What about eMail?  I suspect you learned how to use it mostly from trial-and-error and from practice.

These were new technologies when they first arrived on the scene.  We learned to use them because we liked how useful, informative, or entertaining they were for us.  We didn’t need much in the way of outside motivation and instruction to get on board. You can choose to look at any and all technology with the same attitude instead of allowing new technology to overwhelm you.  (I recommend reading “Pursuing What Is in Our Hearts”.)

Get Past the Fear

Not everyone is fearful of new technologies or intimidated by learning yet another new thing, but if that’s you, then I hope eQuipping for eMinistry (e4e) is a site you’ll rely on.  The posts here are written in a layman-friendly, non-techie way.  We’ll try hard to point you to help that is easy to understand and learn. You might also discover a new way to approach what you’re already doing.

The Problem of Change

Technology is changing even more rapidly now as you know.  Unfortunately, you may learn something from us this year that will be different two years later.  e4e will try to remain current and will help you keep up with changes.

Allow Us to Filter

Then again, there’s the problem of SO MUCH to choose from.  eQuipping for eMinistry can help you discern what’s best for you.  We try to know what really works and to also know what is on the horizon.  e4e is written mainly with Campus Crusade staff women in mind with the goal that more women will learn how to take the tools of technology and apply them to ministry.  Our content will reflect this.  We won’t have anything too technical.  We’ll have easy-to-use ideas that can help you be more effective in ministry.

We also know you can’t do everything, so we’ll be helping you in the near future to find the perfect fit for you with technology tools that reflect your lifestyle and your calling.

Byte-size Learning

One of the easiest ways to pick up new ideas and new skills is to subscribe to eQuipping for eMinistry to receive  a weekly eMail (click for sample) summarizing the posts for the previous week.  By subscribing, you can glance through the e4e eMail and just click on a topic that interests you.  Your subscription also helps us know what people are interested in reading which will improve the content on the site.

So far, eQuipping for eMinistry content has:

• Suggested help with eMail
• Offered lots of advice on blogs and newsletters
• Given a variety of useful MPD tips
• Explained internet evangelism (Facebook and more)
• Helped with photos
• Shown different uses for mobile phones for ministry
• Explained office technology skills

If something involves ministry and technology, we’re here to help YOU.

NOTES: This image is available through dreamstime.com.

If you want to offer mobile apps for various Asian cultures, this slideshow, Your Mobile Experience Is Not Theirs from cxpartners, will help you think through culture, social norms, language, infrastructure, and devices.  Your Western mobile app will need to be “translated” (and not just the language) to fit into other cultures.

Columbine

Follow Pat’s CSU2013 Photo Tips series!

Professional photographer and staff alum, Pat Mingarelli, is writing a series of how-to posts to help you take great photos of scenery, animals, and wildflowers.

Many U.S. staff find an opportunity to visit the Colorado mountains when we attend our National Staff Training conference in July, so Pat wanted to assist you in capturing memorable photos. He’s already written two posts about landscape photography (the next post will be about photographing wildlife).  So, follow Pat’s CSU2013 Photo Tips series to learn how to take better photos.  Start practicing these photography lessons so you can bring home your own awesome Colorado images.

Wildflower Tip

Look for the small details of your day in the mountains, such as mushrooms and wildflowers, to add to your photo journal.  Pat explains:

Photograph a flower that is sheltered from the wind and wait for the air to be still. Have a nice clean background as image 7 shows and use the appropriate aperture setting to get the proper amount of focus. Whenever an object is close to the lens the range of focus is shallow. A smaller aperture will give you more depth of field. Also, for a sharp photo definitely use a tripod!

Broader Applications

Pat’s advice applies, of course, to your overseas projects and other times when you want to have good photos of a  ministry trip to share.

All of Pat’s posts on eQuipping for eMinistry will help you take better photos for your prayer letters and blogs.  Photos enhance your message and draw in your readers, so it’s important to learn about good photography, even if you don’t take the pictures yourself, but want to pick out the best images to use in communicating to your donor or staff team.

NOTE: Meet e4e author, and professional photographer, Pat Mingarelli and read Pat’s posts on e4e.

“Threat” Headlines

• 7 Warning Signs that [Blank]
• 5 Little-Known Factors that Can Affect Your [Blank]

Simplifying-Your-Life Headlines

• 11 Ways to Simplify Your [Blank]
• Get Rid of [Recurring Problem] Once and for All

“Piggyback” Headlines

• The [World-Class Example] Guide to [Blank]
• Secrets of [Famous Group]

Mistake Headlines

• Do You Make These 9 [Blank] Mistakes?
• 11 [Blank] Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making

How-to Headlines

• How to [Blank] in [Year]
• How to [Do Something] that [Your Target Audience] Will Love

List Headlines

• 7 Ways to [Do Something]
• Get [Blank]! 10 Ideas that Really Work

I’m sure you know that headlines are very important to whet a reader’s appetite to stop and read an article. If you’re concerned that these headlines are over-worked or obvious, I’ll let Jon convince you to give them a try:

None of those irresistible headlines you see on the covers of Cosmopolitan Magazine and

The National Enquirer are new. The majority of them are more than 50 years old,

written by great direct response copywriters like Eugene Schwartz and Claude Hopkins.

They might change the wording around or modernize the language, but the ideas are

essentially the same, rehashed over and over again by every popular magazine, newspaper,

and blog in the world.

And do their readers complain? No.

~ Jon Morrow, 52 Headline Hacks: A “Cheat Sheet” for Writing Blog Posts that Go Viral

Download this free eBook or save it in Google Drive now and start using these effective headlines for your blog posts today.

NOTE: Have you noticed numbers in headlines, too? Most of the time it’s best to keep them small, but you can use 30, 52, or 365 in your headline if you want to encourage your readers to begin a new habit (by making daily or weekly changes) or to set a goal of completing something in a year.

Start practicing these six quick landscape photography tips to create memorable pictures (all images are from the park).

Tip One

When photographing a landscape with a wide-angle lens it’s best to have a strong anchor in the foreground to catch the eye of the viewer. The old log in Horseshoe Park in image 1 helps break up the monotony of the empty grass.

Tip Two

Although wide-angle lenses are usually everyone’s first choice for landscape photos they aren’t necessarily the best for them. Image 2 of Longs Peak shows how telephoto lenses offer a unique perspective to landscape photography by focusing on one important aspect of the landscape. They also compress the elements of an image together making a nice tight photograph.

Tip Three

One benefit of wide-angle lenses is that they usually allow for maximum focus. In photo 3 the foreground of Upper Beaver Meadows is in focus as well as Longs Peak in the background.

Tip Four

Get a good quality tripod (don’t use a Walmart special). A tripod was used on every photograph displayed in the gallery.  It keeps your camera still and forces you to think about what’s in the view finder.

Tip Five

When you see something worthy of a photograph take a little walk and change your angle. Many visitors to the park photograph Alberta Falls and many shoot from the overlook along the trail. Image 5 was taken about 15 feet from the trail down below the overlook. It’s very unique compared to other photos of the falls.

Tip Six

Get up early and stay out late. The best lighting comes within an hour or two of sunset and sunrise. Be there at least a half an hour before sunrise and 20 minutes after sunset before putting the camera away. Image 6 was taken in early morning late which lights the Aspen Trees in Horseshoe Park while leaving shadows in the background.

Click on the images in the gallery to zoom in. In May I’ll discuss wildlife photography.

NOTES:

• Every month learn and practice new photography lessons from Pat so you can bring home your own awesome Colorado photos. Follow Pat’s CSU2013 Photo Tips series!
• Meet e4e author, and professional photographer, Pat Mingarelli and read Pat’s posts on e4e. Learn about his ministry, Creation Speaks.