Tips for A Successful Ministry Fair
- Begin now by asking Him what he wants to accomplish through your ministry and the Ministry Fair. Ask Him what you should present to the Church Family and what you should ask them for.
- Pray for the people He wants to add to your team. Pray with FAITH that He has brought people to our church and ask Him to help you find them.
- Pray for our Church Family as they are presented with a nearly unlimited list of options – that they won’t be overwhelmed by it all and that they EACH can find at least one area of ministry where they can feel like they’re contributing to the Kingdom of God.Begin with the End in Mind – Plan Your Follow UpWhat will you do AFTER the Ministry Fair? Think out to April 27th... you have a list of people who have expressed interest, but they haven’t really committed yet. How are you going to get back to each one of them? How will you stay in contact until they make their decision?
- Capture Contact Information – You will provided with a Sign Up Sheet to collect people’s name, phone number, address, email address and a comments/question section.Some people may be reluctant to give you information about themselves; for these, consider bringing Calling Cards with your name and contact information. Then they might call you instead.
- Plan/Host an Open House – even BEFORE the Fair, plan an Open House/Fellowship that you can invite interested people to. Have the rest of your team come too. This will give all of them an opportunity to mingle and find out more about your ministry – especially the people in your ministry.Once your Open House is planned, create Post Card/Invitations to hand out to those people who seem reasonably interested. Make sure the date/time/location and your name and contact information is included. Cleary note your Ministry in case they pick up similar invitations along the way.
- Bring Your Calendar – some people just want to sit down and ask a lot more questions. Can you schedule a one-on-one with them? If so, have your calendar ready to make that appointment before they leave your booth!
- Job Shadowing – Some people might be willing to invest a little more time BEFORE they make a decision. What job shadowing opportunities exist? Be sure to plan ahead and match people appropriately. For example, it might not be best to have a 55 year old man shadow a 22 year old lady... While this amount of control is always feasible, do your best to put likes with likes. Have a schedule handy so interested people can schedule themselves for the next best opportunities.
- Plan Orientation & Training – WHAT IF... somebody knows they want to start, right away! How will you assimilate them? Do you have a training plan in place? Do you have somebody else on your team that you can give them as a mentor/buddy? How will you set them up with that person? How will you alert the mentor/buddy? A very interested person wants to know: what do I do next?
- Put Your Best Face Forward – people follow leaders and often make their decision based on the leader. Be there and be yourself. Show your passion for your ministry. Show your love for God and His church. Show your genuine interest in the people, not their potential as servants.
- Team Members – have people there that can talk about what it’s ‘really’ like to be on your team; have enough there so some can stay in the booth while others maybe go off with a potential recruit to give a tour or have a private conversation.This is also a great opportunity to develop potential leaders. Ask someone on your team to share the responsibility of putting this together. Collaborate on goals, table layout and the information you will provide. Can this person be a mentor/buddy? Can this person oversee most of the follow- up with new or potential servants?
- Plan Meetings – People in the Sales field use shows similar to our Fair to invite prospects to visit their booth. Think about it... you have everything you need in one place, and it’s already a spot on your calendar. Set up some time slots. In the coming weeks, contact anybody who has previously expressed interest in your ministry and set up a specific appointment. Schedule people every 1⁄2 hour or so... but do be sure you have others at the table to respond to those that “walk- up.”
- Wear Name Tags – name tags are not for Nerds, they are for new people, and for people challenged to remember names! How many of you can identify every person in our church that you’ve ever met? If your team doesn’t have its own Name Tags, contact the office to have name tags made for those who will be in the booth.
Tell Them What You Do
- Make handouts that briefly describe your ministry. Include things like: o The mission of your ministry – why do you exist?
- Who do you serve? How? When?
- A list of relevant team leaders and their contact information
- Pictures of events or activities where you serve or just have fun
- Have role descriptions available so if somebody is interested in a particular role, you can give them a detailed description of what the job entails. The Connections Ministry has a form and samples that will help you define each role in your ministry. Briefly, people may be interested in:
- What experience or skills are required?
- How much commitment is required?
- Is there any training provided or required?
- What spiritual gifts or passions best fit this role?
Making Copies – please plan ahead if you want to use the church copy machine to make your copies. Can you only imagine how many people would show up at the last minute to make copies? The office staff uses the copy machine (and the entire work room) MOST on Thursdays and Fridays, so the deadline for making copies in the church office is April 22nd. It may be less stress to have them done by the previous Wednesday, April 15th.
- Use Posters, Handouts, Photographs, Scrap Books, and Samples; anything people can touch.
- OfficeMax sells self-standing back-boards that you can glue things to.
- Feel free to bring Computers, TVs (VCR/DVD player) – but keep in mind the event will be crowded and noisy, so please don’t plan on audio. There will be background music playing in the space.
- Food is always a hit!
- Add activity like demonstrations or practicing something, trivia games, etc.
- Ask Relevant Questions – what questions can you ask to get your visitor talking AND help you
- Have you volunteered before (church or other)? What did you do?
- What has been most satisfying to you about serving? What are you interested in?
- What do you like to do?
- What do you do for a living?
- How much time do you have to invest?
- Be sure to plan for final setup and testing Meeting with fellow booth-mates
- Can you get together with your team before the event to make sure you have all the time covered; are there different responsibilities?
Tear DownTear down of booths begins at 2 PM Sunday and should be complete by 3 PM that day.
E-mail Etiquette
Roger C. Parker is one of those prolific writers and commentators that I have grown to appreciate tremendously. I first met Roger through a webinar hosted by Mindjet. Roger appears to be a multi-talented individual, but I have come to know Roger within the arena of helping authors get published and in helping non-design people like myself look good in print. I have been a subscriber to his “Published and Profitable” web site since last fall.
While the focus of Roger’s writing and communications is not necessarily on productivity or technology, these topics bleed through in all that he presents. Many of his ideas are turn-key, simple thoughts that can be implemented immediately into your current workflow.
A Little Background
First, I need to provide a little background. Recently, I shared in a conversation with my wife one of the side lessons I have learned this semester in my class on Distance Education, which is part of my master’s degree through the University of Northern Iowa.
By it’s very nature, Distance Education relies heavily on text-based communication. This includes discussion forums, online chats, and e-mail. As I’ve watched and observed my professor, Dr. Ana Donaldson, facilitate this course, I have grown to appreciate how skilled she is at online communication. No e-mail or discussion posting, no matter how trivial, goes without a response.
As I’ve reflected on this, I have observed how many professional people, many of whom I would rate as excellent communicators offline, are simply atrocious when it comes to e-mail communication. Not only do they write poorly when they communicate via e-mail, but most importantly, they completely ignore many of the e-mail communications sent to them!
This, in my judgment, is simply unprofessional and does much to damage the overall credibility of an otherwise skilled professional.
E-mail is clearly an important—if not vital--communication tool in the 21st century. Still many of the people in middle- and upper-management today are baby boomers who started their careers without e-mail. It is an acquired skill, not something native to their generation. Those who want to be viewed as skilled communicators both offline and online need to learn some basic “E-mail Etiquette.”
A Simple Lesson in E-mail Etiquette
Now, to Roger’s comment:
Because e-mail has been a major part of our lives for several years, there's a temptation to take it for granted.
In particular, there's a temptation to assume that every e-mail we send will reach the intended recipient and--most important--be noticed.
Unfortunately, that's not true in 100% of the cases. Some e-mails get lost in transit, others get lost in the recipient's increasingly filled in-boxes.
That's why I paid attention when Jeffrey Fox, last week's Published & Profitable expert interview guest, described he immediately sends a "Got it!" reply/confirmation every time he receives a personal e-mail. It takes just a second to Reply, yet his confirmation projects an image of professionalism. Most important, his colleagues know that, if they don't receive a confirmation, something has gone wrong, and they follow-up by phone.
Strong brands and reputations are often built on simple, easy-to-follow, routines that show you care.
I couldn’t agree more! Nothing is more frustrating than to send an e-mail, whether it’s a simple “FYI,” action item, or request, etc., and have the e-mail simply disappear into cyberspace. Nothing. Nada. Did they get it? Do they agree or disagree? Should I move forward? Do I need to follow-up with a telephone call? In many cases a simple “Got it!” answers these questions.
So, take one small step forward in making a giant contribution to your professional image; don’t let a bunch of unanswered e-mails collect in your inbox.
Do you agree? No long answer is needed…a simple “Got it!” will do. :)
Windows / Mac Applications Cross Comparison
I am now a Mac/Windows crossover. (In other words, I am going from a Windows OS to Mac OS.) A week ago I purchased my first Mac, a Macbook. While I think I am going to like it a lot, it is very different from what I am used to. I mentioned in a twitter post that it feels like I am driving from the right side passenger seat when I am used to driving from the left side driver’s seat. Everything is different.
One of the most obvious involves the software that I run my life on. Obviously, with almost 20 years of Windows experience, I have an extensive library of Windows-based software. Some of it transitions to the Mac nicely, but at a cost. Other titles simply are not available for the Mac.
(I will add, that while I do understand why software companies need to charge for both Mac versions and Windows version of the same software, it does seem unreasonable to charge full price if my desire is to transfer a license from Windows to Mac. A good balance, I think is Logos Bible Software. They charge a small fee for the Mac engine that drives their system, but all of the resources I have work in either a Mac or Windows environment. That’s reasonable. Adobe, on the other hand, appears to charge full price for one of their applications if I want to use it on my Mac rather than on Windows. That’s unreasonable.)
Here is a listen of the software I currently have installed on my Windows laptop and a comparison to what is available in the Mac OS. Note: If a program is unavailable for the Mac, this does not mean there are not alternative apps I can use instead of the Windows app, it just indicates there is not an windows-to-apple equal.
| Windows OS | Max OS | Note |
| AceReader Pro | Available for Purchase | |
| Acronis True Image Home | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Adobe Air | Available – Free Download | |
| Adobe Audition 3.0 | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Adobe Fireworks CS4 | Available for Purchase | |
| Adobe Flash Player | Available – Free Download | |
| Adobe InDesign CS3 | Available for Purchase | |
| Adobe Media Player | Available – Free Download | |
| Adobe Reader 8.1.3 | Available – Free Download | |
| Adobe Shockwave Player | Available – Free Download | |
| AI Roboform | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Allway Sync | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Apple Mobile Device | Available – Free Download | |
| Audible Download Manager | Available – Free Download | |
| AVG Antivirus Free 8.0 | Not Applicable | |
| Bluebeam PDF Revu | ||
| Bonjour | ||
| Camtasia Studio 6 | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| CCleaner | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| CyperLink DVD Suite | ||
| Diskeeper 2008 Pro | ||
| Dragon Naturally Speaking | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| eBook Library by Sony | ||
| Evernote | Available – Free Download | |
| FileZilla FTP Client | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Flock 2.0 | ||
| FranklinCovey PlanPlus | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Google Chrome | ||
| ISO Recorder | ||
| iTunes | Available – Free Download | |
| Java 6 | ||
| Journal Sync | ||
| Logos Bible Software | Available for Purchase | |
| Livescribe Desktop | ||
| Logitech QuickCam | ||
| Microsoft OneNote 2007 | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Microsoft Office Pro 2007 | Available for Purchase | |
| Microsoft Silverlight | ||
| Microsoft Visual C++ | ||
| Mindjet MindManager 8 | Available for Purchase | |
| MobileMe Control Panel | ||
| Mozilla Firefox | Available – Free Download | |
| Mozilla Thunderbird | Available – Free Download | |
| MyScript for Livescribe | ||
| Netflix Movie Viewer | ||
| NetObjects Fusion 11.0 | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| PhatNotes for Outlook | ||
| Picasa 3 | ||
| Quicken 2008 | Available for Purchase | |
| QuickTime | Available – Free Download | |
| ScanSoft OmniPage Pro | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| ScanSoft PaperPort 11 | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| ScanSoft PDF Create | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| SecondLife | Available – Free Download | |
| Skype | Available – Free Download | |
| SlingPlayer | ||
| SmartDraw 2009 | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| SnagIt | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Sony DVD Architect | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Sony Vegas Movie Studio | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| SugarSync Manager | Available – Free Download | |
| TreeSize Free | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| TweetDeck | Available – Free Download | |
| Wildform Flair | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Windows Live Essentials | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| Windows Live Writer | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| WMDC | Not Available for Mac OS | |
| WORDsearch 8 | Available for Purchase | |
| World in Conflict |
Introduction to Zotero
Below is a brief introduction to Zotero I prepared for my “Writing a Research Paper" Seminar at the University of Northern Iowa. Starting this semester, I am going to explore Zotero as a research tool.
Zotero [zoh-TAIR-oh] is a free, easy-to-use Firefox extension to help you collect, manage, and cite your research sources. It lives right where you do your work—in the web browser itself.
Download and Install Zotero
Currently there are two versions of Zotero offered for download: Zotero 1.0 and Zotero 1.5 Beta. Zotero 1.5 Beta offers many new and exciting features, but it is still undergoing active development and may cause minor problems for some users as detailed below.
- Syncing and backup of Zotero libraries
- Automatic detection of PDF metadata
- Rich-text notes
- Automatic detection and support for proxy servers
- Trash can with restore item functionality
- Support for Endnote® export styles
Word Processor Compatibility
| Zotero 1.0 | Zotero 1.5 | |
| Word 2003 (Win) | Compatible | Compatible |
| Word 2007 (Win) | Compatible | Compatible |
| Word 2004 (Mac) | Compatible | Compatible |
| Word 2008 (Mac) | Not Compatible | Compatible |
| OpenOffice 2.4 | Compatible | Compatible |
| OpenOffice 3.0 | Compatible | Compatible |
Zotero 1.5 Beta has already been tested by thousands of users over the past 8 months, and we are confident that it is ready for widespread use. We have also added additional automated functionality to Zotero 1.5 Beta to protect data against loss. However, we are still actively adding features to Zotero's synchronization functionality, and there is a small risk of disruption in your user experience. If you plan to use Zotero 1.5 Beta, we strongly encourage you to back up your data regularly. If this message scares you even a tiny bit, please continue to use Zotero 1.0 for the immediate time being.
Zotero Quick Start Guide
For a quick overview of Zotero, follow the link above to the Quick Start Guide or download the pdf.
Zotero Screencast Tutorials
In an effort to make Zotero as user friendly as possible we have developed these screencasts demonstrating many of the basic functions of Zotero. Click on any of the images to watch screencasts detailing the features named below. Special thanks to Steve Bailey from CU-Boulder for preparing the introductory demo.
Zotero Compatible Sites
Zotero will automatically work with many sites not listed here; the best way to find out if Zotero works is to give it a try! If you find a site that works with Zotero but does not appear in the list below, please let us know by sending an email to [email protected].
12 must know Zotero tips and techniques
by Mark Dingemanse
Zotero is getting better and better. In a while, version 1.5 will bring synchronization, online backup of your library, +1100 CSL citation styles, and PDF metadata extraction (for the daring, a sync preview version is available). But even in its current incarnation Zotero is easily one of the best bibliographic managers out there. Here are twelve tips and tricks that help you to get the most out of it.
Zotero Links
Zotero Bookmarks
- • Jason Puckett.net " Zotero Workshop
- • Zotero White Paper Available - E-Tech
- • 7 Things You Should Know About Zotero | Odeo: Search, Discover and Share Digital Media from Millions of Audio and Video Clips
- • academhack " Blog Archive " How to Zotero
- • Papers Support Forum / Bridging two worlds: Zotero and Papers
- • Library Hacks " Introducing Zotero (part one)
- • Intro to Zotero
- • BYU Center for Teaching and Learning " Blog Archive " Research Made Easy
- • Zotero - better research and resources management
- • Emory University - Pitts Theology Library Theology Guides - Basic Training for Research at Pitts Library - Citing Sources
- • Have you all tried Zotero? | Graduate Students | LibraryThing
- • ZSR | Technology How To - Zotero
- • Two neat ways to organize your web stuff: Zotero and Digsby " Meghan's Blog
- • Developing a 21st Century Research System: Zotero + Google Books | EDC Blog
- • Zotero: A Free Reference Management Tool
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10 Tips for a Great Presentation
Another great post from Church Leaders Intelligence Report on great presentations. This time, they offered “10 Tips for a Great Presentation” by Steve Tobak. Here they are:
Connecting with an audience, communicating your vision and passion for your message, can be a beautiful experience. It's also a rare opportunity to make an impression that might impact the listener's future. It can either be a gateway or a roadblock to spiritual growth. Remember these tips:
- The pitch. Start with your main point of view and a handful of take-aways. Then build a storyboard around that, one slide per thought. Keep the number of slides down and allow only a few minutes per slide.
- The icebreaker. Start with something to break the tension (yours and theirs): a welcome gesture, engaging or humorous anecdote, graphic or video, or some combination. Keep it relevant and appropriate. Don't tell a joke.
- The old axiom. Old advice, but it works: First tell the audience what you're going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them.
- Don't always read what's on the slide. Use the slides for brief cues and speak in your own words.
- Engage the audience. Ask questions. If they don't respond, try offering an answer and asking for a show of hands, or ask easier questions. Make the audience part of the experience.
- Be accessible. Don't stand behind a podium. Use a wireless mic, if needed. Get close to the audience and move from place to place while maintaining eye-contact, but only from time to time. Do not bounce around like a ping-pong ball.
- Pause for effect and emphasis. Practice being comfortable with silence for two or three seconds. It's the most dramatic way to make a point. Avoid "verbal static" like ahs, uhs, and other fillers of uncomfortable silence; they just detract from your presence.
- Make eye-contact. But only for a few seconds per person. Too short and you'll fail to engage; too long and it becomes uncomfortable.
- Use hand gestures. They're engaging and interesting. But when you're not using them, keep your hands at your sides. Don't fidget, hold onto things, or put your hands in front of you, behind you, or in your pockets. Have a trusted friend observe your rehearsal to point out nervous habits.
- Don't block the audience's view. Don't step in front of the screen or block it from view, except for the occasional walk-across. Gesture with your hand, but don't touch the screen. Don't use a pointer unless you must.
Adapted from Steve Tobak, bNet, 12/22/08
Remember, you weren't born with this ability; it takes practice. Be patient with yourself. Finding your own style where you feel comfortable comes with experience.
What tips can you offer that help take your presentation from good to great?