First Evangelical Free Church (First Free) of Manchester, MO, has many of the typical issues facing a large church. With an average Sunday attendance of 1,500 and growing, the administrative staff has become aware of the increasing need to streamline data and reports across their organization, enhance communication between staff, lay leaders, and members, provide the right tools for small group leaders, update their Web presence, and much more. But before they could start on any of these projects, they knew they had to gain a better understanding of their true needs and the potential of their current technology.
| "With so many goals and projects identified at the same time, we needed an implementation expert to help assess our needs, prioritize our goals and develop a phased implementation plan." |
| Jo Anne Moore, First Free Evangelical Church |
The database coordinator at First Free, Jo Ann Moore, contacted their longtime technology solutions provider, ACS Technologies®, to help them move their plans forward. Jo Ann states, "With so many goals and projects identified at the same time, we needed an implementation expert to help assess our needs, prioritize our goals and develop a phased implementation plan. So, I called on the ACS Implementation Team and Russ Fortier, an ACS Implementation Specialist, to guide and direct us."
Russ states, "The primary objective of my onsite visit was to complete a review of First Free's processes and data administration needs. This review helps me form a frame work for future onsite training and implementation assistance to better match the initiatives of the church's various projects. The review also presents a plan of action for implementing the desired initiatives discussed during the assessment.
"I met ministry leaders and department members throughout the day to learn their ministry needs and share with them how their ACS tools can be used to better impact their ministry. In order to discover the critical implementation and training needs, several meetings were conducted with the staff during my visit. At the end of the day, I brought all the group leaders together for a debriefing where I shared my discoveries and possible next steps. First Free currently owns almost the entire product offering of ACS Technologies. There is a desire on the part of First Free's staff and leadership to have a comprehensive review of processes and procedures completed concerning the use of all ACS products. The church is currently planning a twelve to eighteen month initiative in which the use of ACS 2007 will be optimized by the staff and Access ACS features launched along with an updated web presence.
"After returning to ACS, I reviewed my findings from the visit and further analyzed the solutions in use at First Free to create a Needs Assessment and an Implementation Proposal. The Needs Assessment is a summary of findings and suggested next steps for the church to meet the objectives described during the onsite visit. The Implementation Proposal is how ACS can partner with First Free to meet their objectives."
Jo Ann shares, "The ACS Implementation Team listened well as we described our vision for the future. Together, we set priorities and then the Implementation Team was able to suggest a timeline for accomplishing those priorities. By helping us assess our needs and goals, the Implementation Team was able to point us to ACS products that will best help in moving our church forward. I really appreciate that they were not pushing their products but trying to help us find solutions for the challenges we face. It's great to have a partner like that." After the assessment, First Free continued to work with the Implementation team to further fine tune their solution until it met First Free's exact budget, schedule, and objectives.
| "If you are a church struggling to stay abreast of how technology can help in your ministry, the implementation service is a great way to go." |
| Jo Anne Moore, First Free Evangelical Church |
Jo Ann strongly recommends the ACS Implementation service to other churches. She states, "If you are a church struggling to stay abreast of how technology can help in your ministry, the implementation service is a great way to go. The team has a great balance of understanding in both technology and the challenges churches face in ministry."
ACS Technologies Products and Services Used
People: Access ACS,People, Attendance, Contributions, Connections, Reservations, Special Mailings
Financial: General Ledger, Purchase Order, Accounts Payable, Fixed Assets
Church Growth Tools: Church Growth Tools, CASS It!, MAX It!, Ministry Scheduler
Services: Network/Multi-user, Implementation
About First Evangelical Free Church
First Evangelical Free Church's mission is "to make, to mature, and to multiply fully-committed followers of Jesus Christ in our community and beyond."
Web Site: efree.org
Learn how Implementation can impact your ministry, visit acstechnologies.com/implement or call 800.736.7425 and get going!
ACS Technologies Group, Inc.
ACS Technologies designs desktop and Web-based software solutions that help over 50,000 faith-based organizations manage their information better. We have been dedicated to serving churches, schools, and other organizations since 1978. To discover how we can further help meet your needs, call us today at 800.736.7425.
