Software for Church Planters

Church Software

R Kevin Chessher, CPA

I’m a church planter.  Do I need church management and accounting software?  If so, which one should I use?

After spending over 25 years serving churches financial needs, this one is easy to answer.  No matter how small your church, you need a way to manage members, contributions and financial information.  For a church planter, the best church membership and church accounting application I’ve found is FlockBase. 

FlockBase Church Membership Software tracks membership, family information, contributions, funds, pledges, groups, and attendance. In also provides year-end contribution letters, funds reports, family reports in text or photo format, and mailing labels. It is easy to organize your membership with FlockBase.

FlockBase is also designed to serve churches that depend on volunteers. While FlockBase membership and contribution software is designed with the small church in mind, the functions available provide capabilities that large churches need as well.

Church Accounting Software by FlockBase was developed by a CPA with more than 20 years of experience providing accounting and consulting services to churches.  He realizes that churches need a simple way to track their funds, revenues and expenses.  FlockBase meets your fund accounting needs!

Although some popular software packages meet the needs of most for-profit businesses, they do not meet the fund accounting needs of churches. FlockBase Accounting was specifically designed to meet the needs of churches like yours.

Both of these applications are continually being upgraded and offer subscriptions for support if you desire.  We have found them to be easy to use and very helpful in managing the needs church plants.  More information can be found at Flockbase.com.

5 Stone Board Member Makes Mission to Uganda

Reagan Redus, a successful restauranteur who currently operates Fresco's in Burleson, Highland Village, and Watauga, is a 5 Stone Ministries board member and is passionate about seeing God's work done around the world. Recently, he took a mission trip to Children of the Nations, a ministry in Lira, Uganda, which is led by Brandon Beard from Compass Church and 6 other men.

Children of the Nations is a ministry that takes a holistic approach to caring for children by providing them with education, housing, and everything that they need. The ages of the kids range from 3 to the age they graduate high school. Beyond that, the kids are provided assistance in attending college. Three hundred kids actually live on campus and receive education, while another four hundred live nearby and attend school during the day. Currently, Children of the Nations is in need of 150 additional sponsors who are willing to contribute $33 per month toward their ministry. If you would like to learn more about how you can get involved, please click the link down below.

Here's what Reagan had to say about his experience there:
The people absolutely had nothing, yet they were joyful and peaceful. They seemed happy to have a little something to eat, a place to call home, and fellowship with each other, but the thing that struck me the most was their love for Jesus. I’ve seen poverty, and I saw it in Africa, but never like this. These people sang and danced, they prayed, they knew God, they knew about eternity, they had hope and a faith I’m not used to seeing in the states. These children read their bibles daily, they knew scripture, they smiled a lot, they appreciated the little they had, and they were thankful, sincerely thankful.
 

DFW Church Planting Network

My failures are my gift to others.
My successes are the gift of others to me.

The DFW Church Planting Network is a growing band of passionate servant leaders that met again this past Thursday. This inclusive tribe is bringing pastors and Kingdom leaders together for encouragement, collaboration, and prayer.
 
The Lord is giving us invaluable gifts through life-giving relationships that allow us to learn together and learn from each other.
 
Pastor Ryan Fontenot from The Mount Keller hosted and shared about the challenges of church planting and how replanting a church with a remnant is not only possible, but it's also rewarding.

Trey Grant, the planter and lead pastor of The Well Church Keller, stepped in with a compelling word on how churches can become diverse communities that worship Jesus together with the power to bring healing and reconciliation to our communities, cities, and our country.
 
The first century church didn’t spend a lot of energy keeping up with the times. The first century church changed time and rewrote history. There is a fresh wind blowing, and the DFW Network believes the church is the forerunner and not the runner up. Come catch this wind with us!
 
Our next meeting is Thursday October the 19th with details to follow. Save the date and come prepared to receive your gift, as well as to be one. If you would like to receive more info and an invitation to our next meeting, please contact Kevin, Mike, or Judd.

Ryan Fontenot shared about his own experiences in planting a church and how God has blessed him through the process.

Network of Networks

Did you know that there are enough people moving into Texas EVERY DAY to fill a "mega-church"? 

Each new arrival represents a person Jesus has called us to reach and disciple. With that commission in mind, 5Stone Ministries is partnering with servant leaders, networks, denominations, and churches who are passionate to multiply and advance the Kingdom of God through church planting and church revitalization. This is already happening in the Greater Houston Area through HCPN (Houston Church Planting Network). HCPN is a “network of networks” where leaders and planters from different networks, denominations, and churches come together to share best practices and cooperate to reach the city.

5 Stone Ministries is championing a similar “network of networks” right here in the Greater DFW Area. On May 18, we met for the first time with other strategic leaders who are equally passionate to seek God and determine how He wants to use us in a collective effort to reach those whom God is entrusting to us. We have held a few more meetings since then and have more planned for the future, so please be in prayer for the progress of this network. We see a God-sized movement emerging. This gathering of collaborative leaders will be a catalyst for networks, churches and ministries to work together to expand the Kingdom of God.

Please be a part of this amazing movement by committing to pray for 5 Stone Ministries and those that God is calling us to engage and partner with to extend the Kingdom. If you would like to partner with us financially, please click on the "Give" tab up above.

- Mike, Judd, and Kevin