Church Software Programs

[Maitane Roderiques]

Iagree to a point. Good church members, godly ladies, and sincere men should readily be about the business of the church. They should be ready to serve in the nursery, to attend a life group, and to take serve on the properties committee. If our church members do not do these things, we have a problem. Our churches have a problem. Only 16% of people who attend only the worship service are still in the church five years later.

To combat this problem, we try to plug people into every and any program. We create programs for our golfers, for young moms, for old moms, for senior adults, and for the youth. If you are alive, we have something for you. We tend to assume that getting someone into a program equals discipleship and growth.

Relationships built upon the Word of God are the power of the church. We exist not to run programs. We exists to stir each other up to good deeds. We come together as the people of God to call each other to repentance. We visit each other to encourage the weak and broken hearted. We are called to exist together in community because the community is where the gospel goes forward.

I think many in our churches today prefer programs over community because community is hard work. Most Christians do not want others to know their sins and to be called to repentance. If believers are doing well, they fear interacting with the hurting because the healthy do not know how to apply the Scriptures to life.

I do not believe we need to end all programs going forward. There is a place for all kinds of ministries ranging from food pantries to overseas mission trips. Yet, the ministries are only good if they foster relationships on the gospel. Yet, any program that distracts from community should be jettisoned and jettisoned quickly. If we refuse to confront a brother in sin, to hear the sorrows of our sister, and to bring food to the hungry because we are too busy doing gearing up for VBS, we have a huge problem. We have actually missed caring for the church in our effort to be the church.

If we do not get back to the basics of the church gospel proclamation and discipleship eventually our programing will fail. Our programs cannot restore the broken marriage, help the teenager overcome their eating disorder, and empower the child escape the burden of worry. The gospel preached through the mouths of our brothers and sisters can.

Because we desperately need our brothers and sister in Christ that God has given us, we must be willing to sacrifice all to have meaningful relationships with them. We must throw off every program that keeps us from living out the gospel together. Are you ready to deprogram your church?

The churches experiencing the most healthy growth tended to have a discipleship approach in the form of a path. Meaning, they had thought through how they could best help people along in their journey following Christ and offered them a series of next steps.

By contrast, many of the churches I see that are in decline have an overwhelming number of programs available to attendees and even the community, but no cohesive path that helps people learn which steps to take and when.

The advantage in having a simple, clear discipleship path over an assortment of programs is that you make it easy for new followers of Jesus to build important relationships at the right times in their journey. You give them space to ask their questions and opportunities to exercise their faith. You also make it simpler for church leaders and lead volunteers to not let people fall through the cracks, especially early on when they need the most guidance and time investment.

Directors of Christian Outreach (DCO) are critical to an outreach-oriented ministry team. They work locally and abroad to spread the Gospel to new members, often crossing cultural boundaries to build relationships. DCOs also work within congregations to support parishioners and the mission of the church.

Lutheran Classroom Teachers (LCT) have a passion for integrating faith into teaching. Their vocation helps students reach their potential while preparing for a life of service to the Church and world.

Features sidebars with even more holidays or themes to celebrate. Also includes material for a weeklong Dr. Seuss-themed VBS!The book also directs readers to a related website offering additional free programs and resources!

"Users of this manual will appreciate the background information and other helps for leaders, and participants will benefit from the worship emphasis, appropriate scripture passages, prayers, music, and other touches such as faith station ideas and fellowship extension projects. Simple in format and without illustrations, this book will be useful for church or home educators or volunteers wishing to commemorate holidays in unique and worshipful ways." —Congregational Libraries Today, Issue 1, 2011

"The activities are interactive, engaging and entertaining for everyone. The lessons have been designed for application to ones particular audience, situation and time constraints with special emphasis on worship and fellowship. This book is a good read for anyone who is tired of watching the widening generational gap but never has had a good tool to pull it back together." —YouthWorker Journal, January/February 2011

"This is a really handy, small volume that packs a big punch. There is a lot of information in this book that will help you plan exciting activities for your church throughout the year. There are special sections on holidays and liturgical days that were wonderful. I think this is a must-have resource." —reviewed by Pastor Pat C. on Book Bargains & Previews.com

"This book is a gold mine for any pastor, educator, or youth leader who seeks to recognize Christian and secular holidays as a congregation. Each holiday becomes an event with these fresh, thorough, and insightful celebrations." —Rev. Lynn Barger Elliott, Professor of Youth Ministry, Calvin College, Youth Ministry Consultant, Youth Ministry Architects

"The intergenerational learning idea is brilliant, because the kids get the attention they are hungry for from their elders and learn at the same time. I also like the mix of music the author offers. If kids don't get to sing some of the hymns and older choruses, they don't see the value in them. The Dr. Seuss VBS program is especially fun for kids and adults alike. All of these programs are very good!" —Laura W., Chippewa Lake, MI

"At a time when churches are deluged with a variety of rehashed and recycled resources, Rachel Gilmore offers us something new. Even better, she offers something that is both practical and fun, useful and user-friendly. Church Programs & Celebrations for All Generations is a great addition to the toolbox of any Christian educator." —Sam O'Neal, managing editor, SmallGroups.com for Christianity Today International

Rachel Gilmore, MEd, has twenty years experience working in nonprofit settings in the areas of Christian education and youth ministry (including retreat ministry), as well as volunteer management, program/event planning and facilitation, and public relations. A prolific writer, Rachel writes for Christianity Today's SmallGroups.com website and previously wrote a weekly column titled "Intersections...of Faith and Life" on frankfort.patch.com. She has had more than 200 articles published in local newspapers and national magazines such as Chicago Parent, Christian Parenting Today, DevoZine, Leader in the Church Today, Church Educator and Group magazine. She is a contributor to Best of Try This One: Most Popular Ideas from the #1 Youth Ministry Resource and Plugging in Parents: 200 Ways to Involve Parents in Youth Ministry, both from Group Publishing. In 2012, her story "Gracefully Grateful" will appear in The Magic of Mothers and Daughters, a new edition of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Program highlights include community-based advocacy and organizing in support of the West Grove Trolley Garage Campaign, halting the discriminatory placement of a City of Coral Gables municipal bus depot in the historically segregated neighborhood of Coconut Grove Village West; the East Gables Trolley Access Campaign, obtaining municipal trolley service for residents of the historically segregated MacFarlane Homestead Subdivision and the Golden Gates District of East Coral Gables; the Old Smokey Steering Committee-Community Stakeholder Organization, sparking the investigation and cleanup of nearly a dozen contaminated municipal parks and the class action litigation in Styles v. City of Miami; the Coconut Grove Village West Housing and Community Development Task Force Campaign, mobilizing a fair-and-affordable housing coalition of Black churches, civic associations, and tenant and homeowner organizations now operating under the auspices of Grove Rights and Community Equity, Inc.; Grace, Inc. v. City of Miami, facilitating federal voting rights litigation challenging city-wide racial gerrymandering; and the Freedom School youth education project in development with the Coconut Grove Ministerial Alliance and other Village West stakeholders.

The Center for Church Management fosters relationships and conducts analysis on the deepest needs in the church to offer a wide variety of general, specialized or partner-based programs to support church management education and research.

The Center for Church Management offers a Certificate Program in a webinar series. Twelve live, online seminars provide a high-level overview of church management for busy pastors, priests, business managers and other church administrators.

To earn a Certificate in Catholic School Management from the Villanova Center for Church Management, participants must complete the 12 asynchronous modules and attend all live sessions. Participants are expected to complete the program within 12 months of starting their first module.

Since 2017, the Center for Church Management has partnered with the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference (DFMC) to educate church financial administrators as they foster better stewardship of resources. The Center assists with continuing education for DFMC members and the creation, maintenance and administration of the Certified Diocesan Fiscal Manager (CDFM) Exam.

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