It is helping churches grow at more rapid rates and it is increasing not only the chances of a church succeeding but getting more attendees. What is it? It’s church software! Church software can be any of the new computerized systems that are helping churches with their day to day operational tasks. Who should use church software? Let’s take a closer look:

• A church that wants to grow and that has been stagnant for a while. Every church eventually hits a ‘plateau’ where they aren’t growing at the rate that they wished for. A church that is at this point can benefit from church software to get a more consistent flow of growth.

• A church that has just been planted and wants to start off strong. Over half of first year churches don’t survive past the first year because they cannot support themselves. Church software will ensure these churches will have enough people to support them through the first few turbulent years- and many thereafter!

• A church that wants to move away from managerial tasks and concentrate on evangelism. Many churches end up doing far too much in terms of managing the church and don’t have as much time as they’d like doing actual door to door evangelizing- church software gives them the time to do it!

Church software was designed by computer programmer, Beth Erlenborn, and her husband/ pastor Scott Erlenborn. The couple were looking for the most efficient way to improve their churches structure, growth and tedious tasks and they came up with church software, which helps with all three. The Erlenborn’s were looking for the most effective way to take church tasks out of their hands so that they could focus on preaching the gospel- and since then many churches have adopted the same software and noticed similar results.

Exactly what benefits come with the use of church software? Below are the main benefits that churches software enables:

• Build a database that holds all your church members and church guests on a weekly basis.

• A follow up system that helps churches keep track of the first and second time visitors they have come to their church. The system electronically notifies pastors/ elders when it is time to follow up on a visiting family or individual.

• The ability to create profiles for all of your church members so that you can track their activities, spiritual milestones and much more.

• Manage the tedious, time- consuming tasks that come up within the church body. The computer will do all the accounting/ calculating that could free up much of the churches time and money.

• Figure out church volunteers by the innovative random selection sector of most church software programs.

Church software is used by a multitude of churches and it has not only helped them increase their weekly attendance but it has helped support them by cutting down their costs. This software is highly advanced and can be used by those who have no technical knowledge.