Setting the Stage for Success
Prepare for Change
Implementing any Church Management Software (ChMS) is likely to cause change in many areas of your church. Getting everyone on your team ready for the potential changes that can happen in the organization is paramount to success. Help your team focus on the possibilities and not on the discomfort of having to learn something new. Give your team members an opportunity to voice their concerns and help them walk through the process. Align your team to the vision of how the system can help your church become more effective in the primary purpose of your ministry.
Cast the Vision
Oftentimes the decision makers who decide on adopting new church management software may not be the same people who use it on a daily basis. Generating buy-in from as many members of your team as possible is critical to the smooth implementation of the system. You must cast your vision of success early and repeat it often. Help them to envision how effective your church will be with Fellowship One. Communicate the unlimited possibilities that will exist when they can easily see the involvement of any person in the life of your church – from children’s ministry to small groups to volunteer service…and everything in between.
Select Your Champion
A Fellowship One Champion should be identified as early as possible once a decision to adopt Fellowship One is made. The Fellowship One Champion should be a fervent believer of the effectiveness of Fellowship One and have a vested interest in the mission and/or vision of the church. This person needs to be seen as a leader within the church and have an on-going leadership role in the organization; encouraging and assisting with the full adoption of Fellowship One by the entire church.
Scrub Your Data
If you have an existing Church Management System, begin to prepare for the switch to Fellowship One by organizing and cleaning up your data. Identify and delete redundant records, purge unnecessary data attributes, and identify the data elements you rely upon the most. Taking these steps early will help to ensure a smooth data conversion process from your current system to Fellowship One.
Mobilize Your Team
The key to successfully deploying new technology is a great team of people. Gain the full participation of your team by mobilizing them around the implementation of Fellowship One. Make sure that an example is set by leadership on the importance of the new system. With the investment of vital funds into the new software, it would be irresponsible to have anything less than full participation of the team in implementation, adoption and operation.
