I have been working with churches and their church management systems for nearly three years and one of the things that I find interesting is the fact that for some churches the ministries use of the central database is optional! The reasons vary from: the system does not do what we need it to do; it is too hard to use; there is not enough process discipline by the staff to use the same system.
Many churches we come across only have one or two people focused on the central database with the folks out in the ministries vying for themselves to collect and maintain the information. The responsibility for the quality of the data then resides with just a handful of people. However, the ministers and volunteers who actually work with the congregation are relegated to keeping their contact information in their personal files, Excel or perhaps a departmental solution like a Filemaker Pro database. Wherever the information is kept, rarely is it reconciled back to the main membership database. Does anyone else see a problem with this picture?
So the real question to ask, “Is your database an optional data source, an available data source or THE data source for your church?” If it is not the latter and you are not performing a synchronization of the databases, then whether you know it or not, you have a data problem. Data problems will manifest itself as a failed ministry and that, at the end of the day, isn’t that we are all accountable for?
Grace to you,
jhook