Since May of 2009, I’ve been self-hosting this little web presence with Dreamhost using the Wordpress platform.  First of all, I stand to benefit financially from you signing up from Dreamhost, but I can’t more highly recommend them.  Why?  It’s cheap, and it’s novice-friendly setup for Wordpress users is perfect for newbies like me.  Seriously, cheap and easy.  If you’re interested hit that Dreamhost badge over to your right, or just click HERE.

If you’re not currently on Wordpress, then make it happen for yourself.  It’s so much easier and tweakable than any other platform.  And the added bonus of using Wordpress is that you instantly join a community of people willing to help and offer input.  Collaboration at it’s Wordpress best!

The plugin feature of Wordpress has been my favorite part of the experience.  In that spirit, here are a few plugins that I’ve found to be highly beneficial since moving over to Wordpress:

All in One SEO Pack
This little plugin easily ties SEO data into each blog post.  As a newbie, I didn’t quite get it’s benefit at first; but now I see that it really makes my posts easier to find through search engines.  I took the time to add SEO data to old posts, and it even drove traffic to those lost and lonely post from years pasts.

W3 Total Cache
I don’t totally understand this plugin, but I know that since I moved from WP_Super Cache to this my load times have been lightning fast.  Fast is good in the web world, right?

Amazon Associate Filter
This little plugin is magic.  It automatically ties in all Amazon links to my Amazon Affiliate ID.  Cha-Ching!

I moved over from a Blogger platform to Wordpress, and I found these three plugins to be life-savers:

Batch Categories
When I migrated over to Wordpress, I spent hours changing my categories and working to make old posts easier to find. Then I found this tool and did what had taken me hours in about 10 minutes. It allows you to do what the name of it is. Change categories of posts in a batch, instead of individually.

Blogger To Wordpress Redirection
This is a great plugin that automatically moves old blogger permalinks to your new wordpress permalinks. This was important for me, because I changed my naming setup when I moved to Wordpress.

Maintain Blogger Permalinks
This works in conjunction with the other plugin, and maintains all those original http://littlepastor.blogspot.com (Don’t ask!) links that exists in the Internets.

There are other plugins I use, like Askimet, Feedburner, Woopra, Google Analytics, and other Wordpress tool plugins.  It wouldn’t be an adequate Wordpress blog help post, if I didn’t mention the help that John has provided at www.human3rror.com and www.churchcrunch.com.  It was even from his site that I picked up the cool toolbar over on the right side of my blog!

I’d love to know what you’re using.  What am I missing out on?

This is a followup to a post I did back in August of 2009 // Creative Volunteer Training

Two things about me as a Children’s Pastor:

1. I hate meetings.
2. I hate meetings.

A few years ago, I read Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni and his book has helped me work to make meetings more beneficial with my staff (at least in my humble opinion.)  I have however continued to struggle with how to communicate with volunteers in an effective way.

How do I train them?

How can I communicate best practices?

How do I let them know about changes in the curriculum?

But most importantly, how do I do these things without calling meetings for every weekend or every month?

My solution has been something I call “Kidsplace Unscripted”  The unscripted videos are my way of communicating values to my volunteer team in a non-confrontational, non pizza eating after church way.  I film these videos every two or three weeks using my Macbook, iMovie and uploading them to Vimeo.  I have had issues with Vimeo, but since they now offer mobile viewing on iPhones I’m back on board with their video greatness.

So after a year of doing these video’s what new and what have I changed?

• I had about a 30% open rate in emails and newsletters. When I started sending videos, it jumped to about 50%, and now I have an open and click rate has jumped to about 80%.
• I have too many leaders to personally meet with them all each week, and I’ve seen these videos help with my ability to keep in touch somewhat with everyone.  It’s gonna sound crazy, but people feel like they know my heart and passions without even meeting me.
• I’ve now added a different video series just for my Preschool and Kindergarten leaders.  They were asking for it, when word got around about the Elementary videos.  I obliged, and tweaked the content to fit that demographic.
• In 2010, I’m tackling best practices in each area.  I’m defining a best practice as those things that we do each and every week with no exception.  They are the same whether doing large group storytelling, or leading a group of 2nd grade girls in a small group.  So far so good in 2010.

Here are my most recent videos for both Preschool/Kindergarten and Elementary.

Kidsplace Unscripted #12 from Jonathan Cliff on Vimeo.

Preschool Unscripted #5 from Jonathan Cliff on Vimeo.

There is a Vimeo shortcut to my videos on the right side of this blog, just click the tiny V.  You can also visit my Vimeo page directly at www.vimeo.com/jonathancliff and even subscribe to my new videos at http://vimeo.com/jonathancliff/videos/rss.

For the record:  I do still have meetings from time to time, but the Unscripted videos have allowed me to be much more intentional about when we do need to have in-person meetings with volunteers and those on my ministry team.

You are going to The Orange Conference, right?  If not then click this link and get your self signed up!  If you are signed up, then feel free to use some of these Orange Badges!  Let’s litter the Internet with Orange Conference Registration buttons!

How do I add one to my blog or website? Below each badge is the html code you can use to embed the badge above it on your blog or website.

How to embed in your Wordpress Blog
1. Simply copy the html for the size badge you want
2. go to the widget section of your blog
3. Select a text widget
4. Paste the html code you copied into the text widget box
5. You should be good to go.

<p>
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</a></p>

<p>
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</a></p>

<p>
<a href=”http://bit.ly/orangeconference”><img alt=”" src=”http://www.jonathancliff.com/images/OC-Luce-190×120.jpg” style=”width: 190px; height: 120px;” /><br />
</a></p>

<p>
<a href=”http://bit.ly/orangeconference”><img alt=”" src=”http://www.jonathancliff.com/images/OC-McClain-140×140.jpg” style=”width: 140px; height: 140px;” /><br />
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<p>
<a href=”http://bit.ly/orangeconference”><img alt=”" src=”http://www.jonathancliff.com/images/OC-McKee-80×80.jpg” style=”width: 80px; height: 80px;” /><br />
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It’s true.  I got an iPhone last week.  I’d say my phone to Internet usage is at a 5% to 95% ratio.  Meaning I’m on the phone about 5% of the time I have this phone.  I guess I’m not a big talker, huh?

This phone is awesome, and my fingers have already gotten accustomed to the touch screen.  Coming from a Treo 700wx, this phone is super-awesome.  That Treo was TERRIBLE!

I settled on a case from Switcheasy.com.  I have the CapsuleNEO case (in black, although Sam Luce would roll with white and be proud of it.)  It took me 15 minute to get the darn thing on, but now I’m rolling with the coolest case ever.

So do you have to use a screen protector on the iPhone 3GS?  It has the olephobic screen that is smudge-free.  While I awaited my SwitchEasy Pure Anti-Reflect screen covers I really fell in love with the perfect non-smudge screen that is on the already on the iPhone.  I put on the Anti-Reflect screen when it came in the mail, and immediantly hated it!  I then put on a normal screen protector, and it’s smudge city.  There seems to be a big debate on the worthiness of screen protectors on iPhones.  What do you think?  I’m thinking of running mine without screen protectors…

I think Sam Luce is intimidated by my Apple product usage.  I’m just sayin’

I’ve put in my formal request to attend The Orange Conference in April.  I’ll be waiting and hoping we have the funds to make it happen for me…and maybe my #kidmin team.  I don’t know if I’ll be live blogging from Orange this year, but I’d still really like to go and meet up with all my Orange buddies.

Can I just go on record and say that I have the most awesome Children’s Ministry Team in the world.  These women (that’s right I’m the only man!) do a wonderful job of making me look great.  I know that’s not an ambition of theirs, just to make me look good.  But it happens everyday!  I get more credit for the genius of my team, than I’m comfortable with.

Our Parent Sunday totally rocked last week!  I’m still so excited that we had so many 1st grade parents hanging out with us in Kidsplace.  If you’re a 1st Grade Kidsplace parent, then you missed out!

This Sunday morning during our largest and latest service, we will be dedicating 25 children from 20 families.  These parents have made a HUGE commitment to be spiritual leaders in their homes, and I’m so excited to introduce them to the congregation of Trinity Church.  Be there at 11:30am on Sunday to see it all for yourself!  It’s gonna be AWESOME!  Next week I’ll be posting all about Child Dedications, so stay tuned.

We’ve got the Trinity Church Fall Festival coming up on Saturday, October 31st.  Usually I count on about 80 Texas Tech sorority girls to come work the event, but with a Tech home football game that starts at the same time…that’s not gonna happen.  If you’re in and around Lubbock, and don’t have kids; then go signup now!  http://www.trinitytoday.com/fallfestivalvolunteer We’ll have a 1,000 kiddos running around, and I don’t want to ask my parents to work the event!  Help!!

Because of my IT management background, I’ve been able to be a part of the interview process for Trinity’s IT manager position.  We are in desperate need of someone to take us to a new level technologically, and it pays well!  I’ve met with 4 candidates, and after I get some distance from this whole process I feel a “What not to do in a job interview!” post coming up.  Seriously.

I’ve been sick this week.  I’m not gonna die.  I’m just a man in need of sympathy and wanted to throw that out there and see who might bite.

Does it make me a nerd to get into a debate with this guy, about whether Superman could defeat Darth Vader?  Just typing that helps me know the answer.  Nevermind.

Check out this video produced by the Content Development team at LifeChurch.tv.   It specifically walks a child through a simple, straight-forward presentation of the gospel.  A great tool for any kids ministry and parent that desires to solidify this truth in their kids.

Let’s state the obvious facts first.  There isn’t really anything out there like this for kids.  It’s animated, clean, straight-forward, and kid-friendly.  This is unique, and anyone that works with kids in a church environment will immediately think so.  Gina McClain, of the previously mentioned lifechurch.tv, asked if my readers would share some opinions on what you see or don’t see in this video.

Here’s some food for thought:

Is the video effective at meeting its intended purpose? When compared to sharing Christ in a one-on-one relationship, where does this measure up?  If sharing Christ face to face is a 10 on a scale of 1-10; then where does this video rank on that same scale?  Is it a 5?  Is it a 9 or 10?

What ages would it be most effective with?  1st & 2nd graders or 4th & 5th graders?

Anyone done missions work with kids?  Would something like this be more effective in another country (of course in their own spoken language) than it might be in the states?

On a purely theological level, is this video correct?  Is it misleading?