How to Use ChMS to Grow Your Church

Growing your church means reaching more people, accommodating your existing church members, and better serving the community. There are many ways to grow your church, and using church management software (ChMS) is one of them. 

Looking to grow your church with ChMS? Read on to learn more.

The Importance of Growing Your Church

Growing your church means expanding God’s kingdom – you can preach God’s Word to more people by reaching a wider community. Moreover, a growing church means you can accommodate more people to serve as pastors, staff members, or volunteers.

Church growth is encouraged in the Bible since it helps us reach more people, as commanded by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Common Problems in Church Growth

Unfortunately, growing your church isn’t always smooth sailing. Here are five common issues you might encounter when growing your church:

Lack of Staff

When you grow your church, you might get short-staffed because you don’t have enough people to accommodate the influx of new members. This means you may lack people to handle Sunday school classes, administration duties, and other tasks in the church.

Funding Difficulties

Growing your church often requires financial resources, but most churches depend on donations. It can be a Catch-22 situation where you don’t have enough resources to attract more members, but members help you grow those same resources.

Communication Issues

Frequent updates about events or other goings-on in the church are essential to keeping members engaged and in the loop. Unfortunately, it can be hard to maintain regular communications if you’re shorthanded and busy with other tasks.

What Is ChMS?

Church management software (ChMS) is a tool that church staff use for daily operations. Church management software often boasts features like membership management, event organizing, volunteer scheduling, accounting tools, and more. 

Generally, your ChMS helps you minimize time spent on tasks to ensure you have more time and energy to serve church members.

Essential Church Management Software Features

ChMS provides many tools to help your church’s daily operations. Let’s take a look at some of the essential features of your ChMS:

Membership Management

Church management software allows you to keep an updated database of church members. Your ChMS allows you to store their name, age, gender, and other relevant information like church activities and wedding anniversaries.

Storing member information helps you group members according to certain criteria. For instance, you can make groups consisting of choir members and Sunday school students. By grouping them together, you can send targeted messages or updates without notifying everybody in the church.

Messaging Dashboard

Your ChMS’ group text and email features help you quickly send messages. This feature can be paired with your membership management tool so you can craft custom-made messages for each group and ensure the right people receive them.

Your ChMS messaging dashboard might come with statistics to help you track message performance. If a message isn’t getting as many opens as it should, you can review the message copy to improve the next one.

Online and Text-Based Giving

Some members may be unable to donate directly to your church’s donation box for various reasons. With a ChMS, you can receive online and text-based donations, so members can donate from anywhere.

Event Management

Your ChMS offers many tools that make event management easier. For instance, you can check visitors in through a tablet, eliminating paper forms. You can also use ChMS to print name tags for event attendants – especially important if the event involves parents and children.

How Church Management Software Grows Your Church

So, what can ChMS do to grow your church? Here are several ways it can benefit your organization:

Reduce Staff Workload and Save Time

One of the hurdles to growing your church is not having enough staff members to achieve your goals. Your ChMS can automate many time-consuming tasks so your church staff can get more work done faster.

Track Church Financial Health

Accounting tools provided by your ChMS can generate reports, making monitoring finances easier. You can review these reports to monitor your church’s financial health and determine whether you need to hold another fundraiser.

Encourage Member Generosity

Your church’s financial dashboard can track how much money a member gives throughout the year. At the end of the year, you can send them a personalized thank-you message showing how much they donated. This makes them feel appreciated and may encourage them to donate more in the coming year.

Engage Visitors

Engaging visitors makes it more likely that they’ll return for subsequent visits to your church. Your member and group management tool can help you find visitors and send personalized messages. This makes them feel more welcome and increases their chances of returning.

Access Information From Anywhere

Without a ChMS, you might have difficulties accessing church information that’s stored on-site. Fortunately, a high-quality ChMS like Breeze comes with a mobile app that allows you to access important church information, regardless of where you are.

Manage Volunteers Better

Like staff members, volunteers are indispensable for smooth church operations. Your ChMS can help you arrange schedules and send automated text reminders, ensuring your volunteers are always available when you need them.

Centralize Information Storage

Implementing a ChMS means placing all your information in one centralized database. When all your information is centralized, you don’t have to spend time searching through multiple computers or filing cabinets to find the data you need.

Choosing the Right ChMS

You need the right church management software to ensure your church can meet its maximum potential, but how do you know a ChMS is the best one for you? Consider these things when looking for a ChMS:

Your Church’s Needs

Every church has different software needs – your church may emphasize communications with members, while another may need administrative assistance. Consider what your church lacks or struggles with and look for a ChMS that fills these gaps.

Software Integrations

You might already be using accounting platforms or social media websites even before implementing a ChMS. Moving everything over to the new software can be a hassle, so pick a ChMS that integrates your already existing platforms into its system.

If you can’t find a ChMS compatible with your current platforms, consider one that offers data migration assistance.

Price

Choose a ChMS that satisfies your requirements while still being within budget. You should also consider its additional costs like setup fees and employee training.

Software Scalability

Some ChMS are better for smaller churches, while others are more appropriate for larger churches. Consider your church size and ask the vendor whether their software is right for your church.

User Support

A helpful vendor is essential because you don’t want to be left high and dry if your ChMS encounters issues. Pick a trustworthy vendor with a responsive helpline to ensure they always have your back when you need it.

Closing Thoughts

Church management software can grow your church by reducing staff workload, automating time-consuming tasks, and helping you engage new church members. Make sure you consider your church’s needs when choosing the right ChMS for church growth.