Tips & Tricks on Access ACS from a Church Administrator Kirsten Pelton Foundry United Methodist Church

Foundry United Methodist Church Kirsten Pelton Foundry United Methodist Church Washington, DC kpelton@foundryumc.org 202-332-4010 ext. 219

The Key to Access ACS is to Roll It Out Pick one reason as the first and main reason to roll out Access ACS: directory, small groups, online giving… Once you have your reason, market the roll out as that reason. Explain the benefits to the congregation. Once people seem comfortable with that original reason, add on the addition options (example: original reason was directory…now roll out small groups or online giving). Rolling things out one at a time will not only allow the congregation to adjust, but also the administrators to adjust to the back end.

Roll Out Materials from ACS To get help with presenting Access ACS to your congregation: http://apps.acstechnologies.com/solutions/AccessACS/default.asp You will have to login with your ACS pin number Materials include: Letters PowerPoint presentations Bulletin inserts… All can be custom altered to fit your congregation.

Directory Tips If your church is focused on congregants caring for congregants (or has an attachment to a printed directory), then this is the place where your church should start. Always require any changes a member makes to their profile to need approval - creates a change request. This will ensure you maintain your database standards/integrity. Push your members to keep their records up to date. Several times a year make a call to your members to check their information – verbal, print & electronic. Do not take changes via phone or email.

Directory Tips (con.) Ensure anyone who can add a new person understands all the information they need to provide and knows the church’s database standards. Create a process to eliminate the possibility of duplicates. If you do not upload everyone in people suite to Access ACS (and you should not), then there is the possibility that the person being added in already in your system, but at the time did not meet your requirements to be uploaded into Access ACS. Incorporate guest users into your system – are they really a guest or someone who (1) forgot their login, (2) was not uploaded to Access ACS, or (3) changed their name or email.

Small Group Tips If your church is focused on the importance of small group communities in one’s spiritual journey (and/or you have multiple small group opportunities to monitor), then this is the place where your church should start. Have complete information for all groups: Name of group. Leader of group (including contact information). Group meeting dates/times/location. What does the group do? Who is the group targeting? Is childcare provided?

Small Group Tips (con.) Ensure small group leaders have the correct permissions in Access ACS. Make multiple permission levels. Train small group leaders: What are they responsible for? Adding members? Taking attendance? Have an audit system in place to ensure all posted groups are active. As new groups are created add them – as groups no longer meet or are not taking new members, delete them. Ensure you are importing your small group data into people suite – don’t just leave it in Access ACS as you can run more reports with the data in people suite.

Online Giving Tips If your church is focused on the spiritual benefits of giving (and have a congregation that is tech savvy), then this is the place where your church should start. Ensure Access ACS is accepting the payment types you wish it to, and that your congregants know as well. Keep your list of options for giving small – change the options with the season. Create an “other” option to be present at all times Customize your automatically generated email receipts Ensure the reply to email is associated with an email address that is regularly monitored.

Online Giving Tips (Con.) Ensure congregants understand how to properly setup reoccurring gifts – and if using PayPlus, how an administrator can make corrections to these gifts. Run/compare bank deposit reports with contribution imports. Note that event registration payments show up on bank deposit reports but do not import into contributions. Speak with your auditors/financial folks to ensure contribution entries are going in properly. Recognize your online givers – acknowledge their giving during offering time.

Church Life App Having Access ACS allows you to also have the free Church Life App for your smart phones. This app is great for staff and congregants to have in order to stay connected. The Church Life App has access to: Directory Calendar Giving Connections (My Tasks)

User Profiles Make as many user profiles as you need in order to lock-down specifically what people have access to. You should at least have the following types: Administrator (full access: 2-3 people at most) Staff (some limitations – like maybe not financials) Lay Leader (limited access – group access, no financials) Care Leader (like a lay leader – has connections rights) Member (restricted access – mostly just their own data)

Access ACS Admin Options The options tab that Access ACS provides many set-up options that your church will have to decide upon: What calendar (if any) do you display? When congregants register for events, what information is required? Which staff member receives emails and about what? Do congregants opt-in or opt-out in regards to what data other members can see about them in the directory?

Integrate Access ACS with Your Website When people use Access ACS they should not feel like they are going to a different entity…it should feel like it is part of your website. Use the Theme tab to make Access ACS look and feel like it is part of your website. Update the colors. Add your logo.

Integrate Access ACS with Your Website (con.) Use the provided web links to make it easier for your congregants to access directly certain areas of Access ACS – like giving. Also if you are using Facilities Scheduler, use the provided calendar links to embed your different calendars into different places on your website so anyone can see what is happening at your church.

Use it or stop paying for it If you do not sell your congregants on using Access ACS, then there is no point in having Access ACS. Use it or stop paying for it

Click on “Client Portal” User Groups To find a user group near you or to start your own user group location: Go To: www.acstechnologies.com Click on “Client Portal” (upper right corner) Click on “Training” (left side in orange) Scroll down to find “Local User Groups”