As a web designer, you would think that I spend most of my time in Photoshop designing web pages. Well, you would be wrong. I spend lots of time managing projects. When I pastored, I never thought in terms of project management. And that was my mistake. I had projects all over the place, but simply managed them like tasks.

• Mail newsletter
• VBS
• Schedule summer missions trip
• Get van fixed

One of the things that I learned from Getting Things Done by David Allen was the difference between next actions and projects. Nothing in the above list is a next action and most 3 of 4 are really projects with many next actions. For example, Get van fixed is not a next action. Find repair shop for van is the real next action.

Mail newsletter, VBS and summer missions trips are all projects that have many next actions. Every ministry has projects like these to manage. If you apply a few easy principles, you can start feeling productive and less stress out (hat tip: FreelanceSwitch):

1. Write out the desired outcome. I find that I procrastinate more when I do not know what I’m trying to achieve with a project. This is even more true if you have been “assigned” the project rather than creating the project yourself.
2. Get the outcome approved in writing. One of the sources of conflict in the church is miscommunication. Conflict can be reduced by getting written approval from your stakeholder (pastor, team leader or board) that you are on track before you start. This includes getting a time and date for when you need to deliver your project.
3. Create an ordered list of “next actions”. This may get a little pedantic. Basically, you can not do “mail newsletter”. But you can “Email pastor for his column”, “Ask church administrator to print off labels” and “Schedule volutneers to prepare mailing”.
4. Review your “next actions” and estimate the time. I find it best to take that number and TRIPLE IT. Yes, multiply it by three. This will account for all the things you do not know that you do not know.
5. Communicate to all stakeholders while you finishing your next actions. Tell them what you did, what you are doing now and what might be at risk. Get in the habit of talking about the bad news before people hear about it from someone else. If you are not going to have all your classes covered on Sunday morning, tell the people who need to know before Sunday! I also am in the habit of just asked open ended questions like “How do you think this is going?” as a way to engage the people I’m serving.
6. Stay focused. Once you list your next actions, work hard not to add to the list of the project. This is called scope creep and is a sure way to destroy a project.
7. Celebrate. When your finished, share and enjoy your success.

How do you feel productive in ministry? Add your comments below.

My friend James at Agile Ministry writes down some valuable advice on how to recruit people to serve in ministry,

Step 1: Go to the source - Find the connectors

In every church there is at least one member that tends to connect with a large number of others within the church. These “connectors” have a doorway into a large number of people within the church, often knowing where they work, what they like to do, and what skills they possess.

Spending a little time with these connectors each week can provide leads on someone that may provide help. Before talking with your connectors, be sure to have a short list of who you need. Visit your connectors regularly, as they may have met someone new that can help you out.

Step 2: Go to your neighbors - Find the like-minded

While we all llke to look inward in our church as a first step, don’t be afraid to go to other churches in the area. Whether it is of the same or a different affiliation, there may be someone who will help out a church in your area. If you live in a rural area, make some appointments to meet others in a nearby area to obtain help or find leads on someone with the skills you need.

Step 3: Go a different way - Find an alternate path

Finally, it may be necessary to find an alternate solution your need. While this isn’t always the best option, it may require you to stretch your team by seeking creative solutions when you don’t have the necessary skills available. Remember: just because it isn’t the first solution you had in mind, you should still give 100% of your effort to His glory.

Volunteer Scheduling

Notice what is missing from this list: pulpit announcements, bulletin inserts and newsletter articles. If you are looking for a great solution to scheduling, make sure you download the PDF “Handle with Care“; a white paper with practical steps for leading your church ministry.

if you are looking for a great scheduling tool, visit Church Director which is an a volunteer scheduling and ministry tool.

I rarely have business cards when I need them. Even in this age of digital communications, the business card is still a “must have” tool for ministry. This applies not only for so-called paid staff, but to any ministry team. I am ordering some cards and here are a few online providers that provide really cheap 4-color printing:

• Printing For Less
• 123 Print
• Overnight Prints
• Vista Print
• PS Print

If you are able to use standard shipping, then these printers are really, really cheap. I am using Vista Print for the first time and getting several business cards printed for $3.99/250. Be sure that I will let you know how that goes.

One tip before you venture into online printing, make sure that you review the specifications of the formats they will accept.

Pocket Sized Communications

If you want to be totally cool, get a Moo Card. Moo allows you to create cards (as if by magic) from a Flickr account. You can get 100 mini cards for $19.99. So how would you use Moo for business cards for your ministry?

• Create a Flickr account for your ministry
• Upload and organize photo of your ministry in action
• Use Moo to select 100 photos of your ministry
• Add your contact information
• Get your cards in the mail

Put a couple in this cool business card holder by Umbra. And you have an amazing communications tool for your ministry that fits into your pocket.

Mark Galli, managing editor of Christianity Today, wrote a very interesting piece on the Cost of Christian education:

Historically, especially for American Protestants, Christian education has followed this model, with its priorities of classroom instruction, curriculum development, and dependence on an expert teacher (even if the expertise is based on merely doing the teacher prep in the curriculum). The objectivist model is also a favorite of traditions that place the pulpit at the center of worship, giving priority to teaching by a “dynamic, effective communicator.” Do note: This approach is not without its merits! It is an efficient way to impart many Bible facts, a Christian worldview, and core doctrines. And who does not like to sit at the feet of a gifted teacher or preacher?

Still, we recognize that a purely objectivist approach can actually make it harder for people to be converted to God. It tends to make faith mostly a matter of the mind and divorces it from spiritual experience. If the supreme knowledge for Christians is, as outlined by Augustine and others, a personal, experiential knowledge of God, then we need something more.

The educational system of Jesus was rooted in an utterly different approach: living in and with a community, so that theology was not only taught but also lived in the context of community prayer. Jesus’ educational system is not objective in the least—it is decidedly not interested in knowledge that helps us remain unbiased and neutral about life. Instead, it is profoundly subjective, that is, concerned with creating an irrational loyalty to Jesus and over-the-top concern for others. It is not the mind that is the center of attention but the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—and the whole person in community.

Now that it is summer time and so many of you are doing something different. Maybe its time to value Mark’s insight here and rethink Christian education ministry for the fall.

We should not deny what we all know about poorly Christian education works: that “one out of four youth group kids end up plugged into a church or parachurch college ministry a few months after they graduate from high school.” Barna reports that “only 3 out of 10 twentysomethings (31%) attend church in a typical week.

I am NOT saying throw out what you are doing; but in light of these stats and your own experience. Isn’t it time to rethink educating our kids? If you have thought about and done something innovative to address the issue; add a comment below.

Tired of kids or parents not having access to important forms? Use the ThinkFree Viewer to put them online.

ThinkFree is an online office suite of tools. While that is cool, I prefer Google Docs and Spreadsheets myself. The realy killer idea is that ThinkFree allows you to publish and share your Microsoft Word, Excel and even PowerPoint documents to the web. People can view them even if they do not have Office installed on their computer.

ThinkFree Viewer

Just upload your document to the web, provide ThinkFree with the URL, choose whether you want it embedded on your page or not, grab the code, paste it into your web page or blog. You are done.

Now, parents and teems can get your forms. This is a great way to share documents without making them jump through a bunch of hoops. Or forcing you to figure out how to turn an Office document into a PDF. This is just so much easier.

Ellison Research recently reported that most churches (70%) rely on Vacation Bible School for community outreach. Since it is time to start planning, I put together this list of web resources that will help you have your best VBS ever.

Use Basecamp to get your entire team on the same page

Basecamp allows you to get your whole team on the same page and eliminate miscommunication. Basecamp allows you to upload files (like schedules or release forms), post messages and attach comments, create milestones (calendar events), to do lists and assign all tasks to specific people. This tool should be the place where everything is discussed, logged and validated. So if anyone has a question, they can consult your Basecamp page.

37 Signals offers Basecamp free to manage one project or $12/mo for up to 3 projects.

Create a Skype “Hotline”

Skype is a VoIP (voice over IP) service that lets you use your computer to make real phone calls. A great idea for Skype is to use it to create a “Hotline” for the latest VBS information. Get a Skype In number and sign up for voicemail.

To create your hotline, customize your voicemail message to provide callers with VBS information: like times, places, cost and your web site address. Callers can also leave a voicemail message; during the event you can forward your Skype In number to your mobile phone.

Publish a Free VBS Blog

Visit WordPress and register for a free blog. WordPress is by far the best and most used blogging platform. Get your blog online in seconds then use the power of blogging and RSS feeds to promote and plan your VBS.

Raise Money for a Scholarship Fund with FirstGiving

FirstGiving allows your most passionate supporters to raise money to support your VBS. Not every family can afford to send their kids to VBS, so use FirstGiving to raise funds for scholarships. This site allows your supporters to create their own fund-raising initiatives.

Communicate via Email with Google Groups

Google Groups is a great tool to manage an email list. This service will allow all your parents and team members to be contacted by sending one email to the list.

Get images and graphics from iStockphoto

The coolest secret of designers everywhere is iStockphoto where you can buy images and vector graphics from $1-$10. It is high quality, great stuff.

Train your team remotely using YouTube

Set up your video camera and record 2:30 minute training videos for your team and post them to YouTube. If you start now, you will build an amazing video library of training resources.

Your ideas

Enough of my ideas, what do you think? Post your comments below.