Choosing a church management system is no easy feat; there’s lots to consider, from which features you need to what your budget is, to who will use the software on your team. But the decision-making process begins long before you start sourcing software options. You need to work through a framework that will help guide this process from start to finish.We’ve created an evaluative model to help your church choose a church management system—no matter your size. This decision framework will help you feel prepared to make this big decision.
Needs Assessment
First, you need to identify your church’s needs with a formal needs assessment. This isn’t as simple as making a list of things you want or need in a church management software; it requires an in-depth analysis of your church’s operations, staff, and opportunities. You can start by asking some general clarifying questions, but it’s important to not dwell on the intangible too much here. Send out a survey to your staff to specifically ask about their pain points and what would make their job easier. Alternatively, you can also conduct interviews with your staff to better understand their needs.
You can find specific examples of needs assessments online, but we encourage you to create your own based on your church’s unique needs, size, and staff members.
Staff Readiness
Another important aspect of choosing a church management software is determining the readiness of your staff. You’ve likely identified this in the needs assessment portion of the decision framework, but it’s important to formally recognize this step.
Hopefully your staff has shared their pain points, but they should also share their personal opinions about switching or implementing this new church management system—especially if it directly impacts their job.
While you, as the key decision-maker, might clearly see this is the right decision for your church at this time, your team will have different insights that are just as valuable. Maybe they’ll remind you that this upcoming season of ministry is their busiest time of year, and it would be unwise to implement a new software that quarter. Or maybe they were there the last time your church switched softwares, and they have some hesitations about doing the whole process over again. You’ll also want to consider how you’ll train your staff on this new church management system once it’s implemented. Being up front about how you’ll prepare them to succeed can go a long way in easing hesitations.
Congregation Workflows
While your staff will be the people most impacted by this new church management software, the members of your church will also be affected. Whether you’re implementing a new website or system, things will change for your members—including how they give their offerings online, how they submit prayer requests, how they can securely view other members’ information, and so on.
Transitioning your congregation to a new software can be more challenging than transitioning your staff, especially if your members aren’t used to using technology in their daily lives. Consider hosting an information session where they can ask questions and raise concerns. Then, once you’ve implemented the software, host training sessions to get everyone on the same page and using the software correctly for their needs.
Integration Expectations
Along those same lines, you’ll need to set integration expectations for your staff and your congregation. One of the most important things you can remind your people of is that things will go wrong during this process—your giving software will glitch, your website will be down, or your information won’t transfer correctly. Of course, good preparation can help avoid these errors, but some are unavoidable, and it’s important to be prepared!
Clearly outline a timeline for your staff—including when the implementation process will start, when it will conclude, and when you’ll begin integrating the congregation into the software. The more you can do to prepare the better.
Denominational Considerations
While many churches can use church management software that’s not specific to any one denomination, some denominations might have special considerations that they need to take into account. Perhaps you need to be able to track who takes communion, alongside attendance. Or maybe you need to be able to add special anniversaries like Confirmation and Baptism dates.
Identify these special denominational considerations before you start the process of choosing a church management system; the last thing you want is to have to apply piecemeal the software you chose to meet your church’s needs.
Scalability
Lastly, you’ll want to consider the scalability of your new church management system. If your church membership increases past a certain number, are you able to easily upgrade your software to accommodate these additional members? And if so, what is the fee increase?
Additionally, will you have the ability to add or upgrade to features as you need them? You might not need a plethora of features at this moment, but if you decide to upgrade down the line, is the process easy and seamless? Reaching out to your contact at the church management software provider is the best way to get this information directly.
Final Thoughts
When choosing a church management system, it’s important to work through a decision-making framework to guide your decision. No matter how many members your church has, you need to follow the same general model to ensure you’re making the best, most financially sound decision for your church.
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