Pastors are busy.
From the outside looking in, a pastor’s job seems pretty simple, right? He throws a few thoughts together on Sunday morning, goes to a few meetings, and calls it a day. However, if you’ve ever known a pastor, you know that this is the furthest thing from the truth.
Most pastors work 24/7. They receive calls at 3 a.m. that a member is in the hospital, and they immediately jump in their car to head to the hospital. They visit shut-ins and give them Communion. They are involved in various committees in the church, committees in the community, and committees in their denomination. And somehow they still have to find time for their family and themselves.
And I thought I was busy.
Because pastors are so busy, there is almost no way that they can keep track of every detail of their members’ lives. Sticky notes work great as reminders, as does writing on your hand, but you can’t write a member’s children’s names on your hand before you go visit, because when you wash your hands the names will go swirling down the drain.
To help pastors simplify their lives, we have compiled a list of examples of how church management software can help them stay informed and organized:
Important Milestones
No longer do you have to remember to remember. With church management software, you are automatically reminded of important milestones such as birthdays, weddings, Baptisms, confirmations, and even difficult milestones, like the anniversary of the death of a spouse or child.
Family Connections
Do you know which members have spouses or children who do not attend church? Maybe these people are church members but do not attend regularly. Understanding these relationships within your congregation helps you provide more informed pastoral care.
Church Involvement
For many churches, the 80/20 rule applies—often, 80 percent of the work is done by 20 percent of the people. Are there members who are overloaded? Are there others who would like to be more involved? Discovering these trends helps you make more informed decisions in reaching out to individuals within the congregation.
Interests, Hobbies, and Skills
When new members are welcomed into the church, are they asked to fill out a “time and talent”-type survey? However your church captures information about your members’ interests, hobbies, or skills, recording this data in your church management software not only keeps the information organized but also helps church leaders recognize opportunities for certain individuals to serve in different capacities.
This blog post is an excerpt from our ebook “7 Ways Pastors Are Using Church Management Software.” To download this free ebook and read the other 6 ways pastors utilize church management software, click the button below!
{{cta('5b380f0c-c02a-4951-972f-7a6a41c3e7a5')}}
