At the peak of the pandemic, we heard the word “pivot” quite a bit. Referring to the need to adjust our behavior across nearly every aspect of life, there’s no question the church felt this deeply. Sanctuaries were nearly empty, volunteers were hard to recruit, and offering plates weren’t being passed. Yet, thanks to key advancements in technology, church communities were able to find new ways to approach administrative management and member engagement.
There’s no turning back now, as the benefits of church management software (ChMS) platforms are now widely recognized as an invaluable tool for furthering the growth of the church, both small and large.
New Functionalities
For many years, technology designed for the church didn’t effectively integrate member engagement. In recent years, thanks to tech experts who understand and appreciate how important this is from a member stewardship perspective, ChMS has progressed to offer functionality that supports this objective.
When ChMS first arrived on the scene, its primary purpose was data processing, which simplified mailing lists and other basic functions. Today, it has advanced significantly and offers powerful, web-based tools to help churches track member attendance, manage finances, schedule events, send communications and manage volunteers. The outcome is that churches can provide a better member experience, increase giving and share their message with less burden on staff and volunteers.
The latest updates to ChMS equip church leaders with the tools to detect engagement opportunities with those who may need it. For example, if someone lost their job, it may be reflected in a sudden change to their giving habits. If a member hasn’t attended service in-person for several weeks, it could be that they’re having health issues. Recognizing changes like these quickly allows the church to shepherd attendees in a timely, personal manner. Best of all, members are more likely to feel seen, cared for and connected.
Churches also can analyze trends and statistics across various demographics (age, gender, socioeconomic class, etc.) within their congregations—ultimately equipping staff members with tools to adjust their ministry strategies for different subsets and segments.
Having integrated software in place provides a holistic view of all the engagement points a prospect or member has with the church. Referred to as data-informed discipleship, it’s a game-changer for ministry today.
Added Advantages
While not all ChMS platforms offer the same integrations, the latest advancements have the power to:
* Foster member engagement with intuitive mobile tools designed for ministry.
* Track attendance and manage prayer requests online.
* Stream sermons and offer events online.
* Gain insightful trends about attendance, giving and group activity.
* Utilize online forms, text-to-give and physical kiosks to accept gifts.
* Monitor giving trends and drive recurring, online gifts.
* Organize and manage groups from any device.
* Manage church calendars and event registrations.
* Provide safe, secure check-in processes and background checks.
* Capture, monitor and keep member contact information up to date.
Thanks to this seamless, integrated functionality, church administrators, pastors and staff can spend more time growing the kingdom and less on dealing with backend administrative tasks.
Chris Bacon is the chief operating officer at Ministry Brands, a provider of software and services for faith-based, nonprofit and other purpose-driven organizations.
