13Oct 2010 by Nigel Ring

Planning and Implementation – pt 2 – some basic questions

Administrative Skills, Equipping, Good Practice, Planning
As I teach on planning I address two basic questions. One is ‘Why plan?' The other may not be openly expressed but is often close to the surface: ‘Is planning just adopting the world's methods?' 1. Why plan? In my introductory blog I shared on this topic and will enlarge on it further in subsequent postings. Put simply it is the best way of achieving the desired goal with minimum effort and maximum effectiveness. By careful forethought much time and resource can be saved as they are channelled in the most productive direction, and goals will be reached with greater accuracy. I agree with John Maxwell when he said "The longer we spend in preparation the shorter the time in implementation." In contrast I have heard an anonymous speaker quoted:…
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16Sep 2010 by Nigel Ring

PowerPoint – Visual Aid or Visual Distraction? Pt 3

Equipping, Good Practice, PowerPoint
Having looked at some of the potential pitfalls and started to look at some 'How tos', we will continue with design matters and then conclude with some presentational issues. Design The graphic element of design becomes a matter of personal preference. I encourage clean uncluttered graphics as far as possible, choice of colour etc being important to ensure good contrast, particularly as presentations may be made in daylight conditions without good blackout. Also bear in mind that some of the audience may have visual impairments so avoid using colour to convey meaning unless you know the audience have no problems. Backgrounds seriously affect readability. Some guidelines are: In dark rooms it may be best to use a dark background and light text. In light rooms the reverse is true ie…
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08Sep 2010 by Nigel Ring

PowerPoint – Visual Aid or Visual Distraction? Pt 2

Equipping, Good Practice, PowerPoint
Some Hows? and Whys? PowerPoint is a very powerful tool if used well and there are many features available for the creative speaker. However, because it has many possible ‘tricks’ and animations some speakers feel these must be used at all costs. So words 'swoosh' onto the screen, then spin and zoom without purpose. Rather than enhance the presentation, such activity can lead to the point that the speaker is making becoming lost in visual activity. Don't do it! Admittedly, some animations can liven up a presentation, but do be careful that each one is used purposefully and not just because it is possible! So, in constructing a PowerPoint presentation where do we start? 1. Venue When preparing a presentation it is important to know the venue and the size of…
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19Jul 2010 by Nigel Ring

Ministry Report 5 – Crisis Pregnancy and Post Abortion

Christian ministry, Good Practice, Health, Ministry Report, Poor
From time to time it is my pleasure to use my blog to draw people's attention to ministries which I consider demonstrate 'Good Practice' among those who are in some way disadvantaged. This report has been written by the team leaders of Alternatives Pregnancy Counselling Centre in Brighton, UK. This ministry demonstrates great love, compassion and excellence. Called to Care Sarah Pooley and Claire Godley Often when we think of caring for the poor, practical ministries to people living in poverty in places like Africa and Asia come to mind. It’s easy to forget that there are people who are ‘poor in spirit’ and struggling with huge emotional issues in every street in the UK. One such group are women facing an unplanned pregnancy. In 2009 women living in England and…
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01Jul 2010 by Nigel Ring

Giving Notices – Part 2 – How? When? Who?

Administration in the Church, Conference Administration, Equipping, Good Practice, Meetings
Translation First, Google Translation has now been added to all Newfrontiers websites including my blog! For my blog see the panel on the right. Traducción atraves de Google-traducción ha sido añadido a todas las páginas web de Nuevas Fronteras, incluyendo mi blog! Para ver a mi blog , ver al panel de la derecha. Notices pt 2 Having touched on the Why? and What? let us now ask three further questions – How? When? and Who? How? Notices are about public communication and need preparation (and prayer!). In considering what you want to communicate ask yourself what you expect people to do with the knowledge – the ‘take away’. Then plan how best that will be achieved. Visual aids It is well known that visual communication is more effective than…
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26Jun 2010 by Nigel Ring

Country report – Visit to Kenya pt 3. Foundations for Farming

Agriculture, Good Practice, Kenya, News, Poor, To the Nations, Zimbabwe
From Zimbabwe to Kenya In March I attended the 6-monthly Foundations for Farming Champions Conference in Zimbabwe. It was a great pleasure to meet two men from Kenya. One, Ashford, I knew from a previous visit to his country when I accompanied him on a medical visit to an unreached people group in Tharaka. He is an Ophthalmologist (eye specialist) so I was surprised to find him attending a Farming Conference! However, I learnt that he had been brought up in a farming environment and was keen to do well. I had not met his colleague before, Peter. He works for the ministry of Agriculture in Kenya as an agricultural advisor. For various reasons I wondered how they would get on in Zimbabwe at the Conference. Why would an ophthalmologist…
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