This Week: We’re looking at three tech tools that I use in Multisite Church that are indispensable, free and provide immediate productivity boost.

One day shortly after starting to use a word processor, my 8th grade Heath Teacher asked me  “Does this computer thing actually do the work for you?” I learned early that technology applied well can help you express your ideas more clearly.   Remember when technology was fun and actually helped?

Along came email which created an amazing opportunity and problem for idea sharing.  It was now super easy to email around documents, spreadsheets . . . just about everything.  The problem with this – was that it generated a bunch of copies of those documents and made it really hard to know which copy is the “authoritative” one.  This is tough in with Multisite Churches because we have a lot of coordinating over services and schedules to do . . . and keeping people on track with all those copies out there can be a bit daunting.

There has got to be a better way! Google docs is an online “office productivity” suite that you access 100% through a web browser.   What’s the real advantage for friends in Multisite Church world?  You can share these documents with your team mates and you all can work on the same document online.

Some indispensable examples from my Google docs world:

• Weekend Overview – a single spreadsheet that tracks announcements, messages, what’s on our guest service tables and in the foyer … Click here to take a peek!
• Weekly Asset Checklist – our creative team tracks where they are at in the process of developing the various pieces that we need to use each weekend.
• Team Agendas – My team meeting agenda‘s are “open” – any team member can put something on a future agenda at any time.
• Forms! – Gdocs has a very simple forms generator that creates forms that populates spreadsheets online that you can use. (Think sign up forms . . . feedback collectors . . . )

Google Docs . . . I really have a hard time imaging how I could lead in Multisite Church without it.  Do you use Gdocs?  What is your best use for it?

On Wednesday I’m going to give you a tool that just might save your church thousands of dollars, make your team more productive, and free up time in your schedule. Subscribe to the blog through email and you’ll get exclusive bonus content.