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When researching technology partners for your ministry there are many different variables. What I'm going to talk about today are the five most important things you should consider when evaluating potential technology partners. If the technology partner you are considering values these five things, you can rest assured that everything else will fall into place. It's also important that the design looks nice and the user experience isn’t clunky. But if these five things are executed well, you can be confident the design and user experience will be of quality too. What I want to stress is that it's more important to understand why the company does what it does and how it does it, rather than whether or not they have a nice website with good sales.

I remember watching a friend lead a church planting team that was made up of some unlikely friends. He had a diverse team. He had 19-year-old college students, married couples in their 30’s with young kids, professionals, and older adults in their early 70’s who just retired. It seemed to be a lot of fun. They ate together, they prayed together, and worked hard to reach their community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I learned a few things about communication from watching this diverse group. I learned that a good leader must communicate well in order to lead well.

It’s tempting to waive the white flag, to throw your hands up in surrender, to the summer slump. Many churches simply resign their efforts and re-appropriate them in the fall. First on the chopping block of suspended ministries are groups. It’s almost expected that groups will take a break during the summer months. But, doing so can have costly consequences if you aren’t prepared. Much of the work that was put into groups, building relationships, and developing community is lost during the break.

According to SmartInsights, 85% of people prefer mobile apps to websites. That’s 85% of your congregation that would much rather engage with you and your collective vision through an app. But first, you’ll need a feature rich church app. Church apps are known to grow your weekly giving, engagement and unity, but what are the best ways to accomplish that growth? I’ve compiled the top 5 Growth Strategies we give our church clients after their app is finished as a way of helping you determine what exactly is needed in a quality church app:

Getting ready to run a vacation bible school, or VBS, is no small task. There are many steps involved in pulling together a successful program that reaches kids effectively. While there are many tasks involved in pulling together volunteers, designing curriculum, and setting up music and activities, it's equally important to have a system in place for managing the technology side: registration and payments. It’s a necessary evil for hosting a successful VBS, and when done correctly, can help make the whole process simple, straightforward, and headache-free.

The age old question that business and churches alike need to answer as they look at new systems is “web-based” vs “installed.” Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each solution as well as some available hybrid solutions. Web-Based Church Management Software There are many advantages of using web-based software. The most obvious is the ability to access the software from any computer or mobile device that has an internet connection. So if you want to use your iPad, no problem. Want to use your Windows 10 machine, no problem. As long as you have a browser and internet connection you will be able to access your system. This also gives you the flexibility to use the software from home, the office or even at Starbucks.

You want to get online giving software for your church. You know that fewer and fewer churchgoers are carrying cash or checks these days, and it’s time to consider some more hi-tech options than passing the plate. (For more on this, see tactics #5 and #15 in our list of practical ways to increase church giving.) You may feel like you’ve made a huge decision. (You have, and it’s a smart one!) But now you face an even bigger one. How do you choose an online giving software for your church? It’s a fair question to ask, and you’re not the only one asking it. Every month, there are more than 6,200 Google searches for church online donation platforms. And what do people find when they make that search? More than a dozen options! How do you choose a church giving software—and how do you know you’re making the right choice?

Tim Goetz has always been good with numbers. Growing up in California’s Central Valley, he would end up getting an accounting degree from nearby Fresno State. Afterwards, he worked for a little over two years as a financial statement auditor at Deloitte and Touché, becoming the Fresno, CA office’s internal control specialist. In early 2007, Goetz felt pulled in another direction and he went to work at one of Fresno’s largest churches, The Well, as an Executive Pastor. He quickly realized something big was missing in all of the big accounting programs — something they all couldn’t do that churches needed them to do. That something was fund accounting.