Our church ended up going with Vanco for our online giving. We called the company we got our church database software from (Servant Keeper) and that's who they suggested. Their customer service is very good and it integrates with our database so we can download transaction information for yearly totals and whatnot. I don't remember what the pricing information ended up being though.
We just started having outdoor services (we're in northern NJ). Our church is fortunate to have a large hill behind the church lined with trees at the top for shade. Our Plan B in the event of bad weather is to cancel the outdoor portion and livestream the Pastor and Praise Team. I don't think we'll be having services in the sanctuary until it's safe to have the majority of the congregation back in there.
NJ laws currently allow for 100 people indoors or 25% capacity, whichever is lower, but religious and political groups can have unlimited numbers outdoors as long as we social distance and take precautions.
We have a worship team that leads us during services, but with all the COVID restrictions I honestly don't see us having choir right now. Maybe things will be different by the time Christmas rolls around, but it might be safer to wait until next year.
You could encourage the congregation to send cards or notes if you have a lot of non-techy members. Depending on your area's guidelines, you may be able to have a drive-through or drive-by celebration of some kind.
A few years ago, our church did a study using the NIV Once-A-Day Morning and Evening Bible. I don't remember what the inside of the book is like, but our pastor had created a weekly reading guide and little devotionals and Q&As to go with it that we printed everyweek with our bulletin.
Back when Advent started, one of our volunteers put together take-home Advent wreath boxes for families to light during the holiday season. Depending on what your restrictions look like, you might be able to put materials or activity ideas in boxes for home use.
There are companies, like Orange Kids Media, where you can buy access to videos and resources that you could post on your website for the kids to watch at home as well. They have different programs for different age groups, like one for Pre-K, one for kids, and one for teens.
I'm not a youth anymore, but my friends and I have been engaging in weekly game nights online. You might be able to find different online games that you could play together online by streaming through Zoom or Discord.
I don't know if it counts as a logo, but we have a stained glass window that we use as our image on basically everything (website, Facebook, bulletin covers, newsletters, etc.).
When our church presents the proposed budget at the yearly Congregational Meeting, we have separate line items for our minister's salary, for wages for paid employees and those who get some kind of stipend, and for some of the expenses related to them (employment taxes, pulpit supply, accountant fees, etc.). In years past, we broke down the expenses related to benefits, but this didn't happen last year (we went through some big changes over the past few years, including a new pastor and new financial secretary).
Hi Jay. Our church also uses Servant Keeper and we use Vanco for online donations. We picked Vanco because that was the service recommended by Servant Keeper.
Hi Jonathan. Honestly, our church has not done this, but I am curious about this as well. About a year ago, our church couldn't get enough volunteers for our GEMS program and they had to take a year off, but we still had enough volunteers for Cadets for that to be possible. Part of me wondered if it would have made more sense to try a co-ed group instead of two separate groups, but the church's goal was more to give volunteers a year off and to find GEMS counselors for next year instead.
Do you have any type of outline for what your co-ed group would look like? Like would you still call it GEMS and Cadets or would you come up with a new name? Would you still follow GEMS/Cadets curriculum or would you come up with something completely different?
I'm sorry I don't have an answer to your question, but I would really like to know how this works out for you and your church.
Posted in: Choosing a Digital Giving Company
Our church ended up going with Vanco for our online giving. We called the company we got our church database software from (Servant Keeper) and that's who they suggested. Their customer service is very good and it integrates with our database so we can download transaction information for yearly totals and whatnot. I don't remember what the pricing information ended up being though.
Posted in: Where Is Your Church at in the Physical Reopening Process?
We just started having outdoor services (we're in northern NJ). Our church is fortunate to have a large hill behind the church lined with trees at the top for shade. Our Plan B in the event of bad weather is to cancel the outdoor portion and livestream the Pastor and Praise Team. I don't think we'll be having services in the sanctuary until it's safe to have the majority of the congregation back in there.
NJ laws currently allow for 100 people indoors or 25% capacity, whichever is lower, but religious and political groups can have unlimited numbers outdoors as long as we social distance and take precautions.
Posted in: How Will Your Choir Look This Year?
We have a worship team that leads us during services, but with all the COVID restrictions I honestly don't see us having choir right now. Maybe things will be different by the time Christmas rolls around, but it might be safer to wait until next year.
Posted in: Celebrating a Pastor Who Is Leaving?
You could encourage the congregation to send cards or notes if you have a lot of non-techy members. Depending on your area's guidelines, you may be able to have a drive-through or drive-by celebration of some kind.
Posted in: Use Devotional Instead of Sunday School Materials as Weekly Study Guide?
A few years ago, our church did a study using the NIV Once-A-Day Morning and Evening Bible. I don't remember what the inside of the book is like, but our pastor had created a weekly reading guide and little devotionals and Q&As to go with it that we printed everyweek with our bulletin.
Posted in: COVID Reopening Resources?
Hi Alana,
For attendance registration, there is a free website reopen.church that lets you create a online place for people to RSVP to services.
I don't know where you are in reopening, but another resource is Cool Church Solutions came out with a free ebook that provides checklists and tips for prepping your building: https://www.smartchurchsolutions.com/resources/ebook/covid-19-and-church-facilities-are-you-prepared/
Posted in: Youth Ministry Ideas or Resources During COVID?
Back when Advent started, one of our volunteers put together take-home Advent wreath boxes for families to light during the holiday season. Depending on what your restrictions look like, you might be able to put materials or activity ideas in boxes for home use.
There are companies, like Orange Kids Media, where you can buy access to videos and resources that you could post on your website for the kids to watch at home as well. They have different programs for different age groups, like one for Pre-K, one for kids, and one for teens.
I'm not a youth anymore, but my friends and I have been engaging in weekly game nights online. You might be able to find different online games that you could play together online by streaming through Zoom or Discord.
Posted in: Does Your Church Have a Logo?
I don't know if it counts as a logo, but we have a stained glass window that we use as our image on basically everything (website, Facebook, bulletin covers, newsletters, etc.).
Posted in: How Does Your Church Do Photo Directories?
Thanks Tim! We have a ChMS program that we use (Servant Keeper). Which one do you use?
Posted in: Share Wages for Ministers and Church Staff?
Hi Bob,
When our church presents the proposed budget at the yearly Congregational Meeting, we have separate line items for our minister's salary, for wages for paid employees and those who get some kind of stipend, and for some of the expenses related to them (employment taxes, pulpit supply, accountant fees, etc.). In years past, we broke down the expenses related to benefits, but this didn't happen last year (we went through some big changes over the past few years, including a new pastor and new financial secretary).
Hope that helps answer your question.
Posted in: What Vendor Do You Use for Online Giving?
Hi Jay. Our church also uses Servant Keeper and we use Vanco for online donations. We picked Vanco because that was the service recommended by Servant Keeper.
Posted in: Anybody Combine Gems & Cadets Into One Group?
Hi Jonathan. Honestly, our church has not done this, but I am curious about this as well. About a year ago, our church couldn't get enough volunteers for our GEMS program and they had to take a year off, but we still had enough volunteers for Cadets for that to be possible. Part of me wondered if it would have made more sense to try a co-ed group instead of two separate groups, but the church's goal was more to give volunteers a year off and to find GEMS counselors for next year instead.
Do you have any type of outline for what your co-ed group would look like? Like would you still call it GEMS and Cadets or would you come up with a new name? Would you still follow GEMS/Cadets curriculum or would you come up with something completely different?
I'm sorry I don't have an answer to your question, but I would really like to know how this works out for you and your church.