Resources for running a small or mid-size church
Practical guides for pastors, church administrators and ministry leaders at small and mid-size churches. Each one is written to be useful whether or not you ever use Churchory: specific steps, plain language, and sources linked for any research we cite.
Practical guides for running a church week to week
Choosing softwareKids ministryVolunteersGuests and follow-upCommunicationData and setupGroups and discipleshipGovernance and meetings
Choosing software
How to compare church management software and pick what your church actually needs.
Kids ministry
Check-in, security codes, pickup and the policies that keep children safe.
Volunteers
Serving rotations, scheduling and keeping volunteers from burning out.
Guests and follow-up
Welcoming first-time guests and following up week by week.
Communication
When to use email, push, chat, newsletters, the bulletin and texting.
Data and setup
Moving your church's data and setting up a new system without losing anything.
Groups and discipleship
Launching small groups, handling waitlists and noticing who drifts away.
Governance and meetings
Members' meetings, live Q&A, quorum and congregational votes.
Templates you can print or copy today
Church software terms, explained plainly
Blockout dateBranded church appCare ministryCheck-in kioskChMS (church management software)ChordProChurch appChurch directoryCongregational voteDigital bulletinDuty rosterFamily intake formFirst-time guest follow-upGroup waitlistKids check-inLive Q&AMeal trainMembers' meetingOnline givingPrayer chainQuorumRoles and permissionsSecret ballotSecurity code (pickup code)Serving rotationSmall groupSwap requestVolunteer schedulingWorship planningYear-end giving statement
Where else can you find answers?
Most of the work of running a church happens between Sundays, often by volunteers and part-time staff who learned the job by doing it. These guides are our attempt to write down what works: how to set up kids check-in safely, build a serving rotation people stay on, follow up with guests, choose the right channel for a message, move your data, keep small groups healthy, and run a members' meeting people trust.
Every guide is free and written for a church of any size and any software. Where a guide mentions research, we link the original source; where it mentions Churchory, it is in a short section at the end.
Who are these guides for?
These guides are for pastors, church administrators and ministry leaders at small and mid-size churches, including the many volunteers who do those jobs without the title. They assume no technical background and no big staff.
What topics do the guides cover?
The guides are grouped into eight topics:
- Choosing software: what to look for in church management software, with a checklist.
- Kids ministry: a safe, fast check-in process for a small church.
- Volunteers: schedules and rotations that do not burn people out.
- Guests and follow-up: a week-by-week plan for first-time guests.
- Communication: when to use email, text, chat, newsletters, the bulletin or the app.
- Data and setup: how to migrate from spreadsheets or another ChMS without losing anything.
- Groups and discipleship: launching small groups, handling waitlists and noticing who drifts away.
- Governance and meetings: running a members' meeting with live, upvoted Q&A and secret-ballot votes.
Where can I learn what Churchory does?
Churchory is church management software for small and mid-size churches. Start free with Core (your people directory, families, roles and church-wide email and push), then add only the products you need, like groups, events, Sunday serving and check-in, kids, care, chat and voting, or get everything with Churchory One.
Browse the products, see pricing, or read how switching works. Every product starts with a 45-day free trial, no card required.