Tip #5: Mark It
January 2, 2008 – 10:44 am
You’re putting together a lesson or a sermon and you dig out a resource or curriculum to tweak, maybe even a book you’ve recently read to pull a quote from, and you think to yourself, “I used this somewhere before, where was that?” Been there? Yeah, me too, and therein lies the genesis of this tip!
When you pull a resource out, mark it! In the margin of the book (or with a sticky note if you’re a person who just can’t bring yourself to write in books), write what you used, where and when, and for what purpose (game, small group, sermon, large group lesson). For other media, like CDs or DVDs, go with the sticky on the inside of the case or notes booklet. For web sources, a document or spreadsheet noting the site and details would also work well. Bonus… keep a log of the topics or Bible passages you’ve used as well!
With a collection of hundreds of resource books, curricula and videos, along with a boat-load of internet bookmarks, I am simply not going to remember all that info in a year or twelve. You’ll have better command of your resources, use the investment in them more wisely, and never embarrass yourself by reusing something where or when you didn’t intend to!
