10 Mar Church Management Solutions: How to Choose the Right One

There are so many options when it comes to improving your church management.

For example, you can use software, management systems, or strategies. The possibilities are truly endless!

When churches aren’t working towards perfecting their processes and internal management, it can be easy for everything to become disorganized. Most business leaders would agree that poor management leads to the majority of organizational problems.

If you’re struggling to find the right management solution for your church, then this article is here to help. We’re going to cover some different church management software, strategies, and ideal practices for growing an organization.

Let’s start with software and web-based solutions.

Software and Web-Based Church Management Solutions

New management software programs are popping up all the time! If you don’t have a church management software integrated into your church operations yet, then the time to do so is now. Choosing the right software for your church’s needs will help improve communication, workflow, and create a more efficient organization overall.

A thorough solution is going to offer you the most flexibility and the best management options. The reasons why you would use a highly functional church management software (ChMS) are endless, from messaging between different teams and departments to scheduling meetings that fit with everyone’s schedule and tracking projects.

To help you find the right software for you, here are a few highlights from our list of the 14 best church management software in 2019.

ACS and Realm is a desktop-based program that offers integrated solutions for management and reporting.

Breeze has a very ‘easy to learn’ layout that lends itself well to smaller churches with fewer resources and needs.

Elvanto uses a cloud-based program to do almost anything you’d need. Elvanto is a great all-around solution.

Before we jump to the next topic, let’s talk about a few honorable mentions.

Communication systems and project management tools are two of the biggest factors drawing people to invest in a ChMS.

If you don’t have the money to put forward for a paid software right now, there are actually some excellent free or cost-effective options that you can consider for your organization.

Communication and Project Management

Asana is a tool that allows you to set up and assign projects for free, as well as communicate about them and direct message different individuals within your teams.

Google Suite, a great management tool offered by Google, has options for paid versions to their business suite, or you might consider using personal emails to save some money. With Google Hangouts, you can send messages and make group calls, and with Google Drive, you can share and collaborate on projects and documents.

Slack is the ultimate messaging tool. It fits any size company and offers different channels and group message features to make sure that everything you see is curated by you. This tool isn’t free, but it’s worth the investment.

Why You Should Define Your Needs Before Purchasing Software

We’ve mentioned some of the different software options that are out there, but we haven’t talked much about what you need. If you’ve made it this far, then it’s obvious that you feel it’s time to take a step towards a new management system. A good thing to do before you make any decisions or do any significant amount of research is to define your needs. Otherwise, you may end up with software that has some cool features but isn’t really solving your core business problems.

What Can it Do?

Software systems aren’t management strategies and you have to be careful not to treat them like they are. Be sure that you first have good employee management systems in place before you try and solve productivity and efficiency problems with software.

After you’ve established management strategies, define what you want a software to be able to do. Some of the examples mentioned earlier could be great options for you, but maybe they don’t quite fit your needs, or they aren’t as built out as you’d like.

If that’s the case, then there are two paths you can take. One, you can try to find a solution that is going to be able to handle everything you throw at it. Or two, you can use more than one system to fill your needs. You might find it easier to have everything in one place or in the cloud so that you can easily access it from different devices.

Or, you may find two different tools that, when used in conjunction, create the perfect solution you’re looking for and save you money. It’s not easy to say which one is going to be better for you. You’ll have to decide that one on your own but don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Maybe you want to be able to manage giving and get accounting reports in your software as well. There are a lot of different things that churches need to get done on any given week, and having software solutions and systems will help make the process more seamless and efficient.

Who You Work with Matters

There are large software companies out there that promise to do it all, and some of them can. But the advantage that you have when you go with smaller software companies is actually much more significant. In smaller companies, customer service ratings are much higher, according to the Harvard Business Review.

Customer service is a big thing to consider and you’re going to want it to be good.

Rolling Out New Systems

With better customer service, rolling out new systems and church software solutions isn’t as hard on your team and your community. Sometimes these programs can be challenging for some to understand and get started on. Quality customer service and even video tutorials can make all the difference in helping you start out on the right foot.

At mobileAxept, if you choose to use one of our products for giving, communication, or connecting with your congregation, we walk with you on the entire journey. You don’t have to worry about us leaving you to figure it out alone. Instead, we are always available to answer your questions and help you work through any issues you might be having.

Successful Management Strategies

Beyond software, there are some really great solutions to help you manage your church. Effective church leadership and management flow hand in hand, and it’s not a simple task. As a church leader, everything you do seems to be viewed under a microscope. Especially when it comes to your leadership. If you feel that this area has been a weakness, then you’re definitely doing the right thing by looking for solutions to those problems. There are effective systems that you can practice as a leader. Here are a few to get you started.

Goal Setting can be an essential tool for every church and its leadership. Set weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals. Clearly define your vision so that everyone can get behind it.

Budgeting Process establishing a process that you use when going through budgeting is crucial to your success. Be consistent and set goals for how your church will use the money.

Legal and Risk Management it’s important that churches know and understand the risks that are out there. Just like any other business, there are rules and regulations that churches need to follow. Make sure you’re aware of these and that you comply with them.

Hopefully, this post has helped you find some direction in your search for church management solutions. At mobileAxept, we’re happy to help you find the perfect solution for your needs. Feel free to send us a message or give us a call today!