How can church software help minimize administration and maximize ministry?
In addition to the basic functionality that has been offered in church management software from the beginning (contributions, people management, ministry management, etc.), we believe that using today's technologies; a modern church management software solution needs to focus on providing the following primary capabilities:
Church software should be simple to use
The best information is useless if it is not accessible by the right people at the right time when they need it. In today's vocabulary, this is referred to as "On Demand" information. This is accomplished best through an Internet browser-based application.
The Internet is now so prevalent that most church staff members are familiar with using a browser. Because the Fellowship One interface is intuitive, at a number of our customers, new staff members are simply given a log in and the web site address and they can be productive without extensive formal training. Most people have used the Internet to purchase something (a book, CD or DVD) from a web site like Amazon or iTunes. However, rarely does someone require formal training in order to accomplish such basic functions. Some church management software is so difficult to use that they require some form of training just to do something as simple as looking up a congregation member's address and phone number. This is wrong.
Church software should be current with technology and allow you to off-load core functions
Fellowship One is offered as an on-demand, hosted, church software solution. This means that Fellowship Technologies is responsible for all of the back-end operations of the church management software. This includes but is not limited to the following:
- Operating and maintaining the hardware and software
- Maintaining hardware, operating system, and database licenses
- Providing multiple levels of network, server and data security and redundancy
- Upgrading Fellowship One regularly with new and/or enhanced features
This architecture ensures that Fellowship One customers can focus more on ministry and less on system maintenance, lowering overall cost and risk.
Church software should allow for real-time attendance tracking and children security
Fellowship One is known for having arguably the best child security check-in system in the industry. With Fellowship One, children's check-in is fast, convenient and totally secure.Growing churches have the added concern of new and unfamiliar faces each week. Churches with smooth, organized and efficient check-in/pick-up processes give parents and guardians a feeling of confidence in knowing their children are safe in the care of competent and diligent people. Fellowship One Check-inTM and its child security features are unsurpassed. Name tags and parent/guardian receipts ensure that children go to the right class, are secure during their stay, and are returned to their parents or proper guardians. Convenience is also built into Check-in. Families can check-in together at one kiosk via touch screen or any bar-coded card. Check-in gives the church the tools to ensure safety for children and convenience for parents.
However, our philosophy goes beyond only children's check-in. By making check-in fast and convenient, a church should check-in nearly all people to all functions. By providing real-time attendance for all activities and events Fellowship One can easily help measure a church congregation's involvement in the various ministries offered.
Church software should track and help resolve requests so that no person's needs are left unaddressed
Effectively ministering to people is one of the most important goals of a church. Fellowship One addresses that need through a robust contact and task management tool that virtually eliminates missing a contact opportunity. People contact the church in various ways - contact cards, phone calls, email, through the church web site, etc. Many of these contacts require follow-up from a church staff member. Such contacts, when entered into Fellowship One, become tasks assigned to the appropriate church personnel. Fellowship One's workflow features ensure that contacts requiring follow-up don't fall through the cracks.Church software should connect to the congregation through the "branded" church web site
Fellowship One WebLink extends the capabilities of Fellowship One to the local church community. It allows individuals to interact with the church on a more personal level through the church's web site. The features of WebLink include:- Connection with the church through online contact forms
- Online donations with the ability to view giving history
- Event registration with online payments
- Volunteer applications with automated background checks
- Small group access with integrated "finder module"
- Small group management with group email, attendance tracking, and meeting note recording
Fellowship Technologies has created a sample church web site to demonstrate the capabilities of Fellowship One WebLink. Visit http://www.dynamic-church.com to see Fellowship One WebLink in action.
Free Demonstration of Fellowship One
This summary of features only begins to tell of how Fellowship One helps a church minimize administration and maximize ministry. Sign-up for a free demo today and see how dynamic churches across the country are equipping church ministries to be better stewards of their time, money and risk exposures.