One of the top posts on eQuipping for eMinistry is Tips about eMail Usage and Abusage.  (I’d like to suggest you read it along with this article since many of the 18 tips will apply to this post.)

So, here’s “part two” which I based on some great ideas from “How ‘EOM’ Makes Your eMail More Efficient” and “How to eMail Busy People”.  I recommend following the links within this post for more detail from the original authors.

Have you ever written an eMail that you realized in hindsight would have been more efficiently done over the phone or in a short meeting?  Try this mental checklist from LifeHacker for your eMail messages:

• Can you fit everything into a subject line? No?
• Then can your message fit into one paragraph? No?
• Then can it fit into two paragraphs? No?
• If it cannot, then a phone call or meeting is likely more efficient.

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Here’s a great ministry idea to easily mix a video with just your iPhone (or comparable device).

A mobile device with a front and back camera.  A mirror and your holder.  The oak “mixer” stand is a bit pricey, especially if you think you could make your own holder for the camera and mirror.  (It looks like the mirror is at a 45 degree angle behind the camera.)

People enjoy searching for and sharing videos. No surprise, then, that YouTube is the internet’s second-largest search engine. These homemade, three-minute, no-frills videos are popular and your digital camera gives you an easy and affordable way to produce these kinds of videos.  You may already be using videos  effectively to communicate on Facebook, blogs, and more. Using a homemade “mixer” like this also means you don’t have to learn how to use software to mix your video.  That might be a big plus for you.

What if you used this “mixer” to:

1.  have a conversation with a disciple to share with...

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Over two years ago in September, 2009, I published my first post on eQuipping for eMinistry. This blog is meant to help you with what you’re already doing and/or to equip you to try something new.  I thought you might be interested in where I’m going with it.

e4e has over 750 followers and subscribers from every continent, averaging about 400 views on the site every week.

Topics have included (click on the links for some examples):

• MPD: practical tips and tools
• Communicating well
• Blogging and websites
• Social Media
• Mobile phones
• Tech Tips
• Travel Tips
• Step-by-step tutorials
• and more

Leaha will continue to submit her thoughtful and open-hearted posts six times a year.  Karen will add to our how-to’s content.  I hope to continue posting twice per week and am open to contributions.  I’m especially hoping to add more topics on:

• Photo tips
• Your true stories about using technology for ministry
• Practical Win-Build-Send help

Besides the content on the blog, Karen and I are working ...

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The Lord moves me to write out of an overflow of my time spent alone with him, so it only makes sense that the God who uniquely created me also uniquely inspires me.  When I sit down to read his Word or spend time in prayer, the words I’m inspired to write just bubble up in my brain, so I quickly reach for a pen to scribble them on paper (or if I am on the go I simply type them up on my iphone).  Then the events of my day also help to add a little more detail to those scribbled notes until I have time to tweak them later.  After all, I like to write about my thoughts on God and life with less of a blubbering mess and more of a beautiful mess by combining a little bit of grace with a little bit of truth followed by a little bit of editing.  Then a blog post is born as I launch it from my paper onto blogger.

As this process happens time and time again, I develop a voice as a writer.  Just as those who know me recognize my audible voice, so also those who know my writing recognize the voice that emerg...

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This is the second in a series of three posts about the great day at Lake Hart we had with our guest, Steve Raquel, on Tuesday (see the intro in the first post with important information about obtaining the PowerPoints and videos).

Steve touched on the concept of integrating several elements: a website, a blog, Facebook, Twitter, prayer letters, and/or an eMail service.  He had a unique perspective both as a social networking professional and as a donor to several of our staff families.

I asked Elaine of Priority Associates what she thought of the meeting:

First I have to say it was a little overwhelming but that is because I am so illiterate regarding all of the social media.  But I’m very glad that I went.  It helped in the learning process for me.

I became more acquainted with social media that I haven’t used.  It also helped to learn how they can work together.  It was nice to hear an expert say that he didn’t use all of them regularly.  It was good...

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