New Tweak to Checkin

One thing that we have run into lately with our Fellowship One checkin systems is that by design the checkin application times out and closes after a long period of inactivity. Well, even though we are locking these machines down pretty tightly with group policy, we don’t want to expose the desktop to everyone. So what we did was wrote a small application that auto starts on login of the machines and always sits on the desktops not allowing access to the desktop and any ability to close the application out. It also allows us a little more functionality by adding some hidden function buttons to do things like reboot, logoff, close the app, shutdown, OS and IP info, and even an admin tools section for managing and deploying items dealing with these machines.

Hope I am not jinxing it, but so far it has worked out great!

Screen 1



Hidden Features

New Microsoft POS

Since I posted about the POS System that we use in our bookstore, Microsoft has come out with a new version you might be interested in. This new version, called Microsoft POS, is targeted more towards a single store environment and integrates with Quickbooks accounting software. Where the one we use is called Microsoft RMS and is a mult-store environment and integrates with more enterprise accounting packages like Great Plains.

Still, its cheaper and with the non-profit pricing that Microsoft gives, it would be a good package for those churches with just a single bookstore or resource center.

Zero Digit Planning

I had a great call today with Northway Fellowship church in New York. We discussed how we strategize and plan, mostly on the technology side of things here at FC. Something we like to apply when planning an event or future needs is to take where we are or what we expect and add a zero to the end. Northway currently has six staff members and has only been around for 2 years but is running 1,000 a weekend already.

We should expect God to bless our ministries and plan and strategize that way. We discussed planning processes for the church as well as technology as they were a staff of 60 and a church of 10,000 and to keep reaching up for God’s direction for the church and the ministries and expect that he will bless them and plan accordingly.

Good Job, Everyone

I just want to give big props to my entire staff. They consistently are achieving excellence in everything they do, say, touch and feel. We have gone thru a lot of changes in the past year and I could not be happier with the team that God has put together here. I am nothing without them and am reminded of how much of an impact they have on enabling ministry here anytime one of them is gone.

You may be the one who because of your position gets the first round of applause or praise for a job well done. But be quick to thank the others who deserve it. Public statements of thanks are nice, but going out of your way to say thanks in private lets people know you really mean it.

Good News, Bad News!

The good news is our new Aspen 8810 switch that is going to be the backbone for our new LeftHand SAN is in. The bad news that the addition of 15 new servers, 2 new UPS’s and the new switch has created a cooling issue. Eighty degrees is not the best for server rooms. We are going to have to add a 5 ton A/C unit to handle all the new equipment for this year. Great problem to have though.


Bad News Good news

Just say No!

I read something great recently about life in church ministry. If you are in it, you will be able to relate.

The Church can often be the worst at expecting more of us than God has called us to shoulder. No is an acceptable answer. If you are in a leadership role at your church or in the corporate world, it will always push you beyond your own limits, but just be careful that it doesn’t push you over the edge.
Ed Young, our pastor, is a phenomenal leader, and one thing that he challenges leadership with often is, "don't tell me what you are doing, but tell me what you are not doing". He says this to remind us that sometimes you have to cut some things or say NO to grow and be a healthy leader, organization and church.