Posts Tagged ‘Church Administration’
Calendaring in the Church
Churches have three types of calendaring needs: resource calendaring (rooms and equipment), publication calendaring (printed flyers), and personal / team calendaring. Surprisingly, each of these needs is so different that they require separate programs!
Read MoreOffice Furnishings & Layout
Some church offices are more often a collective progression of necessary solutions than a well-executed plan. Additional work areas are often carved out of classrooms, basements, and closets as ministries grow, but an efficient office suite is rarely the result. Churches that analyze and strategize their office needs can come up with some surprising solutions.
Read MoreWise Shopping
In a unique way, we in ministry are stewards of the resources of God’s kingdom. This demands our best efforts at making every dollar count. One way church leaders can spend ministry dollars with confidence— especially in the area of computers and technology— is by adopting a carefully formulated purchasing strategy.
Read MoreIt’s A Roller Coaster!
You’re in a building project, and the problem solving seems to be done. But is it? Get ready! This process is a roller coaster ride like you’ve never been on before!
Read MoreComputer First Aid Kit?
Most organizations have an undocumented disaster recovery plan that has never been tested. As many ministries learned in last year’s hurricane season, waiting until the disaster hits is the worst time to test your system.
Read MoreDeveloping A True Ministry Team
Well coordinated ministry teams are rare! Ministry staff members are most often best characterized as entrepreneurial competitors who try to be diplomatic and work with each other– sort of. Why is that? How can we help our staff work together in a well-coordinated fashion?
Read MoreChanging Your System or Software? What Should You Expect?
When churches change computer systems or software, they’re often surprised at the enormity of the task. The time and costs often run over budget, and the transition often leaves a trail of unmet expectations. With a little understanding of the process and some preplanning, however, these unmet expectations can be minimized and even avoided.
Read MoreNew Building Strategies
Growing churches and ministries often find themselves in the building / up-sizing process. While such business essentials as telephones are usually factored into the planning process, computer systems are often forgotten. Yet today’s ministries are dependent on the digital storage and movement of information we affectionately call data. What needs to be considered when designing new buildings?
Read MoreTraining– A Simple Strategy That Really Works!
Many ministries ask our firm to evaluate their use of computer technology and make recommendations. Part of our process includes interviewing team members and asking a wide range of questions. One of the needs they consistently express is the need to learn more about how to use the tools they already have. They want to be efficient and effective, and they’re sure that training would help. We call training the most neglected component of ministry computer systems. There is a simple strategy we saw in place at one client that costs little, is easy to accomplish, and produces great results. And doing it will help your ministry accomplish more, in less time, and for less!
Read MoreThe Latest in Evangelistic Trends: International Arms Trafficking!
Some time ago an article caught my eye about folks going to jail because they took computers outside of the U.S. The problem was that, because of computer processor capabilities and the built-in cryptographic capabilities of common off-the-shelf software, it violated Export Administration Regulations. The article went on to describe the maximum fines and penalties associated with the export of these items: $1,000,000 plus 10 years in jail for each criminal violation, or $500,000 plus a 3-year export ban for each civil violation. A few days later a colleague who works for an international ministry told me he had just sent software updates to their overseas field offices. Click— the light went on. I told him about the article I had just read which applied to the software technology he just sent overseas. We were both shocked as we discussed the impact these regulations could have on similar international ministries.
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