The New look! launch went really great last week.  If you're a client and haven't made the switch, login and give it a try.  After a day or two of using it, you will join hundreds of others who see and feel the difference.

Last month I also started a series I'm calling the Top 10 ways churches use Registrations & Forms.  We did a deeper dive into the why and how of Connection Cards then.  This week let's talk about the New Members Class.

Connection cards are the best way to capture people's information.  Use this information to set up a series (or workflow) of emails, texts, and personal calls.  Besides getting to know them, the goal of this workflow is for people to register for a New Member's class.

One week from today, you'll have full access to the new look for Churchteams.  We recommend making the switch to the new beta version as soon as you log in.  We've worked hard on this and want you to see it.  If you do and want to switch back to the classic version, you'll have an option to do that any time. 

In preparation for that we thought a "before and after" video might be helpful for clients to get a better idea of the change.  And those of you who are not clients will enjoy seeing the difference a new look can make.  Check it out.

In the blog post a couple of weeks ago, I told you something big is coming next month.  It was really great to get the emails and calls with questions.  We love that interaction with you guys!

And today, we're ready to tell all of you what's coming to Churchteams on October 1st.  OUR NEW LOOK!! That's right, we are making updates to the user interface!

Coming October 1:  A New User Interface

The next few weeks are going to focus on the exciting announcement I leaked last week.  You are going to love what's coming.  But, today and after the upcoming release blogs we are going to share insights on the use of registrations and forms.  

After interviewing our support team, and looking at church websites that use registrations and forms well, I've come up with 10 of the top ways churches are using this amazing feature.  We're going to start today talking about Connection Cards.

Labor day weekend marks the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year.  For churches it is also the start of a new ministry season. 

Our team is excited about kids going back to everything from preschool to college.  We are excited about college football. We are excited about what God is doing at our churches and in our small groups.  But, there is a special excitement in the air for our team as we start September this year.

It's back to school time!  Families are prioritizing their fall and school year activities.  Many of them are thinking about how  church fits into those plans.  

In today's culture, parents are deeply concerned about safety and count on churches to be prepared.  This is a major factor in their choosing a church.  It is also a factor in their choice to discount or even leave a church.   

There's no reason for young families to count out your church just because you don't have security in place.  If you're really small and just have a few kids, keep it simple by issuing check-in wristbands.  You can Google to find those.  

Back in March I wrote a couple of blog posts focusing on how missional and networking non-profits are using Churchteams to manage their ministry.   Those focused specifically on features and how these organizations are using them.  

In June, I did a breakout with about 25 SBC Association Missions Strategists on these features.  If this isn't your bunch, basically, these are people who oversee from about 20 to 200 or more churches in a local geographical area.  Normal is around 40.  

It was a really great time for me to hear their hearts and needs.  Almost all of them had a hodge-podge of software and paper they use for managing data, emailing people, texting people, forms, and events.  They clearly expressed their frustration that everything wasn't working together and some things were even missing.

We hear this frustration all the time with pastors and this isn't the first time with network leaders like this.  I had a little time to dig in further that day, but not enough.  So, I set up a couple of follow up times this summer to listen and learn more.  

When I turned 60 a couple of years ago I began thinking more seriously about this next 20 year section of my life. 

I've read a ton about retirement, finishing well, and similar topics.  I've spent even more time talking to friends who've gone before me.  The most encouraging thing about all this work has been that it affirms what I've given the last two 20 year life sections of my life to.  

During this time of reflection I recognize that there have been some value-laden lessons that the Lord has taught me about ministry, business, technology, story, and family.  I have a real desire to write about these lessons.  But, writing a book seems daunting when there are plenty of other demands for my time.

In this blog post, I'm excited to share with you an interview with my long time friend, Rick Howerton about his new book.  We got to know each other well years ago traveling to small group training programs across the country as part of a fledgling collective of friends that has become the Small Group Network.

His book, The Perpetually Growing Church, is a practitioners guide to building a healthy, growing church.  He knows a thing or two about this. 

He has been a campus minister, a staff pastor and a discipleship consultant (Navpress, Lifeway, KY Baptist Convention).  He planted The Bridge Church in Nashville, TN.  He has been a frequent speaker and trainer at churches, conferences, and training programs before and since our small group conference days. He has written multiple books and now serves as the Central Group Pastor for Lakepointe Church in Rockwell, TX.

Most of us would prefer to take a shortcut than to have to walk the long way around.  It conserves both time and energy while taking us directly to our desired destination.  At its best, church software is a shortcut for staff and church members. 

Just as landscape professionals consider traffic patterns when designing sidewalks, software professionals analyze usage patterns when creating action walkways.

These five recent upgrades are the result of patterns we've seen and been alerted to in recent months.  Three of them are based on staff usage.  Two of them are based on member usage.

1. Mass update group role from within a group (Staff) 
2. Mass update group info from the browse groups page (Staff)
3. Require recurring payments (Staff)
4. Spouses can see and manage family volunteer schedules (Members)
5. Edit recurring contribution designation and amounts (Members)
   

Managing enrollment, especially payments, for events like preschools, camps, or Christian School tuitions is a time-consuming challenge for many churches.  These programs require registrations, forms, initial payment, accounting, payment reminders, attendance, email or text communication, and syncing at least some of the information in the church database.