I am currently at Challenge 2012 with about 40 of my favorite ministry partners. I am not sure but I think Francis Chan and I are getting to be best friends, I hope someone lets him know.
We are having a great time in the Big Easy, this conference is great and I want to keep our parents in the loop. Here are 3 Big Easy Ways to keep parents informed and excited about your next trip…

• Social Media:Everything I will mention on this list is some form of social media. The main three I am using are my Facebook page, youth ministry twitter feed, and I tether my Instagram to twitter. Brief updates are not a burden (I would be tweeting anyway), parents love seeing their kids in action, and it is a cool way to document the trip. Side Note: I have used my Facebook feed to look back to see how I accomplished a ministry project from a few years ago. I knew the dates of the trip, I scrolled back and got my answer…pretty cool

• WordPress: I am using my iPad and my Apple Bluetooth keyboard to blog. Blogging on trips can take time but it is a great way to document and share on a bigger scale. I left my MacBook at home (and I do not totally regret that), if I were blogging more I would want my laptop here. But the keyboard and WordPress iPad app are getting the job done.

• Map App: I love using my iPhone for GPS navigation. I share my location through an app called Glympse. The app is available for both iPhone and Android. With Glympse you can tweet, email, text, etc a link that allows those you give access to view your real time position and progress on a map. I am testing another app called “cYou cMe.” This is a similar app but they have a feature that allows you to send out verbal announcements to those watching.

How are you keeping parents in the loop during a trip?