The signup period for this beta cycle is now closed. Thank you for your interest!
There’s a new beta cycle underway and we want your help to make it the best we can! You’re the ones on the front lines making ministry happen. We need your perspective to perfect these features into exactly what you need as a church leader. When you sign up to be a beta tester, you’ll not only get access to new features as we build them, weeks and sometimes even months before they’re released, but you’ll also get a voice into what we’re building as we build it. We want your real-life experience and feedback!
All the features in this blog are currently in beta or coming soon to beta. Sign up by October 16, 2015, and we’ll switch your site over to beta on October 21 — and get you hooked up with our beta feedback group. When these new features are released, you'll have a chance to stay on that release or join the next beta and see even more great features early!
Scroll down or click on any feature you're interested in to learn more about what you'll find in this beta.
- Redesigned Reports and New Mass Actions
- Redesigned Event Detail and Emails
- Mobile Volunteer Schedules and File Acess
- Message Upgrades in Your Inbox
- All-in-One Give Page
- Partial Refund Support
Redesigned Reports and New Mass Actions
Reports have a whole new look. Forget extra tabs and ugly options screens. When you click on a report now, you get a sleek new options modal. All the options you need are kept in one convenient place.
The whole display of on-screen reports has been cleaned up as well, so you can easily see everything that matters and none of the noise that doesn't. Even better, you can use the Edit Settings button on the report itself to adjust the options and parameters from right on the page!
Report actions are looking better than ever too. They've all been consolidated into the Actions drop-down on the report itself, so you can save, print, or export your report even as you view it. What's more, there are now new mass actions you can run from reports — adding people to a group or a Process Queue, or sending them a quick email!
Redesigned Event Detail and Emails
You know the Event Detail page as a catch-all, a page anyone in your software could wind up on, whether they're the event manager or just a member looking to participate. When different people have different needs, it just makes sense to give them different interfaces ... and now we have.
Event Previews
The stuffy little box that used to pop up when you clicked on an event from the calendar is gone. Now there's a beautiful interactive preview, complete with a slot for an event image, where members can RSVP without ever having to leave the calendar. The new event preview even replaces the public calendar info boxes, displaying everything an interested guest might need to know and offering a login button on the side.
The Event Detail page itself, now accessible just for the people who can manage the event via the Manage Event link, gives you access to all the settings and tools you're used to, plus a new Preview tab so you can see your event as your church members and guests will see it.
Clean New Event Invitations
We couldn't very well upgrade the events interface in the software and leave the invitation emails same old, same old. They're looking better than ever, showcasing your event image and giving just the important details.
Responsive RSVP
Attractive event invitation emails are all well and good, but what if you happen to read them on your phone? If you read them on your phone, RSVP on your phone, too!
Mobile Volunteer Schedules and File Access
Wouldn't it be nice if you could see who you're serving with this weekend or access files you need to serve, all from that convenient machine sitting in your pocket? You're in luck. Join beta and you'll be able to view your schedule details on your phone — without logging in — before the next release.
When you access a volunteer request or reminder email, you can view your full schedule details, including all positions for that schedule and who's accepted, declined, or not yet responded. Any files that have been attached to the schedule will be available here too.
Need a reminder of all the different times involved in this schedule assignment? Just touch the clock icon (or hover on your computer) to see all the times you're needed.
Message Upgrades in Your Inbox
[From] a Person, Not a Site
If you're in any groups that are active with the messaging tool, you've probably noticed that the messages all start to bleed together after a while. Every one of them says it's from your church. We wanted you to get meaningful information from your inbox at a glance — so it was time for the site-name sender to go. Now, messages sent in the software will be listed 'from' the actual sender, and the name of the group will be shown in the subject line. With one quick look, you can tell who sent the message, which group it's for, what the subject is, and even if it was sent just to the group leaders.
Simply Reply
Commenting on a group message is now as simple as replying to the email you receive. No more need to log in on your phone just to toss in a quick reply. No more silence because members can't remember their logins. When the group message is configured to send replies to the leaders or members, recipients now see 'Or simply reply to this email' right under the comment button.
All-in-One Give Page
The Give page has gotten a redesign too, and is your one-stop shop for giving a gift, checking your giving history, looking up your pledges, and everything else your average member needs to access about their giving.
Under the Schedules/History tab, you can now view past gifts and any scheduled repeating gifts. Repeating gift schedules can now be accessed here as well, making them easy for you and your members to find and edit. If you're listed as your family's Primary Contact or Spouse, you can even view repeating gifts and transactions for your family members via the Family view! And of course, giving statements are right here too, along with pledge history in the Pledges tab.
Partial Refund Support
Sometimes, someone needs a refund. And it's not always a nice, easy, full-transaction amount, either. It's a fact of life when dealing with money. Until now, the difficulty of reversing just part of a transaction with your merchant provider and then having to deal with the software recording a full refund was also a fact of life. No longer! Now, when you've issued a refund within your merchant account, the refund displayed in the software will show only the actual refund amount. In the COA category column, there's a link to assign categories and split amounts from the refund, so you can keep your Chart of Accounts perfectly accurate even through a partial refund.
All these features are just scratching the surface. There are new tweaks and features coming to beta all the time, and this is your chance to try them out early and lend your voice to the creation process. With your feedback, we can make the software great!