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September 2003 Table of Contents
Tech Talk
with Brad Herring
This month we are going to examine several software titles that are worth their weight for your ministry. So if there is a computer sitting on a desk in your church these reviews are sure to get you thinking! Go grab a cup of coffee and take a look at each package with me.
People Driven Software -A Tool For The Growing Church
Our church has been seeking a better way to keep up with its membership and tithing information. We have found it in the People Driven Software. This product allows you to track each church family or individual member. You then have data fields for each person including name, address, phone number, age, birth date, skills, abilities, ministry interests, activity in the church, tithing records, e-mail address, work information, family information, and more. It lets you know the relation of one person to another, notes, prayer requests, and personal needs. This information can be marked as confidential or public information.
You can then select from a large number of automated reports. For instance, you can have ALL prayer requests forwarded to each staff member, but only the public prayer requests sent to all members, or any other group of people you select.
You can assign follow-ups to various groups or individuals. For instance, I can take a new member and assign a follow up to the Sunday school leader for that age group, or a staff member, or both! When they sign in a little box appears letting them know they have assignments.
At a glance I can see everyone that has a birthday this month. I can hit a button and send out automated e-mails that have a very personal feel to them. The automated reporting will also automatically send an e-mail to all visitors entered into the system. It will also make letters that can be printed on your church stationary for regular mailing.
Feature for feature, this package is a huge help for church growth. Now, as with any tool, it is only as helpful as the amount it is used.
We have found a couple of drawbacks to the software. First, if anyone has the rights to log into the database can see all the information-even confidential information. So this limits who can use the database. However, tithing information CAN be isolated to only an administrator. We are hoping to see a similar fix to the confidential information in the future, but even so, it's an incredible tool for ministry level staff.
It is also difficult to use in a portable environment. The software has a unique and powerful feature for those that telecommute, but may be daunting for the non-computer types to use. You cancopy the database to your machine, make changes, and then re-sync when you return to the office, thus freeing you from even having to be connected to the Internet in order to access your data. But the task doesn't appear to be super-simple, thus making training to non-computer types a little difficult.
The only install issue we had was with Microsoft Office XP Pro. We had to install the software, then reinstall or repair Office XP. Then all worked well. Also Outlook 2002 has an anti-spam filter built into it which causes issues with People Driven Software. Our solution was to install Outlook2000 but still use Office XP for the other programs (Word, Excel, etc.). Problem solved. By the time you read this, People Driven Software says they are releasing a new version that will fix these installation issues.
For an in-the-office support system it is fantastic. With a couple of clicks you can pull up anyone's information as you speak with them on the phone. With every ministry you can search for people that have expressed interests in particular areas and call upon them. E-mail, snail mail, or telephone--all the information will be right there.
Plus, in the notes section you can keep on-going information from contact to contact. This way, if the Minister of Music had a conversation about an ailing family member it will be right there when the Youth Pastor calls a week later to talk to the teenager--now that minister can say, "by the way--how is Aunt Cindy?"
It's a great tool for keeping in touch with a growing church, assigning people to various key leaders, and growing people into the core of your ministry.
Think this might help you? You can download a free, fully functional demo version of the software from their website (www.peopledrivensoftware.com) or order the demo on CD for $9.95. The full version retails at $1499, but at the time of this writing was offered for a special $999 price.
Visit their website for more information. www.peopledrivensoftware.com
www.churchproductionresources.com
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