How to Choose Church Management Software

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Choosing the right church management software is strategic for your church’s success. It can help you streamline administrative tasks, ensure accuracy, and keep everything compliant. You’ll see a better return on investment when your church staff spends less time on admin work and more on outreach and church activities.

Picking the wrong software solution can lead to wasted resources, frustration, and missed opportunities for church administration, event management, and member engagement. It’s a risk you don’t want to take.

This guide is for church leaders like you who want to make informed decisions. Whether you’re tech-savvy or just starting with digital tools, this will help you find a church management system (or chms) that meets your church needs and supports your mission.

Josh's Frontline Insight

In the old days, scheduling volunteers required a master’s degree in Excel. Church management software, for for our smaller church, would have been a gamechanger!

Back then, team communication was a mish-mash of text and email, and attendance tracking looked like ushers doing a headcount each week. Heaven forbid the office administrator got sick… then EVERYTHING ground to a halt. Life after implementing a ChMS tool is much more streamlined, with 1000% fewer bottlenecks.

9 Things To Look For When Choosing Church Management Software

When evaluating church management software, consider these key features to ensure you’re choosing a tool that aligns with your goals and church operations. Here’s what to keep in mind:

1. Plan Flexibility

Plan flexibility lets you easily adjust your cloud-based software package as your church grows or changes. Look for a scalable chms that allows you to upgrade or downgrade without hassle. This ensures you’re not locked into something that no longer fits your church size or unique needs. Ask if there are fees for changing plans and test the process during a trial.

2. Data Access and Reporting

Data access and robust financial reports help you understand your church’s operations better. Choose software that offers easy access to member information, tracking tithes and donations, and customizable reports. This can help you track attendance, baptisms, and church events more effectively. During a demo, request to see how reports are generated and ask if you can tailor them to your specific needs.

3. Integration With Your Tech Stack

Integration with your existing tech stack—like accounting software, social media, and your church website—ensures smooth operations and reduces manual data entry. Make sure the chms can connect with other communication tools, your church app, and planning center. During a demo, ask about integration options and see how they work in practice.

4. Onboarding and Support

Onboarding and customer support are vital for a smooth transition to new software. Choose a vendor that offers comprehensive training, tutorials, and ongoing support for your church staff and volunteers. This will help your team get up to speed quickly. Ask about the training resources available and test the responsiveness of their support team during a trial period.

5. Role-Based Permissions

Role-based permissions allow you to control who accesses different parts of the software. This is important for maintaining security and privacy in your church’s data and member information. Look for options that let you easily assign roles to church leaders, staff, and volunteers, and adjust permissions as needed. Test this feature during a demo to see if it meets your church needs.

6. Industry-Specific Compliance

Industry-specific compliance ensures you meet all necessary legal and ethical standards for nonprofit organizations and church accounting. Choose software that aligns with regulations relevant to your church’s operations. Ask vendors about compliance features and how they keep up with changes in regulations.

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7. Customization Options

Customization options let you tailor the chms to fit your church’s unique needs. Look for tools that allow you to customize fields, workflows, and dashboard layouts. During a trial, experiment with these features to see how well they adapt to your requirements for membership management, volunteer management, and event management.

8. Automation Features

Automation features save time by handling repetitive administrative tasks like sending notifications, text messages, SMS reminders, or follow-up emails. Choose software with automation that reduces manual workload and improves efficiency for your church staff and volunteers. Ask for examples of automation in action and test them during a demo to see if they align with your processes.

9. Mobile or Multi-Location Support

Mobile app or multi-location support is essential for small churches with multiple sites or on-the-go staff. Ensure the software offers a user-friendly interface, robust mobile access, and supports multiple locations. Test the church app and multi-location features during a trial to ensure they meet your church needs.

How To Choose Church Management Software: A 5-Step Framework

Selecting the right church management software can make a big difference for your church’s operations and community engagement. Focus on what will truly benefit your team and congregation. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you make an informed choice:

Step 1: Identify Your Needs

Start by pinpointing your team’s specific needs to ensure you select the right church management software. Here’s how to begin:

Gather Input from Stakeholders

Get feedback from everyone involved—church leaders, church staff, finance, IT, and volunteers. Organize meetings or send out surveys to understand their needs and pain points. This input helps create a comprehensive view of what the chms should achieve. For example, finance may need robust financial reports and donation management, while volunteers may need easy event management and volunteer scheduling features.

List and Prioritize Pain Points

Identify what’s not working in your current church management system and prioritize these issues. Common pain points might include slow data entry, lack of integration, limited reporting, or difficulty to track attendance and online giving. Prioritize these based on their impact on your daily church operations.

Align with Internal Policies

Ensure the software aligns with your church’s policies, vendor preferences, and security protocols. Check for compliance with any relevant regulations or standards you follow, especially for church accounting and donation management. This alignment prevents future conflicts and ensures a smoother implementation process.

Differentiate Must-Have Features

Separate essential features from those that are nice to have. Must-haves might include donor management, event scheduling, secure data handling, and online giving. Nice-to-haves could be things like advanced analytics, mobile app, or social media integration. This distinction helps you focus on what’s truly necessary for your church community.

CEO of Gracely.io on Choosing Church Management Software

Ask These Questions:

• What complaints or blockers come up most often?
• What church needs aren’t being met today?
• What key features would solve your top 3 pain points?
• What ROI are you expecting from this investment?
• How does the software align with our security protocols?

Step 2: Research Church Management Software Vendors

Dive into researching vendors to find the best church management software for your specific needs. Here’s how to proceed:

Conduct High-Level Vendor Scans

Start by scanning review sites, rankings, and case studies to get a sense of what’s available. Look for vendors with positive feedback and proven success in churches similar to yours. This helps narrow down your options to those with a track record of reliability.

Compare Based on Size and Integrations

Consider how each tool fits your church size and existing tech stack. Check if the software integrates with your current systems, like accounting software, church website, or communication tools. Decide if you want to outsource or create in-house solutions, depending on your team’s capabilities.

Identify Key Differentiators

Focus on what sets each vendor apart, such as implementation support, ease of use, or flexibility for niche use cases. Look for vendors that offer strong customer support during onboarding and have a user-friendly interface. These differentiators can make a big impact on your team’s satisfaction.

Document Findings

Keep track of your research by documenting key points about each vendor. Note their strengths, weaknesses, and how they align with your church needs. This documentation will be invaluable when it’s time to make a decision.

Ask These Questions:

• What does each tool do best?
• Does it fit your church size, budget, and tech stack?
• What support and tutorials are available?
• How flexible is it for unique needs and niche use cases?
• Can it scale with your church’s growth?

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Top Church Management Software To Consider

Here’s my list of the top 10 church management software options available, to help you get started in your search. Look for an all-in-one chms that offers strong membership management, volunteer management, and event management features.

1. 1. ChMeetings — Best for all-in-one church management
2. 2. SteepleMate — Best for organizing member information
3. 3. Text In Church — Best for automated church communication
4. 4. One Church Software — Best for growing congregations
5. 5. Breeze ChMS — Best for ease of use
6. 6. Churchteams — Best for member information tracking
7. 7. Tithe.ly — Best for recurring donations
8. 8. Realm — Best for connecting the church community
9. 9. Subsplash — Best for remote congregation engagement
10. 10. Blackbaud — Best for managing people and payments

Show More (5)

Step 3: Make a Church Management Software Shortlist and Reach Out

Narrow down your options and start conversations with potential partners. Here’s how to proceed:

Shortlist Vendors

Select 2-4 vendors from your research that align best with your church operations, size, and unique needs. Focus on those that match your budget and key features requirements, such as mobile app, online giving, and service planning.

Send an RFI or RFP

Consider sending a Request for Information (RFI) or a church management software RFP to gather detailed information. This step helps you understand what each vendor offers and how they can meet your specific needs, including workflows, check-in, and notifications.

Book Demos and Ask Questions

Schedule demos with your shortlisted vendors and prepare focused questions. Pay attention to how the software works in real-time and ask about features that matter most to your team, like tracking donations, follow-up, and financial reports.

Use Consistent Evaluation Criteria

Apply the same evaluation criteria across all vendors to maintain fairness. Create a checklist or scorecard based on your priorities and use it during demos and conversations. This consistency will make it easier to compare options.

Ask These Questions:

• Can you walk me through a real customer story like ours?
• What customer support or onboarding resources do you offer?
• What features require an upgrade?
• How does your software handle data privacy and church member information?
• Can you customize features to fit our specific needs?

Step 4: Build the Business Case

Turn your vendor research into a business case that your leadership team will support. Here’s how to proceed:

Summarize Pain Points and Outcomes

Clearly outline the pain points your church faces and the expected outcomes of implementing new church management software. Focus on benefits like improved data management, streamlined administrative tasks, and enhanced communication tools.

Present Cost Estimates and Timelines

Gather basic pricing estimates and implementation timelines from your vendor research. Present these clearly to your team, showing how they fit into your budget and timeline. Use resources like church management software pricing to support your estimates.

Articulate ROI and Risks

Explain the return on investment by highlighting efficiency gains and potential financial or operational risks of doing nothing. Discuss features that save time, like automated tasks, volunteer scheduling, and real-time notifications, and how they contribute to the church’s goals.

Ask These Questions:

• What business problem will this software solution solve?
• What are the risks of doing nothing?
• What are the financial and operational upsides?
• How does this align with our strategic goals?
• What are the long-term benefits for our church community?

Additional Reading

My team and I have prepared an additional article for you, should you need to dig more deeply into the nuts and bolts of church management software. As well, we’ve crafted a high-level, ultimate guide to church management. I hope these are helpful!

– Josh

Step 5: Implement Your Church Management Software and Onboard Your Users

Plan a smooth onboarding process after selecting your church management software vendor. Here’s how to proceed:

Communicate the Rollout Plan

Clearly communicate the rollout plan to all church members, staff, and volunteers involved. Share timelines, goals, and expectations to ensure everyone is on the same page. Use meetings or emails to explain how the new chms will improve their work and what changes to expect, such as easier management of upcoming events and contact information.

Assign Internal Owners

Designate internal owners and points of contact for the rollout. These individuals should be responsible for overseeing the implementation and addressing any questions or issues. Having clear contacts streamlines communication and ensures accountability.

Ensure Training and Adoption

Make sure your team completes all necessary training and adopts the tool consistently. Schedule training sessions and provide resources like user guides, tutorials, or video walkthroughs. Encourage team members to use the chms regularly to build familiarity with day-to-day church administration.

Create Feedback Loops

Establish feedback loops to gather user input and improve the rollout process. Use surveys or meetings to collect feedback and adjust the implementation as needed. Engage with vendor resources for additional support and guidance.

Ask These Questions:

• What’s the change management plan?
• Who’s responsible for roll-out?
• How will you track early success?
• What training resources and tutorials are available?
• How will you gather user feedback during rollout?

Church Management Software Evaluation Template

My team and I have developed an evaluation template that’s been very useful in helping the various stakeholders in our churches assess the various church management software options. It’s a simple PDF download:

What’s Next:

If you’re in the process of researching church management software, connect with a SoftwareSelect advisor for free recommendations.

You fill out a form and have a quick chat where they get into the specifics of your church needs. Then you’ll get a shortlist of church management software to review. They’ll even support you through the entire buying process, including pricing negotiations and help you select the right chms for your church community.