In a few days, we'll sit down to a Thanksgiving meal. Some will travel to see extended family while others will enjoy the celebration at home. As we prepare the turkeys, pies and way too many side dishes, I wanted to share several tools I'm grateful we have at our disposal. These help us share the gospel and make disciples in our communities and around the world.
#1 – The ability to communicate to so many
We can send mass emails out to those in our congregations, post a sermon video on our website and promote it via social media, receive prayer requests through our church's mobile application and much more.
We live in an age where we can, in an instant, send a message that reaches people around the world. That provides both an incredible opportunity and a great responsibility for how we leverage those communication tools.
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#2 – The wealth of information and ideas online
I often conduct research for an article I'm writing or program I'm developing. Since so many church and business leaders now have their own blogs and podcasts, we can learn in an afternoon from those who've been there/done that.
#3 – Online communities
If you have any responsibility for communications at your church, you should check out the Church Communications Facebook group. For those who handle the administrative / operational side of things, consider joining the Church Executive Administration & Operations Facebook group.
These and many other online communities provide an easy way to ask questions, share ideas and get help from church leaders who've dealt with similar situations.
#4 – Evernote
In addition to the productivity tools I mentioned here, Evernote is one I appreciate having available on my laptop and on my phone. I save articles in my Evernote files for book research, keep pictures of key office supplies such as printer cartridges so I know what to buy at the store and more.
#5 – Canva
I can't design graphics to save my life, so the templates in Canva help me create graphics for my blog posts that actually look good.
#6 – RocoCPM
RocoCPM is church project management software designed by church staff members. It's great for keeping a central task list for upcoming services and events, facilitating communication between departments and maintaining a list of preferred vendors.
#7 – LightStock
LightStock is the site where I purchase most of the photos I use on my website. The variety of styles, formats and subjects makes this a great resource.
I hope this list stirs up a few ideas and introduces you to a few tools you haven't had a chance to check out yet.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy time with your family. Eat more carbs and pie than is probably wise (hey, it's the holidays). Go for a walk with your spouse (bonus: you'll burn a few calories). Play with your kids. Watch some football. Take a post-turkey dinner nap. Take a moment to consider what you're grateful for and praise God for what He's doing in and through you. 
Deborah Ike has a heart for ministry with a head for business. As the president and founder of Velocity Ministry Management, Deborah serves ministry leaders by helping them to achieve their God-inspired vision without burning out themselves, their staff or volunteers. For the original article, visit velocityministrymanagement.com.
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