theLAB

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0zEXdDO5JU

This video I am told inspired ITG to do a visual presentation of their giving report. I have also learned that creator of the ITG piece was Terry Daffron a Java programmer who is also a graphic designer.  I think he did a great job. However, I was really surprised to hear that he did it in one of the Apple’s iWork software tools called Keynote! Pretty neat huh?

Back to the Crisis of Credit video. This video represents another way to communicate with motion graphics. I think you would enjoy seeing it for the inspiration value, but also for the educational value. It helped me understand the economics woes we currently are experiencing.

I have talked about this video before, but someone said I should post it again. I like how this communicates a lot of great information humorously, pithy and relatively simply. I think it would be so good for our mission if we could present SLICE and Success Criteria like this.

The first four talks of the Essentials small group discussion resources are done! Greg was able to complete the layout of the introductory pieces and deliver them to Howard Crutsinger yesterday. Student Venture had their advisory board gathered in our office and Howard immediately shared the new resources with them. Perfect timing!

This is worth celebrating, but we know there are still 20 more “talks” to do. None the less this is a terrific milestone.

The big news at the keynote was Apple’s upgrades to iLife (now 09′) and iWork (now 09′). Plus they introduced iwork.com, which is a site where you can collaborate on documents. I think they are a little behind Google with this service, but their process for sharing and collaborating over documents is Apple slick. However, the biggest news that will interest some of us is the upgrade to the 17″ MacBook. It has a new battery (will last 8 hours!), a new screen, and of course it now is made like the other MacBooks from a single slab of aluminum. There are additional goodies, but I will let Apple tell you what those are if you care over at apple.com.

Some other enhancement to iTunes and other things were mentioned, but again I will let Apple share those. There were no major headlines that effect our work (no mention of Snow Leopard), so the keynote was a little ho hum.

Yup, John is set up to Twitter. Now if John can get there everyone can. I hope we have some fun with this, and at the same time enhance excellent communication on our team as well as nurture good relationships. I like the way Common Craft says it in the video posted earlier, life happens between our connections and now we can keep up with each other 140 characters at a time or something close to that.

I will be away for two weeks. My family and I will fly out earlier Saturday morning to Sacramento, California. We will honor my friend who has been the pastor of our church for 30 years (Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church). We will also get a change to connect with some of our partners who extend their ministries through ours. We are looking forward to this time.

On Monday, September 8th I fly down to Los Angeles to meet up with the Operations RD’s for our Vertical Meetings. Lisa will return with the kids on September 9th and when Verticals are over I will return on the 12th. I know you have heard that I am backed up on email (it is true), but I make an effort to read yours first so if you should need to connect with me you can do so. Of course I am using Twitter and I will use Instant Messaging as well as much as I can while I am at my computer. Oh and my phone, that will be with me as well.

Be sure to help Justin, Jonathan and Trent find there way around as they settle into work with us. Remember all of us had to figure out mail, the phone, printing, and computer everything when we first reported to our offices. So ask them how they are doing with those things. Trent will be engaging with HRIS (Todd and Paul Alexander will initiate him tomorrow morning) while Jonathan will begin to engage with Campus Ministry communications. Jonathan will meet with Paul and probably Ruth to begin to survey this area of need. Justin will be learning the Monkey workflow hoping that his computer arrives soon. Doug will continue to focus on MPD, but will also be looking at our workflow with an eye on how to communicate it so we really do know how we get stuff done, and others will know how to engage with us as well.

I don’t want this to get too long so I will close now. I wanted you to be aware of my travels and to again welcome our new team members. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, you know John will!