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Your Church, July/Aug 2000
Management
Resources
Quick-Click Church Data
Key into storing, sharing,
and managing information with this super software
Jennifer Schuchmann
Attendance
and giving records, personnel files, insurance papers, legal documents, committee
re ports, and in voices are just part of the mass of information that churches
must manage. Church management software will help you master that load with
the following tools:
• Tool into trends.
Church management software will track contributions and attendance so church
leaders can spot trends. Nick Nicholaou, president of Ministry Business Services,
says cross-referencing giving and attendance re cords shows that mature believers
stop coming to a church before they stop giving to it whereas less mature believers
stop contributing, then stop coming. Auto mated reports can alert you to problems
so you can encourage people not to leave your church.
• Tool out repetition.
Not having to repeatedly key in information is one of the biggest assets of
church management software, says Jamie Grimsely, marketing director of Automated
Church Systems. "When using our system, people can be involved in ministry work,
not just work numbers," she says.
ACS software handles the
redundant tasks associated with newsletter mailings, monthly financial reports,
pledge tracking, worship, Sunday school attendance, facility scheduling, and
prospect visiting.
• Tool into centralization.
"In many respects, operating a vibrant church is akin to putting together a
large seminar or conference once or twice a week," says Carla Bracalente, operations
manager at PowerChurch Software. PowerChurch Plus makes the task easier by storing
information in one place. "All of your membership, contributions, and financial
information is maintained in one program," Bracalente says.
That is especially helpful
for churches which have a hard time coordinating all the information that staffers
must deal with, says Kip Trout, sales and marketing manager at Shepherd's Staff.
"In many churches, Joe is doing the ac counting on a ledger at his office,"
Trout says. "Mary is doing the contributions at home with a program she likes,
and attendance is done at the church with a spreadsheet. They don't have all
of the information together."
Shepherd's Staff allows
financial modules in a church to be backed up and restored independently from
the rest of the program. That means Joe can do the ac counting in his office
or at home. He just pops a disk into the computer, does his work, and transfers
it to the office system, where other staffers can access it.
• Tool up efficiency.
Computer software minimizes the time office workers spend providing documentation
needed by ministry leaders, says Laura McGlasson, vice president of operations
at By The Book. This company's software program, Roll Call, works with a PC
or Macintosh. The company also offers low-cost or free versions of church management
software for small churches.
• Tool into time
saving. To help speed the recording of contributions, Shelby Systems of
Cordova, Tennessee, offers Cross Check. PhoneTree automatically dials membership
lists with voice messages. MAILROOM prepares mailings with the lowest possible
mailing rates. And CheckGARD prints signatures and protected numerals on checks.
Church Windows from Computer
Helper Publishing is a great help for doing annual reports. The classic version
of the program saves church leaders "a ton of time" preparing those reports,
says Maureen Wygant, director of marketing for Computer Helper. The program
is even customized for eight different denominations (two Lutheran, Methodist,
Presbyterian, Nazarene, Catholic, Episcopal, and United Church of Christ).
Tools
for Office Management
Bible software programs
help pastors save time in sermon preparation. Nicholaou says that some pastors
who use such software have cut sermon prep time by a third or even half. Other
helps for church offices:
• A word-processing
and spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Office. Look for one that is
compatible with your church management program.
• A clip-art program
provides illustrations and templates for bulletins or inserts.
• Internet and
e-mail tools. Microsoft Outlook helps staff members send e-mail, share documents,
and view calendar information, reducing the need for interoffice phone calls
that interrupt work flow.
Novell's GroupWise provides
a single access point for all types of messages, including e-mail, voice mail,
calendar information, and documents. You can use a laptop computer to access
your mailbox. GroupWise will also page you when a message arrives.
Tip: If you are
repeatedly asked the same questions via e-mail, save standardized responses
to cut and paste into replies. If office staffers spend a lot of time answering
questions about times and locations of meetings or directions to the church,
put that information on a Web page and direct people to it.
• Event planner.
With the calendar management program EventU, church leaders can access all the
information they need to program events. It's free for churches with fewer than
10 staff members.
The system shows what rooms
and re sources are available. It routes requests for approval via e-mail. It
will even print reports for you. For a small monthly fee, the calendar can appear
on your church's Web site, allowing members to make calendar inquiries, sign
up for classes, and pay registration fees.
Tools
for Staff Management
People who work
in a church are motivated differently than secular workers. "They are here because
God called them to be here," Nicholaou says. "They also have an entrepreneurial
attitude toward accomplishing the mission."
• Key into motivation.
To keep such workers motivated, Nichalou recommends that you ask each at least
once a year, "Why are you here?" An employee may have originally come for ministry
but now is merely working for a paycheck. Retaining key employees depends on
keeping them motivated to work toward the higher goals of church ministry.
• Key into documentation.
Manage the church preventatively. According to Frieze, that means data-banking
everything regarding the church, including its organizational structure, operational
systems, and personnel policies and procedures. Update this file regularly.
The Frieze Resource Library
will help set up a church data bank. The library includes an organizational
manual, policies and procedures manual, administrative forms, and internal audit
checklists. "Each resource has been designed as a template that church leaders
can use to create their own organizational and operational manuals," Frieze
says.
The Balancing
Act
The well-managed
church doesn't necessarily need a building or support staff, says Dave Jackson,
children's pastor at River Pointe Community Church, Sugarland, Texas. His church
has neither, yet manages a budget of $1.4 million.
The church offices are
in portable trailers. The congregation meets for worship at a local high school
and provides childcare in a nearby daycare center. For such an operation, communication
is critical. So Jackson uses the Internet, e-mail, voicemail, and cell phones
to link up with everyone. His church also bought a computer network and software
package to handle church membership and financial information.
What the well-managed church
does need is a senior pastor with strong leadership and organizational skills,
says John P. Joseph, founder of Church Administrative Services, a free online
consulting service for church leaders.
Lawson of Shelby Systems
agrees. "The church leader is similar to a juggler—both manage many projects
and many personalities simultaneously," she says.
With the right church management
software, that juggling act can be a lot smoother.
Jennifer Schuchmann
(jschuchmann@mindspring.com)
is a management consultant from Marietta, Georgia.
helpful
resources
- Automated Church Systems
800-736-7425
- By The Book
800-554-9116
- Church Administrative
Services
www.churchadministration.com
- Computer Helper Publishing
800-533-5227
www.churchwindows.com
- EventU
www.eventu.com
- Greentree Applied Systems
800-225-0137
- Ministry Business Services
714-840-5900
- PowerChurch Software
800-486-1800
- Shelby Systems
800-877-0222
- Shepherd's Staff
800-325-2399
Copyright © 2000 by the
author or Christianity Today International/Your Church Magazine. Click
here for reprint information on Your Church.
July/August 2000, Vol. 46, No. 4, Page 49
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