Author name: Jake Douglas

Stop Fighting Over the Budget – There’s a Better Way

I still remember the meeting we called “the war room.” It wasn’t a prayer meeting. It was our annual budget showdown — a room full of department leaders, each one fighting to protect their line items. Everyone felt like they had to defend their territory just to keep the things they needed to do their jobs. It was exhausting, divisive, and an expensive use of the church’s time. After nearly two decades working in and alongside churches, I can tell you that the budget war room is not unique. It’s happening in churches every budget season. And it doesn’t have to. During a recent webinar with Martus Solutions, we discussed practical ways churches can create budgets that reflect and support their mission. Read on for a recap of our discussion. The Real Problem with How Most Churches Budget Most churches either copy last year’s budget or ask departments to submit requests and spend months cutting. Both approaches share the same flaw: the staff ends up setting the vision instead of the leadership. Ministries build budgets around their own priorities, you get silos instead of synergy, and a budget that reflects habit rather than calling. Four Shifts That Make the Difference 1. Leadership sets the vision before anyone opens a spreadsheet. Before a single request gets submitted, leadership needs to answer: What are we called to do this year? These are your “big rocks” — the priorities that go in first. If leadership doesn’t define them upfront, the staff will fill the vacuum. 2. Pre-balance the budget before departments submit anything. Assign each department a spending target based on the vision leadership has already set. When staff know their number upfront, they build to it, and multiple rounds of cuts nearly disappear. A helpful benchmark: 50% compensation 10% outreach and missions 10% direct ministry costs 30% facilities and operations 3. Create a separate lane for vision requests. Set aside roughly 10% as “budget addition requests.” This is a place for staff to bring new or bigger ideas without inflating the baseline. Leadership evaluates those requests on strategic value, and the process often surfaces what God is stirring in your team long before it becomes a budget emergency. 4. Give every ministry leader visibility throughout the year. Approving the budget isn’t the finish line. When ministry leaders have real-time access to how they’re tracking, ownership in building the budget and living by it grows significantly. Watch the full webinar What to Look for in Budgeting Software If your process still runs on spreadsheets, you’re managing the tool instead of leading with it. When evaluating software, here’s what matters for churches: Ministry-leader friendly — your children’s pastor shouldn’t need a finance degree to use it User-level controls — each person sees only what’s relevant to their role Real-time reporting — budget-vs-actual visibility all year, not just at year-end Enterprise-level security — your financial data deserves real protection Accounting system integration — no duplicate entry, no spreadsheet exports One Tool Built With Churches in Mind Martus was built for exactly this. Founder Bill Cox created Martus after watching his son Bradley struggle with the same challenges while pastoring a small but growing congregation: limited resources, non-financial staff trying to make sense of complicated tools, and a mission too important to be slowed down by spreadsheets. That firsthand understanding of ministry is baked into everything Martus does. It’s built from the ground up with church leaders and nonprofits in mind, and it shows. Ready to Build a Budget That Reflects Your Mission? The budget process doesn’t have to feel like a war room. With the right process and tools, it can become one of the healthiest leadership exercises your church does each year. If you’d like help rethinking your approach, whether you’re a church plant just getting started or a multi-site church that’s outgrown your current process, this is exactly what we do at Church Finance Pros. Schedule a free discovery call at churchfinancepros.com.

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When Should a Church Move to a Fiscal Year?

Most churches default to a calendar-year budget because, honestly, it feels normal. January through December is familiar. Tax forms follow the calendar year. Payroll reporting follows the calendar year. Most accounting software defaults to it. But just because something is common does not necessarily mean it is the best fit for how churches actually operate. Especially churches nearing the $2M revenue milestone (when we most commonly see this question being asked). For many churches, moving to a fiscal year can create healthier financial rhythms, better planning visibility, and a less stressful budgeting process overall. And despite what some church leaders assume, making the switch is usually much simpler than expected. The Biggest Reason Churches Move to a Fiscal Year For most churches, giving is not evenly distributed throughout the year. A disproportionately large amount of giving tends to come in during Q4. Between holiday generosity, year-end giving campaigns, and increased Christmas attendance, December often carries a lot of financial weight. That creates a common problem with calendar-year budgeting: Church leaders spend most of the year wondering whether December will save the budget. If giving runs behind during the spring or summer, there is often an unspoken assumption that year-end giving will close the gap. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn’t. The problem is timing. By the time leadership fully knows where the year landed financially, the year is basically over. There is very little time left to adjust spending, revisit staffing plans, or respond strategically. A fiscal year changes that dynamic. When the holiday giving season lands in the middle of your fiscal year instead of at the very end, you gain visibility much earlier. Halfway through the year, leadership already has a much clearer picture of whether the budget is on track. That gives churches time to: Instead of holding your breath waiting for December, you can manage the year with much more confidence and clarity. A Fiscal Year Often Fits Church Life Better Churches rarely operate on natural January-to-December rhythms. In many parts of the country, attendance and giving patterns align more closely with the school calendar than the calendar year. For example, churches in areas with four distinct seasons often experience: For many churches, September feels more like the beginning of a new year than January does. That is especially true for churches with: A July 1 or August 1 fiscal year can align much more naturally with how ministry actually functions. It allows leadership to plan staffing, programming, and ministry initiatives around the seasons people are most engaged. Budget Season Stops Colliding with Christmas One of the most practical benefits of a fiscal year is simply when the budget process happens. With a calendar-year budget, churches often build next year’s budget during their busiest ministry season: That is a lot to stack on pastors and ministry leaders all at once. A fiscal year can move budget planning into a calmer season of the ministry calendar. Many churches with a July fiscal year begin budget planning shortly after Easter. That timing gives leadership teams more mental bandwidth to think strategically and collaborate thoughtfully. It also allows church staff to focus on ministry impact during the holidays instead of balancing ministry demands with budget spreadsheets. Does Changing to a Fiscal Year Affect IRS Deadlines? Usually, not much. This is one of the biggest misconceptions churches have about fiscal years. Most IRS-related deadlines still follow the calendar year regardless of your church’s fiscal year, including: Those deadlines generally stay exactly the same. The primary exception is Form 990-T, which applies to unrelated business income. Since relatively few churches file a 990-T, this typically affects only a small percentage of organizations. For most churches, switching to a fiscal year is primarily an internal operational decision rather than a major tax or compliance issue. In many cases, the process is as simple as: A Few Things to Think Through Before Making the Change A fiscal year can be extremely helpful, but there are a few operational details churches should plan for ahead of time. Compensation Budgeting Can Get Slightly More Complicated Churches with hourly or minimum wage employees may need to estimate future wage increases during the budgeting process. This is especially true for positions like: In many states, minimum wage increases happen on January 1. If your fiscal year starts in the middle of the year, your budget may need to account for wage changes that have not officially been announced yet. (Note that we’ve seen several states doing mid-year minimum wage increases also…) It is usually manageable, but it does require a little more forecasting. Health Insurance and Benefits May Need to be Re-Aligned Some churches also choose to align their employee benefits cycle with the new fiscal year. That may include adjusting: Aligning benefits with the fiscal year can make budgeting more predictable because compensation and benefit increases are reviewed together during the same planning process. However, making those changes may require coordination with: Not every church will need to make this adjustment, but it is worth considering before the transition. What Does the Transition Process Actually Look Like? The good news is that changing a fiscal year is usually much less dramatic than people expect. Most churches transition by creating a short “stub-period” budget. For example: Let’s say a church currently operates on a January-to-December calendar year but wants to move to an August-to-July fiscal year. Instead of building a full 12-month budget, the church would create: That means the transition year temporarily includes two budgeting cycles: The bridge budget is usually fairly straightforward since it primarily exists to transition the reporting cycle. From an operational standpoint, the process is often simpler than church leaders initially expect. Final Thoughts A fiscal year is not automatically better simply because it is different. The goal is alignment. The best financial calendar is the one that helps your church make better decisions with more clarity and less stress. For many churches, especially those with strong seasonal giving patterns, a

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6 Practical Ways to Achieve Excellence on a Budget

We’ve all experienced seasons where the budget is a bit tight – especially when the economy isn’t thriving. However, we still want to provide the absolute best for our communities and congregations. So how can you achieve operational excellence on a shoestring budget? Here are some practical tips you can implement at little, to no cost: Tip #1: Find the grammar police Look for a volunteer who is a perfectionist when it comes to correct spelling and grammar. Ask that individual to proofread all of your written communications. This includes the church website, social media posts (yes, grammar still counts in social media), brochures, letters, flyers, worship lyric screens, etc. Poor grammar and misspellings are perceived as a lack of professionalism and excellence. Build your church’s professional image and reputation by being a stickler in this area. All without breaking the budget. Tip #2: Honor volunteers Honoring volunteers involves respecting their time and efforts. For example, let’s say you decide to ask volunteers to do various beautification projects around your church on a Saturday. When you respect their time and have an organized workday, your volunteers will appreciate how well you planned the assignment and are more likely to serve again. Tip #3: Make a good first impression While God looks at the inside, people still judge by outward appearances. While we wish that wasn’t the case, we need to be aware of the first impression people get from your church facilities. Start with a facility evaluation and clean up or repair any areas that need attention. Also, take a look at the office areas. This may sound nitpicky, but a clean, organized office communicates an organized approach to serving your congregation and it provides a professional environment for your staff. You don’t need expensive artwork on the walls or brand new furniture. A simple décor that is well maintained shows that you’re an excellent steward of your resources. Tip #4: Pay attention to event details For example, if you provide childcare at an event, make sure you know how many children you’ll need to care for. Ask attendees to provide the number of children and their ages in the registration form so you’ll know how many childcare workers you’ll need well in advance. Also, consider the safety aspect of events. Make sure you have emergency procedures well developed and communicated to staff and event volunteers. Tip #5: Communicate effectively When developing communications for volunteers or event participants, consider your audience.  What questions would you have if you knew nothing about your organization or the event?  What would you be concerned about?  How would you want to receive the information (email, phone, text message, handouts, etc.)?  Tailor communications to different audiences if needed to address their varying concerns. Tip #6: Stay tuned to trends Using an outdated design scheme for a volunteer appreciation night or not knowing about a social media trend are quick ways to damage credibility and look “behind the times”. Try to stay up-to-date on current trends in social media, graphics, design ideas, etc.  Ask volunteers of various ages what they think of your website, communications, videos, and social media channels. Take their feedback into consideration and make the necessary adjustments. If your logo and graphics need to be updated, check with a local community college and ask if any of their graphic arts students need some experience and will work for a reduced fee. You could get a great update and the student will gain valuable experience. These are just a few ways to ensure excellence in various areas of the church. Excellence is possible even when on a tight budget. As you make the most of the resources you do have, trust God to take your efforts and expand your capacity.  Being faithful in these little things really is a big deal. 

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3 Tips to Prevent Financial Fraud at Church

In 2017, authorities charged a former church employee with embezzling over $300,000. Authorities alleged the former financial secretary charged church credit cards to make personal purchases and used church funds to pay her own personal debts.  This is a reminder of why we need controls to prevent fraud and steward the money God entrusts to our churches. I don’t know the leaders of the church involved, so I don’t know what controls they had at that time. However, here are a few simple steps you can take to reduce the risk of this happening at your church: Tip #1: The person authorized to make credit card charges should not reconcile credit card statements This is referred to as “segregation of duties.” If I have a church credit card (or access to them) and I’m also the sole person who reconciles those statements each month, it would be easy for me to make fraudulent charges without anyone noticing. Don’t leave that temptation in front of someone or expose your church to that level of risk.  Instead, divide responsibilities. Have someone without access to church credit cards be responsible for reviewing monthly statements and monitoring charges. Tip #2: Consider outsourcing By hiring an outside company to reconcile the accounting records each month, you increase the chances of catching fraud.  This is how the church in the story mentioned above found out about the embezzlement. The outsourcing company shouldn’t have direct access to your church’s bank or credit card accounts. They should be responsible for entering transactions into your church’s accounting software and/or handling monthly reconciliations and reports. Tip #3: Separate Accounts Payable Functions The person who enters vendors into the accounting software shouldn’t be able to enter invoices or print checks. Again, this goes back to “segregation of duties.” Here’s the scenario: You can set up security rights within an accounting system to divide responsibilities. This enables you to keep Joe from creating a new vendor, entering an invoice, and cutting a check to pay that fake invoice.  If you don’t have enough staff members to separate responsibilities to this level, you have a couple of options:  These aren’t the only internal controls you should have at your church, but they’re a good start.  When people trust you with their tithes and offerings, they trust you to use and guard that money wisely. Invest the time now to put proper internal controls into place. Otherwise, you may be forced to invest time later into gathering evidence to prove fraud and deal with the aftermath at your church. Prevention is much less expensive (both financially and from a trust perspective) in the long run.

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How to Prepare the Church Facility for an Event

Hosting a special event at your church requires a few extra steps than Sunday services.  As you start the planning process, include these steps to prepare the church facility for the event.  #1 – Reserve the room(s) Each ministry department likely hosts a few events throughout the year. The last thing you want to do is double-book rooms or even the entire church facility. If you don’t already have a room reservation system, now is the time to look into putting one in place. You need to make sure the facilities team knows what you need for this event in plenty of time for them to support your efforts. #2 – Gather event details The facilities team will need several essential details as they plan to support this event:  #3 – Allocate time for setup and tear down Don’t just reserve the rooms for the time of the event. Depending on how extensive the décor and setup are, you may need to reserve those areas for the day (or more) before the event. Also, allow sufficient time after the event to restage the rooms for weekly services and clean the church facility. #4 – Arrange for staff to be present You might need someone available to run the sound, video, and lighting. You may also need facilities staff to let you into the building on an early Saturday morning or to lock up the church afterward. Also, consider whether you’ll have members of your church security team at the event.  #5 – Ensure proper climate control This is something to discuss with your facilities team when you ask to reserve room(s). Depending on how they manage the central heat and air, they’ll need to arrange to have the areas of the facility you’ll use property heated or air-conditioned. They might recommend using certain rooms that are covered by the same HVAC unit to save on energy costs. #6 – Conduct a church facility walkthrough Especially if this event will attract first-time guests, you want to make sure you’re making a good first impression. Walk through your church facility starting in the parking lot: Approach the church building: Walk inside the building: If you’re providing childcare at this event, walk through the children’s areas: Work with those responsible for each area (facilities, children’s ministry, etc.) to freshen up the church as needed. You might arrange a volunteer church beautification day a week before the event to spruce up areas that need extra attention. Special events are a great way to disciple your congregation and attract new people to the church. With intentional planning and working together as a team, you can pull off excellent events that draw people closer to Christ.

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4 Tips for Fall Event Planning Success

As crisp fall air prepares us for the colder winter months, fall events get us ready for the Christmas season. To prevent last-minute chaos and stress, it’s time to start thinking about how to get ready for your fall schedules. Fall event planning doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are four simple tips to help you get started. Tip #1: Leave Breathing Room While it’s tempting to plan events that cater to every possible demographic represented in your community, the result of such an effort is likely burnout and a lack of excellence. To prevent this, cut back on the number of events you host. By leaving some white space on the fall event calendar, you can put intentional focus on the activities you choose to keep. Tip #2: Start Planning Now An event with a 50-plus attendance list is going to require more than a week or two of planning. Ideally, you’d start planning any church-wide event six months in advance. This provides sufficient time to develop ideas, shop for bargains, and get volunteers committed to serving at the event.   Assign someone to be the event planner for each event.  This individual should talk with all departments involved to determine what tasks they’ll need to complete for a successful event. Tip #3: Connect with Local Schools Leading up to the back-to-school season is a great time to connect with local school administrators. Ask for input on how your church can support them. It’s also a great way to expand your church’s community outreach. Talk with teachers in your congregation to see what they need going into a new school year. Rally the church to support them in practical ways. Also, consider conducting an outreach like a school supply backpack drive or a coat drive for underprivileged kids.  Tip #4: Build Volunteer Teams Start building your volunteer queue by inviting members who aren’t active volunteers to serve at an event. This gives them a chance to experience what it’s like to serve. It also provides you the opportunity to see where each individual would fit best in a longer-term role. Additional tip: After the event, send thank you notes to volunteers and ask them to join specific volunteer teams. Preparation is the key ingredient in pulling off a successful year of church events. Your fall calendar is going to set the tone for the months to come. Start strong by planning early, building your teams, and making connections now. **Looking for more church event planning tips? Check out The Church Event Planning Toolkit for a proven process for planning successful, not stressful, church events.**

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How to Spot High Achieving Volunteers

Finding and keeping volunteers can be challenging enough. Identifying high-achieving volunteers who are skilled leaders and humble servants is even tougher. This type of volunteer takes a weight off your shoulders and makes life a bit easier. Finding rock-star volunteers who consistently go the extra mile may seem like finding a needle in a haystack. However, there are some key signs you can look for to identify these high-potential, high-achieving volunteers Sign #1: High-achieving volunteers offer solutions It’s easy to point out a problem. Bringing well-thought-out options to solve an issue requires additional critical thinking and planning skills. What’s even better is when a volunteer comes to you with an issue and is simply asking for permission to fix it.  When that happens, let your volunteer know how much you appreciate it. Then, make sure you keep this volunteer in a role that will best play to his/her strengths. This problem-solving ability is also a potential sign this person has leadership skills and could be a good fit for leading other volunteers.  Sign #2: High-achieving volunteers will do whatever tasks are required The best leaders are willing to humbly serve. If you know a volunteer has the skills to organize an entire event but at this key moment, you need someone to move chairs, watch to see if he’ll handle that task with a great attitude. When you see that, take note and remember to put him in roles that will best utilize his skills as often as possible. Sign #3: High-achieving volunteers are proactive When you’re in the weeds of planning an event or preparing for next Sunday, it’s easy to miss something. If a volunteer mentions she’s thinking ahead to summer and has already checked with other Sunday morning volunteers about their vacation plans…praise God and ask for this volunteer to keep doing what they’re doing.  Sign #4: High-achieving volunteers maintain healthy boundaries This one may surprise you, but one sign of a high-achieving volunteer is her ability to say “no” to serving on occasion. This indicates she’s aware of her time, energy, and relational limits and carefully maintains healthy margins in her life. That may not always be the most convenient for you, but it’s something to respect as it’s a sign of maturity and wisdom.  When you have high-achieving volunteers, here’s how to keep them: Tip #1: Make sure they’re in a role that aligns with the skills and abilities God entrusted to them Ask what they enjoy doing, their hobbies, what they do at work, etc. Consider giving volunteers personality or spiritual gifting tests as well. By matching volunteers with a role that taps into their God-given talents, you provide an opportunity they’ll enjoy and will receive the best work from them. Tip #2: Recognize any specialized skills or knowledge they possess and ask for their input when appropriate When you learn what your volunteers do for a living, add the information to your church database (let’s face it, if you don’t record it somewhere you’ll forget).  Then when you need a particular expertise, you can search by that field in your ChMS and know whom to contact. This can really be helpful for special events (project managers or event planners), disaster relief efforts (carpenters, doctors, etc.), or when you’re planning to launch a new program. Tip #3: Give them challenging assignments with the authority to match Granted, this is after getting to know someone and making sure you trust his/her judgment. From there, give these volunteers room to do ministry and not simply follow directions. They need the challenge plus if they’re well respected for their abilities in the workplace but their church doesn’t value them, what’s the incentive to put those skills to work for the church? Sure, they may still do so out of the desire to serve but make that decision easier for them to make. Tip #4: Communicate your appreciation This applies for all volunteers. However, make sure you don’t take the super dependable volunteers for granted. They’re not looking for applause, but a hand-written note or simple thank you is always motivating. Take some time this week to consider your current volunteers. Who seems to fit the bill of a potentially high-achieving volunteer? What specific skills and/or leadership capacity does each person possess? How can you ensure each individual is in the best volunteer role and that they know you value their input?  Ministry isn’t supposed to be done just by a few clergy and staff members. As followers of Christ, we’re all supposed to minister to others. Help your volunteers grow in their ministry efforts. They’ll experience the joy that comes from serving others and you’ll not only see more people helped but will also see your volunteers mature spiritually as a result.  

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How to Quickly Plan an Amazing Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible School brings kids together every summer for a fun-filled week of adventure, crafts, and learning God’s Word. If your church is offering its own program this year, here are a few steps on how to pull off an amazing VBS even if you haven’t started planning yet. Step #1: Decide on the Basics Before you do anything, choose the when, where, and how of your VBS week. This checklist will help to keep you focused on the basics: Step #2: Gather a Planning Team Now that you’ve created the outline of your plan, assemble a group of staff and volunteers for your VBS planning team. A handful of team members should be enough, but it’s a good idea to gather individuals with an interest and passion for VBS. Step #3: Create the Plan There are so many elements that go into planning any event, especially one that lasts an entire week. To help you stay organized, try breaking down your “to-dos” into categories like these: Communications This includes creating graphics for promotional materials, website updates, online event registration, video announcements, and anything else that requires some form of digital or printed communication. Work with your church’s communications team to develop a plan to invite those in the congregation and community. A comprehensive plan should consider Facebook ads, billboards, announcements on local news outlets, as well as outdoor signage at your church. Facilities Most likely, your VBS program will be held on location at your church. If so, discuss which rooms you will need for the week. Based on the curriculum you’re using, provide details on how each room should be set up with tables, chairs, audio/visual, and craft material. Also, address whether or not you’ll want any additional signage throughout the facility. Food What kind of meals and snacks will you be preparing each day? Create a menu and make sure you have enough people with food handler permits to help prepare the food.  Include a field in the registration form to ask about any food sensitivities and create a process for how to ensure those are followed during VBS. Decor Referring again to your curriculum, as many have themes, determine what decorations you’ll need for the main stage, classrooms, and central areas of your church. Volunteers Make a list of the volunteer roles needed to prepare for VBS (setting up the week or weekend before) and throughout VBS week. Tips to getting volunteers: Additional Materials Hands-on crafts and activities are a major part of the VBS experience. They also come with a list of materials. Figure out what supplies you’ll need to purchase for these crafts or any other take-home items, such as a Scripture-verse-of-the-day card. Emergency Protocols Every event, especially one involving children, needs a safety plan in place. Be sure to have adequate first aid supplies and procedures, security, and emergency evacuation plans. Other Considerations Though each church’s VBS program is different, here are a few common considerations as you finalize your plan: Step #4: Work the Plan Your plan is set, now divvy up tasks amongst team members and set deadlines for each. I recommend using a project management tool — such as Asana, Teamwork, or Basecamp — to communicate deadlines, track progress, and provide additional information to your team in one centralized location. Step #5: Enjoy a Successful Vacation Bible School Week One of the first rules of event planning is to be flexible. Things happen and not everything is going to go off without a hitch. Because of this, it’s a great idea to set up a Command Center where staff and volunteers can come to ask questions and get help troubleshooting issues throughout VBS week. Step #6: Celebrate and Recognize Phew! You just pulled off an amazing VBS week! Celebrate your team’s success by hosting a party for all your VBS staff and volunteers. This can be a simple dinner-out to close out the week or a small gathering with yummy goodies and a huge “thank you” to everyone involved. And be sure to recognize your hard-working team in Sunday’s service! Step #7: Conduct a Lessons-Learned Meeting Though your program will mostly be successful, it won’t be perfect. Invite parents, volunteers, and church staff to join you for a meeting to discuss what went well and what to improve upon for next year. Step #8: Create a Vacation Bible School Planning Notebook If you used this plan this year, then you’ve already got your plan for next year. Organize all planning documents, vendor contracts, volunteer job descriptions, and other key items in a notebook or binder to make planning next year’s VBS week that much easier. As you get into these warmer months, which typically come with a host of summer activities, camps, and events, remember that Vacation Bible School is an opportunity to connect with church members and non-church members in a relaxed, exciting environment. If you make it fun, they will certainly come. If you’d like a step-by-step guide to planning church events of any size, check out The Church Event Planning Toolkit book. At only $14.99, it’s an inexpensive resource that can save your church time and money. Get your copy today.

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Special Considerations for Outdoor Church Events

Many churches host events outdoors to take advantage of the beautiful weather and host events they couldn’t manage indoors.  Activities for VBS, outdoor concerts or worship nights, and Fall Trunk-or-Treats are just a few examples.  If you’re planning any outdoor church events, here are a few things you should consider to make them a fun and safe experience for everyone involved: #1 – Offer shade and cold water People can quickly get overheated in the summer heat. Depending on the event, it might make sense to set up tents and other shaded areas so attendees can escape the sun for a few moments as needed. Also, make sure participants have access to cold water so they can stay hydrated and cool. #2 – Develop an inclement weather plan Since weather forecasts aren’t always accurate, you’ll need to decide now how to proceed with the event if the weather isn’t favorable. If your church has an indoor gym or other large open room, that could be an ideal backup location for this event. Another issue to consider is if a storm occurs after the event has already started outside. Who will monitor the forecast? Who makes the call to have everyone move indoors? Where will you have people take shelter if there’s a dangerous storm approaching?  #3 – Provide security Anytime you get a large crowd together, it’s wise to consider the potential security risks and plan accordingly. If your church already has a security team, they need to be a part of the planning process for this event. Determine how many security team members you’ll need for the event, including whether you’ll hire any off-duty police officers. Also, consider if you want to have an ambulance stationed on church property just in case someone has an emergency. Contact your local first responders to see what they can do.  #4 – Give parents additional information Notify parents ahead of time if event activities could result in wet or dirty clothes. They may want to send their children in older outfits and provide a change of clothes as well. Parents will appreciate knowing this beforehand, so they aren’t unpleasantly surprised when they arrive to pick up their kids. #5 – Look into special event insurance Contact your church’s liability insurance provider to determine if your existing policy covers special events. Some insurance companies may require you to buy a special policy for larger events. Check into this at least a month before the event to make sure you’re covered. Outdoor events can be a great way to bring your church family together and attract people from the community to engage with your congregation. With a bit of careful planning, you can create a safe and fun event.

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Church Management Software – 4 Steps to a Successful Implementation

If your current church management software isn’t working for your church, and you’ve decided to make a change, there’s much more involved than just converting data to a new system. Even if everyone on your team hates the current software, there’s still going to be some resistance to change. New software involves learning a new program, possibly changing processes, and the usual implementation headaches. They might all agree that change is necessary, but you still may deal with frustrations along the way. So, how do you have a successful church management software implementation and a happy team?  Tip #1: Fix Processes First One trap many people fall into is thinking a new tool will fix all their problems. Unfortunately, even the fanciest and most expensive ChMS can’t correct a broken process. Before you evaluate potential ChMS options, examine the processes you would perform within a new tool. Here are a few examples of the types of processes to review: If these processes aren’t functioning well now, fix those issues first. Decide how you want a process to work manually, then consider how a ChMS could help you automate aspects of each process. Tip #2: Evaluate Several Church Management Software Options There are several excellent options for church management systems. That’s the good news! The bad news is that the process to figure out which one will work best for your church can be cumbersome. Take your time evaluating various options and use these tips to make that effort a bit easier. Tip #2: Perform a Data Clean-Up If you plan on migrating data from a previous ChMS, take the time now for a data clean-up effort. It doesn’t make sense to bring outdated or inactive records into the new system.   One way to clean up the database is to remove the records of people who are no longer active at your church. You can find these by running reports to identify people who haven’t donated, registered for an event or small group, checked in as a volunteer, checked in their children, or other key activities within the last 12-24 months. Here are a few ways to verify you have valid contact information: Tip #3: Get Buy-in From Key Influencers Who within your staff or key volunteers has the most influence? This isn’t always the person in charge of a department. These individuals are those whom your staff and volunteers listen to and whose opinions they value. If they like this new software and are champions of the changes required in the implementation, then the rest of the team is more likely to buy in as well. Once you’ve identified these influencers, get them involved in the selection and implementation planning process. Once they’re on board and like the new system, they’ll be your best champions in getting the team to change. Tip #4: Make Gradual Changes Many ChMS applications have multiple modules you can implement separately (giving, check-in, event registration, facilities, etc.). Whenever possible, change over to a single aspect of the new ChMS at a time. For example, you might migrate contact information and start using childcare check-in, but wait a few weeks before using the online profile aspects of the system. Too much change at once, even good change, can be overwhelming. A phased approach gives your team time to learn the new system gradually. This approach also gives you the flexibility to work out any “bugs” in the process one module at a time. Tip #5: Invite Feedback Ask your staff, volunteers, and congregation to provide you with feedback about the new system. Find out what’s working, what isn’t, what they like, and what they dislike. As you receive this input, make whatever changes are appropriate and possible. When you implement requested changes, let everyone know you made the change due to their feedback. This communicates that you’re listening and taking action on their requests.  It is not easy to change a significant tool such as your church management software, so you need your team to fully support the new direction. As you involve key influencers early on, run a phased implementation, and invite feedback, you should have a much smoother changeover to the new software.

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