The post Keep in Touch: How Your Church App Can Help You Stay Connected This Summer appeared first on FellowshipOne.
]]>You’re not alone! Families are always on the go from June to August, with vacations, reunions, youth sports, and other summer activities. All this busyness can keep church members on the road and away from your services.
Most church leaders find themselves wondering during the summertime: How can we keep families connected to the ministries they care about, even when they’re not here?
It’s an important question, and at FellowshipOne we think a mobile app is a great place to find solutions!
Your church families are almost always connected to their mobile devices when they’re on the go. Throughout the summer, a dedicated app lets you meet your members where they are.
Whether you have a church app, but you think it could do more, or if you are starting from scratch, there are several ways you can put this technology to work. This will help keep your church connected during the busy summer months.
Our FellowshipOne team has identified five app strategies you can implement now for an immediate impact. Here they are:
When you make livestreaming a key feature of your church app, it lets your families be part of your services, wherever they are.
We’ve heard from vacationers who like to find a nice, quiet spot on the beach or by the lake during their summer breaks, and livestream Sunday services surrounded by God’s creation. Or families will cast services from the app onto a TV where they’re staying, so everyone can watch. Give your members this quick access to your services, and it will forge a strong summertime connection. FellowshipOne partners with ChurchStreaming.tv for livestreaming capabilities that integrate perfectly int our church app.
Through a well-planned mobile app, you can schedule messages throughout the summer that will be meaningful to all church members, even when they’re out of town. You can share themes and Bible verses from your upcoming sermon or offer a daily Bible verse or devotional to those who opt in to receive notifications.
This is a useful feature throughout the year – in addition to scheduled messages, you can also send push notifications to your congregation if there’s a schedule change, uplifting prayer updates, or weather alerts. But especially in the summer, notifications are a way to help your members stay connected to the Christ-driven mission they care about so much.
Summer isn’t always fun and sunshine. People still deal with unexpected illnesses, deaths in the family, and other crises, and they need the power of prayer. (And if you’ve read travel headlines recently about this summer’s surge in flight delays and cancellations, you know that flying to or from vacation can turn into an extended, frustrating ordeal for families).
Whatever your church members are facing, you can be there for them when you equip your app with a prayer request feature. They can submit their request and know they are covered in prayer.
App-based donations should always be an essential part of your online giving, and that’s especially true during the summer months. That’s because people are on the road and out of town. With robust giving opportunities through your mobile app, as well as text-to-give options and giving opportunities during your livestreams, you can empower those who care deeply about your church to sustain your ministries, even if they’re not physically present to put a gift in the offering plate.
And summer is a great time to emphasize the importance of recurring giving. People really appreciate being able to give consistently, even if summer travels or other commitments keep them away from Sunday services. Recurring giving allows them to continue giving without having to be there.
Summer is a busy time for families, even when they’re not on the road. Camps, sports, and other fun activities keep young people’s schedules packed. Consequently, parents often scramble to get each child signed up and checked in for events. You can make your church’s summer activities easy for families by including registration forms, payment options, and check-in capabilities directly from your app.
Parents will appreciate the simplicity, as well as the sense of safety that mobile check-ins provide. This is another feature that especially shines in the summer, that can also be used year-round for Christmas and Easter festivities, religious education opportunities, and all the other connections you offer to your church families.
Connect Your Congregation with Your Church App
Ready to learn more about how to keep church families connected in the busy summer months? Let FellowshipOne share how your congregation can benefit from a fully integrated church app, which is included with all our church management plans. If you’re already partners with us or ready to get started, our success team is here for you. Reach out today for more information!
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]]>The post <strong>Summer Plans: How You Can Use Worship Planning for Bible Camp</strong> appeared first on FellowshipOne.
]]>When you’re dealing with kids you can always expect the unexpected. Well, maybe not always – because there are worship planning tools in your church management software that bring order and certainty to this summer’s Bible Camps, youth ministries … almost anything on your calendar! FellowshipOne has all the info you need.
Where does worship planning fit into your summer plans?
When you hear the words “worship planning” you may think of Sunday services, but it can be useful every day, even in the laid-back summer months. Worship planning will keep your summer ministries moving right along, from beginning to end. This way, your youth events won’t be short staffed, and your programs won’t have unneeded lulls or gaps that can cause distraction.
With easy-to-use software, you’ll keep your young guests engaged and interested, and they’ll learn more about Christ’s redeeming love and the hope He offers … all because you put in the time it takes to plan your summer programs carefully.
How can you use worship planning for summer ministries?
Let’s use summer Bible Camps as an example. You’ll need church staff and volunteers to plan and lead each day of Bible Camp. Your program themes, overall messages, and key Bible verses will need to be finalized. You’ll need music that keeps your campers entertained and excited about Christ’s love for them. Worship planning software brings it all together!
And FellowshipOne worship planning offers mobile access so team leaders can manage workflow details on the go, and volunteers can sign up and accept assignments right from their smartphones.
A special feature of FellowshipOne’s software is that you can turn your worship plan into a presentation. For example, you can visually demonstrate your Bible Camp service flow with team members and volunteers to provide even more clarity about what you have planned and get everyone excited about the program.
And it’s all secure – with file storage and permissions, you can organize files related to songs as well as teams and services, and set permissions to ensure only authorized individuals can access files or see and edit flows.
Summer’s almost here, but there’s still time to try Worship Planning with FellowshipOne. It’s included with our accounts at no additional cost. If you’re already partners with us or ready to get started from scratch, our success team is here for you. Reach out today for more information!
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]]>The post Here Comes Summer – Five Steps to Get Your Communications Plans Ready appeared first on FellowshipOne.
]]>As warm weather draws near, we’ll share five steps to strengthen and streamline your communications plans for the busy summer season. (Plus, there’s an extra bonus tip that ties everything together—so make sure you read all the way to the end!).
The better you map out your communications plans for the busy summer months, the more effective you’ll be at getting the right messages to the right audiences.
Think about what events are coming up—VBS, summer camps, sports, back-to-school festivities. How can you best connect these ministries to your families? Which of your messages can be automated? (Think registration confirmations and event reminders). When will your communications have the most impact? For example, Saturday afternoon emails are often overlooked. So timing is everything!
Give these questions careful thought, and your messages will truly resonate with church families. Planning communications will help families engage with your ministries like never before.
When you can analyze and understand your church data—including member interests, attendance, giving, and other factors—you can better target key messages to specific audiences. This will give your members information that they find relevant, useful, and inspiring.
Your Easter attendees likely included many first-time guests. Any visitor cards they filled out, or any conversations you had with returning members, should be documented and followed-up, because these guests may be interested in your summer programs.
With a strong Church Management Software program such as FellowshipOne, you can create targeted audiences, groups, email and postal mailing lists, and additional segmentations. This will help make your communications more targeted, precise, and insightful this summer and all year long.
Many of your Easter service attendees probably searched your church website for times, locations, and childcare info. This is where many first-time Easter guests checked to learn more about your ministries, your staff, and your spiritual perspective. As we head into summer, your website will stay busy with families finding out what kind of summer programs you’re offering and how your youth programs look. So, make sure it’s welcoming and filled with information!
At FellowshipOne, we like to say that a church’s website is its front door to the world. You want to make sure you are greeting visitors with the most up-to-date information possible. You don’t want folks to visit in May and see details about your Easter service schedule, because it will look like you don’t care as much as you should. After Easter, make upcoming events and summer programs like VBS front and center!
It’s also important for your site to be mobile-friendly, since so many people browse the web from their phones. And make your website—yours! Your church is one-of-a-kind, and your website should reflect that uniqueness. FellowshipOne lets churches choose from an array of templates that can reflect your ministry’s identity. Furthermore, we help you customize your sites. This is the level of commitment you should expect from any ChMS provider.
You’ve probably noticed how your church families are incorporating mobile apps for their day-to-day lives. People are ordering dinner and shopping for groceries to making appointments and paying bills. Similarly, and especially for the busy summer months, your app can help members stay connected and involved with your church and help them better engage with your ministries.
After the excitement of Easter, your app can help with communications plans. Through the app, you can offer live streaming and sermon archives, event registration for VBS and other beloved summer offerings, volunteer opportunities, and online giving and payment features. This is all in one centralized platform they can access with a few taps on their phone.
(Don’t have an app? FellowshipOne can help get you started!)
The more involved your church families become (thanks to your awesome communications strategies), the more inclined they’ll feel to give and support the ministries you offer. Let them know about the giving options that are available! Talk about online giving, your mobile app, text-to-give, and kiosk giving. If you haven’t yet established these channels, FellowshipOne can help you get started.
Now is also a good time to talk to your congregation about recurring giving. It can be a lifeline for churches during the summer months when families are out of town for vacations, family reunions, youth sports and other events. Communicate to your church families that setting up recurring giving now can help sustain your ministries during the busy summer months.
These communications strategies can make a huge difference for your summer programs. But they also apply to every Sunday, weekday, and event or program your church has planned throughout the entire year. Each month, make sure to look at your data and engagement, seek out feedback from church members and staff, and determine how these communications plans are making a difference. Think about where they can be implemented and expanded for upcoming events. Every program your church offers is a chance to bring your current members and new guests closer to the gospel and into a deeper relationship with Christ—so you always want to get the word out.
Strategic, targeted communications—during the busy summer season and all year long—are critical for passionate engagement with your church members and the impact of your church ministries. Let FellowshipOne help you develop the best strategies for your church. Start a free trial today!
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]]>The post 10 Tips to Recruit and Train Quality VBS Volunteers appeared first on FellowshipOne.
]]>With so much going on before and during the week of your summer kids’ Bible program, it’s critical to have a dedicated team of volunteers to help run the show. But where will you find all these volunteers? We’ll help you with 10 VBS volunteer recruiting and training tips.
Your church may already have some children’s volunteers in place. However, not all of them will be able to commit to helping with VBS. That’s why it’s important to get the word out early so you can recruit as many team members as possible. This team should include people who love Jesus, have great attitudes, are teachable, and most of all, LOVE KIDS!
Get the word out to your congregation. Share the vision behind why you’re hosting a summer Bible week for kids. During announcements, include not only the dates or that you need volunteers, but add the passion behind the why. When people understand how impactful VBS is to children (and entire families!), they may be more inclined to get involved.
Use your church management software (ChMS) to contact existing and former volunteers. You’ll be able to run a report of current volunteers and then connect with them via phone, text, or email. Even though they’re already serving in some capacity, volunteers are often the ones who are willing to go above and beyond. It doesn’t hurt to ask! And since it is during the week, you may get volunteers who aren’t able to serve on the weekends but desire to get involved somehow.
Another great thing about a comprehensive ChMS is that you can send mass communications. Include information in the church newsletter about your summer adventure and the opportunities to volunteer. Send a specific email with volunteer registration. Getting the word out to the entire congregation can help enlist people who have been attending and looking for a place to get involved.
Some people want to know how large of a commitment they’ll have to fill. If you host an informational meeting, it can let prospective churchgoers understand that there is a wide array of opportunities for VBS. They could be a part of the planning committee or serve during the actual week, or both! Maybe they can only be there at the very beginning of the mornings; they could run daily check-in and then leave. The point is, having a meeting that shares the general overview and commitment can be helpful to gain more volunteers.
Along with enlisting enough volunteers, you want to have the right volunteers. Background checks help to weed out potential threats and provide a form of accountability. Before you allow any volunteers to be present with the kiddos for a week, you’ll want to have background screenings completed and all volunteers updated with training and safety information.
In order to have a successful Vacation Bible School or summer kids’ program, volunteers will need to be equipped in their specific role(s). This is another reason why you’ll want to do the recruiting early, that way you can ensure that volunteers have enough time to attend training meetings, read through policies and procedures, and feel ready ahead of time.
Aside from the general volunteers, it’s wise to assign leadership roles—including grade-level leaders, teachers, registration, marketing, and overseers for crafts, activities, games, skits, and snacks. A good leadership team will help shoulder the weight of the day camp by overseeing key areas. This will help reduce the burden of only one or two people having to do all the work.
This is the time to motivate the troops! Here is where you want to define VBS and lay out goals, review the event outline, share the dates, and discuss the exciting things planned for this year’s program. Take the time to pray as a group and answer any initial questions people might have. Consider ending the time with food, fellowship, and a little fun!
This is your “summer program week in review” guide for volunteers and should be part of an orientation manual. Along with the dates and times, you’ll want to include important preparation items for your volunteers to review prior to training. Such items will include the overall theme, lesson summaries, and relevant Scriptures. Include things like safety procedures, discipline procedures, and rules (like dress code, picture taking, bathroom policies, etc.) Impress on each volunteer the importance of preparing for the event in prayer and reading the Bible.
Provide training for both the leadership team and the volunteers. Have a general session with everybody to briefly discuss important things like safety, discipline, and rules. Then dismiss groups to attend their role-specific training. For example, the people helping with teaching the whole group or small groups would learn about how to do this effectively. Those involved with check-in could learn the system. (FellowshipOne has easy child check-in!). Volunteers who are helping with media can get acquainted with any technical programs you’ll be using.
Physically walk the volunteers through the different stations for the week. Do a general walkthrough with all the volunteers so they can see how everything is going to work. Review check-in, crafts, lessons, drama presentations, games, videos, snacks, whole-group rallies, etc. After this review, allow volunteers to go to their specific stations with their team lead to ask any last-minute questions and receive more specific instruction related to their role. This walkthrough should give every team member a very clear picture of their duties during the VBS week.
Whether you’re a seasoned VBS leader or you’re just starting out, FellowshipOne ChMS can help you get the right volunteers in place. Our church member database can help you find current and potential volunteers and provide easy communication to keep everybody in the loop. Contact us today to find out more.
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]]>The post Ready to Rejoice: Four Strategies for Planning your Easter Worship Services appeared first on FellowshipOne.
]]>Is there a way to get your Easter Sunday services planned to perfection, so you can keep your focus on rejoicing in Christ’s love and truly celebrating Easter? Absolutely!
WorshipPlanning, a leading service planner included with FellowshipOne church management software, is a great example. It can help you outline and organize your Easter Sunday services ahead of time so that your church team can focus on the true meaning of Easter.
Easter is right around the corner, but there’s still time to get onboard with the best solutions. Let’s look at four strategies for putting planning software to work for your Easter services:
Churches large and small are powered by volunteers—what would we do without their gifts, their dedication, and their willingness to serve?
But even for a routine Sunday, coordinating and scheduling your volunteer team can take hours of behind-the-scenes effort, and the task is multiplied on a milestone day like Easter Sunday. Good worship planning software can cut that time down dramatically by keeping your entire team on the same page. For Easter services, the right worship planning software lets you:
And when your Easter services are finished and it’s time to plan for your next service or another large-scale event, your worship planning software will be available to help your volunteer team get ready to serve. It’s a tool that can make your day-to-day operations better all year!
Worship planning software can help you plan the elements and flow of your Easter services to eliminate distractions on the day-of and create an atmosphere dedicated to worship. This will help your services flow naturally, encourage engagement with your congregation, and help usher church members into the presence of God.
Whichever elements you are planning for your Easter services—from songs and videos to scripture, prayer, and giving— worship planning software will help you move seamlessly from one item to the next without breaking the flow of the service. There’s so much it will help you accomplish, including:
This software will be an invaluable resource for Easter services, and it can also help you throughout the year with everything from choir practices or youth group programs to the musical portion of children’s services.
Music is a cherished part of worship services, especially as Christians celebrate the miracle of Easter that has inspired so many beloved hymns. But we all know that song selection can be stress-inducing. It doesn’t have to be, though! No matter the size of your team, being organized and prepared will reduce the stress of finalizing your Easter Sunday songs.
That’s where worship planning software comes in: you can use it to plan the precise musical themes and song selections of your Easter services—songs that complement the sermon and reinforce the Easter message, and that give the service a sense of unity and purpose.
Look for worship planning software that lets you add songs as you build your flow or upload files directly from your CCLI SongSelect™ account or a CSV file. A good program will let you transpose keys for MP3 and text chord charts and annotate, rehearse, and perform music after importing your songs. You can also link to popular music services, including Spotify and YouTube, for practice sessions. You can even manage and share the key, tempo, capo, duration, lyrics, and more.
Worried about security? You don’t have to be, because with WorshipPlanning, files related to songs, services, and teams are secured and stored in a central location, and permissions can be set to allow only authorized volunteers to access files and prepare for the service.
And again, think of all the events, all year long, that require thoughtful planning about the best song selections and presentations. Your software will be there to help you every step of the way.
Live streaming is now an essential component of your Easter services and all your worship programs. The better you can plan your service from beginning to end, the more successful you will be at broadcasting your Easter service, and best of all the message of Easter, to all who want to join.
Let’s face it: Online worshippers are more likely to lose interest and quickly seek out another church if there’s a lull or disruption in your service. It’s the nature of the platform! But a well-planned service will keep your online audience engaged and connected, and this will help your church build stronger spiritual relationships with your congregation and with new online visitors seeking a church home. Plus, you can provide captioning to make your service more accessible, and allow unique giving opportunities for those who feel inspired to support your church on Easter Sunday. (And of course, if your AV team is powered by volunteers, your planning software will let them get organized for Easter Sunday.)
FellowshipOne partners with ChurchStreaming for the best digital broadcasting experience, and their team can help you make sure you’re ready for a successful Easter live stream and for all your future services, programs, and events. Plus, they’ve got templates and scripts to help you announce and promote your live stream to your congregation and the wider community.
Easter Sunday is a time for spiritual renewal and the glorification of God, and worship planning software lets you focus on the Easter message rather than the mechanics of running the service. It’s a resource that will serve you well throughout the year.
Ready to get started, while there’s still time before your Easter services? Get in touch with us today to learn more about FellowshipOne with WorshipPlanning and how it can work for your ministry.
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]]>The post Online Giving: How to Increase Generosity This Easter appeared first on FellowshipOne.
]]>Some church leaders may feel a little awkward talking about tithes and offerings on a day where there are so many new people attending church. But honestly, many people want to contribute to organizations that are making a difference. And often people do not give because they aren’t even aware there is a need.
Below, we will look at how online giving and church management software can not only increase giving but make administrative life easier for your church staff.
Church administration is simpler with an all-in-one ChMS. Aside from the obvious benefit of tracking attendance and all the new people that show up, you’ll want to engage Easter visitors because you want them to come back. You can reach more people and follow up with them. Send out communications thanking new attendees and inviting them to take next steps.
Online giving is simple for donors and is synced to member records. They will have access to their giving amount and frequency and be able to update their information at any time. And with integrated ChMS, it makes it easy for staff to send communications, updates, and appreciation notes.
Rather than having multiple software solutions with numerous logins and passwords to remember, complete church management software ties all the systems together. That’s why having your ChMS and online giving platforms “talk” will really make a difference.
With so many new and returning visitors, Easter is the perfect time to emphasize the importance of generosity. Increase donations with digital giving options, including online, text-to-give, and mobile app options. Most churchgoers are going to have their phone handy on Easter Sunday! Make giving seamless by allowing them to give straight from their mobile device.
Provide an easy-to-find giving page directly on your church website. They can also sign up for recurring giving and select how frequently they want their donations to be taken out automatically. There is the option to provide a dropdown for fund management—where the giver can choose which ministry or campus they would like their gift to be designated.
People always have their phone, so texting to give is a hassle-free way for church members and visitors to donate right from their fingertips. Text giving meets donors where they are and enables spontaneous giving. They simply text a specific word, like GIVE, to a designated 10-digit number. Then they will be prompted to fill out a giving form to submit their payment in only a few seconds. Talk about an easy way for people to contribute during the Easter service!
A mobile app is a great way for users to be able to send donations, schedule recurring giving, or contribute to a giving campaign. They can manage giving on the go and contribute at any time that is convenient for them. Aside from the offering moment during your Easter service, they can give during the week from wherever they may be.
Include an embeddable giving form on your church website and the form link when people text your church’s giving phone number. Create custom payment forms within your church giving web page. These forms allow donors to easily input their information to make their donation. It includes things like their name, contact info, and the amount of money they desire to donate. Be sure to offer the option for people to choose recurring giving too. People are more likely to donate more with recurring giving than by making multiple one-time gifts.
On top of the benefits for givers, online giving and ChMS will make life easier for your staff. Your finance team can instantly access valuable reports. All contributions are viewable from one system and can be managed in real-time. View trends and see who is donating when, where, and how. It also makes it super simple to follow up with donors after Easter and even send a little “thank you” note.
Accelerate generosity this Easter with online giving and church management software. FellowshipOne makes it easier to maximize your church’s impact while simultaneously reducing administrative burden. Bundle our powerful services to create a complete church management system that will work for your ministry. Contact us today to get started!
Download the Easter Giving Toolkit for resources you will need to help encourage offerings before and after Easter. The toolkit includes a complete guide to online giving, an eBook on Text Giving, and much more!
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]]>The post The 2022 FellowshipOne Roadshows is Now Virtual! appeared first on FellowshipOne.
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The Ministry Brands Regional Roadshow, a multi-destination tour across the United States designed specifically for ministry leaders and users of our suite of products, is now going VIRTUAL! We are so excited to bring this one-day training conference directly to you – no travel needed! You’ll enjoy one full day of leadership insights, product training, and best practices your church can leverage for your ministry right away, all from the comfort of your home or office.
Our team will present 20+ sessions showcasing the best practices for your Church Management System, Shelby Financials, Online Giving, Worship Planning and more.
VIEW SESSION SCHEDULE AND DESCRIPTIONS HERE
This can’t-miss training event is available for only $25 per person and includes a full day of training, a Q&A Panel where you can ask Ministry Brands experts your burning product questions, and the chance to win some amazing swag and attendance prizes!
AND because this Roadshow will be virtual, each session will be recorded and all registered attendees will have access to ALL breakout sessions to watch again after the Roadshow is over.
We can’t wait to see you there!
Our team is actively looking to secure sites for 2023. Take the survey and let us know where to come next! Get ready to connect with our team and learn how you can better maximize your ministry using FellowshipOne.
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]]>The post Benefits of Accounting in a Complete Church Management System appeared first on FellowshipOne.
]]>Ease-of-use consistently ranks as the most important purchase criteria for church software among faith-based organizations. Integrated church management software (ChMS) is one critical way to simplify church operations. With a complete ChMS, you’ll have access to everything you need for your ministry to run smoothly. From tracking people and finances to organizing your worship flow and more.
Church management software (ChMS) is computer technology created specifically for the church, so administrators, pastors, staff, and volunteers have the necessary tools to engage their community, stay organized, and expand as membership grows.
With a complete ChMS that integrates with other church software, staff will be able to streamline the behind-the-scenes administrative work. Rather than having siloed platforms for membership, online giving, accounting, communications, content management, and security, a complete church management solution cohesively ties all the tasks into one system. This means fewer logins and passwords to remember, and more importantly, all the tools work together. A simple way to put it is that these programs “talk” to each other. Information is synced automatically, so inputting information doesn’t have to be done more than once.
This blog is going to look at one aspect of complete church management—accounting. A good church management system is designed with online donations, accounting, and pledges in mind. People can go online, make their commitment known, connect their debit card, and donate without friction.
Fiscal responsibility, especially for churches, is essential. Having accounting software that can handle the unique finances of a church is necessary to maximize ministry opportunities and remain compliant when tax season occurs. The software found in a complete ChMS includes features like tracking tithes and offerings, pastor and staff payroll, and calculation of necessary taxes. It also makes reporting easy, as well as viewing pledges and sending giving statements.
Below, we will discuss three ways that integrated ChMS and accounting are beneficial.
Having a church accounting system integrated with your ChMS and your online giving is critical. It will help streamline all the complicated processes with managing church finances and save your team valuable time by having one system in place for multiple functions.
Reduce the number of errors caused by manual data input. Reconcile contributions and receipts with online giving and accounting. Track your members and their donations in one, easy-to-use system.
Budgeting is a crucial part of successfully stewarding finances. With a church accounting system integrated with your ChMS and giving platform, your general ledger will be able to do true fund accounting and track where funds are coming in and how they are being used.
Pledges help churches plan wisely. They’re used to help estimate the budget based on what amount people commit to give. Plus, you can incorporate a pledge section directly on your giving form. From there, people can easily set up recurring giving that aligns with their pledge frequency—weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually.
With a cloud-based accounting platform, donations are tracked in real time. This will help your finance team gain a better idea of how to anticipate increases or declines in giving.
Providing giving statements to donors can help update your congregation about the progress of your church’s vision. You get to emphasize the mission and impact that your organization is having on the community. It’s a comprehensive way to show how donated funds are being used. It’s also a great opportunity to thank donors. Build greater trust with churchgoers by showing transparency with your church’s operations and finances.
Because church accounting, online giving, and member data are all a cohesive part of the complete church management system, collecting reports for giving statements is simple. You’ll also be able to easily track who has given what amount and then send them an update to their address or email on file.
Your church staff works hard to serve the people in your church and community. Now, you can make it easier for them with a complete church management system.
FellowshipOne will streamline your processes to free up more capacity for ministry to take place. If you want to see how integrated ChMS and church accounting can help your church, contact us today!
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]]>The post How to Make the Most Out of Your Year-End Giving Campaign appeared first on FellowshipOne.
]]>Nearly 1/3 of annual giving occurs in December, with 13% of giving happening in the last three days of the year. Yes, this is quite the last minute, but when you start your campaign early, you’ll give your donors time to think and pray about what they want their year-end donation to be. It also gives them a moment to adjust their budget if needed and plan so they can make that last-minute gift.
As a church leader or finance team member, you already understand the importance of giving campaigns and how they can inspire generosity. A church’s year-end giving campaign is an important effort to raise more funds at the end of the year. Because people are feeling generous and many want to have higher tax deductions, they consider donating at the end of the year. A fund campaign can help inspire generosity and increase giving for your church.
Below are five ideas to have a successful year-end giving campaign.
Volunteers are some of the top contributors to churches and nonprofits. That’s probably because they are already passionate about the work and ministry that your church is doing. In fact, 79% of a nonprofit’s volunteers also donate to that organization.
Don’t miss the incredible opportunity of involving your volunteers in your year-end giving. Reach out to them personally and let them know how their giving can make an even greater impact. Because they share your church’s vision, they are also likely to want to donate to your cause.
The whole point of a year-end giving campaign is to let people know about it! If people aren’t aware of the opportunity, they’ll be less likely to give. So, don’t be afraid to make the ask.
Share your giving link on social media, send an email inviting them to donate, or make an announcement during your weekend services. Tell them what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
Accelerate generosity by sharing the vision. Don’t simply ask people for money. Nobody likes that. But when you inspire people with the mission of what their financial gifts could do, they’ll want to participate.
Consider creating various funds for certain projects or ministries your church has planned for the coming year. Letting your congregation know how their gifts can make a difference will curb any doubt they may be having.
What did your church do in the last year that impacted others’ lives? Along with casting vision, look back at all of the good that happened through your church and people.
Include stories or testimonies from people who were blessed. Do an interview with a volunteer who was excited to serve. Share how somebody who gave last year was inspired by what happened through their donation.
Use your annual report to highlight the mission and impact of financial contributions in the previous year. Take time to thank your donors and make a case for donating at year’s end. This is a terrific opportunity to show transparency and build trust with your congregation.
Make your annual report visually appealing with graphs, charts, and photos. Share the stories we talked about above. Then, send it out to your donors via email or traditional mail. Don’t forget to include information about how to give and that it’s not too late.
FellowshipOne’s integrated ChMS and Online Giving will make your year-end campaign simple and efficient for administrators and easy for donors to give. We’re here to help you reach your goals, expand your vision, and share the gospel with more people. Download the End of Year Tips for Your Ministry Toolkit or contact us today for more information!
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]]>Year-end donations and pledges can have a big impact on your church’s budget and help you fulfill your mission. To maximize your year-end giving, you’ll want to plan ahead. Even though many people hold off on donating until the last minute, by getting information out early, you can help them have time to think about their year-end-giving plans so they can give in a way that works for them.
So, how can you prepare for the giving season?
One of the first things you’ll want to do is create a vision around your year-end giving and pledges. How will the donations be used in 2022? Show how you plan to make an impact through each of your ministries, outreach, and missions.
This isn’t simply a regular Sunday giving message; decide on a specific purpose you can accomplish with your year-end giving and share it with your members. Communication is key. You want to have a consistent message that drives awareness across all channels—your church’s website, mobile app, social media platforms, direct mail, and email.
Don’t only focus on one-time gifts. Instead, set up recurring giving opportunities through pledges. Pledges often form the financial foundation of a church and allow church leadership to create a workable budget. Pledging allows members to decide on the amount of financial giving they are comfortable with so they can plan ahead and budget themselves. Pledges are not a legal or moral obligation, but simply represent a member’s commitment to support their local church.
Volunteers are the heart of your church. They share your vision and carry out the tasks of running a church—teaching classes, leading small groups, welcoming visitors, and tackling administrative tasks. Because they share your vision, they are also likely to want to donate to your cause.
A good church management software (ChMS) system is designed with online donations, recurring giving, and pledges in mind. People can go online, make their commitment known, connect their debit card, and donate without friction.
Managing your year-end donations and reports is much simpler with a ChMS, too. Your ChMS connects online giving with your members’ financial record so that you save time and reduce the mistakes that come with manual entry.
If you’d like to see how a ChMS can prepare you for easy year-end giving and pledges, schedule a free test drive with FellowshipOne. There’s still time to implement a ChMS with your year-end giving strategy and make the most of this holiday season!
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