Resource #1: Evernote Hello

I like to keep up on how leaders can harness technology for more effective ministry. For those running iOS on an iPhone or iPad, a new app recently came out that definitely has awesome potential for pastors and youth leaders. The app is called Evernote Hello, which works with the widely-used Evernote platform that helps you “remember everything” by logging a digital version of your documents, notes, webpages, etc. in the cloud and syncing it across all your devices.

Evernote Hello serves one purpose: helping you remember people. I don’t know about you, but I’m just awful at remembering names. It’s not that I don’t care, but after introductions and a 30-second conversation about the peanut butter cookies or the Buffalo Bills’ collapse, I already forgot their name.

Enter Evernote Hello. This app makes remembering people easy by creating a rich, browsable history of individuals, encounters, and shared experiences. Watch this video to see what I mean.

I love the way Trevor Buehler demonstrated ministry possibilities for a youth pastor in his article on ChurchMag:

Imagine “Joey” walking into your event for the first time. You make your move and take your best stab at making a good first impression, trying to get to know a bit, without seeking too creepy! You introduce yourself and as he introduces himself, you whip out your iPhone (or iPad) with Evernote Hello open and ask him to tap in his name, snap a quick shot of himself (the app automatically takes a picture with the forward-facing camera when the person raises the phone above their shoulders), and provide any additional details he may have been willing to give you.

Once he saves the info, the app automatically sends him an email with your contact details (if he gave you his email address).

Think about it! You’ve just created a fantastic first impression! You instantly have credibility because you’ve got an iPhone and you let him interact with it (instead of scribbling his details on a green “I’m new here” card you printed out an hour ago). You’ve got a slick phone app for him to use that he’s never heard of before. You’ve created a memorable moment for him.

Suddenly, you’ve got his name and face to match the next time you meet him, and you may just have his contact details to interact with him further after your meeting. Not to mention that Hello just sent your contact details to him as well, starting a “conversation”. Instant connection — one Joey can’t ignore!

Pretty sweet, huh? No word on an Android app yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re working on it since Evernote is historically a strong cross-platform solution.

Download Evernote Hello.

Resource #2: 7 Q’s for a Leaders’ Meeting

I love the new year, and I usually use the year-end to evaluate the past year and plan for the next. This timeframe works well for me since with the holidays, I usually have some extra downtime anyways. I married in May 2011, so I even utilized this time to talk with my wife about our marriage and identify some life goals for 2012.

I think this is EXTREMELY important to do for your ministry as well. If you’re not thinking through what’s working, what fat could be trimmed, or how you can improve your team for the future, then you are missing out on your team’s full potential. I really like Perry Noble’s 7 Questions to Discuss in your Next Leadership Meeting. Check it out!

‎To do them justice, the people who crucified Jesus did not do so because he was a bore. Quite the contrary; he was too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have declawed the lion of Judah and made him a housecat for pale priests and pious old ladies.

- Dorothy Sayers

I felt the Lord leading me to challenge BASIC students with a similar call to lay down everything and follow Jesus’ radical call to follow Him. I ended up using large portions of Platt’s book in my sermon, and often used his exact phrases because he obviously had worked very hard crafting them for maximum impact.

I say all this because I intended to mention his book as the source of much of my material at the end of the sermon, but after the altar call and having to quickly end the conference, it just didn’t happen. People use other pastor’s stories all the time, but because I used so much of his material in this sermon, I’d like to apologize for not giving him credit at the time of the sermon. I STRONGLY recommend buying his book, as it has been a powerful reminder to me of what it means to follow Christ.

Amazon: Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

Via: Pro Life

Or maybe the smartest.

Lee was offered $150 million by the New York Yankees. He could have played on the biggest stage in baseball with arguably the most successful team in sports history.

Instead, he will be taking a $30 million pay cut to play for the Philadelphia Phillies, winner of just two titles in almost 100 years.

$30 million. That’s $6 million less each year for the next 5 years. I can’t even think about that much money without getting goosebumps. And yet Lee got up from the table, letting everyone know that the Yankees’ bigger budget couldn’t buy him.

This might be the most amount of money any player has walked away from in sports. According to Mets general manager Omar Minaya, “It’s unprecedented.”

Now why would ANYONE leave that much money on the table? Is Cliff Lee suffering from a self-harm condition, or is he just a better pitcher than an accountant?

I think the answer is simple: some things are more important than money.

You see, Lee has a history of rejecting the quick buck for doing what he thought was the right thing. When he was drafted by Major League Baseball in the 8th round straight out of high school, he turned it down. He went to a community college instead. When he was drafted again the next year, he turned it down. Went to University of Arkansas. Guess he wanted to go to college.

Apparently they didn’t teach him the “time value of money” at the University of Arkansas. I mean, my business degree taught me that $30 million will be worth $380,281,489.05 by the time he’s 65.

So why he’d do it? According to Lee, because his family liked Philadelphia. They liked the other families, the players, the housing. Lee’s wife complained about the Yankees fans who spat at the Rangers’ wives during the playoffs.

Living in a place where your wife feels comfortable and your family is happy is probably pretty important when your son has had leukemia from the age of 4 months.

Cliff Lee has all he needs, and in a pleasant surprise coming from the world of sports–he knows it. I’m impressed, Mr. Lee. Stick it to the Yankees and their big budget. You do your thing.