How to manage a church

Churches, even small ones, need organization

Your church is just starting out. And in the beginning, you’ll likely have a pretty small congregation and a calendar that isn’t exactly overflowing with events. In the beginning you might also be frustrated by the lack of donations. Be patient. You’re starting small, and things are still in the early going.

That said, it’s never too early to get organized.

Your small church needs organization in the same way that a Joel Osteen megachurch does — just on a slightly smaller scale. You have members, volunteers, -possibly- board of directors, donation tracking, and events to worry about even in the beginning. And getting in the habit of staying organized is one of the best ways to ensure the continued success of your church. After all, you’re a preacher. You want to worry about building strength through faith. You don’t want to worry about keeping records.

Church management software systems

You can’t do it all alone. By design, churches are nonprofits that aren’t exactly overflowing with resources. You’re relying on the goodness of others — so you likely can’t afford a massive staff to help with administrative work. Luckily, there’s church management software out there that can help you.

Other than donation collection, how can Jotform help you manage your church?

In the following sections, we’ll explore some of the ways Jotform can come in handy for things beyond donation collection. After all, your church doesn’t exist just to drive donations. It’s designed to make a difference in the lives of its congregation. Here are a few places where Jotform can help:

• Events and retreats. If members of your congregation are traveling with your church, you’ll need a lot of planning to make it all come together. This is where forms can help out. And for any event, such as a charity auction or bake sale, having forms to get everything squared away can take a lot of stress off your shoulders.

• Competitions. These are an underrated way to engage your church — and they require plenty of setting up. From registering entrants to hiring volunteers, Jotform can come in handy along the way.

• Bible camps. These camps are popular for a reason. They engage the young people of your worship space in a hands-on, memorable way. But there are lots of moving parts when it comes to running a camp, and having a lot of online forms can make sure everything functions smoothly.

• Baptisms. Baptism is a life-changing event — make sure the application and invitation process is smooth by using forms.

Read on to see the actionable steps that can get you up and running with the necessary forms for the above situations.

Managing church camps

Sometimes the most fulfilling church experiences happen outside the walls of your church. Camps and retreats are a great way to get a change of scenery, explore new places, and establish opportunities for connection among the members of your church. They’re also one of the best ways to get different demographics within your church involved. You can have camps for young children, retreats for older individuals, or parent-child adventures.

Youth camps are a popular choice for a reason. They engage young people with their church, getting them out in the world so that they can practice their faith in an exciting, hands-on way. Youngsters also get to meet new friends and be with people their own age in a comfortable environment. So many attendees of youth camp make memories that last a lifetime — and these are memories they carry with them as they grow and continue to practice their faith.

A camp also takes a great deal of organization. You have to keep track of registration, find volunteers, and have donation machinery in place that enables you to run fun events like summer camp. You may even seek legal advice from time to time. There are additional considerations to keep in mind. For instance, maybe you need to keep track of children’s food allergies because you’ll be eating on the trip. Or maybe the attendees will get T-shirts for the retreat, and you need to know their clothing sizes.

Jotform offers several form templates that can help you start and manage your camp. Here are a few that stand out:

• The general camp registration form helps you collect nearly all of the necessary information in one place. Customize the form to meet your needs. And if you want to use a registration form specifically designed for Christian camps, you have that option as well. These forms make it easy to collect any payments that might be needed as well as emergency contact information from registrants. You can also collect parental consent in a snap.
• Running a camp for adults? Jotform has a template specifically designed for that. The form includes large text fields where you can include medication information, allergy information, and other necessary medical history that should be known before the camp commences.
• Want to ensure you get the best camp counselors possible? Jotform’s extensive library of employee application forms will certainly come in handy. Jotform also has forms that can help you evaluate your staff so that they know what areas they’re performing well in and where they can improve.

There are a lot of forms to collect when running a camp. From parental consent to permission slips to necessary medical information, you’ll have a lot to keep track of. Why not keep it all in one place, in an easy-to-navigate spreadsheet? With Jotform, that’s your reality. And you can also receive email notifications as forms are filled out so that you can keep track of registration.

Vacation Bible school

Young people are just learning their way around their faith. As they mature, they’ll learn more and more about how they relate to their faith and their fellow churchgoers. This is a special time where young people need to be invited into the church with a welcoming, open-minded tone.

A major part of this process is educating these children about their religion. This involves learning about religious history and — most notably — the Bible. The Bible will be the thing they turn back to throughout their religious lives, and they may carry the lessons they learn about the Bible while they’re young with them throughout their lives.

The Bible is not always an “easy read.” And any parent knows how hard it can be to get their child to read. That’s why churches like to find ways to make Bible school more exciting. Oftentimes, that involves getting out of the classroom and into the world. Learning about the Bible amid nature or in a new environment brings added power to the Bible’s teachings — and it helps children learn biblical lessons in a lasting, unforgettable way.

Jotform provides all sorts of forms to help organize and run your vacation Bible school:

• Instead of a paper signup sheet, use a vacation Bible school registration form. This makes registration easier for both parents and church staff.
• When taking care of children, no matter their age, you want to be aware of everyone’s health status. Are there medications certain attendees need to take? Are you dealing with any allergies or chronic illnesses? Medical history forms are the ideal way to collect this information.
• It’s important to get parental consent before any programming that involves minors. These forms are a good way to get the information you need — which ideally includes some emergency contact information so that you know who to reach out to.
• If you need to collect money to cover expenses, you’ll want to consult Jotform’s vast store of payment collection forms. Popular payment processors like PayPal and Stripe can be integrated into your forms.

Managing baptisms and christenings

Baptisms and christenings are a huge part of the Christian religion. They’re an important, sacred introduction to the faith. They are also beautiful, memorable ceremonies that bring people together around their faith. And your church can be the site of these moments. But in the same way you plan for a birthday or wedding, you need to plan for a christening. And if you’re the church hosting the baptism or christening, you’ll need to stay organized.

Here are some online forms from Jotform that can help you when planning a baptism or christening. Some of these forms can be distributed to members of your congregation to make their planning process stress-free.

Baptism registration form. This form enables people to apply for a baptism. It asks for their basic contact information of the whole family. It’s a straightforward, organized way to keep track of applications and introduce people to the faith in an efficient, effective manner.

Baptism request form. Once an application has been reviewed and you’re ready to move forward with a baptism, send the individual the baptism request form. It gives people the chance to select a date and shows them the dates that are available so that you can avoid time conflicts and get everyone baptized in a timely manner and on a schedule that works for your church.

Christening invitation form. Once a family has decided to have a christening at your church, distribute this form to your congregation so that people can RSVP. There is also a space for special instructions if more information needs to be added.

Christenings and baptisms are part of what makes churches feel so special to so many. These are events that stay with people for a lifetime — and they happen under your roof. Ensure you use the resources at your disposal so that you can plan and execute these events with care.

Managing competitions

Churches can be a venue for certain special events and competitions. These events can raise money for the church or for a cause close to a congregant’s heart. Possible ideas include charity 5Ks, swimming competitions, baking contests, or other forms of competition. The decision is yours.

During the planning process, you’ll need forms to help with registration, donations, and other informational materials. Jotform has the templates you need to make setup a breeze. Here are a few that stand out as particularly helpful:

• 5K run registration form. Organizing a 5K is a great way to raise money in a fun way. 5Ks are short enough that you can attract runners from a variety of skill levels. People can even walk the five kilometers and raise money in the process. This form helps you collect the information that you need so you can get off to the races.
• Swimming competition enrollment form. Swimming is one of the best types of exercise you can do. And organizing a swimming competition is a great way to get your congregation active for a good cause. These competitions are particularly fun during the summer when everyone can gather outside and watch the contestants take to the water. This enrollment form will be a good way to easily sign up individuals who are interested in competing.
• Photo contest form. It’s not all about physical activity. You also have a bunch of church members who are artistically inclined, and a photo contest is a great way to engage them. You can even theme your contest and give it a faith-based purpose. This photo contest form helps people easily submit their stunning work so that they can be reviewed by a panel of judges.
• Art competition form. Maybe instead of photography, you have artists in your church who are skilled with a paintbrush. Run an art competition to engage their creative juices and have your entire congregation vote on the winner. Help them submit their work through this form.
• Singing competition form. Move over, American Idol. It’s time to pluck some of the best singers from your choir and get them to face off in a thrilling charity singing competition. Have each entrant pick their favorite religious song — anything from a hymn to a Christian rock song — and gather the church to crown a winner!
• Dance competition registration form. It’s time for your church members to show off their moves in a dance competition. These contests combine art and physical activity…and may lead to a few laughs if a contestant has two left feet. Have your brave dancers sign up for the competition through this form.

Competitions at your church bring people together and engage your congregation in a new and exciting way. They also raise money for a good cause. So the next time you’re planning a competition, be sure to seek out an online form that can help with administration.

Managing volunteers

We’ve discussed how important it is to have volunteers to help you out with the day-to-day administration of your church. If you’re planning events or running retreats, you’ll want some volunteers on hand to assist you.

But there’s quite a bit that goes into securing volunteers. You’ll need a thorough vetting process to ensure you’re working with people who share your vision and are upstanding members of the church. Here are some forms you’ll want to use through this process:

• Volunteer application form. A thorough application process is a good way to ensure you find the right talent. Of course, this is a volunteer position, so you don’t exactly get to be very choosy. But you still want to collect the right information so that you can weigh your volunteer options and keep all applicants’ information on file.
• Background check form. If your volunteer efforts are a bit more involved, you’ll probably want to run a background check. This gives you some insight into a volunteer’s work history so that you can be sure they’re someone you want working with your church.
• Simple time sheet. Keep track of the shifts and hours your volunteers are signing up for and showing up for. This simple time sheet puts all of your time keeping in one place so that you can stay organized and cover all of the necessary shifts.
• Job satisfaction form. Are your volunteers getting something out of the work they’re doing with your church? Ideally they should be. And if not, they can voice their concerns and preferences in this job satisfaction form. Then you can work to design a volunteer experience that suits their needs.

Your volunteers become part of the family at your church. And these forms help you find the right people, collect the necessary consent forms, and ensure your volunteers are finding value and satisfaction in the work they’re doing with you. Happy volunteers are one of the first steps toward a happy church.