Without team meetings, does anyone REALLY have a true team? Phill Butler asserts that there's a huge difference between 'networks' and 'partnerships' (or let me say 'teams').

A board member at the cafe did a training session recently and pointed that out similarly... "If you don't have agreed-upon communications patterns, you can never really have an effective team."

And you all know me... I'm a big fan not only of WWJD... but WWTD? What would TONY (Dungy) do? *wink* So in context, would he really have a team, without at least some accountable team-communications gathering?

In our context, how might we do that best?

And let me get the ball rolling... Personally, I'd like to see us push the envelope here a little, and at the same time create a regular team meeting. There's 176 hrs each of us are living every week... If our unique piece of the mission were important enough, could we devote 30 minutes to an ONLINE meeting weekly? Say Weds noon (Eastern)... or Sun 5pm (Eastern)???

Please weigh in with your preference... and your thoughts on the topic. Then we'll try to draw a conclusion and probably try one such meeting next week.

I ran our ASL group as well as our Microsoft Team competition entirely online, president and project manager respectively. There was actually very little face to face time. I guess you could say that it was a hybrid: we incorporated both mobile people and LD people. Mobile's carried out leg tasks; LD's carried out online tasks. Everybody met up and reported weekly online for about an hour. When we had face to face time, LD's were tied in by webcast/chat in real time with the mobiles on site. In some instances, I've employed phone conferencing/real-time chat. You need the chat with a history for meeting minutes. Anyway, it can be done very successfully. 30 minute phone conference and/chat minus driving time can get a lot more done oftentimes than meeting face to face where "chatting" can get in the way of productivity. Someone skillful online management skills can make the lack of face time actually work in the group's favor. Requires more self-starter types coaching those who get juiced on face to face. Once trust and a groove develops, most people actually like it: it fits in better with kids and other demands on their lives.

Sunday's at 5 are great for me! webcams if people need to see faces... Pastor Hudson might be able to give some advise...

I am committed to the communication's concept and can somewhat juggle my other commitments... so I defer to others as far as to an actual time suggestion. I am most always available from 11-1p lunch window. I need a night-before warning if using the car is important (one vehicle family). Otherwise, I try to check my email/facebook/twitter at least 2 times a day.

As long as we don't schedule it in that extra 8 hours per week that Neil has I can make most things work. I am on short notice for a particular job I do and that may alter if I can attend, even if I've committed. Are you thinking about once a week, every other week, monthly? I'm pretty much committed on Wed and Thurs evening. Monday is flexible, depending upon the location, and Tuesday evenings are usually open.

I have a Ventrillo server that we can easily use to get fairly large real-time group audio discussions going that should work fine even on dial-up. Audio quality is great, and it doesn't require much machine to run at all. Clients are available for both PC and Mac.

I find this is better than trying to do a video / skype / conference call (phone & skype) because of a few reeasons:

1) Doesn't bog down even slow internet connections
2) Allows the user to continue using their PC to take notes, research, chat, etc.
3) Keeps the background noise down by employing "push to talk" where one assigns a spare key (like the right control key) to be the "talk" button so that we don't have a ton of open microphones with just people breathing and air conditioners, fans, kids, etc. making noise.

This would also allow for people to "listen in" to the meeting without worrying about disturbing the rest of the group if they have other primary things to focus on.

As far as time slots, anything other than Monday or Thursday, friday, saturday evening is fine with me.

Let me pass along a comment from a not-yet Communications Team member... Aaron Boyer (an IVR tech you'll meet one of these days soon)...

"I found this web conference option out there and it is free for 20 or less users. http://www.dimdim.com " ...It seems to hit all the major requirements that you have and it can do audio from the PC/Laptop. for a fee you can also do larger conferences.

I've now added all your comments (everyone) to the 'Teleconferencing' wiki-page in the Ask Anything Saturday (.com) wiki tool-set...

http://ubcafe.pbwiki.com/Teleconferencing

Well, just as I was afraid of... we have split timeframes... Not everyone can meet (even online) at the same day/time. So we'll just have to run with seemingly the most-bestest one for now...

Sundays @ 5pm.

And we'll have to get really good at our asynchronous communications as well.

Here are the distinct objectives of our online time together though...

* Lively interaction... including passionate discussion that's hard to do asynchronously, or via text.
* Draw Conclusions... especially re Discussion Board topic of the week.
* Experiment... especially with online meeting technologies which we may want to recommend later to others needing to collaborate like this.

Ok, go see Sunday 9/21, 5pm online meeting details at...
http://cityreaching.pbwiki.com/Communications%20Team%20Meeting%20Agenda

Neil and Partners team members

I believe we have so many threads and each is strung out over many vertical threads that it is tough to stay focused on ideas, projects and next steps.

The accountability and measurements available thru scorecards, timetables and time sensitive action plans and personal assignments in business are absent from our projects and therefore the visible progress is also largely unseen. To avoid problem dwelling I want to point to solutions...

I suggest Goal casting,,, each can state their goal, their timetable and what resources they need to accomplish it nad then launch their projects... Those lead by the spirit will join in and commit to help others reach their goals.. I think many like me are waiting for otehrs to join when we should have already launched our personal goals. we each have inner messages, waiting to be acted upon... "Write the vision, so others can see and run with it"... Timothy Gidman

Neil and Team

Another issue we each may face is we are working on several ministry projects at a time, each with their own team members and timetables, each with a narrower set of contacts aware of what is needed,

I am thinking about establishing a community center, it will have self funding that brings in non christians, but will have a strong drop-in capability for christians to congregate all through the week; It also will have a Vision Wall, kind of like the wailing wall, but it will also have an internet presence down to teh zip code, that will allow others to see and hear (text,audio,video) about otehr saints goals, visons and projects and join in and learn about them without physically meeting at a church, a coffee shop or a scheduled meeting. Shortly I will launch this Project, it will be called something like "The Partnership" or "Common Values" or "All Things in Common". The key will be to have a financially sustaining community center, christian resource center and shared activity center that can bless many and bring together common needs and solutions.

A common problem is we have saints at diffeferent levels of comprehension, insight, schooling, technology and access; To conquer these barriers, we need to increase and improve the human networks and theavailability non church, thru the week meeting encounters. We need more open activity and fellowship centers that are wide open and welcome all, sort of like 7th day adventist reading rooms... open library type facilities where christians can come together without having to scheduel in advance or get permission from a pastor deacon or proprietor We ned more saints meeting saints nad saints meeting sinners in open meeting places thru the week... Timothy Gidman

Timothy... (and all)...

Hey we missed you at the cafe this week -- the place was hopping once again.

Thanks for your thoughts above. All are great ideas.

And ideas need at least a chance of seeing the light of day -- ie, they need to be conveyed and considered. Then like-passioned people can embrace and pray/work together as a team to bring them to pass.

My goal though, primarily is to focus on building-out such a connection/communication grid (ie, set of tracks)... geographically (and widely e-capable). Good ideas/engines/ministries should be able to use the communication tracks... as we get 'em built.

Just gotta keep plugging away, connecting & communicating... and learning more about each.

Would love to participate but I am in church at 5pm on Sundays.