Chapter 4: Step 1

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Key Functional Areas & Functional Leaders

There are 4 key functional areas that are core to the successful implementation of our solutions. These key functional areas are critical for implementation. These functional areas are also the main modules that our solutions can be broadly divided into. These 4 functional areas are as follows;

  1. Membership Management
  2. Visitor and Converts Follow Up
  3. Groups and Attendance Management
  4. Finance Management

For implementation and onboarding to succeed you must select leaders to be responsible for each of the 4 key functional areas highlighted above. We will refer to these leaders as Functional Leaders. Each functional leader will be responsible for successful onboarding of their functional area. In the next section, we will provide some guidance towards the selection of these 4 Function Leaders.

When selecting these Functional Leaders we encourage you to first consider individuals who are already leaders in similar positions within the church. However, if you feel that the current leaders will not be able to appropriately execute the required tasks, you are free to nominate other people. This is especially true when the current leaders are older and might struggle to understand and use the technological tools that come with our solutions. 

5 Steps After Selecting a Functional Leader

Once you have made your selection of the appropriate person to be a functional leader for any of the 4 functions please do the following,

  1. Talk to the individual about your intention to make sure that they are available for the role
  2. Get their email address
  3. Add their details using the Implementation Module in Pulse, they will automatically receive a welcome message to their email with instructions
  4. Send them the Functional Leaders Onboarding Quick Guide
  5. Send them the link to join the WhatsApp group

Key Function 1: Membership Management

The Membership Management function plays a key role in ensuring that the church does not lose touch with its members. When this happens, the member becomes spectators who just come on Sunday and switch off from the church the whole week. When members are not engaged they will eventually leave. You have to select a functional leader to be responsible for this very important function. One of the key responsibilities of this functional leader is to ensure that at any point the church has a complete and accurate database of its church members. 

Key Function 2: Group and Attendance Tracking

Groups are a key part of the implementation of DiscipleSoft, whether they are Cell Groups, Church Groups or Departments. We believe that the vision of the church should be broken down into groups for execution purposes. DiscipleSoft has powerful tools for group leaders to manage their groups. You have to identify one person who will represent all group leaders and help drive your overall group strategy. You need someone who is a visionary and is able to command respect from the various group leaders. One of their key roles is to ensure that attendance statistics during all weekly group meetings are appropriately captured on DiscipleSoft.

Key Function 3: Visitor and Converts Follow-Up

Visitors are the most important element of your church growth planning and their follow-up should be methodical and thorough. The integration of new members into the life of your church is also a key element of your growth strategy as a church. When new members are not properly integrated they will eventually leave usually within the first 6 months. That is why your church needs a dedicated leader who ensures that visitor follow-up and integration are prioritised. This function will focus on the conversion of visitors through follow-up. Once visitors have been converted focus will move to the integration process.

Key Function 4: Finance Management

DiscipleSoft has an extensive finance management module, that manages the full spectrum of your finances. Excellence in managing church financing is one of the key objectives of DiscipleSoft. If your church wants to attract and retain serious and committed church members then you should pursue financial management excellence. DiscipleSoft has powerful tools for finance management. Almost all churches have a finance department of some sort. The individual who is leading that department would be the first choice for this role.

Support Team Members

Each Key Functional Leader will select support people who will help with the implementation and ongoing success of their function. These support team members are a critical component in implementation because they will have hands-on duties and tasks. In the next section, we will address how the support teams are selected.

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