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In small churches, where everyone knows everybody else, the process of coordinating volunteers, Sunday school schedules, and the other ministries of the church are handled in whatever method presents itself at the moment, whether that be on paper or in the coordinator's head.

But when the numbers begin to grow beyond the limits of such casual methods, new solutions are needed, or ministry efforts will be hindered. Without proper recordkeeping, important opportunities are lost: a connection is not made; a visitor is not followed up with; a volunteer position goes unfilled; important financial information is not immediately available. Because effective administration complements the pastoral mission of a church, an accumulation of minor hiccups like these interferes with the church's mission and ministries. Alternate solutions, such as church management software, are necessary.

Church management software (CMS) is a computer program or group of program modules that simplifies and integrates the many administrative functions of the modern church. In general, packages support membership management, financial contributions, general ledger accounting, and scheduling of human and physical resources. Other tools support small-group organization, payroll operations, and a variety of specialized communications options.

Every church can benefit from a CMS system, but not all churches will equally benefit. Some church cultures are well prepared for the introduction of computer-based management systems. These congregations are already highly structured, and members are accustomed to formalized, detailed, paper-based procedures for such things as Sunday school check-in and check-out, program registrations, volunteer sign-ups, and more. A computer-based system would be expected in such an environment.

Other bodies are less formal and more familial: services start not so much by the clock but by when everyone arrives; children are sent downstairs to find their way to their classrooms; the offering is an equal mixture of cash and checks. Moving to the formality of a CMS within this type of a congregation could be seen as intrusive. Some might even rebel against the new structure. The effort of installing the software, learning how to operate it, entering the data, and maintaining the system may be too much to handle.

The plan for implementing and maintaining the CMS must be clear enough so that it will not overwhelm the other ministries of the church. Ideally, people involved today in administration should form the group considering the software options, rather than having a decision imposed upon them. People are more likely to accept ownership of the change when their involvement is an important component in the decision. It is also crucial to determine upfront who will be responsible for the new program, and what those responsibilities will involve.

The traditional model of software is a program installed on a single computer or a network server. The church owns or licenses the software, and is responsible for maintaining it on its computer(s) and keeping it updated. Many CMS programs continue to be sold in this fashion. The congregation's data will be stored within the church and, if properly safeguarded, will be secure from outside view.

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