Parishes have a lot of activities to balance. Ministry, sacraments, religious education, volunteers, financial management— all these tasks add up. Clergy and staff must give special attention to all the details that allow them to keep operations running smoothly. But without the right systems in place, it can feel impossible.
A lot of churches today rely on church management software (ChMS) to fulfill these needs. One person or staff often can’t manage the entire parish by themselves. How does church management software help Catholic parishes, and what’s the best one? Keep reading to find out!
What Does Church Management Software Do?
Church management software is a multi-featured technology system that helps parishes fulfill their daily responsibilities. It often integrates with other software systems churches rely on, from background checks to accounting to church giving management.
Initially, ChMS companies emerged because the old way of managing church operations and communication— often through physical forms— was no longer sustainable. Churches need a way to oversee all aspects of their ministries in one place, and to oversee any specific ministry function.
Here are some benefits of church management software:
- Helps administrators do their jobs efficiently
- Encourages leadership communication with the laity
- Tracks faith formation activity
- Equips financial leaders to use donations responsibly
- Makes event registration and management easier
There are so many features of a church management software professional system. Let’s look at the ways a ChMS can help Catholic parishes and dioceses.
Features of Church Management Software
All the features included in a Catholic church management software allow for total church management. Often, church management software data is stored on the cloud, so all the information stays in one secure place. Here are some favorite features.
Administration
A large chunk of church administrative tasks revolve around member communication. Timely responses are important for celebrations, new visitor follow-ups, prayer requests, confession, email newsletters, and more.
Automated ChMS settings take the guesswork out of these tasks and allow staff and clergy to focus on being present in the ministry.
Project Management
ChMS systems automate the internal tasks required of leadership teams. From outreach calls to volunteer schedules, church management software effectively tracks and assigns every task. Then, it automates reports so teams can see progress on any project, big or small.
Communication
Communication isn’t just face-to-face. Nurturing faithful connection goes beyond the four walls of the parish.
To help parishes engage with the community, ChMS makes it easy:
- Send personalized emails and letters
- Deliver community-wide announcements
- Message specific ministries or sacraments as necessary
- Remind volunteers about upcoming events
- Automate instant thank you letters to donors and pledges
Without church management software, people of the laity can get overlooked. ChMS helps the parish include everyone in the ministry.
Church Accounting
Financial management isn’t easy. Parishes have unique bookkeeping and accounting requirements and combining ChMS with accounting software makes a huge difference.
Church management software with accounting leaves little room for error when tracking and allocating funds. It lets you view accurate donation data and manage every dollar of payroll, ledgers, and more.
With an accurate look at the current budgets, ChMS with accounting makes it possible to reach future goals. Financial reports make spending decisions less stressful. It empowers leadership teams to be responsible with every dollar received.
Online Giving Management
Church accounting and online giving go hand-in-hand! Parishes rely on the generous donations to keep their doors open and the ministry afloat. A Catholic church management software manages online giving, pledges, and offerings to streamline financial giving and receiving.
Church Safety and Security
Online and in-person safety are critical for Catholic organizations. From fraud detection to volunteer background checks, a good ChMS platform aids the security and safety efforts of parishes.
Church management platforms help create a safer environment for parishes. Integrated tracking systems give a full scope of people’s involvement in the ministry. This includes background checks, training, applications, and other required information for every service role.
Online Resources
Offering online resources to your parish is a great way to keep people connected to their faith. If your parish has a website, many ChMS platforms come with a content management system that allows you to share posts, videos, live streams, and educational content with parishioners online.
Custom Mobile App
Setting up a ChMS lets you seamlessly integrate with a church mobile app, making it easier than ever for your parish to connect and communicate.
A church mobile app equips parishioners to give directly from their smartphones. It also lets them view Mass live streams when they’re not able to be physically present. New and potential members can browse different community options available to learn more about your parish.
Scheduling
A church management software wouldn’t be complete without one of its most essential features: scheduling.
Digital scheduling for parishes gives ministry managers the tools they need to maintain control of important timelines, dates, and special events. Arrange volunteer opportunities, plan a seasonal sermon schedule, avoid double-booking clergy meetings, and more with this timesaving ChMS tool.
Best Catholic Church Management Software
The best online church management software for your parish should include all the features mentioned here. It should also be tailored to Catholic ministries.
Although some popular ChMS companies aren’t Catholic-specific, there are options for any parish looking for the best solution. ParishSOFT is one of the most user-friendly church management software. It was created by Catholics, for Catholics.
Whether you’re looking to boost your online giving with better automation, or your staff needs a ChMS that does it all, ParishSOFT church management grows with your parish. Reach out to ParishSOFT today to get started.
