Church Management Software (ChMS) Forum by Power Trade Media

HELPING LEADERS BECOME

B E T T E R S T E WA R D S .

Church Management Software (ChMS) Forum Presented by:

ACS Technologies

Table of Contents WHERE MINISTRYMEETS MONETARY

While churches might have to be run like businesses, there are specific needs and flexibility which non-CMS financial management applications just cannot provide. For some, the leading secular accounting software might be the answer — but we suggest otherwise. By Michael Jordan

GIVING / DONATION TOOLS : IT’S ALL ABOUT INTEGRATION

HOW SCHEDULING TOOLS CAN STREAMLINE 6 YOUR MINISTRY EFFORTS Scheduling can be a nightmare. Overbooking rooms. Doublebooking church equipment. Accidentally scheduling two big functions on the same day. No matter the church size, the story is the same. By Michael Jordan

VOLUNTEERING FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

No one wants to volunteer in your church. Scary thought, isn’t it? A recent study by the Barna Group shows volunteering at a church during a typical week has declined by 8 percent since 1991, falling from 26 percent to 18 percent. As such, the ability to recruit and retain church volunteers is critical to your ministry’s success. By Michael Jordan

ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO BUILDING DISCIPLES

Technology can be used to build relationships, equip disciples and help them to move together in the direction of serving. With this, there are several key things to address when discussing building disciples through engagement, a few of which are mandatory. By Michael Jordan

CHOOSING THE RIGHT ChMS = NOT CHOOSING A ChMS AT ALL

You don’t need new church management software. Traditional ChMS is old, antiquated and isn’t best suited to help your ministry grow the right way. Why get another software system that shares similarities to the one you currently have? They’ll both just continue to underperform and eat up too much of your time. (Was that attention-grabbing enough?) By Michael Jordan

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • C H U R C H M A N A G E M E N T S O F T W A R E

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Church Management Software (ChMS) Forum Presented by: ACS Technologies

Where ministry meets monetary By Michael Jordan

While churches might have to be run like businesses, there are specific needs and flexibility which non-ChMS financial management applications just cannot provide. For some, the leading non-church-specific accounting software might be the answer — but we suggest otherwise. Here’s why. Integration for a “whole-church” solution Having an accounting module that integrates with your ChMS should be an essential item for churches. You should have a time-tested accounting module that can communicate directly with your congregation-facing software. Secular software, to current knowledge, does not integrate with any membership database or service. Having software that can “communicate” saves time, money and manpower. More detailed reporting, an audit trail and zero fraud There are guidelines for reporting required of nonprofits. The standard advice is that all non-profits must be able to produce a balance sheet by fund and other financial statements. Although secular accounting software can provide you with a procedure for determining your fund balances, it cannot give you a Statement of Financial Position (balance sheet) by fund / class report. In addition, it is imperative to have controls in place through your financial applications that allow for no alterations. For example, if you post an expense to the wrong account, a journal entry should be required to fix it, thereby creating an audit trail. In typical software, you have the option to turn off this feature, opening the invitation for fraud. This cannot happen with certain ChMS. The heart and soul of church accounting Church accounting software should be flexible and easy to use, with a double-entry accounting system that adheres to non-profit accounting standards and offers either a cash or accrual basis. It is imperative to be able to create a unique chart of accounts for your church that can interface with all the other financial modules (as well as people modules) and specific church-related features offered through church ChMS (such as those provided by ACS Technologies). By being able to interface, you can track budgets and spending by fund, department, committee and project. Budgeting and reporting shouldn’t have to be a chore. Things to look for when researching ChMS options include security, accuracy, flexibility, system-wide data integration, built-in Automated Clearing House (ACH) option, Microsoft Excel interface capabilities, and the abilities to keep track of what your church owes and pay your bills on time. Your church software should be the church’s complete check-writing and vendor management program. It should have a sound accounts churchexecutive.com

payable application that can save you time and coordinate the way church staff pay bills and issue 1099s. It should also be able to centrally process your outgoing funds, print checks, store vendor information, and keep track of your invoices. In short, if you’re transferring funds or documents anywhere, it should flow through your ChMS. Save valuable time and avoid confusion by handling all types of payroll procedures with one central solution Financial management software (especially through a ChMS) normally handles the specific needs of churches and pastors, from housing allowances to insurance. It should also be able to accommodate multiple cost centers, so payment is charged to the appropriate areas. With a dedicated ChMS, your church can customize with additions and deductions to pay. In addition, with the proper software, you’ll have everything you need to pay church employees with consistency and accuracy. The ChMS you choose should be able to provide: multiple cost centers; customize additions and deductions; print W2s & 941s; direct deposits; track vacation, sick and leave; Federal and State tax e-Filing; and the tools you need to help manage your spending. Purchase orders are another key component to a good financial management application. To help prevent overspending, it’s imperative to have a system that allows for the automation of your church’s cash-flow planning process. It should also be able to help you easily cross-check and reference your purchasing. Keys here include: manage cash-flow and spending; automate spending plan; cross-check purchase; and set spending alerts. A reliable, centralized asset inventory and management system Financial management doesn’t end with dollars and cents, though; good ChMS needs to include a central inventory system for managing your organization’s equipment. A strong fixed assets component to your ChMS tracks specific asset details, from acquisition, to depreciation, to maintenance. It is important to have this when your church needs to budget, document insurance claims and / or generally support good stewardship of plans and property. Effectively manage your outgoing billings and incoming payments Whether on a cash or accrual basis, a solid accounts receivable program should automatically integrate with every single other aspect of your ChMS and accounting software modules. With a customized, unlimited revenue center, you can ensure accurate posting to the correct accounts, billing codes that offer easy handling of recurring invoices to given customers, and payment codes that enable efficient crediting of payments for multiple accounts at one time. It should also allow you to create unlimited revenues and connect income to specific accounts. In short, unlimited charge items — with customized frequencies — mean fast and accurate billing. Using process automation will enable you to quickly produce batch invoices. Keys here include: define an unlimited number of revenues; customized income frequencies; batch invoicing; unlimited charge items; and process automation. It’s about accountability, not just accounting The key behind the importance in the Great Commission was not to go make disciples for a day, a year or a decade, but a lifetime. Choosing the right tools to help minister and grow is imperative to fostering a healthy, productive and influential church. Michael Jordan is a marketing strategist for ACS Technologies www.acstechnologies.com headquartered in Florence, SC, with offices in Phoenix and Seattle.

C H U R C H M A N A G E M E N T S O F T W A R E • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

Focus on: Giving / Donation Tools

Church Management Software (ChMS) Forum

It’s all about integration By Michael Jordan

Step 2: Choose the right settings for the congregation. Once the merchant account has been created and approved, the next step is choosing the online giving settings that best benefit your ministry. The following options will be available: • The ability for churchgoers to use debit cards, credit cards or their bank accounts for giving sources • Allowance for comments on donations • Specific limits for one-time donations • Recurring giving options • When it’s best to activate online giving for congregants. Step 3: Market online giving to your congregation. Once the administrative aspects of online giving have been established, the next step is to show people it’s both easy to use and has a completely secure connection. The key here is getting members connected to your ChMS. Once they have an online account, they have the ability to log in and make donations at any time. This leads to the fourth, final and most important step…

Frankly, many churches have some form of online giving software already in place. So, the point isn’t just about having online giving or donation tools — it’s about maximizing all the benefits online giving can provide. What if there were systems that could be controlled as a database and allow users to seamlessly give online, as well? Churches and organizations miss huge opportunities when they manage two, three or even four or more different sets of data. Keeping online giving records and interaction data separate from your chosen church management software database, or ChMS, creates a missed opportunity and unnecessary work for your staff. Your online giving and ChMS need to interact and integrate so you can more effectively manage your data. It boils down to data issues if your tools don’t sync. Problems without sync: • Double entry • Missing information • Duplicate information • Human error and wasted time from manual entry • Potential theft or incomplete audit trail Benefits if they do sync: • Easier reconciling • Saved time • Automated reporting improves record accuracy • Integrity of audit trail. Get started with online giving via ChMS Online giving is of the utmost importance for the health and vitality of churches in the 21st century. It can promote spiritual growth and improve giving levels for members and non-members alike. It has been determined that with a solid implementation plan in place, any church can make online giving a successful element of its contribution strategy and truly achieve five Sundays worth of giving each month. Here are four steps to doing online giving the right way. Step 1: Sign up for — and set up — a merchant account. It’s imperative to seek guidance to find which options work best for your church. The setup process is very straightforward and only takes three to five business days after completing the application. 4

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • C H U R C H M A N A G E M E N T S O F T W A R E

Step 4: Be proactive — and prepared. When implementing any new online giving solution, it’s understandable for members to have some additional questions. Combat those inquiries by preparing an online FAQ. This can easily be posted on your website. Also, it solves some common issues that users might run into when attempting to give, including: Unclear directions for how to give. When describing online giving to congregants, be as clear as possible so contributors understand how the giving process works. When in doubt, anyone can visit the integrated help desk, which will show any user exactly how to give in case he or she misses a step. Poor fund-naming or organization. During the summer and fall months, for example, remove the Easter fund so users don’t accidentally give to funds that aren’t a priority. Additionally, fund names should be clear and easily understood by anyone. “Church Building Fund” or “Hurricane Disaster Fund” are good choices as they are clear and to the point. If your software allows, re-order the funds according to the particular emphasis of the giving season. For example, during Christmas, make sure that the Christmas offering is the highlighted giving fund. Not making online giving visible to church members. Many online giving solutions allow you to “test” the process prior to going live with your congregation. Churches will elect to limit online giving to staff or leaders, just to get an idea of the user experience and flow of contributor data. When you’re ready to “go live,” make sure you activate online giving for all congregants if you’ve been limiting use during a test phase. In addition, you might even want to add the ability to receive non-cash, in-kind donations. Items that you could process might include: • Cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats and RVs • Laptops, cell phones, tablets and other electronics • Gift cards • Precious metals • Business inventory • Real estate • Publicly traded stocks • Business interest Using online giving within your congregation is easier than you think, especially with a solid plan in place. In the end, giving and donations through a ChMS don’t cost — rather, they pay great dividends for your church and its ministry. Michael Jordan is a marketing strategist for ACS Technologies www.acstechnologies.com headquartered in Florence, SC, with offices in Phoenix and Seattle. churchexecutive.com

Focus on: First-Time Visitor Engagement

Church Management Software (ChMS) Forum

Engagement leads to building disciples By Michael Jordan

Making connections is an important part of life. From faster, more effective communication to building a more engaged community through deeper relationships, the promise of connecting through the use of technology [www.acstechnologies.com] in the 21st century seems awesome. While technology itself is not the answer, it can be utilized by churches to better connect, engage, equip and mobilize their congregations for doing the work outlined through the Gospel. But in this day and age, churches need to be focused on using virtual means to deliver real-life impact. Technology can be used to build relationships, equip disciples and help them to move together in the direction of serving. With this, there are several key things to address when discussing building disciples through engagement [www.acstechnologies.com/discipleship], a few of which are mandatory. Structurally within the church, communication is about partnership, not control. However, some methods and tools for communication can be cold and impersonal. Even when one has the best of intentions, ineffective communication can make people feel as though they’re not important — or even worse, they’re just taking up space. Strong communication is relational Outlets such as church websites or Facebook pages can be used as informational tools for people interested in getting to know a little about churches prior to visiting. But, they have a finite scope of effectiveness in connecting people into the real, dynamic entity that is your church. This normally results in churches looking for a more private, community-oriented social network to enable truly effective and meaningful communication. This “relational communication” does four important things: 1) Builds real-life relationships 2) Enables people to know and be known 3) Provides opportunities to take action 4) Moves people from the margins to the center Best practices for digital communication No matter how you slice it, good communication is good communication. There is no need to be intimidated by the digital aspect of it. If you’re a good communicator in the real world, chances are you can be so virtually as well, even though there are some unique challenges and opportunities in the digital world.

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By following the best practices listed, you can avoid common pitfalls and be empowered to make the most of your communication efforts. #1: Focus on the mission. Don’t put the focus on methods, because methods are disposable. Get to the heart of the matter. Jesus has given your church an eternally meaningful mission. Be sure to explain why your church needs a private social network and keep the focus on how it will help your church accomplish the mission. #2: Never think your communication is done. If you’ve been a leader for long, you probably understand this point far too well. You can’t say something once and expect it to stick with everyone. You’ve got to continually remind people of what’s important. Thankfully, digital tools make effective communication very inexpensive and also make it easy to mobilize other people to distribute your communications for you. There’s no need to do all the work yourself; usually, you just need to ask people to help you accomplish the set goals. #3: Invite people to interact. Interaction is no longer an option — it’s a necessity. The digital tools available today give you an amazing opportunity to invite people to join a conversation. While it might initially seem like more work, the return is far greater than the investment. Your interaction and sincere listening will help create an engaged community. You’ll probably discover gifts and abilities you didn’t realize people had, and you might just learn from others along the way, too. #4: Cultivate meaningful relationships. The speed and simplicity of digital communication can sometimes lead to overuse and misuse. As a leader, it’s your job to show the way and help people understand the methods being used to reach the destination. By asking good questions, intently listening and steering conversations toward real relationships, you’ll be leading by example. Ask other leaders to do the same. Together, you’ll build a community of well-connected and meaningful relationships. #5: Provide opportunities for meaningful action. A church social network makes it easier for you to delegate responsibility, without sacrificing accountability. So, rather than feed the impulse of consumerism, give people opportunities to get involved. It can be as simple as sharing stories of the everyday, informal ministry happening within your church and inviting people to get involved in the opportunities around them. Remember, you’re building a culture — and cultures celebrate what they value. If you value the active engagement of your whole church in ministry work, celebrate it! Whether they’ve just walked through your front door or they’ve been quietly warming a seat for years without engaging, the key to a healthier, thriving body is getting people connected and properly assimilated. When you do, ultimately you’ll spread the Gospel more effectively. Michael Jordan is a marketing strategist for ACS Technologies www.acstechnologies.com headquartered in Florence, SC, with offices in Phoenix and Seattle. C H U R C H M A N A G E M E N T S O F T W A R E • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

Focus on: Scheduling Tools

Church Management Software (ChMS) Forum How scheduling tools can streamline your ministry efforts By Michael Jordan

Scheduling can be a nightmare. Overbooking rooms. Doublebooking church equipment. Accidentally scheduling two big functions on the same day. No matter the church size, the story is the same. There is always the need to ensure both facilities and staff are getting booked properly. Whether it be planning an event like Vacation Bible School, making sure a Bible study is booked in the proper room, or ensuring a church family event has the fellowship hall reserved, it’s imperative to have organized scheduling and coordination. But frankly, churches have just too many people, events, facilities and changes to coordinate, making one calendar impossible. At ACS Technologies, we’ve seen that there are several needs church leaders must have when it comes to scheduling functionality. The majority of the time, leaders express the same needs, no matter the church size, denomination or number of servants on the ministry team. The things they want include the ability to: • View one calendar, or any combination of calendars, with few clicks • Quickly check the daily, weekly or monthly availability of meeting rooms, people or equipment • Arrange meetings, reserve rooms and book equipment and resources without causing conflicts • Create complex recurring events (for example, finance committee that meets every second Tuesday or VBS that runs five consecutive days) • Schedule multiple locations per event • Broadcast schedules and announcements on screens throughout the church • Integrate information with Microsoft Outlook When looking for a ChMS that has strong scheduling functionality, church leaders should seek one which is designed specifically to expand and meet the multiple needs of their organization and corresponding facilities. With a real scheduling solution, church leaders can create and distribute custom calendars to members and staff so rooms and resources are never double-booked. Another important aspect church leaders need to examine when looking for the right scheduling tool is to make sure it is a Web-based application. In choosing a solution that is Web-based, church leaders can access whatever they might need from anywhere, at any time. Perhaps the key components to look for when thinking about a scheduling tool for your church are workflow security and a user-friendly interface. Both might actually be the key points when it comes down to making a decision. But, there is much more to finding a good scheduling tool than the points listed above. 6

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • C H U R C H M A N A G E M E N T S O F T W A R E

Easy-to-use system options and events A strong scheduling tool has numerous features built in to help church leaders avoid common mistakes such as double-booking rooms, equipment or staff and volunteers. Church leaders should also provide the ability to: • E nter events as pending or approved, with the ability to confirm them later • Cancel events and keep information in the system for reference • Enter recurring events or events that span multiple days • Book resources and extra setup or teardown time • Enter separate rooms with the ability to later combine them to be booked as one resource Accessibility anytime, anywhere A hosted solution is the way to go. This way, there is no worrying about installing discs or updates. With this method, all church leaders have to do is install the application, and it’s maintained and updated through the chosen provider. In addition, by going the hosted route, you’ll have: • Regular, current backups of your data in case of emergency • Secure data transfer • Server hardware repairs, upgrades and replacements • 24-hour network support for connection to server • Software updates, so you’re always using the latest version Communication A strong scheduling solution should provide the ability to centrally book, change, update and communicate. This means anything scheduling-related can be pushed out at the same time to all messaging outlets, including: • Websites • Facebook pages • Church apps • Church calendar links • Broadcast outlets Control A strong solution gives ministries the ability to control all aspects of scheduling, including: • Setup — Leaders can decide how many calendars and event types to create • Security — Leaders can decide who has access to view or add events to each calendar • Scheduling — Leaders can decide who can add or edit events as approved or confirmed Reporting Church leaders understand the importance of reporting. Whether it be for internal use or relaying information to the congregation, when choosing an option for scheduling, it’s important to have a system which provides many standardized reports and calendar formats, such as: • List of events • List of resources • Weekly and monthly calendars • Request forms • Planning calendar Implementing a scheduling tool to help with ministry is easier than you think, especially when you have a robust ChMS in place to complement it. In short, such tools can better streamline your ministry efforts and make the lives of staff, volunteers and congregation less hectic. Michael Jordan is a marketing strategist for ACS Technologies www.acstechnologies.com headquartered in Florence, SC, with offices in Phoenix and Seattle. churchexecutive.com

Focus on: Volunteer Management

Church Management Software (ChMS) Forum

Volunteering for the 21st Century By Michael Jordan

No one wants to volunteer in your church. Scary thought, isn’t it? It might be because they don’t have time, don’t feel appreciated or don’t feel qualified. Or, maybe you don’t have a good enough way of letting people know you need help. Whatever the reason, a recent study by the Barna Group backs it up: “Volunteering at a church during a typical week fell by eight percentage points since 1991, from 26 percent down to 18 percent.” * This lends truth to the old saying, “90 percent of church work is done by 10 percent of its members.” The ability to recruit and retain church volunteers is critical to your ministry’s success. At ACS Technologies, we serve more than 50,000 churches and fully understand the needs church leaders have when it comes to tools to help with finding, retaining and optimizing volunteers. Here are five of the top areas of which to focus:

A private, online community, The City is web-based, allowing churches and congregants to communicate, build relationships, give online and find new ways to connect and do ministry together from anywhere. It is also imperative the information you can gather through the social networking tool of your choice syncs with your church management software. There are many church management software solutions which allow you to add these users (and their skills) into a database, but also to give the ability to pull specific reports on this information. Just make sure the two you chose work well together. 2) Understanding your volunteers Before going headlong into a new situation, one should always take the proper precautions. This absolutely includes the screening and qualification process of new volunteers. If the proper precautions are not taken, the results could range from frustrating to disastrous. When placing members in positions, churches must do all they can to make sure the environment will be safe and the people involved are qualified to serve. So, this means it’s very important to screen them, ensuring they have the proper training and track the status of their qualifications. 3) Training is power Finding volunteers is only half the battle; you have to make sure they’re properly trained for the task at hand and prepared for any situation (emergency or otherwise) which might occur. Training needed can be provided internally — think lighting / sound / working check-in kiosks. There can also be times when outside training is a must. Whichever the case, these volunteers can then be re-evaluated periodically to ensure they are continually competent to serve in their role. 4) Strengthen commitment through strong relationships Relationships are the lifeblood of a strong volunteer ministry. If friendships and encouragement between leaders and volunteers are strong, your ministry will prosper. On the other hand, if volunteers feel disconnected or unappreciated by leaders, your ministry will suffer. The key is finding ways to help ministry leaders stay relationally connected to your volunteers throughout the week. However, staying in touch with your volunteers on a regular basis can be one of the greatest challenges for your ministry. Everyone has busy lives, and it can be increasingly difficult to find available time to communicate with volunteers. Without a doubt, though, volunteers will be more committed when they feel valued and appreciated. 5) Developing the ownership mentality The ownership mentality is a way of thinking in which volunteers value ministry on a very personal level. When this happens, volunteers not only feel like they’re contributing, but are also able to help your church move in a positive direction.

1) Getting your members connected You know the members of your church possess a vast variety of knowledge and skills that can help. But, how do you find out just what those skills are and connect with them? The first step when finding potential volunteers is to gather information about them. There are many ways to do this, but the easiest and fastest way is to meet them where they are spending most of their time. Today, that’s online. Mainly through social networking tools, like The City — www.acstechnologies.com/products/the-city. churchexecutive.com

In short, when you focus on the right things consistently — and use the proper tools to support you — your church can greatly increase volunteer recruitment and retention, all the while making the work of staff and volunteers easier and more enjoyable. Michael Jordan is a marketing strategist for ACS Technologies www.acstechnologies.com headquartered in Florence, SC, with offices in Phoenix and Seattle. * The Barna Group, State of the Church Series, 2011. “Major Faith Shifts Evident Among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics Since 1991.” C H U R C H M A N A G E M E N T S O F T W A R E • CHURCH EXECUTIVE

Focus on: ChMS Selection

Church Management Software (ChMS) Forum

Choosing the right ChMS = not choosing a ChMS at all You don’t need new church management software. Traditional ChMS is old, antiquated and isn’t best suited to help your ministry grow the right way. Why get another software system that shares similarities to the one you currently have? They’ll both just continue to underperform and eat up too much of your time. (Was that attention-grabbing enough?) By Michael Jordan If so, let’s talk about some common reasons why your church might need to get out of the old and choose a solution that can serve your whole church. • You’re still using a cobbled-together system of several different pieces of software from different vendors. • You have to be in the office at church to do your work, but you need to be out and about. • Your congregants can’t edit their own contact information, access their giving history, or make contributions online. If any of these statements ring true, there’s good news: There are whole-church, web-based solutions on the market that are 100-percent different from the old way of doing things — and also economical. These solutions are different because they aren’t just about data-gathering and number-crunching. Of course, they do have these capabilities; at heart, however, they’re about engaging and connecting people. Unlike traditional church management software programs that rely on the quality of data entered by staffers, web-based, whole-church solutions totally handle this aspect of work when people connect with various church activities. When you’re using one platform for your entire church, staff can manage important information about members and provide a way to keep a pulse on the church during the week. To be most effective, you need a solution that can be a real-life, every day tool which can literally fit in your pocket. It needs to be a solution — not a software — that blends needed record-keeping with church data to keep staff better equipped and ready to meet the daily challenges they face. It should also enable you to take care of frequent tasks easily and be better prepared to give the special attention to personal connections on a daily basis. 8

CHURCH EXECUTIVE • C H U R C H M A N A G E M E N T S O F T W A R E

A truly whole-church solution, Realm — from ACS Technologies — is optimized for the convenience of all users. It offers secure access to data from any device, 24/7: Macs, PCs, mobile phones or tablets.

Frankly, you need a web-based solution that allows for church staff to: • Manage small groups • Easily view key data elements with drill-down abilities • Track member involvement and assimilation • Access data securely • Review contribution records • Check in for events, classes, etc. • Send mass emails. With a modern, 100-percent web-based software solution, you’ll have something that’s just as vital to the church’s congregation as it is staff. Congregants need to have a connecting point throughout the week to keep them tied to what’s happening with the church and their fellow parishioners. In addition, they need a tool that can search, sign up for and stay connected to small groups, as well as allow them to review their giving history and manage any recurring gifts they might have planned. For church members, web-based solutions make it easy to: • Make online contributions • Check event schedules • View or print personal giving statements / history • Post news and statuses • Email contacts • Update and maintain their contact and personal information. The total package You need a true whole-church solution — nothing to install, there’s no need to worry about backups, hardware or updates. So, what are you waiting for? The time to make the switch from old and outdated is now. Michael Jordan is a marketing strategist for ACS Technologies www.acstechnologies.com headquartered in Florence, SC, with offices in Phoenix, Seattle and Greenville, SC. churchexecutive.com