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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.

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