If you still think of your church software as a static database, it might be time to take a closer look at the ways it can actually support your ministry. Sure, you need a place to keep records organized and giving ledgers updated, but if you’re not using the advanced features at your fingertips as a tool to simplify church management and carry out your church’s mission, you might be overlooking some very powerful ways your church software can support the way you serve.
In addition to our already robust feature set, we’ve been working directly with customers to develop new features that you can start using right away. Check out what these recent releases can do for your ministry:
Desktop Check-in
The Tech Details: This app, which can be installed on a PC or Mac makes check-in ready to run in a single click. You no longer have to deal with logins or printer set-up hassles.
Ministry Use: Setting up check-in is now easier than it ever was before, which means you can devote your Sunday morning to engaging with families instead of troubleshooting technology.
Real Family Names
The Tech Details: New, optional fields will show on edit and profile pages. These include individual formal full name, family address name, and family greeting name, which are now available to use in statements, labels, searches, email, and exports. Additionally, a family picture option has been added and is available for online profiles and in the directory.
Ministry Use: Churches can communicate using the names members prefer, a simple way of showing people they are valued. For instance, a giving thank-you letter to a couple should have an address and greeting that shows complicated names and titles in the way the couples expect.
MinistryID (Single Sign-On for ChMS & Giving)
The Tech Details: Use one username and password to access your mobile apps, online giving, and ChMS.
Ministry Use: Church administrators and members can seamlessly bounce between the different applications you use to manage ministry, saving time once spent signing in separately. Less passwords, more connecting.
Volunteer Scheduling
The Tech Details: This new feature will make organizing volunteers simple. You’ll be able to send follow-up reminders, communicate more easily (they can reply and inform you that they’re coming — or need to cancel!), optimize requests by targeting only qualified volunteers, or set applicant limits if you only need a few people.
Ministry Use: Your church relies heavily on volunteer service. These features improve the way you connect them to opportunities and frees up your time from chasing someone down.
Profile Visibility
The Tech Details: This feature safeguards personal contact or birthdate information for specific users, allowing you to limit display of an item to show to everyone who can access a directory, other members or leaders of a small group, or only to permitted users.
Ministry Use: Invite people to connect and engage with each other (and your church!) with confidence, knowing that when they share their data with your ministry, it’s safe. This gives them the ability to share what they choose and hide what they want kept private.
Glance
The Tech Details: You’ll be able to add configurable icons, badges, and simple graphs to a person’s profile for quick reference of key information.
Ministry Use: Your ministry leaders will be able to quickly view relevant information about anyone in your ministry at a glance. This might involve small group attendance, recent baptisms live streaming viewers, recovery ministry members, etc. You can decide what’s important for your church ministry. For instance, a church leader who wants to know the most important information about a person he is going to meet with in a few minutes can quickly access it. Additionally, the icons you choose can keep leaders focused on church goals as they interact with people.
Query Search
The Tech Details: This new search update will increase the power of advanced search by allowing multiple searches to be connected by AND/OR logic and improve the search creation experience. For instance, you will be able to use search to look for people who meet more than one criteria, such as those over 30 who are single OR divorced AND live in any of three specific zip codes.
Ministry Use: This will allow churches to use their data more effectively for ministry. You’ll get answers to questions for communication, leadership, and management faster. Using search in this way will allow churches to better understand and minister to specific audiences.
Next Steps
One of the best ways to stay informed about how your ministry can benefit from our feature releases is to sign up for our Release Details Webinar, which happens the second Tuesday of every month.
Not a customer? Start a 30-day free trial and discover how our software can support your ministry.
