Heart
The membership database or church management system (ChMS) is a fundamental tool in a church’s IT support infrastructure. Changing or replacing it will impact people. They’ll feel the change.
Because changing the system creates some additional short-term work for those directly involved in the conversion project and can add temporary hassles for others, people can sometimes lose their perspective on its importance.
You must emphasize to your staff and congregation that the heart of your ministry will not change because of Fellowship One. Reinforce to your staff and congregation that the core of the church’s mission and purpose will never change. The forms may change, but the function never will. You restore people’s perspective when you say, “Yes, we are changing this part of our ministry, but it’s just a tool, it isn’t the core - here’s what will never change…”
• You are changing some methods, but not your message
• You are changing some technologies, but not your tenants
• You are changing some processes, but not your principles
• You are changing some computers, but not your commission
• You are changing some software, but not your soul
Often technology gets a bad rap for many reasons and often feels like a weighted change within the Church. If the staff, congregation and leadership are able to place the change in perspective, it can help them adapt. Next time we will dive deeper into the third letter of the acronym, Adapt.