church management software

Many churches understand the importance of intentional community, yet very few implement the necessary processes to truly understand whether it is actually happening. But technology can help. Rather than simply being a place for people to connect, your small groups can actually be a catalyst for growth and genuine disciple-making. And if you’re not convinced, here are ten ways you can use your church management software to launch new small groups this fall.

Do you remember when texting first became “a thing?” It was confusing to me. I didn’t understand why someone would type on their flip phone when they could just call me. My, have times changed. Now, you can text so quickly and efficiently that George Jetson couldn’t have imagined it. As I type this, I look down at my watch and think of how many texts I’ve sent from this little device, via audio. Let’s leverage text message communication for Jesus. Here are five keys to handle it with excellence:

The increasing number of devices on your church's network can put a strain not only on your bandwidth but on you as a tech. While connected devices have made things easier within the church, they have also created a new set of headaches.

For the last several years Big Data has been a buzz word tossed around in the for-profit world as the “Next Big Thing.” However, analysis and insights that were once reserved for big business are now accessible to nonprofits and churches. Churches can and should leverage data in their church management system to create deeper engagement with church members and to enhance discipleship and make better, more informed decisions for the future of their ministry.

Since the dawn of web-based church management systems (ChMS), there hasn't been much change in this area of technology until recently. Although the shift to the "cloud" back in the late 90s' turned the church technology market on end (for the better), and shifted many churches to rely on the web instead of leaning on the power of their desktop software, after fifteen or so years, we now have another contender for change: open source church management systems.

You’ve probably heard of (and maybe even used) one of the popular project management tools such as Asana, Basecamp, or Trello. While these tools are helpful, simply using one won’t get you the results you need when it comes to effectively managing church projects. What does that mean? Well, let’s start by defining project management:

Six years ago I've switched from PC to Mac and then back again last year. The first jump came after a friend gave me a second generation MacBook Air. More recently, due to my disappointment with Apple's latest update to their MacBook Pro line, I switched back to PC to get a fast seventh generation Intel Core processor and a touchscreen laptop. Apple offers neither as of early 2017.

There’s no denying that technology has introduced many cultural implications for the people who walk through our church doors every Sunday. On one hand, we are more networked than ever before. We go to work, interact with people we see at the gym, talk with other parents at our kids’ soccer practices, and probably even attend church most Sundays.