when you send one email to hundreds of people, that’s what we call on the Interwebz, SPAMMING.

If a recipient does not have the option to unsubscribe from a list, it’s spam. For years, Constant Contact has been the go-to newsletter and communications portal for many ministries and churches. It certainly is a great service, but the monthly cost deters many smaller churches from signing up. Now, there is an awesome  solution that is free and meets the needs of a small to medium size church. It’s called MailChimp.

MailChimp has just reorganized and is now offering free accounts up to 1,000 subscribers and 6,000 sent emails per month. They have tools to easily embed a sign-up form into your website so you can start capturing your visitor’s data. You can also import subscribers on the backend and segment your lists into smaller groups. Email the entire subscriber list or just a small group, it’s all determined by your specific need set.

MailChimp also gives you an analytical look into your subscriber’s behavior. They tell you how many people actually opened and read your email with more intricate data attached as well. With their social feature set, you can easily integrate your newsletters into your subscriber’s social experience. I love the fact that you can design your own custom HTML templates or select from dozens of pre-design template for your email campaigns. It’s free, so go give it a shot!

Go to MailChimp

If you’ve ever been on a missions trip, you know how hard it can be at times to communicate with your loved ones or your staff at home. Here are a few great free and economical ways to stay-in-touch while roaming the earth.

Skype

• Phone  Calls – Skype-to-Skype calls are always free. If you need to call a cell phone, just purchase some credit and ring any phone in the world from your computer screen. This is also a great way for your family to reach you when you are connected to the Internet.
• Video Conferencing – This is a great way to call into your church services and give them a glimpse of what’s going on in your neck of the world. If you’re on a PC, Skype has just released a new version that supports 5-way video calls. This is a great way for you to have meetings with your staff while you’re out of the country.
• Internet Access – If you’re stuck in an airport with pay-to-play WiFi and you don’t want to use your credit card in a foreign country, most public WiFi hotspots accept Skype credit as payment for using their service. Just fire up Skype and type in your credentials, Skype does the rest. Skype Internet access saved the day for me when I was recently stuck in a Brazilian airport with no way to communicate.
• Skype Phone – This is a great way to make calls when you’re near WiFi without lugging your laptop everywhere.

• Download Skype For Free

Google Voice and Gmail Video

• Never come home to an overwhelming voice-mail box. Forward all of your calls to your Google Voice number and it will record your messages in MP3 form for you to check anywhere in the world.
• Google Voice also allows you to send text messages to any phone from anywhere in the world. This is a great way to get in touch with your leaders or your loved ones for free!
• Gmail video chat is another great video conferencing tool

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Google Docs just released their new drawing feature which means you can create graphs, charts and other drawings right online. This is a great way to create infographics on-the-fly for presentations, sermons, and more. If you’re not already familiar with Google Docs, you can collaborate on documents with others easily, and share those documents in a couple clicks. Check out their video highlight reel.

Go To Google Docs Blog