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Running a church effectively isn’t just about delivering the Sunday sermon. There are many moving parts that must be managed and the tasks are similar to that of a nonprofit organization.
For example, corralling donations through fundraising efforts, managing volunteer programs, hosting and scheduling events, fostering communication between members, staff, visitors, and more.
The day-to-day operations of church management are never-ending. And with COVID-19 forcing many to limit attendance or to just host online events, church management has never been more in demand.
Many administrators are turning to a church management system to keep their finger on the pulse – because running everything through pen and paper just isn’t cutting it anymore.
What’s a church management system? A church management software keeps you organized (like daily church tasks), ensures clear communication with staff and members, streamlines workflows and report management, enhances time tracking, coordinates events, and so much more.
At the end of the day, church management software helps you manage, organize, and automate daily operations so that you can focus on what truly matters.
What should your church management software include, feature-wise? For starters, donation management, easy communication, digital records, on-the-go workflows, member directory, group management, event management, and more.
We know that running an efficient church is important and we know that easy church management software can get you where you want and need to be. So we looked at the best church management software solutions in the market and listed them below. Your job is already hard enough! Finding the best church management software shouldn’t be.
Top 10 Church Management Software Solutions in 2021
Connecteam church management system makes it easy to automate and organize everyday administrative functions. Whether you have 20 employees or 100 employees or even more, this easy church management software scales with you. And the features available make Connecteam one of the best church management software solutions in the market.
The most beneficial features, via the mobile app and desktop, in this easy church management software include:
- Efficient Operational Features so you can track time for your entire staff (whether hourly or fixed), manage timesheets, and handle PTO
- Streamline Communication & Engagement Capabilities easily keep everyone on the same page with group chat, send pre-scheduled updates (on company announcements, alerts, or updates), one-on-one chat, an in-app employee directory, feedback surveys, and more
- Delegate Tasks like quick one-off tasks and notified once completed this ensures transparency and accountability, for example event management, attendance management, etc.
- Easy Scheduling Functionality for all employees (janitorial team, event management crew, even members, etc.) with templates, duplicate shifts, drag & drop, etc. to manage all moving parts. Plus, notifications and reminders automatically sent
- Flawless payroll integration with QuickBooks and Gusto, for payroll that is an 100% accurate representation of your timesheets
- Mobile Training & Knowledge Center are run on autopilot with read & sign, chapters to read, quizzes, PDFs or videos to enhance training. And keep all key items, like the employee handbook, service information, or logistical information, in the knowledge center so it can be accessed at any time, from anywhere
- Digital Workflows To Complete On The Go ensure checklists, reports, and procedures are digitally completed and tracked like receipts, volunteer information, event attendance form, etc.
Price: The Connecteam church management system has affordable pricing options available for all church sizes. To start, you can use the free plan and if you’re looking for additional features to run operations more smoothly then switch to the next level up which is just $29/month. All pricing is a fixed monthly fee.
#1 Church Management App
Meet your church goals, reach members and volunteers, and enhance management.
Whatever your church size, ServantKeeper can help with attendance management, donations, mass email or text, pledging, child check-in, sacramental records management, and more. Plus it has a mobile app available as well.
Additional features include:
- Smart groups for communication
- Online directories
- Secure, robust data capture and reporting
- Skill tracking
Price: There are two pricing paths available so if you’re interested in the cloud version (which is run by ServantKeeper), you’re looking at $29.99/month for up to three users and there is a $599 one-time fee for the site license. And the local pricing option, which is run by you and your team, costs $599 for a one-time fee for one user and it’s $50 for an additional user.
Aplos is strictly an accounting software solution for churches. It integrates with Gusto for payroll processing. Aplos allows you to track fund accounting, create invoices, track 1099s, import bank transactions, and more.
Additionally, you can manage the following with Aplos:
- Donation reporting
- Financial statements
- Tax-deductible statements
- Pledge tracking
- Custom chart of accounts
Price: The “regular” features will cost $59/month while the upgraded version is $159/month.
Pastors turn to Faithlife Equip to manage their day-to-day, for example, a Logos Bible Study resource, people management, online giving, presentation capabilities, building the website, and more. If you need to, you can separate the teams by the pastoral team, communications, operations, and everyone.
The following are additional features:
- Church management
- Online community
- Automation for announcements, presentations, etc.
- Text messaging
- Sermon Archives
- Child check-in
Price: Pricing is based on weekly attendance. For just Equip features and 150-349 attendees, the price is $189.99/month. While Equip with Live Stream for the same number of attendees will cost $294.99/month.
ShelbyNext Membership focuses on three features to assist your church, member management, group management, and calendar management.
Additional features that you may find useful include:
- Check-in screens
- Prayer requests
- SMS text for communication
- Record attendance
Price: Pricing is dependent on how many people your church has. For example, 200 people cost $60.40/month – this is just if you need church management. If you need any add-ons like online giving, background checks, a mobile app, accounting, or whatever else is needed then that will cost you more.
Whatever the church size, Chmeetings has relevant features to assist the pastor and the team around him. For example, tracking member data, communicating with church members, planning church events, and more. Plus, Chmeetings is GDPR compliant.
The following are features that Chmeetings offers as well:
- Membership management with photo directories, filters, etc.
- Check-in capabilities
- Access restrictions of data
- Online giving
- Data imports
- Accessible on all devices
Price: Pricing is available in many forms, for example, there is a free plan for up to 100 people. For 250 people, it’s $10/month while 500 people cost $20. If you have over 1,000 then you need to talk to a representative.
Small and mid-sized churches often use Breeze for their management needs. For example, managing donations, managing events, volunteering, text to give, a database for people, and more.
Breeze also offers the following services:
- Email and text messaging for group volunteers, event attendees, and more
- Generate reports like giving reports
- Check-in children for safety
Price: Breeze has one price for all its features, $50/month.
Pushpay is your church’s way to secure donations. Some of its key benefits include one-time giving, recurring giving, statements, receipts, and a Donor Development dashboard so givers can manage their donations.
Additional features include:
- A mobile app
- Event registration
- Reporting and analytics of finances
- Campaigns and pledging
Price: Pricing is not visible on the site so you will need to speak to a representative.
9. Blackbaud
Blackbaud serves a few industries, like nonprofits and higher education, and the faith community is one as well. The core of their services includes analytics, fundraising, church management, financial management, marketing, and payment services.
A few additional features available depending on the service you’re looking for include:
- Communications
- Online donations
- A mobile app
- Church directory
- Volunteer management
Price: Pricing is not accessible via the site so you will need to chat with a representative to learn about the pricing plans available.
TouchPoint is a cloud-based solution that works best for mid to large churches. It offers people management, analytics, a mobile app, online giving, and communication.
Additionally, TouchPoint offers the following features – note that there are differences in features available from the web and mobile:
- Member and volunteer status
- Event management
- Directories
- Financial data
- Customizable
Price: Pricing is calculated based on, according to the site, “Active record count x $3 = Your annual subscription rate”. For example, 1,000 records will cost $3,000 annually.
A Church Management System Is Key
The list above highlights the best church management software solutions in the market today and it’s no secret that the shift to automated, digital solutions isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore.
If you’re serious about running an efficient church that serves the needs of your members and community, while keeping staff motivated, then it’s time to make the switch to church management software today.
The Best Church Management App
Automate daily church tasks, enhance communication, instant directory access and more is available on Connecteam church management software.