Well, it’s that time of year again. Fall is in the air, the leaves are falling, the weather is cooler and the latest CMS Overview is out from Christian Computing Magazine. To clarify, CMS in this case = Church Management Software. The first thing to do is this, if you are not a current subscriber to Christian Computing Magazine, then click here and sign up. This is a valuable resource for anyone involved with church technology. Go ahead and click the link and sign up, I’ll wait.
Ok, good, glad you are back. Now, you’ve got to check out this overview, it is extremely helpful if you are in the market for a new CMS. Here is an overview of the overview:
Many of the systems on the following pages match the sophisticated needs churches and ministries have. Tracking more than just names, addresses, and phone numbers, many of these also track spiritual gifts, talents, interests, attendance, contributions,family relationships, and more.
More specifically:
We’ve tried to give you as comprehensive a list as possible in a quick format of those CMS functions ministry teams request most often. We’ve also given you information on how to reach the CMS providers, how long they’ve been serving the ministry community in this way, how many ministries they currently serve, their technical support hours, and how often they update their software.All of the information was provided by the CMS providers.
This is the exact thing that I used as I began researching CMS providers for my church earlier this year. Thru my research, I determined the best fit for my church and have a good idea of which providers rise above the rest. I have shared my opinions here in the past and I will again, but for now, this is a tool to help you determine what is right for you. There is no ultimate best, one size fits all solution, but rather it depends on your needs and your priorities.
I would be happy to share what I have learned and the opinions I have, so feel free to contact me if you want specifics. Or just check back later and you will get a feel for what I think. For now, bounce your needs against this list and see what shakes out.
I am open to considering an endorsement deal with any prominent CMS, just have your people contact my people. I can be bought…….for a price!
Maybe it’s just me, but I find 99% of the things in Christian Computing Mag are not helpful or relevant.
to us in the trenches of church IT.
Every once in a while there’s something I’ll actually read, but most of the time I just hit “delete”
I skim it each time I get it and many things are not relevant, but on occassion there is something interesting. If nothing else, the CMS overview is invaluable for someone in the market.
i did it!
thanks
I’ve been looking for something like this for the past few days! Thanks for having this posted and I
love reading all the church IT blogs. Keep up the good work.