This was some of the destruction in Joplin, Missouri.
A number of twisters wrecked through the South this Spring.
As most of us move on, there are thousands of lives that are still struggling and dealing with the effects of such a natural disaster.
It was interesting to see how technology can play in a disaster situation, not only from the news and reporting stand point, but in the aid efforts as well.
Take Fellowship One, for example:
With Fellowship One’s mobile apps, Churches were able to access their entire Church database right from their smartphone.
In the middle of all the Alabama devastation, Churches were able to organize relief efforts, but contacting their entire membership directory, thus serving their community when it needed it most.
Steve Blair, one of the pastors at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama, a city hit by the April storms, took charge of relief efforts for their church and began coordinating the efforts of other churches immediately after the storms hit. The church used Fellowship One to reach staff and key leaders to begin responding and built a special landing page on their website to provide up-to-date information and route the people, supplies and resources to the appropriate areas.
So far, the Church was able to raise over $629,000, 50,000 man-hours of volunteer time, and handled 50 tractor-trailer loads of food and supplies for the Birmingham and Tuscaloosa areas.
This is a prime example of how we, the technologists of the Church, can empower and boost the power of the Body of Christ. You, the ChurchMag reader, are an essential cog in the wheel that reaches and touches the community by way of your glowing monitor and clicking keyboard.
Another interesting thing can be learned from these disasters. Those Churches that kept financials, membership records, documents, etc … on a Cloud system, didn’t lose any paperwork.
So, when we review and report on ChMS software on ChurchMag, it might be a good idea and take a look. Learn about what software is out there to help manage and operate your Church.
I know, personally, that since I began keeping a pulse on these different systems and software, that I have been seriously impressed and would encourage every Church to find a ChMS that fits their needs and size, and use it!
Be encouraged, Church technologist, and go forth and be more active in the gifts God has given you!
[via Fellowship One | Image via twi$tbarbie, Ben Dodson & Andres Rodriguez]
@austinklee says
That’s another great reason to use the cloud or to outsource some of your church’s functions such as accounting!!
8Bit already has that protection with us! – http://8bit.io/partners/dime/
Eric Dye says
Word. 😉
Jeff Hook says
Eric,
Thanks for encouraging churches to use their church management software, whatever it is. Too many churches avoid the full capabilities of their software because it’s more work and it gets relegated to be simply a glorified Rolodex. The more data a church tracks about its congregation, the better reflection that data is to the actual people and the better the congregation can be served – and serving each other, isn’t that what it’s all about?
Keep up the good work!
Grace to you,
Jeff Hook
General Manager of Active Faith, providers of Fellowship One
Eric Dye says
Keep up the great work, guys!