Parish Data Systems: Parish Data System Review 2019

Technological advancements have made Parish Data Systems (PDS) useful for churches across the globe. Let’s take a look at specific features and functionality — along with everything you need to know about PDS.

What is A Parish Data System?

Parish Data System, often referred to as PDS, is a hybrid church management platform which is intended to automate your daily operations. But the reason these technologies are so useful, is because having an online system in place is essential to help your missions become more productive.

You can choose between two versions: PDS deployed on-premise or PDS hosted in the cloud.

With a PDS, you manage donations, events, ensure that communications are fluid, and keep track of all church finances. Training others to take care of these aspects and equipping them with the proper tools will help you focus more on your job as a pastor and church leader. As a result, you will have peace of mind about your finances and data. In return, your donors will also be assured that you handle their gifts in a sensible manner.

Look for PDS systems that can be integrated with other cloud solutions and offer phone and email support.

Pricing and Plans

A good Parish Data System will tailor its pricing plans according to your church’s needs. As a result, make sure you consider your congregation size, the size of your management team, and your donor’s needs.

Training

Basic training should be provided, or you can request personalized training sessions with your online solution.

Maintenance and Support

You can have immediate online support for any technical glitches. However, this depends on the tier of your chosen package.

Donations Management

Do you have a way to track contributions accurately) A PDS will help accomplish this easily, offering you a complete report on all data processed. When you embark on new fundraising programs, your donors will also have the peace of mind that their gifts are being properly handled.

Religious Education Programs and Certificates

To help the spiritual growth of your church, a PDS can provide a variety of important tools. For instance, you have access to certificates, tracking of student enrollment and graduations, and course completion.

Sacrament Register

Store all your parishioner’s sacrament records. Locate entries such as baptism, communion, confirmation, marriage, and death, and have everything on a cloud-backup system.

Accounting

Financial management is essential for church leaders, but can also be time consuming, Help your accountants do their job better with tools that are security-encrypted.

Ministry Management

Scheduling all the outreach programs can become a headache. Save time and confusion by organizing all of the church ministries on one effective platform.

User Ratings for PDS

How are users rating the current PDS systems? Let’s look at some examples:

ITQlick gave PDS an expert review of 4.4 out of 5 stars. Capterra gave PDS 2.5 out of 5 stars (6 reviews). PAT Research gave PDS an aggregate review of 8 out of 10 points as follows: 8.1 for ease of use, 8.1 for features and functionality, 8.0 for advanced features, 7.9 for integration and performance, and 8.0 for integration and support.

Consequently, it’s easy to understand why this program is so popular.

Ease of Integration

A good PDS should integrate seamlessly with other ministry software solutions, helping members manage online profile information and make donations.

Customer Support

There are currently two programs available on PDS:

The Preferred Client Programs gives users unlimited toll-free support, access to free software upgrades, 24/7 access to the online help center, special services and discounts. Enjoy quick issue resolution with individualized case history tracking.

The Special services include free website strategy assessment, online account management and reviewing of support history. You can also track shipments online.

Pros of using PDS:

Let’s recap some of the benefits your church and congregation leadership will enjoy with a reliable PDS:

• Record-keeping
• Logical data input
• Track attendance, sacraments, background checks, talents, ministries and personal details for parishioners
• Manage contacts and contact numbers of the parish
• Easy donor management
• Payroll and bookkeeping

Should Your Church sign up for a PDS?

Of course, there is nothing wrong with using the systems your church has been for the past years. However, if you want to grow your and have an effective, thriving ministry, then it is essential to look at modern modes of outreach.

Many still consider PDS the best software available for many churches. Those who have used it find that their time as congregation leaders and pastors is more valued. They can focus on serving the needs of their congregation and not worry about mismanagement of funds.

Another reason to utilize the PDS solutions is because, if you are growing your donors, you want to assure them that your systems are updated. The need to have complete security about where their contributions are going. With a good data management solution in place, you can guarantee this, for every past and recurring donor.

Remember, as pastors you have a responsibility to your church. You have received the stewardship of their gifts, and you must commit to transparent honesty and becoming a responsible steward.

Remember what the apostle Paul admonished in 1 Corinthians 4: 2: “Now, it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”

Go Beyond One Software Suite

Need more tips and recommendation for technology that will help your ministry to thrive? At DonorWerx, we want to support your leaders and managers in their important work and outreach. We encourage you to visit our pastor resource pages and recent blog posts for more inspiration on the new effective ways of guiding and serving your church.