Church software is any type of computer software specifically designed for use by a church. There are administrative packages tailored to handle membership databases and finances, and also worship presentation programs to generate images for video projectors.[1]

Worship presentation software

A worship presentation program is a specialised presentation program designed for displaying images (primarily song lyrics, often with cinemagraphs video background) during some forms of Christian worship. Some programs include other features to help plan the service or schedule participants.[1]

There are programs available both commercially, as shareware and as free open source software (for example OpenLP).

Church management software

Church management software is a specialized software that assists churches and other religious organizations in organization and automation of daily operations.[2][3] These packages typically assist in the management of membership and mailings, fundraising, events, report generation, and bulletin publishing.[4][5][6] Churches use the packages to reduce the cost of operations and track the growth in their congregations.[7][8] The growth in the church management software business coincides with the growing trend of using computers for religious activity.[9] In the UK, increased usage of such software is attributed to data management requirements such as GDPR.[10]

Larger systems allow multi-user access, with security options to protect confidentiality. Flexible features to keep and report information on attendance and pastoral visits can help church staff manage members.[11] Using a purpose-made package guards against relying on the knowledge of a specific individual to maintain a custom database. However, different church management applications vary significantly from one another, and what works well for one church may not fit the needs of another.[12]

Free open source church management systems are also available.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Church Related Software Index". Computer Aided Ministry Society (CAMsoc). Archived from the original on November 3, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Software manages while pastors minister". Church Central. Archived from the original on August 7, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2012. Church Management Software (ChMS) allows a congregation to keep tabs on information related to activities of the church. It uses a database to store information and typically includes a set of programs or modules to manipulate the stored data.
  3. ↑ "How to Select the Best Church Management Software for Your Church or Ministry". PAT RESEARCH: B2B Reviews, Buying Guides & Best Practices. May 7, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Church Management Software Features Guide". www.capterra.com. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  5. ↑ "How to Fix Your Church Bulletin Design - Capterra Blog". blog.capterra.com. February 24, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Best Church Management Software Options - Ministry Advice". Ministry Advice. May 9, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Software solutions for growing churches". Church Central. July 5, 2005. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2012. With more than 7,000 members and an office staff of 75, Asbury United Methodist Church of Tulsa, Okla., relies on church management software to help run the administrative side of the church.
  8. ↑ "What can church management software do?". Church Central. February 21, 2005. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  9. ↑ David Gonzalez (July 24, 1994). "The Computer Age Bids Religious World to Enter". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2008. Specially-designed software for church management, to track contributions and membership, can be used by savvy pastors to minister to their congregants, said Pat Faudree, a spokeswoman for Shelby Systems, which is a leading church management software company.
  10. ↑ Caroline Bullock (October 11, 2019). "Holy tech! Churches try new ways to connect". BBC. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  11. ↑ Jennifer Schuchmann (March 1, 2002). "Your Church Magazine". Christianity Today. p. 54.
  12. ↑ Nancy Armstrong; Brent Bill (March 1, 2002). "Church Management Software: How to choose the package that's right for you". Church Solutions magazine. Archived from the original on August 2, 2008.
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