9 Things To Be Grateful For as a Pastor

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During the holidays, there is an emphasis on gratitude and “giving thanks” but it can often be overshadowed by the messaging of Black Friday and the busyness of Christmas traditions and events.

As a church leader or pastor, you might take a moment to incorporate gratitude into your personal life or even study for a sermon on the topic. But if we’re honest, we can easily get so caught up in preparing for the Christmas season that we forget to truly pause and be grateful ourselves.

We may even be overwhelmed with the numerous problems we are asked to help solve, the daily running of the church, or even addressing the life challenges of our congregation during this time of the year. It can be a lot to handle, and all that gratitude can get moved to the backburner.

We are told throughout Scripture the importance of giving thanks and offering praise to God for all that He has done in our lives. Here are a few examples:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. – Psalm 103:1-5 (ESV)

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever! – 1 Chronicles 16:34 (ESV)

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. – Psalm 95:1-3 (ESV)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV)

Offering thanks and cultivating gratitude is an opportunity to orient our hearts to what God is doing and what He has been up to. It’s a reminder of what we should focus our minds on. By first ensuring our hearts and minds are full of gratitude and praise for the story God is writing in our life and our churches, we can trust that God will provide the outcome and bring about fruit from our faithful labor.

READ MORE: 6 Things to Keep in Mind for Your Christmas Service This Year

In the midst of the holiday season, consider taking a moment to pause and focus on gratitude for these things: 

1. What God is Doing

Take a look around your church. How are people growing and changing? Whose life stands out that God is actively working on sanctifying or at work in? Regardless of the size of your church, there are likely several people who stand out. God is actively at work in your church, its members, and even in your own life. Consider starting a list and adding to it each day. You may be surprised by how long it is and what God is up to!

2. What God Has Done

In Scripture, the Israelites would set up altars or stones of remembrance. These would serve as a physical reminder of when God came through for them, fulfilled His promises, or did miraculous things. We are a fairly forgetful people and can easily forget what God has done in our lives and around us.

Where have you seen God do incredible things? Could you set up something physical to help you remember all that He has done?

3. The Gifts God Has Given You as a Leader 

Many of us as church leaders can easily name all the things we are lacking or the talents we wish we had. But how often do we consider the gifts God has given to us? Rather than falling into the trap of comparison, focus on all the ways that God has uniquely equipped you for your current position.

4. Your Congregation

Not only are your congregation the people whom you have been called to minister to and shepherd, but they are the people who will do much life alongside you and your family. Give thanks for their role in your own story!

5. Your Community

Where is your church located? What is the community around it like? What is the incredible mission God has put you on at this moment in time in your unique community. Give thanks to God for the opportunities and consider the ways you can communicate your appreciation for being a part of your greater community. 

6. Your Family 

Family is something that is too easy to take for granted or it can feel like it’s a challenge to get enough time with them. Your family is one of the greatest gifts God has given you, and is something to thank God often for!

7. Your Staff

Your staff often share the responsibilities that allow the church to function efficiently. They too answered the call to serve the Lord and live out the mission of your church. They partner with you day after day to serve your congregation well. From the big things to the small things, our staff is worth our gratitude and appreciation!

8. Your Volunteers

A church can’t run without faithful people serving by giving their time, talents, and resources. They make it possible to offer nursery services, VBS, Awana, worship, and other programs at your church. How can you express gratitude to your volunteers in a heartfelt way this holiday season?

9. Your Friends

Who is your support system? Who comes to you to give rather than receive from you? These are the people who seek ways to feed into your soul, allow you to be vulnerable, and truly cherish your friendship. Give thanks for the breath of fresh air they are in your life.

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As pastors, church leaders, and followers of Christ, we are called to have a heart of gratitude and offer praise to God.

Consider ways you can continue to cultivate gratitude in your daily walk either by starting your daily devotion time with thanksgiving, keeping a gratitude journal, or even setting up a physical reminder of all the things you have to be thankful for.

Our team here at One Church Software is cheering you on!

Do you have a church management system or are considering switching? You can try One Church Software FREE for 14 days to see all the ways it can help you care for your members, empower your volunteers, and serve your community.

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6 Things to Keep in Mind for Your Christmas Service This Year

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Christmas is a time when there is hustling and bustling in stores, people are visiting relatives they haven’t seen all year (or longer!), and when it comes to church, you’ll likely see a few more new faces.

Whether it’s the sporadic member, the major-holiday-only attender, new guest, or even a relative of a regular attendee, this is a time of year when you are likely expecting additional people to connect with your church in some way. For many, this will be the primary time those individuals will connect and receive encouragement from a church in the year.

What an incredible opportunity we have!

As we enter this season, here are a few things we want to encourage you to keep in mind for your church Christmas service(s) this year:

1) Life is full of disruption and worry.

It wasn’t that long ago that we were all collectively navigating a global pandemic. For many, this year has been full of health challenges, work stressors, economic fears, and so much more. Those who participate in your Christmas services are likely carrying stress and worry. The best way to support your community this holiday season is to make sure your church is a place where they can find stability and hope.

2) Be sure you have a first-time visitor follow-up process.

After new visitors walk out your door, do you have a plan to connect with them? Invite them back? Take some time before new people arrive to make sure you have a clear follow-up process. This is important to have set up year-round, but it’s doubly important around the holidays. And if you already have a follow-up process, take some time to review it before your Christmas services.

3) Don’t be afraid to approach Christmas traditions with innovation.

Think back to 2020: Churches had to consider how to reach people when they couldn’t gather together in a physical space. As a result, many churches got creative with ways to connect with their community and offered additional resources to promote connection. While in-person gatherings have returned to their usual capacity, that doesn’t mean you should forgo a fresh approach this year.

Online resources, livestreams, video calls, and group study guides are a great way to reach a wider base of people than you may be able to with a physical service alone.

4) Make sure you are engaging people outside of Sunday.

We have a tendency to focus all our efforts into our Sunday service or Christmas Eve services, but what about the other six days of the week? Instead of only focusing on the service, plan ahead to have encouraging emails, text messages, weekly resources, or even some Christmas cards throughout the holiday season. Also, consider how you can be a special blessing to people around this season. If there is someone that doesn’t have family around to celebrate Christmas with this year, invite them to an event, go caroling at their house, or do something special to remind them they are valued and supported.

5) Don’t wait until next year to review how your Christmas service went.

If you don’t take the time to do this right after your church Christmas service, then it will likely be 11 months before you consider it again and, by that time, you won’t remember. By taking the time to review what you did well and what still needs improvement while it’s all fresh in your mind, you’ll be that much more prepared for next year!

6) Let the Truth of this season impact your heart, too.

It can be easy to get wrapped up in decorating, planning the message, and making sure that the service is just right that you forget to let the truth of Christmas impact your own heart. This is the time of year that we remember the incredible truth that Jesus came to earth as a humble child, fully experiencing our humanity, to freely offer us salvation, redemption, and hope. Don’t merely focus on communicating this truth to others; be sure to meditate on it in your own life and walk with God.

This Christmas, remember that the most important thing you can do is to share the Good News with others. That our voices might join in with the shepherds, wise men, and angels in saying, “…I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people…” (Luke 2:10 ESV)

Merry Christmas from all of us here at One Church Software!

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How to Cast Vision for Your Congregation

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Casting vision is one of the core responsibilities of a leader. Being able to translate the mission of who you are as a church and communicate where you’re headed is what inspires unity and purpose throughout your congregation. When the vision is understood, everyone can work together towards that future.

Casting a vision for your congregation gives clarity of where your church is headed, provides inspiration about the future, and unites everyone around what your church is doing. This can feel like a daunting task at times, though, can’t it?

Here are some of our favorite tips on casting vision for your congregation:

1. Make Sure You Have a Clear Mission

Vision starts with mission. Vision is about how you’re accomplishing your purpose even better in the future. So if your unique mission is a little fuzzy, set aside some time to answer this question: Why does our church exist in our community at this time?

That mission is the core of who you are as a congregation, and who you are in the context of a larger surrounding community.

Your vision is the expansion of that mission. It is the place that God is calling you to that will extend that mission in even greater ways. Vision is the picture you can paint for the people you lead of where you all are headed, together.

2. Dream and Plan With Your Team

Vision clarity starts with your core team of staff and leadership. Before you consider casting vision for your congregation, make sure you have a plan in place on how you will accomplish it. Your team will be able to provide feedback, identify ways you can practically accomplish the vision, and help you discover the pieces of the puzzle that will help the church move forward effectively.

Let the vision breathe, change, and expand as you share what God has placed on your heart with your team!

3. Connect Exciting Vision Initiatives Back to the Mission

It’s always exciting to share vision initiatives with your congregation! But we can forget to connect these back to the mission, which is who we are and why we exist as a church.

It’s important that exciting new goals don’t get communicated as goals for the sake of goals. By sharing how new vision initiatives connect back to your mission, you can ensure your congregation remembers your greater mission and how this particular initiative fulfills your church’s purpose.

4. Remind People of the Vision and Mission Often

Perhaps you’ve heard the famous leadership principle: “Vision leaks.” This is very true! Vision isn’t something you can set once and then forget—this is something we have to consistently nurture.

In order to do that, we need to be talking about our vision and mission often! Doing this not only keeps it at the forefront of your congregations’ minds, but will help them actively look for opportunities to move towards that vision in their daily life.

5. Let Yourself Be Excited!

Casting vision is something to get excited about. God is at work within you, in your church, and in your community! Let yourself dream and get excited about how He is at work.

When you lead from a place of excitement, it becomes contagious. This is one of the core ways of how your congregation can “catch” the vision and how your church can become eager to move forward in unity.

Your congregation needs to be aware of your mission and vision. They need to be connected to the future goal. Without that connection, it’s like running a relay race with only half of your team showing up to run! We hope these tips have inspired you to cast vision in a way and support the people you lead in getting involved in the work God has called you to accomplish.

Do you have a church management system or are considering switching? You can try One Church Software FREE for 14 days to see all the ways it can help you care for your members, empower your volunteers, and serve your community.

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5 Tips for the Children’s Ministry Leader Navigating Fall Kick-off

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Children’s ministry directors, teachers, and volunteers are often the unsung heroes of your church. Each week they organize a host of volunteers, plan the teaching curriculum, and the same person that heads Sunday programs is often the same person that also handles summer ministries and Wednesday evening programs without skipping a beat.

As you make the shift from summer programs like VBS and return to your regular Sunday School, Awana, and any other fall programs, your team may find yourselves feeling excited and even a bit overwhelmed.

Before you get too deep into planning mode, we have a few tips to help you navigate your fall program kick-off with ease!

1. Remember the importance of what you do.

In all the hustle and bustle of planning, organizing, and more, it’s easy to lose sight of this important fact. There are several passages in Scripture that point to this. Jesus reminds of this during His ministry on earth and we should follow His example by recognizing the unique calling we have been given.

Mark 10:13–16:

“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Mark 9:36–37:

And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Proverbs 22:6:

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

2. Don’t be afraid to try something new.

It’s valuable to have tried-and-true resources and curriculum, but don’t let that stop you from trying something new this fall. There are a ton of great resources out there that can bring a fresh outlook to your fall ministry. You may just find a new favorite!

Explore. Innovate. Get excited about something fresh.

3. Make sure your volunteer roster is up-to-date.

Volunteers are a HUGE part of what makes your ministry function. Without them, you can’t be as effective or reach as many children with the Good News. 

Take a moment to check in with your volunteers and ask if they’re ready to renew their commitment to be a vital part of your ministry again this year. Update their preferred schedule and contact information so you can be sure to effectively communicate any changes or serving schedules throughout the year.

4. Share encouragement and resources with parents.

In addition to your ministry kick-off, parents are navigating new routines as their kids return back to school. This is often a high-stress season of the year for parents. Any resources, tips, and added encouragement during this time can go a long way in letting parents know that you care about them on the days of the week their children aren’t at the church

This is a great moment to send encouraging Bible verses, back-to-school tips, prayers, and more.

5. Remind volunteers how to help children move up to new grade levels.

The fall is a time when many children are moving to the next room in your children’s ministry and it is helpful to remind volunteers how to help children make that transition smoothly. It may also be beneficial to allow parents to bring their children early to tour their new room. Remember to make this a time of celebration as kids move up to their new grade!

This transition in your ministry is the perfect time to renew your calling to serve the children of your community. We hope these tips help you kick-off your fall children’s ministry well! We are cheering you on!

If you don’t yet have a Church Management Software, this is a great time to see how One Church Software can help manage every aspect of your children’s ministry from kids check-in to volunteer management. Try it out free for 14-days!

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10 Encouraging Bible Verses for the Pastor Preparing for the Fall

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Can you believe that summer is almost over?!

The summer season can tend to be a slower time in ministry with many college students returning home for the break, families participating in summer sports, and vacations that cause your attendance to drop.

As we move into the Fall, all of that is about to change as many people will be returning to their normal rhythm, which includes participating in your Sunday and weekday programs (WOO! 🥳). As you prepare for this shift, we want you to do so with a renewed vision and excitement for what God is going to do in your congregation and through your ministry!

To help you start planning for this new season of ministry, take a moment to reflect on these 10 encouraging Bible verses:

1) God will give you direction.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

You don’t have to have all the answers figured out as you approach this next season of ministry. Place your trust in the Lord and He will direct your path and nourish your ministry.

2) God answers prayers.

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. – Psalm 145:18

We serve a God who not only listens to us when we call out to Him but one who answers us! How great it is to know that He cares about all our worries, stresses, and what is happening in our day. When we pray to God, He will answer us.

3) God loves you with an immeasurable love.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39

When was the last time you pondered this? God loves us so much that He sent His own son to die for us. That is love beyond measure! There is nothing in all creation that can remove us from God’s love. What an incredible encouragement!

4) God provides wisdom.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. – Psalm 32:8

It is encouraging to know that God doesn’t expect us to have all of life figured out. He provides instruction and teaching to help us grow and mature. Part of this is through Scripture, but it is also through a relationship with Him and the experiences He guides us through.

5) We have good work to do.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9

The ministry you do day-in and day-out can wear on you and you may begin to feel discouraged. While this work is not easy, it is good! Scripture reminds us that our struggle is for the souls of the people in our community. While things may feel dark or particularly difficult at this moment, don’t give up.

6) God satisfies our desires.

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. – Psalms 103:1-5

Consider this: God doesn’t merely give us what we need, but He takes the time to understand the desires of our hearts. And He satisfies them with good things. God deeply cares about our well-being and the satisfaction of our souls. That kind of care is worthy of praise!

7) God extends mercy to us.

…he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit… – Titus 3:5

It is because of God’s mercy that He saved us and made us a new creation. And not only that, but He renews us through the Holy Spirit. It is encouraging to remember that we are saved not because of anything we have done, but through the mercy of our Heavenly Father.

8) We find our strength in the Lord.

The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. – Exodus 15:2

It can sometimes be hard to find the inspiration to lead your church well, especially if you are feeling discouraged or weak. It’s important to remember that God lends us His strength and comes to our defense. We can always find our strength in Him.

9) God is our source of peace even in the midst of troubles.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. – John 16:33

God reminded us in Scripture that we will face many troubles. But He also reminds us that we have peace in Him. We can take comfort in knowing that He has overcome the world already!

10) We have power in Christ.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:7 

We have a tendency to forget that God has given us power among other gifts. How can you be bold in this upcoming season of your church to accomplish the mission God has for you?

We hope this has encouraged your soul as you look to the season ahead and all God has in store for your church. As church leaders, we have been given a special responsibility to nurture and shepherd the people of God within our care, and it’s important that we let God’s truth nurture our own soul first so we can minister out of the overflow.

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What 6 Church Leaders Are Saying About Moving to One Church Software

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With so many options for your Church Management Software (ChMS), how can you tell which one is the right choice for your church? Sometimes once you select a ChMS and work to implement it, you discover that a key feature you need costs extra, it isn’t as good as you thought, or there is little-to-no support offered.

To help take some of the guesswork out of picking a ChMS, we asked church leaders what they thought of our software after making the switch to One Church Software.

Check out more reviews for One Church Software here >>

“Reliable, stable, consistent” – Andrew K., Lead Pastor

Our team loves that they only have to learn ONE software to handle our needs. It’s easy to connect with, easy to work with, and the OCS team is VERY responsive to our needs and requests. We love the ability to easily facilitate prayer requests and make the interactions live.

“OCS is teaching us how to be a 21st-century church!” – Jane. R.

We switched to OCS in February 2020. OCS has served our church of 300+ members well throughout the pandemic and beyond! We are working smarter to utilize connection and involvement features. We enjoy how the design of One Church supports our mission to build a supportive, inclusive community that can use technology tools to worship, grow, learn, and work for justice.

“The best church software.” – Mike P.

This software is user-friendly and intuitive by design! The best features are its automation capabilities for follow-up and assimilation. But the report builders are set-up in such a way that even a non-tech-savvy person, like myself, can use them with ease. Having this one-stop shop helps our church stay organized and keeps all of our ministries connected.

“An all-in-one solution that won’t nickel and dime you.” – James D.

OCS has one price for all features, unlike other softwares that charge you for “extras.” They take many solutions and combine them into one great software! OCS includes everything you need from church accountability, text-to-give, text and email communication, easily generates giving reports, and provides some things we didn’t even know we needed!

“Membership Software with Communications Simplified” – Scott G., Pastor

Maintenance of distribution lists has always been an issue when we utilized Outlook and Server software. OCS is a single location to handle all of our communication needs! We have made a great deal of use of the built-in communication capabilities to keep everyone in the loop.

“Great software, even better service.” – Nick P., Children’s Minister

We struggled to know who was a part of our church and how connected they were. But with electronic check-in for children’s ministries and adults, we now have a clear picture of who is engaging with our community. One Church Software is also a great solution for managing teams, organizing groups, communicating with members, teams, and more. With the ability to set up automation, you can focus your attention on getting processes set up and then letting the system do the heavy lifting. OCS comes with a free hour of in-person training with membership.

We set out to make a ChMS that did one thing—helps church leaders. We didn’t just want to design software that handled the technical side of ministry. We created one that would help church leaders care for their members, empower their volunteers, and serve their community better.

When you have a ChMS that handles the behind-the-scenes stuff well, you have extra time to do what you do best—care for the souls of people. You don’t have to take our word for it! Test out our software free for 14 days and see for yourself!

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6 Tips for Church Leaders Navigating the Summer Slump

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As the warmer weather approaches, calendars fill up with vacations, sports, and other fun activities to take advantage of the summer sun! If you are a church leader, you have probably seen how this season impacts attendance at your church.

This dip in attendance is commonly referred to as the “summer slump.” Churches see attendance hit an all-time low as the snowbirds return to their summer homes, college students travel back to their home states, and parents are looking for ways to occupy their kids during the break from school.

Even after years of recognizing this as “normal,” this can be a discouraging reality for leaders. We can start to see it as a setback rather than an opportunity. We can focus in on the stark difference from where we may have been a month ago in comparison to where we are now.

While you can’t bypass the summer slowdown/slump altogether, we’ve got a few tips for church leaders to help deal with the summer slump and prioritize your church calendar:

1) Set Realistic Expectations

This is first for a reason. It’s important that you intentionally don’t become discouraged when you see the summer slump start to impact your attendance.

It truly is normal for the large majority of churches to see a dip in attendance, and it is in some ways unavoidable. By setting realistic expectations, you can guard yourself against feeling major disappointment or discouragement when those numbers start to dip.

Your expectations and goals may even need to change over the summer months in comparison to the rest of the year. You may find yourself targeting different types of goals during this season (such as vision clarity, team growth, or digital ministry milestones rather than attendance metrics).

“Even after years of recognizing this as ‘normal,’ this can be a discouraging reality for leaders. We can start to see it as a setback rather than an opportunity.”

2) Get Creative with Your Ministry

During the summer months, it might be difficult for some people to show up on a Sunday morning consistently. But that doesn’t have to mean they want to be disconnected from their church community during this time.

Look for ways to minister to your members and community outside of your prescribed service times. Look for local festivals, events, and service projects that you can participate in as a church and have a presence at to invest in the community.

This typically requires creativity, and that can be an exciting opportunity for you and your team to problem-solve together. Rather than focusing on the question, Why aren’t our people showing up right now?, we can focus on, What creative opportunities are there to show up for our community in a fresh way right now?

3) Prioritize Digital Ministry

If you haven’t already, this is a great time to consider digital ministry options that people can partake in whenever it fits their schedule. Some questions to ask: How can we add value to people’s spiritual life through a digital ministry? Can we provide resources for a family worship night? Or maybe bite-sized devotionals that can easily be done in 5-10 minutes? The possibilities are endless to provide alternative ways to keep people connected to your church online.

This is a great time to be reminded of the reality that digital ministry is not “second-rate” ministry. When we can show up in meaningful ways in the places that our congregation and community are spending time, we have the opportunity to make a real difference in their day-to-day life. That’s exciting!

4) Make Giving Accessible

Just because people are less likely to be physically at your church every week over the summer doesn’t mean that they don’t want to give regularly. Make sure your giving is accessible to those members with busy schedules.

Online giving is a great way to provide flexible options to your members, whether they want to give once or set up a recurring monthly gift. Make sure your members know online giving is an option before the summer slump is in full swing!

READ MORE: How to Know if a Church Giving Solution is Secure

“Just because people are less likely to be physically at your church every week over the summer doesn’t mean that they don’t want to give regularly.”

5) Plan Ahead for the Fall

Remember all those times that you’ve wanted to do some strategic planning, but have felt too “in the weeds” of the day-to-day requirements of church leadership?

This might just be your opportunity!

With a decrease in attendance, the summer slowdown is the perfect time to review and plan for the Fall and the vision your church should be pursuing moving forward.

Set aside some time to review any systems you currently have in place and see if there is a way to improve them. When involvement gets more consistent, how will your ministry need to change? What initiatives need to be planned out now to be most effective? What goals and milestones feel important for the church as a whole to pursue and champion together? What major areas of growth do you and your team have?

6) Provide Special Events for the Whole Family

With children out of school and one or both parents working, it can be difficult to find events the whole family can enjoy. Take note of the demographic of your church: Do you have more families, singles, or young couples? Then look around to the demographics of your community: What kinds of events will serve your community best?

Depending on what you find, you might consider offering VBS, movie nights, water park days, or picnics in the park. By offering events that help bring the family together, you can make sure connecting with your church feels beneficial to those you’re trying to reach and doesn’t feel like another obligation to fill-up their busy calendar even more.

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The summer slowdown/slump can be discouraging if you aren’t prepared for this season and don’t adjust what your church offers to support your community. If your church needs help setting up online giving or adding systems to be better prepared to get back into your stride in the Fall, now is the perfect time to try out a demo of One Church Software.

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7 Common Issues with Church Websites

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It’s 2023, so your church has likely had a website for quite some time! But did you know there are common issues that may be deterring visitors from your church’s website, or communicating messages you don’t want to be sending? Thankfully, there are simple checks you can do to see if these obstacles are impacting your website.

1. Missing Service Times or Physical Address

Helping people get connected to your weekend services is typically a primary push for church websites. However, it’s very common for us to take a look at a church website and not be able to find a physical address for the church or the times services take place. Let’s remove barriers by making sure that information is as accessible as possible!

For any website, it’s pretty common to list a physical address in the footer (the bottom of each page) of the website and on a contact page if you have one. Those are likely the first places people will look. You may consider putting service times near where your address is listed as well as on the header (the top) of your home page so they can’t be missed.

2. SSL Certificate Errors

It may sound complicated, but it’s actually super simple to check if you have an SSL Certificate Error. Check your browser’s address bar right now (if you don’t know, the address bar is where you type in the web address). There is a locked padlock to the left of our web address of onechurchsoftware.com. That locked padlock is a sign that the information shared through the website has been encrypted. This is especially important if you offer online donations, but it is also the industry standard for almost any website nowadays. If you don’t see that locked padlock, you’ll want to get in touch with your website hosting provider or try checking your site through https://www.whynopadlock.com.

3. Outdated or Inaccurate Privacy Policy

Another important consideration for your website is, if you collect any sort of information from visitors to the site, then you are required to have a privacy policy. And even if you aren’t required to have one, it’s still a good idea. By having a customized privacy policy, you show visitors that you are good stewards of their information. If you need some help coming up with a customized privacy policy or just want some more information, we recommend checking out this article.

4. Sermon Archives are Difficult to Find

Do visitors have to click more than three times to find where your sermon content is located on your website? If so, then it’s too hard to find. When visitors want to get a taste of your church or if members want to catch up on sermons they missed, it’s important to make them easy to find and well organized. If you utilize our sermon archive through One Church Software, then we’ve already done the hard work for you to keep your Bible teaching organized and easily accessible for others to enjoy. One Church Software also integrates with YouTube and Vimeo to make video hosting a breeze.

5. Target Audience and Next Steps are Unclear

Many church websites tend to talk to insiders first, instead of targeting people who are not yet a part of your community. And even when church websites target the right audience, the next steps to get connected are often unclear. Should they be reaching out for more information, “Planning a Visit,” signing up for a resource, watching a sermon, or something else?

Be sure to define the next steps you are wanting to lead people towards, and make those next steps as clear as possible on your church’s website.

6. There’s No Contact Form or Clear Contact Information

If people have questions, we want it to be as easy as possible for them to reach out and get those questions answered. The most common way for that to take place on websites is through a contact form (or something similar, like a chat function—that’s what we use here at One Church Software).

In addition to a form, making sure your contact information (phone, email, address) is clear limits frustration and ensures that people can get in touch with your church easily when they need to.

7. Your Website is Disconnected From Other Tools

While this may not only relate to your website, integration across all the tools your church uses saves you a lot of time and makes you more effective in ministry. Too many churches are using different tools for everything from registering for a special event, email sign-ups, event management, volunteer organization, texting software, and online giving. Having to maintain that many systems can get exhausting. Not to mention that it can create confusion and makes it difficult to manage all those systems.

One Church Software is an all-in-one system that connects everything together. If you don’t already have a church management software or if the one you have doesn’t take the place of additional tools, try out our free demo video to see how One Church Software can help.

You don’t have to be a tech wiz to have a website that welcomes visitors and serves your current members. By making sure your church website doesn’t have any of these common issues, you can rest easy knowing that it shows care to your members and guests and points them to resources that can connect them to the life of the ministry.

If you found any of these issues with your website or want some help getting an all-in-one technology solution to help you care for your members, empower your volunteers, and serve your community, we’d love to connect. Give us a call at 855.932.2060 or take advantage of our free trial.

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6 Common Easter Planning Mistakes to Avoid

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Did you know that more people search for “church” online around Easter followed quickly by Christmas? As we know, these are the two most popular Christian holidays for non-regular churchgoers to step through your church’s doors.

For many churches, this is one of the biggest opportunities of the year that we have to not only invite people into your church, but to minister to their hearts.

That puts a lot of pressure on church leaders as they plan for Easter! Whether this is your first time planning an Easter service or your twenty-fifth time, we’ve got 6 common Easter planning mistakes to avoid:

1. Starting late.

At the time of this article, we are just under a month away from Easter. While every church is different in terms of staff, creative teams, in-house graphics, and marketing, if you haven’t started planning your Easter service yet, you should get started!

We think a good rule of thumb is to give yourself approximately eight weeks to plan, set up, and implement every part of your Easter service. But we would also recommend having a vision meeting in the first two months of the year. This will allow your team to have the time and space necessary for great ideas to be developed.

But if you haven’t done any planning yet, don’t be discouraged! It is possible to pull off a well-put-together Easter service in four weeks. We would encourage you to make sure to pull in extra staff and volunteers to help make sure you have the best plan possible. And remember to watch out for the other mistakes to avoid on this list.

2. Leading from duty rather than conviction.

Easter is the “Super Bowl” of church holidays and because of that, it can feel like we have an obligation to plan something big and spectacular. Let us not forget the real reason Easter Sunday is such a big deal. It isn’t because we have an opportunity to grow our church attendance numbers and it isn’t about fulfilling a line on your job description.

Easter Sunday is about helping people encounter the life-changing love of Jesus!

In order to do this, you need to consider how you can give yourself space for God to bring you a fresh conviction of the truth we celebrate at Easter. This week and the weeks leading up to Easter, set aside time for the Spirit to remind you of this truth.

3. Assuming your team is bought in from the start.

Your team is going to put in a ton of time and energy to make your Easter Service possible. It is crucial that they understand and have “caught” the vision of what will take place the day of. You can’t just assume they are bought into the purpose and vision that needs to inform the work they will have to do to make it all possible.

Take some time upfront to cast a vision for what you are hoping to achieve on Easter and how that reaches other people with the Good News. Be sure to share the why and help them see how their specific task connects to the overall purpose of the service. By doing this, you will energize them in the part they are playing to make it all possible!

4. You don’t give a reason for guests to fill out a card (physical or digital).

Easter Sunday is often one of the highest-attended services of the year. If you don’t have a way to collect people’s information, you aren’t likely to see them again until next year. Most churches have a church visitor card, whether that be a digital or a physical card. But what we often forget is to give people a reason to fill it out and turn it in.

People are much more likely to share their information if they are receiving something in return. A great idea that we’ve often heard is to offer a $5 donation to a charity that guests can choose from on the card. This is a great, community-centered way to incentivize guests to fill out a connection card and make follow-up possible!

5. Forgetting to clarify your follow-up process.

Once the service is over, we tend to let out a sigh of relief, maybe sleep in a little on Monday, and then bring in donuts for our staff to celebrate. But what happens next is truly one of the most important parts of your church’s connection with new people!

What are the next steps you want people to take as a result of your Easter service? How are you going to engage them after they leave the building? Don’t wait until after your Easter service to develop the plan here!

Take some time to consider what next steps you are leading people towards, especially those who are new. Then consider how you will prompt them to take that step. One Church Software can help you automate some of this process (even some of the follow-up)!

Read more: 6 Processes You Should Automate in Your Church

6. Prioritizing production over purpose.

Our desire to have a powerful Easter service can easily lead us into thinking that production is the most important part; how we perform and if we created a great experience for guests. But we need to remember that the purpose of Easter is not the production of it all. It’s okay to have a flashy production and special effects so long as we don’t get fooled into thinking those are the most important elements of your service.

The entire service could “fail” with microphones cutting out and musicians off-key and church leaders stumbling over our words, and Christ can still be glorified through it. The purpose of Easter is simply this: to celebrate Christ and to share clearly with others why we do so. 

We are praying for you, and we can’t wait to hear the stories of how God shows up in your planning, in your service, and in your follow-up this year!

If you don’t have a church management system or are considering switching, you can try One Church Software FREE for 14 days to see all the ways it can help you care for your members, empower your volunteers, and serve your community.

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10 Reminders of Who Your Congregation is in Christ

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As a church leader, do you ever feel like it’s easy to become distracted from how miraculous and powerful our identity in Christ is? We rush about our duties to serve the church, but how often are we reminded to see people for who they truly are? Specifically, for who God says they are?

We can get so preoccupied with making sure the slides are ready for the sermon, the floors have been vacuumed, parents have adequate childcare, and the bathrooms are fully stocked with toilet paper (which, of course, are hold some importance) that we can unintentionally overlook the jaw-dropping, astonishing, and remarkable reality of who we all are in Christ.

To help reorient our hearts for those we lead around these truths, here are 10 reminders of who your congregation is in Christ:

1) They are forgiven.

Not only did they receive forgiveness at the point of salvation, but this forgiveness doesn’t stop there! It is an ongoing event that can never run out. Because they are still being sanctified, they will continue to need and have access to forgiveness.

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:13-14

2) They are adopted.

This means that they are elevated to a position in God’s family. Like an orphan, they previously had no rights in the family of God but once they were saved they gained access to the benefits of being in the family of God!

“He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” – Ephesians 1:5

3) They are Christ’s ambassadors.

Christ has charged believers with being His ambassadors here on earth. That means they have been charged with sharing His light with the world and representing Him. As their shepherd, teacher, and encourager you have been given the responsibility to equip them to do this work.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20

4) They are blessed.

God has blessed His people beyond measure! This is not something He is required to do but that He chooses to do! This isn’t something we have to earn or are rewarded with for good behavior. Your congregation has and is being richly blessed by their heavenly Father.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” – Ephesians 1:3

5) They are part of the body of Christ.

Just like our human bodies, the body of Christ is made up of unique parts. We have a common mission and have each been given unique talents and roles within that body. Your congregation is to come together with their unique parts to receive mutual encouragement, be made complete, and perform the work that God has for them.

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” – 1 Corinthians 12:27

6) They are free.

As Christians, it’s important to remember that we were set free! We are no longer held captive by sin and that comes with immense relief and freedom.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1

7) They are citizens of Heaven.

As Christians, our hope is not in this life on this earth. We are but foreigners. Our true home is in Heaven and we look forward to knowing we will be there one day!

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…” – Philippians 3:20

8) They are a new creation.

Your congregation is not just given a new identity when they are saved, they ARE a completely new creation. The miraculous work of the cross has made them brand new with new desires and hopes.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

9 They are a friend of Jesus.

Have you considered the weight of this? The God of the entire universe calls us friends. We are a part of His inner circle and share a bond with each other!

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” – John 15:15

10 They have direct access to God.

No longer do we have to go through the ritual of the Holy of Holies or rely on a priest to communicate with God for us. Because of the Holy Spirit, we can talk to God as if He was sitting right next to us. He hears His people!

“For through him we have access to the Father by one Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:18

These are just a few reminders of who your congregation is in Christ (there are, of course, much more in Scripture). As church leaders, we have been given a special responsibility to nurture and shepherd the people of God within our care. These truths should be a reminder of how important that task is that God has called us to do!

Consider how you can lead your congregation this week to remind them of these truths. How can you support them in embracing who God says they are? 

Don’t forget that all of these reminders are for you too! Why not go back through the list and swap out “they” for “I” in each of these reminders?

If you don’t have a church management system or are considering switching, you can try One Church Software FREE for 14 days to see all the ways it can help you care for your members, empower your volunteers, and serve your community.

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