Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2018 12:38:18 -0000
We are still using the Finance/Contributions module and wonder if any of you
have converted to the Accounting/Donations and think it is better. Someone
talked to CW support and heard there are some issues with the new Membership
module with something to do with Microsoft.
We do intend to go to the cloud based version but some of the users feel
more comfortable saying with Finance/Contributions. We never get updates
except for payroll and hope they continue to support it.
Thank you.
Elaine Barkan
Assistant Treasurer
BuxMont UU Fellowship
Warrington, PA
208/$280k
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 12:30:56 -0000
Has anyone used Breeze CMS? Our church, 250 members, is considering switching from Powerchurch to something else.
Thanks,
Mark Dickens
Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville
250
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 12:33:21 -0000
Why change? I've been very happy with PowerChurch?
Al Gundlach
Finance and Database Director
First Unitarian Church of Rochester
220 Winton Road South
Rochester NY 14610
(585) 271-9070 x103
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 12:43:52 -0000
Yes, we switched to Breeze (from Church Windows) in November. We love it.
Lea Smith
Concord, NH
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 13:20:49 -0000
We switched from Church Windows to Breeze 2 or 3 years ago and really like
it.
Mary Ellen Johnson
Unitarian Church of the North Hills , Pittsburgh
200 members
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 14:05:13 -0000
I'm curious what you felt PowerChurch was lacking?
Al Gundlach
Finance and Database Director
First Unitarian Church of Rochester
220 Winton Road South
Rochester NY 14610
(585) 271-9070 x103
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 14:21:24 -0000
Our users say powerchurch is clunky, non intuitive, difficult to use.
Breeze seems the opposite. We?ve bought the training but they say it hasn?t
helped. I?ve not used it myself. How long have you used powerchurch? Are
you a programmer?
Mark
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 14:56:04 -0000
I have a finance and general business background. I started working with PowerChurch 11 years ago and found it to be one of the easiest systems I've ever used (and I've used many). I never took any training or received any training from my predecessor. I found the manual to be very easy to use (unlike most manuals I've read), simple and straightforward. Just by playing around in the system I felt comfortable with the system very quickly. The few times I've needed help I've found their support staff in Asheville to be very good.
Has your staff used the PowerChurch support staff? If there are things your staff are having problems with, I'd be happy to talk with them. Unless they have run across things that they need and PowerChurch can't do, I would think it would take much left effort to master use of the system already in place than go through a system change which can be a ton of work. There may also be an issue of losing history in a new system which I feel is important.
We are a large UU Church with close to 800 members and 200 pledging friends. We use the Membership, Accounting (G/L, A/P & A/R) and Contributions modules and love the way everything in integrated into one common database. We also like the ease of pulling data into Excel files.
Let me know if there is anything I can help you with.
Al Gundlach
Finance and Database Director
First Unitarian Church of Rochester
220 Winton Road South
Rochester NY 14610
(585) 271-9070 x103
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 20:21:05 -0000
Does Breeze have a cloud version? We're not looking to learn anything new
after using CW since 2001.
Elaine Barkan
BuxMont UU Fellowship
Warrington, PA
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Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2018 12:19:39 -0000
Breeze is only cloud-based. our church switched to it last summer. it's
very easy to use & easy to customize - and not just as you're beginning -
any time along the way. the Breeze folks will help you with the
conversion/upload of your data; i did it myself so i could really
familiarize myself with the system as i did it - somewhat time-consuming,
but i'm glad i did it. they have some great instructional videos and tech
support is very responsive and helpful. the one thing Breeze doesn't do
that our previous CHMS did is set up easy-to-use e-groups; there's a way
to do it if you're in Breeze but they don't provide email addresses that
can be used from an email program.
--
Laurie Lantz
Congregational Administrator
Countryside Church UU (300ish members; $475K)
1025 N Smith, Palatine IL 60067
847-359-8440
www.ccuu.org
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Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2018 15:00:20 -0000
It seems Breeze only deals with membership and contributions. We like the
integrated Church Window Financial module which works in coordination with
contributions and the Payroll module, which we use for our child care
workers, which coordinates with Finance. None of us know how to use
Quickbooks.
Elaine
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Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2018 15:07:50 -0000
Subject: keeping up with the technology....other products offer more.
Having worked in the field teaching and supporting end users in-house
beginning before there was a(n IBM) PC, I find the back and forth on this
list, at times, more distressing than helpful.
"Computers only know two things and do but three," reminds us that they are
platforms for software tools designed by committees of experts in the field
the product is to support and craftsmen whose talents are best expressed in
the design and construction of digital products intended to serve the needs
of end users who are too often expert in neither field.
End users are studied to learn how they perceive what occurs 'on screen'
(output) as they tap a key combination or move the mouse or ball (input).
I worked on such a project at IBM some forty years ago.
Similarly, those who would write Church Management Software will study how
their potential customers and target audience perform the task with pen an
paper, then create tools that allow repeating the process 'on a desktop.'
The industry itself is in a constant process of renewal and the 'experts'
are often relatively young and focused rather narrowly upon that which
they've 'discovered' or created for the marketplace.
End users, on the other hand are focused upon the demands of their
profession, finding the virtues in the product so long having served the
function intended using the hardware 'that still does the job.'
I've had clients that resisted purchasing color monitors because, a Title
Company, all their work product was simple black and white forms and the
product at hand was doing the job "quite nicely, thank you."
Others who generated significantly more consulting work as they regularly
sought the latest devices or software featured in the venerable PC Mag.
I would suggest that one consider the idea that form follows function so
that the first consideration in a discussion of the allure of the Breeze
relative to the Church Windows would be a statement of what one was doing
with their current software, where they felt their current product failed
them and what they were expecting in their 'ideal' product.
Frankly, there is little need to adopt 'new(er) technology' to manage
accounts and membership roles and such.
Where volunteers find the software unhelpful, replacing the software is as
likely to prove helpful as not once the training and transition stages are
complete. What might best serve the frustrated volunteer, is and effort to
document the 'issue' methodically and present this to the vendor. Many
'issues resolve to differences in perception and or terminology as between
designer and end user.
As to switching because the other product offers more (or even much more) -
that depends upon exactly what the more' is.
I've often thought that I would buy a car that had power windows on all but
the drivers side window. That one is invariably the first to fail, the most
frustrating when it fails and significantly expensive to repair or replace
at the same time it is the least necessary given the proximity of a working
human hand and arm. Now, this matters less if one trades for a new vehicle
every year or two. of course.
KIS (Keep is Simple) seems the best approach for a church dependent upon
the generosity of a vacillating number of congregants with competing
demands upon the donations.
By the way, if your church maintains a webs presence and owns its own
domain, it essentially owns it's own 'cloud' - but that's best addresses
with the techies among you.
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Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2018 18:05:02 -0000
Subject: keeping up with the technology....other products offer more.
Thank you for your in-depth and thoughtful reply.
In our case, the software we were using was not providing the functions that we desired. We had a relationship with the company for many years and knew that the functions we desired would not be provided by this company in the near future. There was a need for "newer" technology. We spent a great deal of time determining our needs, weighing the pros and cons, and test driving products.
I'm not here to sell any particular software product or to guess what other churches may or may not need. All I can do is share my experience - and it is that a change in software improved church administrative functions considerably. I could have hobbled along with the other product but chose not to do so.
(It would be helpful if those posting to this listserve would identify themselves. Thank you.)
Darlene Sarkela, Congregational Administrator
Olympia UU, WA
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Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2018 13:49:03 -0000
So sorry 'bout that. Assumed my email address was displayed
charlessenf at gmail.com
Little UU in Lenoir, NC