For many pastors, the best part of their job is making meaningful connections with members of the congregation. But there are many more responsibilities involved in the position of pastor. Your duties may range from leading Bible study groups and providing counseling to planning and holding church services and community events.
If you could use a hand keeping you and your church staff organized, church management software is very helpful. Learn more about how this software can help automate some of your responsibilities, so you can spend more time with the members of your congregation.
What Can Church Management Software Do?
There are lots of moving parts when it comes to running a church. As your congregation continues to grow, managing a church gets more complicated.
Church management software (also known as CMS or ChMS) is technology that makes this task much easier. Instead of having separate computer programs for finances, communication, event management, website management, and security — combine everything into one streamlined system that multiple users can access. Plus, you can create one password for all the applications you use.
How Can Church Management Software Help a Church?
Automating various management tasks gives you more time for the more meaningful parts of being a minister. Depending on the specific software you get, it can help with:
Facility Management
A church might have prayer groups, children’s ministries, and volunteer groups all sharing the same transportation resources, meeting space, church chairs, and equipment.
And if you’re considering renting out your church facilities for events, church management software will help you avoid scheduling issues. Facilitate your facility management by maintaining inventory and accepting and tracking digital payments and custom forms.
Church Finances
Keep track of the church’s bank account, expenditures, and income with your CMS. You can easily share this information with the church board or a potential donor.
If you have a few full-time or part-time staff members, CMS will help with payroll.
Additionally, some software offers collection and management of donations and gifts. Offering modern technology is a great way to increase giving at your church.
Communication
Communication is a crucial part of developing a community and keeping people engaged. Certain software helps with direct mail, e-mail, and social media.
Attendance and Member Management
Your church membership records may include names, phone numbers, addresses, family members, volunteer involvement and availability, and dates when they received the sacraments. This is important information to track, and you can count and monitor weekly attendance.
Security
CMS can be used for checking people in and out of church events. If your church also runs a daycare or school, you can monitor where children are safely checked in.
How to Choose Church Management Software
There are many different types of software for church management, including all-inclusive cloud-based solutions as well as on-premise CMS that’s more expensive but more secure.
Before you select a ChMS, figure out what exactly you need help with, how the software will benefit the church, and who will be using it. Then you can compare pricing, ask for more information, and find the best option for your church.
We hope that this guide helps in your decision-making process. If you’re looking for more church management information, read our article on maximizing the functionality of your church.
