CCIS Church Management Administrators Guide 2016

FREE CHURCH ADMINISTRATOR’S GUIDE TECH TOOLS FOR OPTIMIZING YOUR TASKS How to Set Up and Maintain Your Church’s Membership, Finances, and Payroll Using Church Management SoftwareCCIS CHURCH MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE, INC. | www.CCISsoftware.com | 800-295-7551

WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS GUIDE> The Purpose of Using Church Management Software {PAGE 3}> Deciding Which Software is Right for You {PAGE 4}> The Basics: Establishing a System That Works for You {PAGE 5}> Tracking Membership Details {PAGE 6}> Better Accounting Using a Program Designed for Churches {PAGE 7}> Payroll Processing Made Easy Using a Payroll Program {PAGE 8}> Membership Management, Church Fund Accounting, and Payroll Made Whole {PAGE 9}> Technical Support Features {PAGE 10}> Making an Informed Purchase {PAGE 11}> Summary: Realizing and Inspiring with CCIS Church Management Software {PAGE 12}CHURCH MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE | www.CCISsoftware.com 2

THE PURPOSE OF USING CHURCH MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Computer software continues to revolutionize information management. The office full of file cabinets has been replaced by digital technology. Not only have modern computing techniques helped cut down on the time spent accomplishing a task, but specially created software tools have made many jobs easier and more rewarding. Managing membership information, accounting, and processing payroll have all been made easier, more effective, and more productive with programs like CCIS Church Management Software. You may already use one or several programs to keep up with important data, and you see its limitations, or your data may not be digital. Whether you are starting from paper or switching software, the files you keep should be easy to access and update. The better organized and the more detailed records you keep, the better your church can serve its members. CCIS Church Management Software offers the perfect platform to do just that. This guide will discuss how you, the church administrator, can institute a useful and efficient church management software system. 3

DECIDING WHICH SOFTWARE IS RIGHT FOR YOU1 Make sure that the computers and operating systems that you already own or plan to purchase will run the church management software you choose. Assess which applications, or “modules”, that you need. Vendors often offer several options. For instance, CCIS Shield Membership Management™,2 CCIS AccountAbility™, and CCIS Payroll™ modules may be purchased singly or as a suite. Read more about CCIS modules in the sections that follow. This guide reviews elements of each of the individual modules, as well as interoperability features. If you are still unsure as to which you need, contact us at 1-800-295-7551.3 For churches that plan to use more than one computer, consider the advantages of multiple-user licenses. CCIS offers several tiers of licensing.4 Protect your information. Does the software vendor you are considering offer viable security solutions? Are they flexible and appropriate? Determine what kind of technical support you expect to receive. Do you need help creating end-of-year reports? Most vendors offer as-needed support5 at an hourly rate, but they should also offer support contracts. The support you receive with products like CCIS Church Management Software can enhance productivity and your overall experience. Your customer service representative should be more than willing to explain the differences in the available support packages.6 Remote Training sessions provide opportunities to improve skills or train new staff. Does your software vendor offer them? CCIS Church Management Software offers an array of training options, from group classes to individualized one-on-one sessions. 4

THE BASICS: ESTABLISHING A SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR YOUWhether you choose to track membership information, process payroll, or perform accounting tasks, you will need to institute a solid system. Start with whatyou already have. Think about the kinds of records you will keep and your reasons for keeping them. What are your goals? The list below shows you the basicprocess you will follow, whether you are upgrading, installing an entirely new system, or starting with hand written records.1 First, prioritize. What information matters to you?2 Gather together all of your files, paper, sticky notes or emails. You should have attendance logs, lists of names and addresses, accounting spreadsheets, payroll check stubs, group rosters, and the like. This should help you visualize what type of records you already keep and what kinds you may wish to expand.3 Get your ideas on paper. Brainstorm. List your goals on a dry-erase board or a spreadsheet, or use whatever problem-solving device works for you.4 Update your information. You want to start with the most recent and accurate records.5 Organize what you have. Whether you have paper files or a computer server full of lists and spreadsheets, make it as easy to reference as possible. Group together files by kind and by date.6 If you need to enter the data manually, choose someone with data entry skills to help. Some software suites have the capability to convert or import certain types of digital files. Ask your vendor for details. 5

TRACKING MEMBERSHIP DETAILSYour members are what matter most. The better informed you can be about their lives, the better you can meet their needs. A database with well-choseninformation about each individual will form the foundation on which you can build a convenient and comprehensive membership management system.CCIS Shield Membership Management™ makes it possible to easily and securely keep notes on your members, and its set of powerful tools open up new waysto serve your congregation. You can use it simply like an address book for your church, listing telephone numbers and addresses. However, your membershipmanagement module’s capabilities extend way beyond the old Rolodex.POPULAR USES FOR CCIS SHIELD MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT™Look it up: find and update the basics Rosters: create and manage lists Reports: Extract a big idea from the details> Find names, addresses, and phone numbers for members and visitors. > See how many members are present or absent > Determine which days your attendance is> Easily update existing data. Record relationships for regular services or special events. highest and lowest. between members.> Maintain alternate addresses. > Track an individual member’s attendance > Obtain a list of people who have stopped > Stay in contact wherever members roam. patterns. attending. Reach out.> Link and view family and member photographs.> Produce pictorial directories. > Groups: committees, classes, small groups, > Determine if Fund Raising goals have been met. youth groups, bible study groups, supportContributions: track income with confidence groups Mailings: easily meet your target> Record contributions and pledges from individuals and groups. > Events coordination: community outreach, > Create mailing lists for all church members, or> Produce monthly, quarterly or early statements food drives create a target group by age, gender, or other for contributors. important characteristic.> Monitor the success of a pledge campaign. > Special assistance teams > Print newsletter labels in a single step. > Keep class rosters. > Provide contributors with a detailed giving statement including pledge status by either mail or email.CCIS Shield Membership Management™ offers exciting possibilities to cross reference, enabling you to get more information from your data. Demographicstudies can help you promote members to groups and pair up interests and abilities. Watch your congregation grow and thrive when you put this powerfulsoftware to work! 6

BETTER ACCOUNTING USING A PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR CHURCHESA true fund accounting program like CCIS AccountAbility™ allows you to manage every aspect of income received and allocated. A general fund might see thesame expenses as many for-profit businesses, covering your utilities and basic supplies. Churches, however, have the added challenge of managing restrictedfunds - contributions made for a specific purpose. You may use as few as two or more than a hundred funds. Permanent restrictions, one-time gifts, andendowments must be used for their intended purpose, and with a fund accounting program, you will never perform double-work or need to use separatechecking accounts to properly manage your funds.Does your church have a dedicated fund for any of the following? > Missions > Memorials > Building or renovations > Outreach > Community events > Scholarships > Choirs and other musical groups > Guest speakers > Bibles, magazines, and other resources > Convention/Assembly > Library purchases > Vacation Bible school > Making special gifts to charities in the name of your churchAllocating income has never been easier than with a fund accounting program.CCIS AccountAbility™ can help you exact success, no matter how many or how varied your fund accounts. 7

PAYROLL PROCESSING MADE EASY USING A PAYROLL PROGRAMWhen your church has more than one person whom it pays for its efforts, either as salaries, wages, or in contract form, then you want to consider a payrollprogram such as CCIS Payroll™. Calculate deductions, print checks, and manage payment frequencies within the application. Does your church have cafeteriaplans, 403(b) or other fringe benefits? Track sick hours, vacation time, and comp time with CCIS Payroll™. Keep histories on everyone, even those who leaveyou before the end of the year.CCIS Payroll™ will manage federal payroll reports and forms like 941 and W-2’s, and 1099 forms, too. Keep local and federal tax data handy,even for multiple years, and responsibly and easily handle your unemployment tax liabilities. If you have never managed payrollon your own, do not worry! Help is available. When you choose a trusted vendor like CCIS Church ManagementSoftware, then you are also choosing a dedicated staff of highly qualified individuals who can guideyou through the process, and even offer training. 8

MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT,CHURCH FUND ACCOUNTING AND PAYROLL MADE WHOLEImagine that you have set up programs for membership management, accounting, and payroll, and that these pieces of software can freely communicate.Imagine the possibilities. You will achieve increased benefit from the interoperability of the system.1 Track payroll checks in your accounting program easily.2 Quickly check a pledge status for a contributor.3 Keep your church updated on how many more contributions are needed for a special mission trip slated for the summer. 4 Does one fund have overflow, and who contributed to that fund? If you have a system that tracks these details, you can easily ask those individuals what to do with the overflow. The contributions data you maintain in CCIS Shield Membership Management™ can be transferred as deposits to CCIS AccountAbility™. Unified technical support: Imagine trying to contact multiple vendors for updates or help with software issues. CCIS Church Management Software5 reduces the problems you may experience by providing a high level of interoperability in its products, and you know that you can trust that all of the CCIS products will work well together as a suite. You can trust the integration of the CCIS Shield Membership Management™, CCIS AccountAbility™ and CCIS Payroll™ Suite. 9

TECHNICAL SUPPORT FEATURESIt is easy to find programs “for free” that may appear to meet your needs. However, what happens if this free program has a bug, or you upgrade your systemand lose all of your data? Maybe you don’t understand all of its features, or they aren’t exactly suited to your purposes. Can you get help? How much can alack of readily available technical support cost in terms of time, patience, and the quality of your system? When you call your vendor for technical assistance,do you reach an outsourced software support company?When you purchase your church management software from a trustworthy vendor like CCIS, you benefit from expertise in both installation and ongoing supportscenarios. You will also receive updates and help when problems arise. CCIS Church Management Software does not farm out help, but instead retains a highlyskilled team to provide the best support possible. Ask yourself the following questions to anticipate your technical support needs. > Can a technical advisor be readily available? > Can you easily pick up the phone and call someone? > Does your vendor offer remote-desktop assistance? > Do you only need help with end-of-year reports, or do you need a bit of help throughout the year? > Is the support staff knowledgeable and patient? > Do they truly know the programs, or are they just reading down a flow chart, hoping to land on an answer? > Will the support team members be willing to work with you until your problem is solved? > Will they offer patient, effective training?When you choose CCIS Church Management Software, then be confident that the answers to these questions are all, “Yes.” CCIS offers toll-free telephoneassistance. These advisors will be available to walk you through the installation process, and they can help tutor you on basic functionality, as well as teach youadvanced techniques. CCIS offers several support plans. If you are not sure how much assistance you may need, then be confident that the CCIS sales teamcan help you weigh your options. 10

MAKING AN INFORMED PURCHASEYou can spend anywhere from $200 to more than $3,000 for a single church management software program. The price for a suite of software ranges from $399to upwards of $6,000. Of course, price will vary by vendor, but realize that how your package is implemented will also affect the expense. Are you running thesoftware on one computer or on a network with ten computers? Would you prefer online access from any location? Carefully review your setup with your vendor.Now that you have an overview of how a comprehensive church management software system works, you can make an informed decision about your purchase.Follow these simple steps to make buying easy: Write down your goals and prioritize them. List how you will see benefits from1 having a detailed membership database, church fund accounting program, and professional payroll system. Choose the CCIS Church Management Software programs you need.2 Choose between a CCIS single or multi-level license or one of our online subscriptions.3 Pick a technical support package. The more people using the system and the higher your goals, the more support you should expect to use.4 Make the phone call to CCIS Church Management Software. Reach our experienced sales staff at our toll-free number: 1-800-295-7551. 11

SUMMARY: REALIZING AND INSPIRING WITH CCIS CHURCH MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE CCIS Church Management Software will inspire and empower you to build a better church. This solid set of software tools will transform notes on individuals and contributions into a powerful and invaluable database. You know that your church can best serve its congregation when you can spend more time building relationships and less time tracking contributions, managing accounts, and processing payroll. Realize your highest goals when you put CCIS Shield Membership Management™, CCIS AccountAbility™ and CCIS Payroll™ to work for you. CCIS Shield CCIS AccountAbility™ CCIS Payroll™Membership Management™CCIS CHURCH MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE, INC. | www.CCISsoftware.com | 800-295-7551 12