Christian Computing
September 2007
   Volume 19, No 9
In This Issue
Cover Story...How to Evaluate Church Management Software
Benchmarking: Facts and Fiction Part 1
Enter WORDsearchMedia FilmFest
5 Steps to Successful Event Planning
The Importance of CMS Throughout the Years
CCMag NewsBrief
Blog Sites and More
My Top 25 Church Website Design Tips
Granger Community Church Improves Uptime with Storage Environment
layers of Protection
Hot Tips 33
Web-to-TV Technologies Going Global
PC-Mobile Device Bible Study Synchronization
For Successful Fall Outreach
 

 

 

Cover Story

 

How to Evaluate Church Management Software

As soon as small businesses started using computers, churches also purchased and utilized this new marvel of technology. Of course, those early computers were mere toys compared to what we have available on today's market. Churches purchased computers in the 80's in order to do basic tasks still needed today, such as merging members' names into correspondence to comply with non-profit mailing permits, to print and sort mailing labels according to zip codes. Then, once membership information was entered into a database, keeping attendance, tracking contributions, etc. became the task of the church's computer.

To Read The Entire Article, Click Here!

 
Benchmarking: Facts and Fiction Part 1
Inside the Box - Donald Stratton

Deceptions, benchmarks, and statistics... what they have in common is their ability to seem trustworthy even when they actually misrepresent the truth. In this article, I will discuss real world vs. sythentic benchmarks and what this means for you as you decide what or even whether to buy.

To read the entire article, Click Here!
Enter WORDsearchMedia FilmFest 
WordSEARCH Word - Bob Dasal

Every Sunday thousands of churches use video technology to enhance worship. Video sermon illustrations are powerful and pastors use them to help drive their sermon points home.  WORDsearchMedia.com  (WSM) celebrates this phenomenon with FilmFest.

 
 
To Read The Entire Article, Click Here!
 
5 Steps to Successful Event Planning 
ACS Ideas To Impact

With the summer holidays over and a season change upon us, your church is probably seeing attendance numbers increase. The kids are back in school and vacation time is dwindling, so it's easier for your church-goers to get back into a routine.

 
 
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The Importance of CMS Throughout the Years 
Editorial - Steve Hewitt

This month's cover story is a two-part article that I felt would give people some needed information when purchasing a Church Management Software program. While the number of CMS companies decreased drastically for over a decade, they have increased almost as drastically in the last five years. Hopefully, by combining the second half of this article with our annual CMS Overview and feature charts (in our upcoming October issue next month), it will provide some help for those seeking to find the right product for their needs.

 
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CCMag NewsBrief
Each month the CCMag NewsBrief provides reports on the news that Steve Hewitt uses for his weekly radio segment on PrimeTime America (Moody Broadcasting)
 
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Blog Sites and More

Scott Howard's Hotpics - Scott Howard

How are all you CCMAG readers doing? I am hoping that none of you have gotten the worst of the storms or the fires that have hit the different areas of the nation this summer. I did not experience either of the two but we have not had hardly any rain this summer, here in southern Indiana, which looks to be causing the majority of the corn to die. Well, the thing to remember in situations like all of these is that our Lord is in control and we really don't need to worry. I realize that is easier said than done, but all we need to do is follow his guidelines in His Word and to let the Holy Spirit work through us and it will work out in our favor.   There will always be obstacles until the day that our Lord takes us home to be with Him, so we should remember to continue to let Him use us for whatever specific purpose He has placed in us to further His kingdom and let Him take care of the rest.

To read the entire article, Click Here!

My Top 25 Church Website Design Tips 
Special Feature

Below are listed my Top 25 church website design tips.  They are based on my review of 14,000 church websites to date.  The tips, while numbered, are not in any special order - that is, they are not ranked in any way.

To read the entire article, Click Here!
Granger Community Church Improves Uptime with Storage Environment                              
Special Feature - Jason Powell

Churches like Granger Community Church (GCC) and other religious institutions are increasingly adopting technology like VoIP, Wi-Fi, advanced projection systems and satellite broadcasting to spread the Word of the Lord and build a stronger community with their parishioners. Places of worship like us now have Web sites, and some are delving into the world of podcasting to offer sermons, songs and prayers to download.  State-of-the-art technology like storage networks and virtualization is helping leanly staffed organizations provide a more meaningful experience for congregations.

 
To read the entire article Click Here!
Layers of Protection 
Nick at Church - Nick Nicholaou

We are all masters of risk management!  You may not have thought of yourself that way, but it's true!  You began learning how to manage risk when your parents taught you that you shouldn't touch something hot because it would burn you.  In elementary school you learned to avoid the school bully because any encounter with him or her could hurt.  So all through our lives we've learned how to manage risk.   And, as risk managers, we need various layers of protection from those things that could hurt our ministry's computer systems.

 
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Hot Tips 33 
Tech Talk - Dr. J.D. "Doc" Watson

This installment of our series demonstrates how to organize the Start Menu with user created folders, how to clean up the Desktop of unused icons and shortening the names of remaining icons, and finally how (and why) to change double-click to single-click in Windows Explorer, My Computer, and other folders.

 
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Web-to-TV  Technologies Going Global 
Internet Ministry - Walt Wilson

America is still the land of opportunity. Ask Chinese immigrants who are flocking to California. Fifteen hundred dollars and you've got a ticket for a plane ride to San Francisco.

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PC-Mobile Device Bible Study Synchronization 
Higher Power with Kevin - Kevin Purcell

For years I have been predicting that an electronic bible study provider who creates a program that can synchronize your desktop/laptop version of your bible study content with your mobile version will be a huge seller.  Well, finally we will be given the opportunity to find out if I am correct thanks to the folks at Laridian.

 

To read the entire artlce, Click Here!

For Successful Fall Outreach 
Ministry Communications - Yvon Prehn

Summer is over and churches are entering into a time of great opportunities for outreach. Families and singles are looking for activities around the coming holidays. Harvest Festivals and alternative Halloween celebrations can be great ways to connect with your community and draw them into your church. For the biblical foundation you need to motivate your people, a great church resource, and ideas on how to align all your technology for outreach, read on...

 
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