Church Management Academy Blog - Knowledge, Tips and Tools

By Michael Castrilli

Which Church Financial Accounting Software Do I Choose?

“What is the best church financial accounting software?” If I had a dollar for the number of times I have been asked this question in a webinar or workshop, I would be rich! It is a great question and one that I like to answer as objectively as possible.

When you search Google for the question, over 87 million results are returned! Sorting through this maze of results can be overwhelming, to say the least.

For the record, I receive no advertising dollars for this recommendation, but there is one resource where I always send people – Church Leaders – Church Management Software Guide.

What I love about this site is that it allows you to “click” all of the features you are looking for in church financial accounting software. As you “click” through options, the list of available software options narrows based on the features you seek.

For example, are you interested in software that has Membership features? When you click Membership, the section opens a series of boxes that you can checkmark like, “tracks special events in the life of members” or “tracks attendance.” Maybe you are looking for website integration and you want to provide online giving, you can also select this option under Website Features. Ministry Tech by Church Leaders is also open about their disclaimer for those software companies that advertise on their site.

It’s a great resource! Check it out and let me know what you think!

https://churchleaders.com/church-management-software

By Michael Castrilli

Rx for Frustration = The Present Moment

It’s Monday Morning…and you’re halfway through your 9 AM meeting and your mind starts to wander…

You begin thinking about all of your To Do’s, a whole list of calls that still need to be made, even details left undone that you may have missed from the prior week’s work and you begin to feel a great sense of anxiety build within you! Sound familiar? You are not alone.

The feeling that you have too much to do and not enough time to do everything is common for so many busy professionals. However, what we forget when we become overwhelmed is that one of the key aspects of remaining productive in meetings is staying present. What I mean is that if you are always thinking about the past or the future, you are not really present to the individuals or the work right in front of you or around you.

Being present is more about listening well in the moment and fighting the temptation to dwell on the past or obsess about the future. When you are present, you stay actively engaged and allow the present moment to help you accomplish the goal immediately in front of you. The question then becomes, how do I stay present when I have so much on my mind? Here are a few tips.

1. Turn off technology

Turning off your mobile phone during meetings can help you stay focused and present. Even when your phone is silenced, you may feel this small vibration that is beckoning you to check out, or reminding you that someone or something wants your attention.

Turn it off and find your mind rests a bit easier. One hour with your phone off is not going to hurt anyone. Plus, you typically can’t respond during the middle of a meeting anyway, so turn it back on when you are done. This is a great cure for finding some quiet and focused mental time in a meeting.

2. Write it down and refocus

Instead of resisting all of the tasks pummeling your brain for action during a meeting, keep a piece of paper out and call it “Out of my mind notes” so when you think of something you must do, you can quickly write it down and refocus.

Often, people are fighting so hard to focus, they end up taking so much time resisting their own thoughts that they defeat the very purpose of their attempt to pay attention. Write it down and let it go. When a thought comes, write it down and you will allow your mind to rest.

3. People first

Next time you are in a meeting and your mind starts going crazy with thoughts, just smile and remind yourself of the principle I call People First. People First is the idea that when tempted by worries about the past or the future, focus on the human beings who require your full attention in this very present moment.

If you are so caught up in your own mind, you may miss the colleague sitting next to you who has offered a brilliant idea because you are so busy thinking about all that you have to do. It’s hard to obsess about To Do lists when you look people in the eyes and really listen to what they are saying instead of listening only to what your brain is telling you to think about.

With People First, remind yourself what’s really important – meaningful connections to the world around you. Great ideas may have come from thoughts, but human beings are the ones that actually made them become a reality.

Live in the present moment and focus on the people around you. It makes meetings better, your time more productive, and puts your To Do list in proper perspective.

By Michael Castrilli

Change Management for Church – How to Change Things When Change is Hard – Book Review

One of my favorite books on the topic of change management is Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by brothers Chip and Dan Heath (New York: Broadway Books, 2010). The book focuses on the question of why it’s so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our lives and how to overcome this challenge.

Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems one rational and one emotional. The rational mind wants to make a change, but the emotional system enjoys the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort – but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.

In Switch, the Heaths’ show how we can all confront this challenge of mind and emotion and make meaningful change in our lives at work or home.

Research, Engaging Applications, and Practical Solutions!

The book strikes a good balance between research, engaging applications, and practical solutions. If you are looking for a better understanding of why change is so difficult and how to overcome common roadblocks, this book is a great read. Let me give one example that I found very helpful. In Chapter 1: Three Surprises About Change, the authors explain that self-control is exhaustible.

The narrow sense of the word, as in the willpower needed to fight vice (smokes, cookies, alcohol)…but a broader kind of self-supervision. Think of the way your mind works when you’re giving negative feedback to an employee, or assembling a new bookshelf, or learning a new dance. You are careful and deliberate with your words and movements. It feels like there’s a supervisor on duty. That’s self-control, too.”

“…when people try to change things, they’re usually tinkering with behaviors that have become automatic, and changing those behaviors takes self-control. When people exhaust their self-control, what they’re exhausting are the mental muscles needed to think creatively, to focus, to inhibit their impulses, and to persist in the face of frustration or failure. In other words, they’re exhausting precisely the same muscles needed to make a big change.

Does this point resonate with you? It sure does with me.

Battle Your Rational Mind

As a facilitator, when I am leading a challenging session with participants who are trying to think in new ways about old ways of doing business, by the end of the day I am mentally whipped, and the participants are tired too. It’s not easy to battle your rational mind that knows you need to make a change, and your emotional self that resists learning a whole new way of doing something; it is exhausting. I think owning and recognizing this reality can help make any change process more manageable because, at the end of the day, you have a bit more patience with yourself and understanding for why this can be difficult.

Switch is a great read, and I highly recommend it.

By Michael Castrilli

Allow the Light to Shine Through

Truth and light are central tenets of our faith. Even though we know this in our hearts, as it relates to financial transparency, at times, we forget this in our heads.

I don’t believe that a majority of people are trying to deceive by their lack of financial transparency. In fact, I think many leaders believe that a budget completed alone is a budget completed better — fewer people, fewer questions, less anxiety!

But time and time again, church management researchers conclude the same point — financial transparency yields the best results — people are more likely to give, engage, and trust that their money is being well used.

“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31b-32)h –

As I was thinking about the topic of financial transparency and the freedom that comes from allowing light to shine on the truth, I remembered a story from grad school. My classmates and I were asked to come to the first day of class with a short one-page response to this question, “Is lying ever justified?”

Now I admit, I don’t remember the details of my paper, but I do remember my point – I firmly believed, and still believe, that lying is not justified. Trust me; I am not trying to sound like a saint. And yes, some of my classmates articulated very well that lying for the sake of public safety is positive, but I was not convinced.

My point is that even in public service, where the truth might be hard to hear, and even in the case of public safety people may panic — I believe that the truth gives people the freedom to panic — or the freedom to make a different choice. Instead of panic, what if people rise up and join together in a spirit of community to meet the challenge together? Without the truth, individuals and groups have no choice but to go forward in the dark — without the benefit of information and knowledge to decide the next right action.

Transparency is a commitment to openness in process, methods, and decisions.

The same can be said of financial transparency. Yes, parishioners will ask more questions when finances get discussed in public. But without a transparent, collaborative, and open budget process, it is far more likely that when difficult choices arise, the stakeholders without knowledge of the budget, will be less likely to support difficult trade-offs.

As non-profits, our profit is mission – people deserve to see how their money is being put to use to achieve that mission. Financial freedom does not come from worrying about what was created behind closed doors or justifying to others what was created in their best interest.

Freedom comes from opening financial doors for all to see.

Transparency allows the light to shine through all things — and we know from our faith, and from our lives, that when light shines through – it can be amazing!

By Michael Castrilli

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all of the followers of this blog and beyond. I am very grateful for all of your support.

Today is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Blessings to all of you and your families.

In Peace, Michael