Tag Archive - web apps

Mac or PC for Christian ministry? Part 1

July 6, 2009 in for Churches, Pastors

In my recent article on church databases I made the following comment:

“I’ve discovered that lots of churches use Macs. Not everyone in the staff team will use a Mac, but if there’s any chance anyone ever will, a PC-only, or Mac-only solution isn’t up to the cut.”

I received a comment that PCs are the computer of choice for the majority of churches, and that very few churches use Macs or are in need of Mac compatible software.

I realised we were debating different things. In the past, I think that many churches used Macs (and in fact, most still do).  But I was referring to what I have observed now, and how that will impact the future. My experience is that:

  • many people in Bible college (and in fact ALL the people I know who are at Bible college – and there are many!) use a Mac. These are the people who will be working in churches in the near future.
  • I have been involved in a number of churches (in a lay capacity, on staff, or assisting with marketing/tech issues) in recent years, and in all churches, at least one member of staff uses a Mac.
  • even looking at the stats for the visitors to Communicate Jesus (thank you to all of you for your support!) – 61% use PCs, and 36% use Macs (the remainder use Linux or mobile operating systems).

Clearly, there’s change in the air. This is reflected in statistics too – the market share for Macs is nearing 10% (source) – not a lot still, but more than the 3.25% in 2004 (source).

So what’s the lesson? Not that you should get a Mac – this choice comes down to your requirements and budget (however, I’ll discuss some of the benefits of Macs for ministry soon).

No, the lesson is that software that is limited to a particular operating system (either Windows or Mac) will have growing limitations in a world where the market share for operating systems other than PC is increasing. This is why I was (and still am) advocating for web-based databases and other software-as-a-service solutions (read more about this phenomenon here).

To lighten the mood, check out this humorous (i.e. not factual – don’t get too excited!) video – Why a Mac is really the only option. Can your PC do this?

Current Poll

Finally, please add your vote the current poll – “Do your church staff uyse PCs or Macs“?

[Feature image source: CyberNet News.]

The list: 32 church database solutions

July 1, 2009 in for Churches, Pastors

As discussed in “Search for the ideal church database“, below is a list of church database solutions that I’ve discovered in my research. To be honest, I can’t see the value of databases that aren’t web-based, but you’re welcome to try to persuade me otherwise.

Have you used any of these databases? What has been your experience?

Web-based

Software/network-based

Below are a list of other church databases that I’ve discovered in my travels. Most of these aren’t web-based, they’re software (i.e. to be installed on a computer or network). Most of these failed to impress or even mildly attract. Many seemed behind the times, lacking in most ‘modern’ functionality. For example, one database I checked out explained (and I kid you not) “This program is available on CD or 3 1/2″ diskettes.” I wouldn’t know where to get a computer that still uses 3 ½ diskettes!

Search for the ideal church database (pt 1)

July 1, 2009 in for Churches, Pastors

Every church needs a database.

I’m talking about a place where information about church members is kept, for the purpose of caring for people, contacting people, and facilitating church activities. Few churches (that I know of) are using a database that they like, or that they feel is a good solution for their church. Does this describe your church?

In the past, church databases had basic functionality, consisting primarily of contact details for people in the church perhaps with an option to email someone, or print out a church directory. Today, the possibilities have moved to a whole new level, and include features such as:

  • Attendance tracking (to aid follow up when people don’t turn up for a couple of weeks).
  • Grouping (assigning people to groups – Bible studies, areas of service so that these groups can be communicated with, or communicate with each other).
  • Assigning facilities and equipment (e.g. data projector for Simply Christianity).
  • Create events and enable people to RSVP to them.
  • Identify people who would be suited for particular areas of service.
  • Give congregation members a log-in to edit their information (e.g. update their contact details).
  • Track which people have completed child protection training.
  • Create reports (e.g. a list of people who have joined over past 3 months).
  • And of course, lots more.

Different databases have different features that will suit different churches. Smaller churches might get away with a well thought-through Excel spreadsheet. Larger churches will benefit from some of the functionality available in more detailed modern solutions.

The goal posts

So what should you be looking for in a church database? I suggest three technical boundaries that churches should stick within when selecting a database:

  1. I’ve discovered that lots of churches use Macs. Not everyone in the staff team will use a Mac, but if there’s any chance anyone ever will, a PC-only, or Mac-only solution isn’t up to the cut.
  2. Generally avoid offers for someone to build a database for you. This might sound harsh, but it saves a lot of trouble down the track. A congregation member might offer to build you an Access database, but what happens when they leave and something goes wrong with the database?
  3. For these reasons, a web-based database is the only way forward. There are lots of benefits to this. These databases don’t rely on a particular operating system. They don’t require any server maintenance skills. They are (usually) regularly updated with new features. No in-house maintenance is required. You can access information on the go (e.g. from your phone).

Those are the boundaries. Unfortunately, there’s not a long list of options for web-based church databases. Here’s a list of web-based solutions I’ve come across, in alphabetical order (in case you’re wondering!). I’m sure there’s more – but I haven’t discovered them! Please let me know if you’re aware of others:

•    Ascribe
•    Church Community Builder
•    Connection Power
•    FellowshipOne
•    Icon System
•    Logos 360
•    OneBody
•    Salesforce (not a church-specific product)
•    Stafftool

Two questions I’d like to pose to you, the reader:

1.    What features do you look for in a church database?
2.    What database does your church use? Would you recommend it to other churches?

Find a time that suits everyone

March 5, 2009 in for Churches, Pastors

Ministry involves a lot of meetings. Few people enjoy meetings, but unless you are the only one involved in a particular ministry (or desire to be the only one involved in the ministry!) – meetings are unavoidable. One of the challenges of organising a meeting is finding a time to meet. There are two ways you can organise a meeting time:

  1. set a time, send out the email, and wait for the emails to come back in from people who can’t make the time you suggested. This cycle can continue indefinitely!
  2. make use of the free online tools that help you organise a time that will suit everyone.

I’ve been exploring some of the websites that assist in the process of finding a suitable meeting time. Whilst they have varying features, the basic premise of each is this:

1.    As the event (meeting) organiser, you select the dates and times that you are available to meet.
2.    You send details of the event (a link to a website) to the people you would like to attend the meeting.
3.    On the website, the invitees select their available times from the list of times you provided.
4.    You review the times people are available, and settle on a time for the meeting.
5.    You email the invitees the confirmed time.

This is a time-efficient and cost-effective (i.e. free) way of working out a meeting time. It avoids emails coming back and forth and frees you up to prepare for the meeting itself. Here are a couple of suggestions for websites you can use to arrange your meetings.

When is Good

It’s not the prettiest website to use, but it’s very easy to use. Here’s a screenshot of what an invitee would see when they click on the link to the event you send them via email:

whenisgood_screenshot

As the event organiser you are given a link to view the results (i.e. the dates and times that work for your invitees).

Meeting Wizard

Meeting Wizard has more options that you can select from when creating a meeting. For instance you can select the duration of the meeting, specify if the meeting times are approximate or definite, and select the type of meeting (face to face, teleconference, social, etc). You can also decide if you would like the invitees to know the other people you have invited to attend, and if you would like them to be able to see the times that suit others (see screenshot below). You can even create a reminder to automatically be sent to invitees X days before the meeting.

meetingwizard_screenshot

Schedule Once and TimeBridge

One of the features I really like about both Schedule Once and TimeBridge is the ability for invitees to indicate preferred times. Not only can you give your invitees the option to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a proposed time, but they can also indicate if a particular time works best for them – creating a hierarchy of preferences, if you will.

scheduleonce_screenshot

timebridge_screenshot

Other options

A couple of other options to explore include:

For my money (or lack thereof), When is Good [link: http://whenisgood.net/] is the simplest and easiest solution. However, your meeting needs might be different to mine, so let me encourage you to explore these options and find a better way to arrive at a suitable meeting time.

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