Time Management pt 9 – Organising your Organiser – 1

Administrative Skills, Equipping, Good Practice, Planning, Time Management
Whether you are using a paper-based Organiser or an electronic PDA it is important to get some shape and system in place before you start. It is well worth giving careful thought to what will serve you best. You are laying a foundation;  if the foundation of a building is wrong the final structure will fail to perform in the intended way and however elegant it looks it will always be deficient.  There are three major elements to the Organiser, and some refinements. 1. Calendar and Diary The core is, of course, the time element. In the last posting we looked at the 2-page per day display where you have the whole day laid out before you including a) appointments, b) Do it list and, by the end of the day,…
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Time Management pt 8 – Getting organised

Administrative Skills, Equipping, Good Practice, Planning, Time Management
So, what does the Organiser look like? You will remember that for the purposes of this training I am considering a paper system rather than a PDA. Personally I use a PDA but since there are so many varieties it is easier to communicate ideas this way.     I recommend the 2-page/day loose leaf variety of Organiser. This gives plenty of room for all that you need to do including a generous note page for making records of phone calls, meetings and so on.   But the important feature is not so much to do with the area of paper – that will be dependent on your particular lifestyle – but with having the relevant sections on view each day namely: 1. Do it list 2. Appointments 3. Notepad…
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To the Nations – Visit to Ghana and Nigeria – Part 2

Cross-culture, Ghana, International, News, Nigeria, Poor
Recently Danny McBride, a friend from my church (CCK, Brighton) and I visited Ghana and Nigeria. In part 1 of this report (see February 8th) I showed an interview with John Kpikpi of his vision and apostolic ministry in West Africa. While in Ghana I was also able to speak to John about his attitude to the Poor. The Kingdom Mandate of Is 61:1-3 demonstrates God’s heart for the Poor and the fruit of the gospel in their lives. I thought it would be interesting to gain John’s perspective on this from the context of a nation and church which has many poor people in their midst. Theology of the Poor in Ghana - John Kpikpi from Newfrontiers on Vimeo.   [caption id="attachment_944" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The Gate of No Return"][/caption]…
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Time Management pt 7 – Paper or Electronic?

Administrative Skills, Equipping, General, Good Practice, Planning, Time Management
What is a diary? Traditionally diaries have been for recording history. Many books have been written as a result of people keeping diaries of their daily events and these have given us fascinating insights into life and culture in different eras and nations. Elizabeth Fry I have just been reading a biography of the great prison reformer in the UK, Elizabeth Fry, who lived at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. Without her diaries we would know far less about her. She was clearly a formidable woman – perhaps I should not admit that she was my great great great grandmother! But diaries have changed and now tend to be looking forward. They are the most common vehicle for making appointments, planning holiday dates and…
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To the Nations – Visit to Ghana and Nigeria – Part 1

Christian ministry, Cross-culture, Ghana, International, News, To the Nations
I am breaking into my Time Management series to include a report on my recent visit to West Africa. It was a joy to be with John Kpikpi in Ghana and Sam Amara in Nigeria. John leads City of God Church in Accra and brings apostolic oversight to Newfrontiers churches in 7 West African nations. Sam leads the Riches of Grace Church in Lagos and is church planting in both Lagos and beyond. This report will come in 2 parts. The first is primarily an interview with John about his ministry and the West African scene. I encourage you not only to watch this but then to link to his teaching videos which have arisen out of his very successful television ministry. In the second part (with the next Time…
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Time Management pt 6 – Prioritising Discretionary Time

Administrative Skills, Christian ministry, Equipping, Good Practice, Planning, Time Management
Its as easy as ABC! How did you get on with a ‘Do it’ list? I now want to help you complete the prioritising but first we need to unpack ‘Important’ in a bit more detail. Last time we saw how the definition of Important in this context was a matter of values and had a particular focus on your unique gifting and responsibility. However, there are other considerations and these typically relate to how you interact with others. Let’s consider an example. Suppose you have to write some ‘copy’ for a piece of publicity. This may not seem very important or urgent to you for today. You know it is not going to be printed for another month. However, when you have written that copy it has to be…
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