Tag Archives: productivity

8 Reasons to Follow a Great Leader

By Cary Schmidt | February 1, 2010

Everybody, in some respect is a leader, and everybody is a follower. Few are called to be the key leader. Many more are called to follow and support a key leader. For instance, a family may have many members but should have one father. A team can have many players (and leaders) but only one [...]

Posted in leadership | Also tagged church staff, leadership, ministry, team | 1 Comment

7 Ideas for Your Personal Planner System

By caryschmidt | December 21, 2009

This fourth and final post on an annual planner is just for ideas. Please contexualize this series properly—I’m certainly not the expert on this stuff. Like you, I just enjoy comparing notes with others and gleaning helpful ideas. Thank you for the positive feedback. If you’re coming in late to the series, previous articles are [...]

Posted in productivity | Also tagged leadership, media & tech, ministry, organization, technology, time management | 7 Comments

Implementing Your New Year Plan

By caryschmidt | December 19, 2009

The “final article” on the new year planner has become two. First—let’s discuss putting it into practice. In the next article—thoughts on developing an organizational system that works. (Click to read the first and second articles in this series.)
So you’ve spent several hours or days mapping out vision, goals, projects, events, calendar, details, and tasks—now [...]

Posted in productivity | Also tagged church staff, leadership, media & tech, ministry, organization, technology, time management | 4 Comments

More on Developing a New Year Planner

By caryschmidt | December 17, 2009

Thank you for responding to the article on the contents of a new year planner! Many of you have emailed and asked for the sample planner mentioned at the end of the article. In finalizing my planner the past couple days, I’ve decided to do two more articles related to planning the new year. This [...]

Posted in productivity | Also tagged church staff, ministry, organization, time management | 4 Comments

Contents of a New Year Planner

By caryschmidt | December 10, 2009

‘Tis the season for new year planning! In support of the recent Spiritual Leadership Podcast on annual planning, I thought it would be appropriate to dissect a ministry planner and give an inside glimpse of what’s included. Perhaps these thoughts will equip you in planning and preparing for a great new year of ministry. So, [...]

Posted in productivity | Also tagged leadership, ministry, organization, time management | 4 Comments

SL Podcast: Developing an Annual Plan

By caryschmidt | December 8, 2009

The December edition of the Spiritual Leadership Podcast has just posted!
Originally taught ten years ago, this lesson is entitled “Developing an Annual Plan.” In this session, Pastor Chappell shares thoughts on creating a new year plan for your life and ministry. This is one of the most popular spiritual leadership lessons Dr. Chappell has ever [...]

Posted in leadership | Also tagged leadership, organization, podcast, time management | 2 Comments

Overworked or Under-Appreciated?

By caryschmidt | November 20, 2009

In today’s staff meeting, Dr. Mark Rasmussen shared this humorous and sobering reminder of how good we really have it! I’m not sure of its source, but it’s a great reminder!
If you ever start to feeling overworked, over-regulated, under-leisured, under-benefited—take heart. This notice was found in the ruins of a London office building. It was [...]

Posted in humor | Also tagged church staff, humor, time management | 1 Comment

How to Write Readable Emails

By Cary Schmidt | September 18, 2009

Have you ever received an email that, at first sight, completely sent your brain into a revolt? Funny. Regardless of the message or your affection for the sender, your brain just wants to immediately hit “delete”! Why?
Perhaps some basic things made the email appear to be a huge mental hurdle—long lines, huge paragraphs, and a [...]

Posted in productivity | Also tagged church staff, communication, organization, technology, time management | 8 Comments

Honored to Work with a Winning Team

By Cary Schmidt | June 22, 2009

What an awesome privilege it is to work on a team with incredible, talented, godly, committed people! The people I get to work with truly are great, in every sense of the word. Over the past week, I have been reminded, humbled, and sincerely blessed over and over again at the spirit and heart of [...]

Posted in leadership, ministry & outreach | Also tagged church staff, ministry, organization, team | 1 Comment

Encouraging Words Goes Mobile

By Cary Schmidt | June 16, 2009

More and more people prefer to read blogs “on the go” through their mobile device. I am happy to announce that you can now view this blog in a mobile version through your mobile phone browser (designed for iPhone, Adroid, or iPod touch.) Simply type in the URL and the site should automatically detect your [...]

Posted in books and resources | Also tagged blog, communication, technology | 1 Comment

Helpful Tools for Personal Productivity

By caryschmidt | June 16, 2009

This post is certainly not original. In fact, many of you will find it “old news,” but it comes with the spirit of “redeeming the time” and passing along good ideas—all of which are in no way original—practical tools for friends and co-laborers. So, here are a few things things that have made a difference [...]

Posted in productivity | Also tagged communication, ministry, technology, time management | 3 Comments

Three More Huge Principles for Personal Productivity

By caryschmidt | April 22, 2009

Do you like to live “to the hilt”? Do you like to pillow your head at night exhausted, spent, but fulfilled? Do you find great enjoyment in doing the best you can with the resources and opportunities God has given you? I sure do. In a recent post we looked at three HUGE principles of [...]

Posted in productivity | Also tagged biblical living, organization, time management | 8 Comments

Three Huge Principles for Personal Productivity

By caryschmidt | April 5, 2009

A few weeks ago a pastor asked me if he could look through my leather binder. I happily sat down and showed him page by page through this veritable extension of my arm—for it pretty much goes wherever I go all the time. Thinking back, I get asked about organization, personal productivity, and balance quite [...]

Posted in productivity | Also tagged organization, technology, time management | 11 Comments

Making Good Intentions Happen

By Cary Schmidt | December 15, 2008

Four Reasons We Fail to Accomplish Our Best Intentions

As you are staring at a New Year, you’ve probably started setting some goals, making some decisions, and laying out plans. We all have a TON of good intentions. But, if you really think about it, good intentions never accomplished a thing! When it comes to living [...]

Posted in christian life, productivity | Also tagged biblical living, ministry, time management | 1 Comment

Your Best December Ever!

By Cary Schmidt | December 11, 2008

Ten Ways to Have a December You Will Never Forget or Regret
Several days ago I sat down and wrote out 10 commitments I wanted to make before the Lord this month. I later shared them with our Senior Highers in our Wednesday night Bible study. Perhaps they could encourage you.
We hear the word “JOY” a [...]