I’m setting some time aside now before the “big switch” in a few weeks. I’ll definitely be posting to help with this transition in any way I can. (Cru is switching email, calendar, and contacts from a Microsoft Exchange system to the Google Apps system in March. This post is pertinent to Cru staff).
Maybe you’d like to do some of these things ahead of time to make the transition smoother for you. Read on.
Why?
Would you like to know why we’re making this change? Find out here. This could be a good reminder to read after your account has been switched, too.
How and When?
Here’s the calendar info and also a list of what won’t be migrated.
Here’s my two cents.
In talking to a number of staff who’ve already gone through the training, you’ll learn about a TON of capabilities, but not at a slow enough pace that you’ll know how to do all these things. I’d suggest just take notes, jotting down the features you know you’ll need and the ones that look like they’d be a new good skill. You should be able to take your notes and then use these training helps (scroll down) in the weeks ahead to learn your way around.
After your eMail is switched, go to start here for what to do and expect in the first hour, day, and week. After that, click on the “Get Training” tab for a dropdown list for lots of help learning about eMail, Calendar, Chat, and other applications.
So, Here’s What You Can Do Now
Download the Chrome browser if you haven’t already.
Do your spring cleaning! Answer eMails now when it’s more intuitive for you. Clean out your inbox before your eMail is migrated. You’ve been meaning to do that anyway, haven’t you? Also, scroll down and read carefully what won’t be migrated in a list provided on the Going Google site. Here’s a few I noticed:
- categories
- large attachments and calendar attachments
- rules
- signatures
- trash and junk eMail
- personal distribution lists
- notes
- tasks
Your past 30 days of eMail migrates over the weekend and then older eMails will trickle in. Your folders will be replaced with labels. If you have a lot of eMail in your inbox that haven’t been dragged into your folder system, why not catch up on that now and then all your eMail will be labeled in the new system? That’s on my to-do list for sure.
Personally, I downloaded two PDF files that I added to my Kindle Fire so I can have easy access to them. Alternately, you could print the first file and keep it near your computer.
I learned a lot of this by going to the Going Google site. Here’s a link to FAQ’s so you can see answers to questions that are important to you.
eQuipping for eMinistry 
Thanks again, Sus! We will be out of the country while the transition takes place, so hopefully will get “up-to-speed” with Google without too much trouble when we get home. Appreciate these helps!
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You’re welcome, Terry! I’ll be travelling, too. I’m wondering what my inbox will look like when we get back.
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What does this mean if I don’t use ccci or cru for my ministry e-mail? I believe I have an address but do not even know how to access it. I also do not use Outlook–just the Mac e-mail program. Yet I want to be able to take advantage of the Cru Google features. Any advice?
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Write me at my ccci.org address so I can send you some people to contact.
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