You want to be as prepared as possible when the time comes to make a decision about your next church management software. Whether you’re looking into a new church management software because you fully understand the value it can have in your ministry or because you’ve heard about the impact it can make, getting the decision right is critical.
Will your church crumble because you chose one church management software over another? Probably not. However, finding the church management software that fits your church’s culture and helps you build the systems and processes your church needs can make a tremendous difference in your ministry potential.
To help you make the best decision, we pulled together a few important posts:
- Identify the why before you ever search for the what. When it comes to making decisions that can impact the future of your church, it’s important to have a solid understanding of where your church is headed and why your decision is going to help move you closer to accomplishing your goals. Before you ever start comparing church management software, it’s important to identify why you’re investing in it from the beginning.
- Avoid assumptions by asking the right questions. Choosing a church management software because it’s the cheapest or because it works for another church is a devastating assumption. If you really want to determine whether a particular church management software is the best fit for your church, here are five questions to ask.
- Consider how it will impact your staff and volunteers. More than anyone else, your staff understands the needs of your church and the most critical ministry processes which should be empowered by technology. At the same time, no software, no matter how cool it is, will serve you well if your volunteers can’t access it or easily use it. Choosing a church management software that helps your staff improve the way they do ministry and is easy to use will make sure you have total buy-in for your decision.
- Compare options based on your expectations. What do you expect to accomplish through your church management software? Improved connections? Stronger community?
- Understand what successful implementation requires. Successfully implementing your church management software requires buy-in from everyone. Once you’ve made the commitment to involve others to gain momentum, here are eight steps you can take to prepare your entire church for a successful process.
If you’re a fan of case studies or real-life examples, here’s an inside look into one church’s journey to choosing the right church management software for their church, provided by Executive Pastor Kevin Stone. Because they took the time to walk through these steps, Christ’s Church of the Valley has been able to experience the benefits of implementing a fully-integrated church management software in their ministry.
What are some other keys to making the right decision about your church’s technology?