Basics

• Programs are the ongoing ministry efforts of your ministry departments. They're the things your ministry departments budget for and/or congregation members give towards. For example:
  • Weekly worship services at a specific campus
  • Short-term mission trips
  • Mid-week children's programs
  • Building Campaign fund
• Every Program must be assigned to a Ministry (department) and a Congregation (campus).
• There should be at least one Program for every possible pairing of Congregation and Ministry.
• You need at least one Program for each particular account number. While you do not need to create all possible Programs, you need to create all Programs that reflect ways people can give to particular things that must be tracked at a campus/department basis.
• Programs can be either for Donations (tax-deductible) funds OR handle registration (non-tax-deductible) funds. 
• The list of Programs will remain somewhat static, but may change from time-to-time based on your ministries' activities. 

Functions of Programs

• Programs organize your Events and Opportunities. Each Event and Opportunity must be assigned to a Program, which is what indicates the Ministry that is responsible for the Event.
• Programs are what Donations are distributed to. In this sense, a Program is like a fund, designation, or a purpose code.
• Programs can be used with Milestones and Feedback. When someone makes a faith decision or submits a prayer request, you can identify the Program they were attending when this happened.

We create Programs in order to answer questions like:

• What happened last week in the student ministry weeknight activity?
• How many people were baptized in our Worship Services last year?
• How many children have accepted Christ at VBS throughout the years?
• How much money was given to our benevolence fund?
• Who asked for prayer at our Senior luncheons?

Program Examples

• Choir & Orchestra Activities
• Guest Artist Concerts
• Plays & Pageants

The Church Leadership Ministry Department oversees a Program called Worship Services at each campus.

• Main Campus Worship Services
• East Campus Worship Services
• Downtown Campus Worship Services
• Spanish Worship Services (may happen at the main campus, but are overseen by the Spanish Ministry)

Things that are not a Program:

• Something you only do once. That is an event.
• A group of people who never meet and are not allowed to collect money, but do some kind of ministry together. That's a group.
• Something you would never stop doing. That thing is a ministry department (ex. Worship, Children)