Whether your church has 100 people or 10,000 people, everyone knows that Sundays can be chaotic. Staff members are trying to ensure that services run smoothly, volunteers are manning their stations, guests are trying to figure things out, and parents are trying to get their kids where they need to be on time.
So, anything that you can do as a church to help even eliminate an ounce of that chaos is going to help members and guests alike focus less on the logistics and more on the reason they are there -- worship.
While a check-in system isn’t going to get rid of all of the Sunday craziness, it can help to streamline the process and give peace of mind. Here are a few reasons your church needs check-ins.
Remember the chaos we just finished talking about? Unfortunately, where there is chaos, there can be danger. It’s easy to become less aware and alert when there are a million things going on.
With a check-in system, church attendees can check both themselves and their children in. This helps staff (and emergency personnel if needed) know who is there and where they were. For young children, you can also include information about allergies to make sure that they aren’t given anything that could cause a reaction. Finally, you can set it up so parents receive security receipts so no one is able to pick up a child without the matching receipt. This ensures that children are picked up by the right person at the end of the day.
Having a streamlined check-in process will save your staff and volunteers time so they don’t waste precious time having to manually record data for families that attend. With a check-in system, families can check themselves into worship, small groups, and more.
Plus, with mobile check-in, the convenience factor goes even further! Now, using the church’s mobile app, people can express check-in to get everyone checked in even from the parking lot. This can be a lifesaver for the busy single parent trying to check in their 4 kids! Once they check in on the app, all they have to do is scan the confirmation code on their phone at a kiosk inside, grab the printed name tags and be on their way.
Ministry doesn’t stop when services end on Sunday. One of the best parts of the right check-in system is that it makes follow-up and the administration side of ministry easier than ever.
When families check in, you have the ability to ask for contact information. As soon as this contact information is collected, your staff receives immediate access meaning they can easily know about and reach out to first-time visitors. This step goes a long way in showing that your church is more than somewhere to spend an hour on Sundays, it’s a true community that wants to help spur people on in their relationship with God and with each other.