How to Use ChMS to Create a Healthier Church
We all want to be in a healthy church that glorifies God. What makes a healthy church, and how can church management software (ChMS) help you achieve that? Read on for the answers.
What Makes a Healthy Church?
A healthy church is a church with a shared vision, thriving community, and trusted leadership. You can’t have a healthy church with just one of those elements because the church is a body, as detailed in 1 Corinthians 12:12-16:
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.”
Having a healthy church means ensuring all the body “parts” are healthy – one unhealthy body part can keep the rest of the body from functioning properly.
Signs of a Healthy Church
Every church is different because it reflects the community’s culture, passions, and preferences. However, the signs of a healthy church are universal. Here are some important signs of a healthy church:
Commits to God’s Word
Naturally, a healthy church puts God and Scripture first. This means everybody in the church, from its leadership to its members, learns and applies God’s Word in their lives.
In committing to God’s Word, the church follows the purpose of Scripture outlined in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Emphasizes Discipleship
Healthy churches primarily aim to spread the Gospel and foster spiritual growth. The importance of discipleship is outlined in Matthew 28:19-20: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Demonstrates Generosity
A healthy church’s leadership and members generally exhibit generosity to help those in need. A family that belongs to a healthy church will take to heart what’s written in 2 Corinthians 6:7: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Exhibits and Supports Good Leadership
No leader is perfect, but healthy churches have leaders who are committed to following God and guiding the church’s members to live in line with the Bible.
A leader also needs support from the people they lead. Counseling each other is important, as outlined in Proverbs 11:14: “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.”
What is Church Management Software?
Church management software is a tool used by churches to assist in their daily operations. ChMS provides features like event organizers, member management dashboards, staff schedulers, and mass email tools – this helps your church staff save time, even when doing otherwise time-consuming tasks.
Key Features of Church Management Software
Before getting into how ChMS can help you build a healthy church, let’s learn more about the tools that make up church management software. Here are several important features you’ll find in a ChMS like Breeze:
Membership and Group Management
Your ChMS helps you keep track of church membership data and categorizes them into groups if needed. Customizable member fields help you store any data you like – for example, you can store each member’s birthday, anniversary date, and church activities they frequent. This makes things easier when you want to send congratulatory messages or make activity-specific announcements.
Messaging Tools
Many ChMS come with a group text or email tool that helps you quickly send messages to church members. This feature pairs well with your group management tool because you can send tailor-made messages to each group, ensuring the right people receive them.
Your messaging tools may also come with statistics, so you can see the open rate of your messages. If you see that a message isn’t getting opened as much as it should, you can review what went wrong and do something different with your next campaign.
Online and Text-Giving Capabilities
Not everyone can visit your church donation box to give, and some people might want to donate but can’t do it directly for various reasons. Your ChMS can help you set up an online and text-giving page so members can donate money from anywhere, anytime.
Event Management and Scheduling
Your ChMS can automate the more time-consuming parts of running a church event, like attendant registration and venue scheduling, so you can concentrate on creating the best event you can.
How ChMS Creates a Healthier Church
So far, what we’ve seen of church management software is that it helps churches in their daily operations. How does that translate to creating a healthier church for its leadership and community? Here’s how you can create a healthier church with ChMS:
Appreciate Members and Engage Newcomers
The member and group management function found in ChMS helps you categorize members according to various criteria. This helps you send personalized messages to congratulate or appreciate individual members, making them feel like a valued part of the church family.
You can also use this feature to message newcomers to the church and make them feel welcome, increasing their chances of returning.
Keep People in the Loop
Sending mass texts or emails without a ChMS is a time-consuming and often difficult process. ChMS allows you to send messages to all or certain parts of your church family, ensuring they’re always in the loop with what goes on in the church.
Save Time on Administrative Tasks
While important, administrative tasks often take a lot of time and take your attention away from other duties. ChMS automates many administrative tasks, allowing your staff and leadership to spend more time connecting with members and growing a stronger church family.
Encourage and Appreciate Generosity
A healthy church has a strong sense of generosity, and ChMS can help you achieve that. With online and text giving, members can make donations from anywhere even without visiting your church. Moreover, your ChMS can help you generate year-end giving statements that appreciate your church family’s generosity and encourage them to donate more in the coming year.
Closing Thoughts
A healthy church has a strong community, great leadership, and follows God’s Word. Church management software like Breeze helps you achieve those goals by helping you communicate with members, appreciating their generosity, and bringing newcomers to the church.
