by Joel Comiskey

People often ask me to recommend a software program for doing cell reporting more effectively. I first like to remind them:

1. Statistical software for reporting won’t make leaders turn in their reports. This requires persistence and accountability.

2. Find something that is simple and user-friendly rather than complex and cumbersome

3. Use what works for you. In other words, only change if your current system isn’t working.

Here are a few options:

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel is easy to use and adequate for most situations. The great thing about Excel is that it’s easy to make print-outs to pass out to everyone on the coaching team. The weakness is data base storage—specifically tracking each member’s name and progress in the training track. After collecting all the individual cell reports, someone has to place the data in an easy to read excel file. Example of collected data below: .

 

	Actual	Cells that Met	Attendance	Conversions		Goal: new groups		Visitors in cells	Contact of Leaders
				Acu-mulated.	Actual	Act.	Goal		Personal or Telephone contact	Coaching Meeting
Pastor David Sanborn	15	12	79	2	0	15	17	3	7	7
Pastor Earl Clugh	22	15	109	0	0	22	27	7	10	4
Pastor Tom Scott	6	6	40	1	0	6	7	4	2	3
TOTAL	43	33	228	3	1	51	80	20	19	14

Weekly Report of Medium Range Cell Church (report small pastoral team)

 

	Cells that Met	Attendance	Conversions		Goal: new groups		Visitors in cells	Contact of Leaders
			Acu-mulated.	Actual	Act.	Goal		Personal or Telephone contact	Coaching Meeting
Jane Campbell	1	5	0	0	1	1	0	1	0
Andy Mack	1	6	0	0	1	2	0	3	0
Jim Johnson	1	10	0	0	1	1	0	0	0
Nancy Correll	1	7	1	0	1	2	4	1	0
Tim Duncan	1	5	0	0	1	1	1	0	0
Kirk Miller	1	12	1	0	1	1	0	0	0
John Jones	1	7	0	0	1	1	0	1	0
TOTAL	7	45	2	0	7	2	6	19	14

Weekly Report of Cell Church Plant (lone pastor with small group leader team)

Excellerate

Excellerate is a data software system that is designed for cell based churches (http://www.msdweb.com/ )Their web site states: “Excellerate was designed with Bethany World Prayer Center, one of the leading cell churches in America, and refined by hundreds of other cell churches around the world, to be a comprehensive, user-friendly solution for churches with small groups.” Excellerate will help you streamline the management and effectiveness of your small group church in all areas including:

• Small group management, reporting, leader development…
• Member tracking, counselings, development, follow-up…
• Classes, Organizations, Contributions, Pledges

The two strong points that stand out:

1. The ability to track each member’s progress on the training track
2. The ability to store loads of data about each person.

Churchteams

Churchteams software (www.churchteams.com) is all about simplifying the small group reporting experience. It’s extremely simple to use but powerful in its application. Churchteams software is entirely web-based. That is, the church doesn’t own the software but leases it on a yearly basis. The church places a link on the home website that redirects itself to churchteam’s website. Members, leaders, coaches, and pastors can access the church’s small group information at this website (although members can see less information than those in higher levels of leadership).

I was very impressed by how Churchteams has designed the reporting system. Emails are automatically sent out to the leaders reminding them to fill in their reports. Leaders need to only click ONE link in the email that will sign them in and bring up the report page. If the leader doesn’t fill in the report, the email will be send two days later, etc., until the leader fills in the report.

Churches pay an annual fee to use this software based on the number of church members. I personally like this software and find it adequate for most situations.

Perhaps you’re using another software reporting systen that works for you. Please share it with us.

 

Joel