How to Setup a New GoDoChurch Database
If you are an administrator or a senior leader tasked with setting up a new GoDoChurch database then this help file is for you. If you haven't yet read An Overview of GoDoChurch we recommend you do so now.
Critical success factors
Experience has taught us that churches that succeed in rolling out GoDoChurch do the following three things.
1) Assign someone as the GoDoChurch champion
Without a GoDoChurch champion, GoDoChurch is destined to fail. The GoDoChurch champion is the person ultimately responsible for making GoDoChurch a success in your church. They are responsible for:
Setting up the database.
Managing the database.
Learning how the system works.
Getting the church staff trained and using the system.
If your church uses the mobile app, they are responsible for helping the congregation get up to speed.
Action point: If you have not already assigned someone on your team to be the GoDoChurch champion, do so now!
2) Buy-in from the senior leader
Everything rises and falls on leadership. For GoDoChurch to work the senior leader needs to fully believe in the value of the product. The senior leader’s role is to empower and hold accountable the GoDoChurch champion.
The senior leader doesn’t need to know exactly how to use the system, but they do need to know what the system is capable of doing so they can include it in the churches larger strategy. The GoDoChurch champion needs to help the senior leader know how it can serve the church.
Action point: We highly recommend setting up a meeting with your senior leader to ensure they are fully onboard. Help them understand a) how GoDoChurch can serve your church, and b) what you need from the senior leader to make it work.
3) Work through the help files and/or come for training
We have created robust help files for every module in the system, which we are updating continuously. Even though GoDoChurch is easy enough to figure out (if you are somewhat tech-savvy) the help files outline best practices and features that you may not be aware of.
If you are the GoDoChurch champion encourage the rest of the staff to read through the help files. You might want to consider setting up a training time and working through a module or two together as a team, using the help files as a guide.
Ten step plan to set up GoDoChurch
Step 1) Test the system
We offer all interested churches a 30-day trial period. To test the system properly you need not import too much data. We recommend adding just five to ten profiles to the system and testing with that. Your goal in those 30 days is not to try run your church with GoDoChurch, but to test out the features and get a feel for how they work. You'll quickly begin to see all the ways GoDoChurch can help your church.
Step 2) Sign up
When you are ready to sign up, then simply click the Sign Up button at the top of your screen.
The automated system will let you know how many days are remaining on your 30 day trial period. If you have any problems with the sign up process then please email support@godochurch.com. You can view a breakdown of our pricing on our website: www.godochurch.com
Step 3) Setup SMS and email
The good news here is that there is very little for you to setup to start sending emails and SMS's through the system. Each database comes preloaded with 50 free SMS's so you'll need to purchase some more if you plan on using SMS often. Our help file on SMSes explains how.
You will also want to read through our help file on sending emails as it explains how to send emails from the church email address and how to send emails from your personal email address.
And finally, our help file on Introduction to Communication outlines how GoDoChurch can fit into your communication strategy.
Step 4) Create a profile for each person in your church
Note: If you are testing the system you can skip this step and jump to Step 5. If your church has signed up then Step 4 is important.
There are a few ways to get everyone's info into the system. Please do not rush this step as, without accurate data, GoDoChurch cannot work well. We have written this help file to walk you through the process.
Once you have all this data in the system you can begin to organise those profiles into Ministries, Roles, Lists, and Groups.
Step 5) Invite other team members to access your database
Everything you need to know on how to give other team members access to your database can be found in Growing Your Admin Team.
If you have a large team, you may want to delay inviting other team members until the database is setup.
Step 6) Setup Ministries
To set up the Ministries module follow these steps:
Start by reading through the Working with Ministries help file.
Next, write down on paper all the ministries in your church and who their leaders are.
Add those ministries to the Ministries module in GoDoChurch.
Note: GoDoChurch comes pre-loaded with some common ministries. You can edit these to suit your needs, or delete them if you don't need them.
Step 7) Setup Church Roles
To set up the Church Roles module follow these steps:
Start by reading Working with Church Roles.
Next, write down on paper all the church roles in your church and who fills those positions.
Add those roles to the Church Roles module in GoDoChurch.
Note: GoDoChurch comes pre-loaded with some common church roles. You can edit these to suit your needs, or delete them if you don't need them.
Step 8) Setup your Growth Path module
To set up the Growth Path module follow these steps:
Start by reading Setting Up a Growth Path.
Next, write down on paper all the stages and steps in your growth path.
Add those growth path steps into the Growth Path module.
Step 9) Setup age profiles
Step 10) Setup regions
Read Setting Up Regions.
Where to from here?
At this stage, your database is more-or-less setup. The rest of the modules in the system do require some level of customisation, but they are easy to setup. The help files for these modules give you all the info you need to customise them. If you are wondering where to start, take a look at Which Module Should I Learn First? You'll notice that we recommend starting with the News module, then moving on to Follow-up, and after that Events.
If you want to know what a complete GoDoChurch setup looks like, read Requirements for a Fully Set Up GoDoChurch Database.