I created this video not only because I talk to, email and communicate with many church secretaries, administrative assistants, and church office professionals, but also I have done the secretarial and communications work in various amounts, for many years for my husband who is a bi-vocational pastor. This is a job with tremendous responsibilities and needs if you are going to do it well. However, often the church office is often the last place to get the resources they need.
Please, if you are in a leadership position, take a few minutes and watch this with your church secretary. and pray about all you can do to build up and encourage each other.
One more idea for leaders—take a few minutes to share with your partners in ministry (secretaries and staff) what you wish they knew.
Then take time to pray together about all you can do to build up and encourage each other.
This video is free, but the handouts are only available to ECC Members. Not only handouts, but many, many templates, ebooks and other resources are available to ECC MEMBERS. To find out more and to join, CLICK HERE.
The video and PDF handouts follow.
Handouts that go with the video above:
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The PDF handouts, these go with the video above, just click on the image to download them.
I’m looking for a church filing system including label names for categories, building history & maintenance, vendors, personnel records, etc. through membership events, baptisms. I have some ideas but think that there is probably something out there that is already set up.
I have used a “File Systems” in my past career with another job. They used to have one for churches, but no longer do that one. It was color coded in about 4 – 6 categories.
p.s. I introduced our new pastor to your emails & he like them so much that he prescribed to your site himself. thank you for your ministry! You are unique & certainly a God-send.
Sandy,
Thank you for your kind words and I am very excited your pastor signed up!
As to the filing system, one of our writers, Gayle Hilligoss, wrote this very helpful article:
https://www.effectivechurchcom.com/2010/08/six-steps-to-simple-filing/
Other than that, if you Google: “Church Filing System” there are some interesting entries.
So many of the systems now are part of your church management software
and many “files” are moving online. One key thing on either paper based or virtual files would be to be certain you have off-site, preferably “in the cloud” back up systems. The weather today is so uncertain (wonderful we serve a certain God!) that you want to be sure the essential information about your church is stored somewhere that even if the church itself would be destroyed, you could recover important records.
Hope that helps a bit!
Blessings,
Yvon
Sandy,
Here is another article I found quite useful on filing:
http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200304/052_off02_filing_sb.cfm
You can tell when you are gifted in this calling of working in the church office–we actually get excited about filing! Yvon
Yvon,
You are such a blessing to this ministry.
I do have one question regarding membership information. I have taken on the duties of church clerk as well as the church secretary so was wondering how other churches collect information on visitors, new members, old members, etc. We have Logos software but it is only as good as the information you put in so if you might have some suggestions on what procedure most churches use when a families join the church. Who, what, when, where, why all of those important information collecting tools.
Thanks ever so much for your kind attention.
Lisa Galloway
My book on Connection Cards, as already mentioned, is a great resource–but wondering if anyone else has ideas on this? Please add to comments if you do. Thanks so much!