microsoft office

Microsoft Office is a must for staff around the world. In the Birmingham Office, we standardize on Office 2003, the most current version, part of the Microsoft Office System. This is because it is the last in a cycle of Office upgrades that Microsoft put. The next Microsoft Office release is scheduled for mid-2006.

We are also on the Microsoft Charity Licensing Program, which saves us tons of money. If you are a registered 501(c)3 Non-Profit organizationi, you should be using this licensing program to save your business a lot of money.

Access	[check for updates]	Microsoft Office Access is a database program. It is used to store and report on large amounts of information collected over periods of time. The most common use for this in ministry is databases for storing support, Christmas Conference attendance, Beach Project information, etc. It is a rather advance program to setup, but using it is fairly easy if the setup is done correctly. This program is standard in the Microsoft Office Professional Edition.
Excel	[check for updates]	Microsoft Office Excel is a spreadsheet program that probably everyone on staff has used at some point. Some great uses for this program including budgeting, both personal and ministry-related, expense reporting, tracking mileage and other expenditures, and tracking support. This program is standard in the Microsoft Office Professional Edition.
InfoPath	[check for updates]	Microsoft Office InfoPath is a form design and completion program. It has the ability to connect to databases such as Microsoft Access or SQL if you so desire. It also comes with several pre-fab forms that you can use to start customizing to your own specific needs. This program is standard in the Microsoft Office Professional Edition, when purchased through Microsoft Licensing.
OneNote	[check for updates]	Microsoft Office OneNote is, in my opinion, a must for every Christian who keeps a journal and Bible study notes. Basically, a digital 3-ring binder that never runs out of space on a page, or fills up completely, and is completely searchable to help you find things you have studied or written in the past. This program is a separate product from Microsoft, but still can be purchased through licensing [around $15] or via a retail outlet [around $90].
Outlook	[check for updates]	Microsoft Office Outlook is the standard for email within Campus Outreach. This is because we use Microsoft Exchange to manage our email. If you do not use Outlook, it is fantastic at managing contacts, supporters, schedules, to do lists and emails all in one simple package. For information on moving from Outlook Express or other program to Microsoft Outlook, see the Troubleshooting section. This program is standard in the Microsoft Office Professional Edition.
PowerPoint	[check for updates]	Microsoft Office PowerPoint gets a lot of use from Campus Outreach. From presenting to churches and supporters to giving talks on campus, this program lets people follow along as you talk to them, and you can incorporate audio and video to make a very impactful presentation! This program is standard in the Microsoft Office Professional Edition.
Publisher	[check for updates]	Microsoft Office Publisher is probably the standard newsletter program for staff around the world. Since it usually comes standard in our Office purchases, it makes it easy to have everyone use it. It makes creating monthly newsletters easy by giving your a plethora of ready-to-go color schemes and layout designs allowing you to look professional without a lot of work. This program is standard in the Microsoft Office Professional Edition.
Word	[check for updates]	Microsoft Office Word is also a standard. From letterhead memos to basic support mailouts, to email mail merges, Word is the text editor of choice right now. It is easy to use and can be viewed by virtually anyone. This program is standard in the Microsoft Office Professional Edition.

keep office up-to-date

One of the biggest problems we encounter is people not keeping their office programs up-to-date. Remember that Office updates are not installed automatically on any computer. To get your updates, go to Office Update.

time a/v in powerpoint

An extra download for PowerPoint, Producer allows you to capture audio and video directly into PowerPoint, and rehearse and set specific timings and files for a presentation.

keep a journal in onenote

Did you know you can password protect a section of OneNote? If you want to keep you journal on OneNote because, like me, you can type faster than you can write, or because you can search through years of information easily, protecting that section is the way to go. To protect a section, open it and select File | Password Protection. Set your new password and you are ready to go!

map address from outlook

Ever wanted to find an address of a supporter's house, or a student's apartment, when you have their information in Outlook already? Easy. Here's how:

• Open the contact.
• Select Actions | Display Map of Address

smaller publisher files

Often people will want to take their Publisher document and place it on the web, or email it to someone else to print. There are two ways to make this easier by reducing the size of the publisher document:

• ZIP The File
  The first way to send a file is via email. Before you attach it, Right-click the file and select Send To | Compressed Folder. This will ZIP the file and shrink its size.
• Save For Web
  The second way, generally better for posting on a webpage, is to use the Save for Web option under File | Save for Web. This created the HTML page, and optimizes the graphics for posting on the website.