Church Event Software

Every pastor can benefit from church scheduling software to help organize a calendar for employees and the congregation as a church grows and gets busier. More and more churches are packing their calendars with a wide variety of events to cater to the unique groups of people in the congregation. The great news is that Wednesday evening meals, choir practices, Sunday school, and more can all be plugged into a computer program. Some of these programs can even be viewed online, making it easy for congregation members and the public to view a church's schedule. Other calendars are designed for only the viewing of staff or certain members. There are many choices available. While price can be a major factor among nonprofits, there are other factors that should be considered when choosing church event software. With a little research, the right decision will be easy to come to.

Some pastors or staff may not know how to begin the search for church scheduling software. It might be best to begin with recommendations. Most pastors know a whole network of other pastors who can offer advice. Large churches usually can't function without some type of computer program, so pastors of these churches can typically offer some recommendation. Ask about the advantages and disadvantages of the computer program. Another source for recommendations would be the Internet. Plenty of websites post customer reviews of programs, including both positive and negative aspects. Plus, many computer magazines review different products on the market. Pastors can also hunt for side-by-side comparisons. These charts will list all of the important features of the computer programs that are currently available in the market.

The most important factor in choosing the right church event software is accessibility. After all, what would be the point of having a schedule if only a handful of people can view it? "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25). The entire congregation should be able to view the calendar whether it is online or in print, so they can participate in what's going on. Online calendars tend to be the most convenient choice. They are typically posted to the website through the software for anyone to view. Print-only calendars are usually the result of basic software that comes with a PC. Although these can be posted online, much of the features that come with a specialized computer program aren't available. Therefore the convenience of changing the repeating schedules or making last minute changes aren't a possibility.

Security is a very important part of selecting church scheduling software. Unfortunately, there are people out there who would tamper with a church's online schedule to make changes and completely disorganize a calendar. Hackers could even slip in to gain access to sensitive information or to drop in a virus. This is why it is vital that the pastor choose software that is completely secure. The program should allow only a limited number of users to be able to change or delete information. These users will have a log-in name and password that allows access to such features. All other users will only be able to view the calendar, not alter it. Before choosing any software, pastors need to be sure that the software is password-protected and that all information is encrypted. There should also be a privacy policy in place, preventing the program company from selling any private information. Most companies will offer details about this policy and other security measures on their websites.

Some churches are just starting off and may have the benefit of combining church event software with other needs such as a website or member database. A website has become a necessity for churches today. By combining this with the calendar, the church can consult the same company regarding problems dealing with either the website or the calendar. Databases have become more and more vital to churches as they contain details and contact information for each member. These types of features will make combining the traditional worship with today's technologies much simpler. Other great features include schedulers that allow the option of repeating weekly, monthly, or annual events without having to go in and post that event weekly or monthly. Conveniently, the staff member will also be able to go into individual postings and add or delete information as needed.

Before actually signing up for a particular church scheduling software program, the pastor and staff should navigate a demo and get a feel for the program. Above all, the program should be accessible. After accessibility comes navigability. Any church member should be able to easily find any information that they need through the computer program. Icons and links should be easy to read and find. The viewer should be able to see the calendar as a whole and daily. Each event should have its own description including time, location, and any other information that participants need to know. The pastor may want to consult some of his congregation and see if any of them would like to test-drive the software. After testing a few examples of the church event software, it's only a matter of making sure the company is reputable. Requesting the names of other customers and contacting those pastors can ensure the software company is the best choice.

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