Articles

There's a new technology in town, and it's a pro at helping you maximize your network-- budgetarily and operationally.  But there's one catch: it's free.  Yup!  Free! The first time I heard about it I asked, "Can it possibly be any good?"  I think you'll be just as surprised as I was.

While talking with a colleague I realized that many people don't have a good email storage strategy; one that improves their productivity and avoids being an overwhelming distraction.  While mine is not necessarily the best, it is a strategy that keeps my mailbox fairly lean.  And it helps me be more productive and focused... maybe it'll help you too!

It's only February, and we've already seen more Internet problems this year than I remember in all of 2008!  Yet many churches and ministries are deciding to put their most important data on the web... data that, if unavailable, could shut them down.  Let's talk about how to protect your ministry from Internet outages and the havoc they can wreak.

Today I'm feeling a little like Andy Rooney on CBS' 60 Minutes.  While I'm not anywhere near 90 years old (he turned 90 on January 14, 2009), I sometimes share his skepticism of some current trends.  Today I'm thinking about the incredible amount of communication we do with technology, and am feeling a bit overwhelmed...

One of my favorite characters from the 1960s Laugh In television show was the telephone operator Ernestine created by Lilly Tomlin.  Playing the role of an AT&T operator sitting in front of an old-fashioned PBX, she would make, receive, and connect calls by using patch chords and dialing her rotary phone.  Telephone communication has changed dramatically since then, and the PBX is no exception! Phone systems used by churches and ministries come in all sizes and prices!  There are many worthwhile options; in this article we'll look at phone system features and options to help prepare you for identifying the system that's right for you and your church.

The economy has taken a serious downturn.  There's no more disputing that fact, and it's affecting church and ministry budgets.  Are there some things you can do to keep your computer system stability and reliability growing when finances are tight?  I think so. It's true of churches and ministries like it is everywhere else: when budgets are growing, waste is more prevalent.  That's not a judgment on our stewardship; it's just that we're focusing on tasks that sometimes keep us from being able to look for the best economic strategy.  The good news is that in this tight economy there are some ways we can cut expenses without cutting quality, reliability, or impact.