Time for Vacation?

Just posted this to my personal blog, but thought it was something that was worth the read here too.

I just read a great little blog that deals with time management. This is something I have to consistently work on. I read a book a few years ago that is called Eat That Frog.
The basic premise of the book is that if the worst thing you have to do today is eat a frog, do that first and get it out of the way. If you have to eat 2 frogs, eat the ugliest one first. Bottom line: Do the hardest things on your to do list first so they don't weigh you down.

Every day(ish) I write a new frog list for the next day. I put down all my to dos, the things I can delegate, phone calls, emails, etc. Then I try to knock off as many as possible that next day. I try to make this list feasible. I don't put down the things I have to accomplish "this year," just that day. I may include some things that be done if I finish the rest of the list, but I don't stress myself out.

What kind of helps do you use to get things done? Another great book for productivity is Getting Things Done by David Allen. I have recently started using a program called Things and so far so good. It is pricey and I have not decided if I want to go beyond the trial or not. Another good resource is Remember the Milk. This is a web app, you can download a desktop app to go with it and for you iPhone users out there, "there is an app for that" too. Also, they can integrate it with twitter.


Being a guy who is not known for details or great time management, this has done wonders for me. As a matter of fact I am trying to drop the stigma that I am not good with details, etc. So please disregard the first sentence in this paragraph. That is no longer true. I will not speak tearing down prophecy on myself anymore.

Back to the blog I read. Is it time for you to take a vacation? Are you too stressed out? I will give you a peek at what he did by showing you a picture. Then I want you to go read the blog here.  My results? I am good. I just had a vacation and don't need one just yet. ;)

Wow, lots of links in this post!

Crazy Collaboration

I truly believe we can often do things better together than we can do on our own. This is an amazing example of just that. This is why way use teams for our events (DYC, Youth Quake, Quest). Those teams are invaluable. Without them it would be really difficult to pull off. Each person on the team plays a part and has valuable input into what happens during the event and how everything is threaded together.

We really want these events to be something that supports your ministry and helps you further what you are doing at "home." Our prayer is that what happens at these events will inspire you and your students to greater things in your own backyard. Maybe that means you do Youth Quake days where you go out and serve with your middle schoolers/jr. highers; maybe that means you set up an accountability ministry for your students; perhaps you are inspired to hone your craft of message prep and delivery. Whatever it is, we want to do what we can to serve you.

Check out this little collaboration vid. Lots of people, working hard together to make a bigger picture happen. Wow!



ps. as it is in another language that I do not speak, I have no idea what is being said/sung here.

We Need Your Input for Youth Quake Worship

Please check all that apply and then add any songs you would like to see part of Youth Quake this year.

Slow Down or Speed Up in the Summer?

What does your summer look like? Are you a slow things down person? Are you a Shut it all down person? Are you a do more person? I'm curious. Tim Schmoyer blogged about it and gives a pretty good argument for slowing way down, if not completely shutting down for the summer. Take a read here.

This would not include summer camps and missions trips, more of the weekly meetings.

Youth Quake Registrations are Out

Youth Quake is July 13-17. That may seem like a long time away, but you know how summer is. You should have your registration packets and brochures in the mail and on your desk by now. You should also be ready to hand them out this weekend.

If you want to print your own let us know and we will email you the PDF, we can even put your own prices in there with your church name on it. Let us know right away. You should also have a video in your email now that you can download and show this weekend as well. It's a fun little voiceover vid encouraging your students to get in their registrations early.

If you want a PDF of the brochure hit up Mike.

Youth Specialties

10 things you won't hear at nywc.

New Blogging area

Obviously you see that the blog is in the same spot as it has always been, but we have embedded our blogger site on here so you can leave comments. It has much more functionality. Of course, I am always learning more about web stuff so I am sure this will change in the future when I figure out how to do this better.

Please feel free to comment anytime and let us know what you think.

Join the conversation.

Add to what is being said.

Leave others with something of value.

If you want to add this to your google reader or whatever rss feed you use I think you need to put in www.pnwallianceyouth.blogspot.org, but I am not 100% sure on that. Otherwise try http://allianceyouth.org/Alliance_Youth/Blog/Blog.html

Twitter for Your Ministry

Some of you are on it already, many of you will miss the “boat” entirely, but most all have at least heard of it. Twitter. I have mentioned it before and will continue to do so for a while. Email is “dead” and updating a “hotline” is time consuming and frustrating too.

I just read a great article on ways to use Twitter for your ministry. check out this blog. <---click here. A few highlights: show live tweets at your events; post weather related updates; get people to read your blog.

This is a fun and interactive medium that may be worth your time at least to check out. You can also post updates to your website and have parents check the website on when you will be returning, etc. from an event.

Also check out twitter.com for more about what twitter is.