Are you ready to dive into the latest updates from TouchPoint Software? Mark your calendars because you won’t want to miss our upcoming webinar, featuring Hayley and Chris, as they unveil the newest features, those in beta testing, and what’s on the horizon for TouchPoint!
Please note, exceptionally for this month, our webinar will be held on Tuesday, March 26 at 2 PM CST, not our usual Thursday slot. Ensure you mark this change in your calendar to not miss out!
Why Attend?
This quarterly update is a perfect opportunity for all TouchPoint users to get firsthand insights into how we’re evolving. We’re putting your feedback to work, striving to make TouchPoint the most efficient and user-friendly system available. Whether you’re curious about our latest releases, eager to hear about what’s currently in testing, or interested in what’s coming down the pipeline, this webinar is for you!
What to Expect
New Features: Hayley and Chris will walk you through the latest enhancements and additions to TouchPoint. Discover how these new features can streamline your workflows and improve your overall experience.
Beta Testing Insights: Get an exclusive peek at what’s currently in beta testing. This segment offers a unique chance to see what’s coming before it’s fully released, showcasing our commitment to innovation and quality.
Upcoming Developments: Our roadmap is packed with exciting updates. Learn about the future of TouchPoint and how we’re planning to incorporate your valuable feedback into our system’s evolution.
Who Should Attend?
This webinar is a must-attend event for all TouchPoint users! If you’re looking to maximize your use of TouchPoint, curious about what’s next, or simply interested in learning more about our software, this webinar is designed for you.
Join Us
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn more about the latest and greatest from TouchPoint Software. Stay ahead of the curve, understand the new functionalities, and get ready to make the most out of your TouchPoint experience.
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 26 at 2 PM CST. This is a special scheduling for this month only, shifting from our usual Thursday meetings to Tuesday. Be sure to adjust your schedules accordingly!
Ready to Reserve Your Spot?
Sign up now to ensure your place in this essential webinar. Join us as we explore the forefront of TouchPoint’s innovation and how it can benefit you. Click here to register and secure your attendance for Tuesday, March 26 at 2 PM CST. It’s crucial to remember this unique scheduling to not miss this insightful session!
Your Summit Team has been working hard to share session details so you can best plan which team members to bring to Alabama this September. We are adding more training opportunities and have information on hotels and pricing!
Thanks to the incredible response so far from Summit registrations and to the feedback from last year’s post-event survey, we are adding a new track! This is exciting news! Brand new for Summit 2024 – Back to Basics: TouchPoint Training.
Please find the breakdown of sessions for each track listed below. **Please allow grace in this; it’s very likely to change before September! We’re releasing a pre-finalized draft so your team can best plan.
Session Topics By Track
Executive Pastor
– Making TouchPoint Your Own
– XP Panel: TouchPoint Feature That Have Benefitted Our Church The Most
– Ministry Partner Session
– Consulting Audit & Consulting Services
– Reports & Dashboards For Measuring Ministry Impact
Developer / IT
– Infrastructure
– Development QA/Release Process
– Creating Custom Home Pages & Dashboards
– Coding Best Practices
– Using HTML to Enhance Your Registrations (Beginner Level)
Database Administrator
– Building Your First Process: First-Time Visitor & First-Time Giver
– New Feature Show & Tell
– DBA Power User Panel / Show & Tell / Q&A
– New Feature Show & Tell
– Ready, Set, Engage!
Ministry Frontlines
– All Things Check-In
– Creating & Managing Mission Trips
– Background Checks Best Practices
– Maximizing TouchPoint For Lay Leaders
– Registrations Advanced
Communications
– TouchPoint As A Marketing Tool
– Creating General Emails & Newsletters
– Texting
– Branding TouchPoint
– Ministry Partner Session
– Converting To TouchPoint
– Encouraging Team Adoption, Training Staff, Rolling Out To Congregation
– Attendance Best Practices
– What Can I Do With My Mobile App?
– Creating Your Membership Process Inside Of TouchPoint
Back To Basics: TouchPoint Training
– Administrative Setup
– Search Builder Basics & Helpful Searches
– Registrations For Beginners
– Tasks & Notes To Advance Your Ministry Outreach
– Using Scheduler To Manage Your Sunday Mornings
Summit Accommodations
Room links are now available for both hotels! Please do not wait to book your team’s rooms! We secured more rooms this year than the prior two, but our blocks reached capacity in both 2023 and 2022!
In today’s digital age, where the first impression is often the last, having a cohesive and well-branded online presence is crucial for any organization. This principle holds especially true for your giving page, a central point of interaction for supporters and donors. If you’re noticing a disconnect between your giving page and the overall branding of your website, it’s time for an “Extreme Makeover: Giving Page Edition.”
The Importance of a Well-Branded Giving Page
A giving page that seamlessly integrates with the rest of your website not only strengthens your brand identity but also builds trust and confidence among potential donors. Think about it: when was the last time you evaluated your giving page? Does it reflect your organization’s ethos and values? Remember, our God is glorified through quality and excellence, and your giving page should be no exception.
Potential Donor Concerns
Mismatched branding on your giving page can create confusion and doubt, making potential donors wonder if they’ve been redirected to a different site. This sense of unease can become a significant barrier to generosity, preventing people from contributing to your cause. It’s essential to ensure that every aspect of your giving page, from visuals to messaging, aligns with your overall branding to encourage and facilitate donations.
Customized Solutions for Every Need
Recognizing the need for flexibility and customization, we offer to create tailored giving pages for various aspects of your organization. Whether you’re looking to have a page designed for a specific ministry, missions fund, or capital campaign, we’ve got you covered. Our team is dedicated to delivering high-quality, branded giving pages that resonate with your audience and amplify your fundraising efforts.
Efficient and Effective Service
Understanding the urgency and importance of having an optimized giving page, we promise a swift turnaround time of just one hour per page. This efficient service ensures that your new, branded giving pages are up and running quickly, minimizing any disruption to your donation process.
Get Started Today!
Are you ready to give your giving page the makeover it deserves? Click here to begin the transformation and elevate your donation experience. Let’s work together to create a giving page that not only looks great but also effectively supports your organization’s mission, glorifying our God through quality and excellence.
Remember, in the realm of online donations, your giving page is more than just a transaction point—it’s a reflection of your commitment to your cause and your supporters. Don’t let an outdated or off-brand giving page hinder your fundraising efforts. Opt for an extreme makeover today and watch as your giving page transforms into a powerful tool that encourages generosity and supports your organization’s goals.
Hello, amazing community! We’ve been absolutely blown away by the enthusiasm and support from our Partner Churches for Summit 2024. Your response has truly warmed our hearts. 🙏❤️🔥
Because you’ve been so incredible, we’re offering another discount through March 31st! Yes, you heard that right – more time to save on your registration!
Why You Should Act Now:
Save Big: Grab a $15 discount for each person you register. Whether you’re bringing your team or just yourself, everyone saves!
Limited Time: This special offer wraps up on March 31st. Make sure no one misses out!
What’s Cooking at Summit 2024:
Fun Activities & Workshops: Get ready to be inspired, learn new things, and have a blast with activities designed for everyone.
Expand Your Network: Meet amazing people, make new friends, and connect with other organizations. It’s all about growing together.
Learn from the Best: Dive into sessions with expert speakers and come away with insights and knowledge that’ll make a real difference.
Join us in beautiful Alabama from September 17th to 19th, 2024. It’s going to be an unforgettable experience, and we can’t wait to see you there!
Don’t Miss Out!
Ready to be part of something amazing? Register now and take advantage of the extended discount. Every detail, including how to sign up and what to expect, is waiting for you on our Summit Landing Page.
See You in Alabama!
We’re gearing up for a Summit filled with inspiration, learning, and community spirit. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of it – let’s make memories together!
We are six months away from our annual Summit! Last year’s event was the best one yet, and we can’t wait to continue the momentum this year! Below are some quick details on this year’s event and you can learn more on our Summit Landing Page.
Who: We have tracks for Executive Pastor, Database Administrators, Ministry Frontlines, Communications, IT/Developer, Finance, and those New To TouchPoint. Bring your whole team!
What: If you’ve never joined us for Summit, our annual event is an opportunity for church staff members to learn unique ways to utilize TouchPoint and also network with others in similar roles.
When: Tuesday, September 17th through Thursday, September 19th, 2024.
Where: We are hosted by our wonderful partner, Vestavia Methodist Church in the beautiful Birmingham, Alabama. (See our Summit Landing Page for more information on location.)
Why: For greater Kingdom impact. We are honored to provide the tools that will allow you to accomplish your goals and the space to collaborate with others.
Birthday Cakes, Paper Airplanes, and Cameras… Oh My!
Let’s talk about customizing your Check-In labels. We have added new and helpful information to the Check-In labels!
Can you add our logo? You bet! Can you add icons for things like photo releases? No brainer! Can you make the child’s name bigger? When we’re done, you’ll be able to read Suzy’s name from space—or at least from the other side of the room.
The TouchPoint Label Builder provides all the flexibility you need to create customized labels that meet your team’s specific needs.
Elements are super simple to add and include subgroups, parent names, contact info, and allergies. You can even add icons that correspond to Status Flags!
WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN??? Good question; calm down. Below, we have a church example. This church added a paper airplane icon to indicate that this child is approved to self-release and a camera icon to indicate that the team has approval to take and use a photo of this kiddo.
Now your staff and volunteers all know at a glance how to best support little Suzy without needing to go through files, asking another leader, or finding her parents!
As many of you have heard, we have several churches live on our new mobile app that we have been calling 3.0. In fact, we are releasing our latest version, 3.4, starting this week.
If you are one of the churches that is live or that has a test app, there is nothing you need to do. If you are in the setup phase, then as soon as you notify us that you are ready for a test app, your app will be built with the 3.4 version. We will push a new version to all churches over the next two weeks (pending approvals from Apple and Google) and you can start using it immediately. **Note that some features might require a setting to be toggled on or a field to be updated, but that should be all you need to do.
See below for the full list of features included in this release. We want to bring attention to one change that we are making in this version is to simplify the version numbering. Any numbers that previously showed before the “3.” are now gone. If in two weeks, you see a version number (at the bottom of the main menu) that does not say Version 3.4, please check your app store to make sure you are running the latest version and if there is not an update to install, please contact Support.
Version 3.4 Release Notes
Attendance
Leaders of Involvements can take attendance
Setting to enable attendance, can also be restricted by Involvement type
Settings for how many days forward and back to show meetings
Home Feed
Feed code re-written to support future enhancements
Channel posts cannot be reported anymore
Posting from a channel is now supported from the home page
Prayer Requests
Added option to archive and mark as answered
Improved prayer feed scrolling
Added ability to limit how many days back to display requests
Media
Thumbnails for all media types now pull from media & resources
Start/End time filtering is respected
Miscellaneous
Adjusted timeout if user is actively using the app
New app store settings & validation of settings for pushing updates
Support for showing the engagement score on the badges tab
Support for multi-campus churches, including filtering events, prayers, and channels by campus and allowing users to edit their campus. All based on settings.
If your church is still running the 2.0 app and would like to be included in one of the next kick-off calls for 3.0, you can sign up here.
You can view a full list of app 3.0 versions and their respective release notes here.
Join us for a bit of fun with VP Morgan Mudge and our guest, Luke Roller of Glen Meadows Baptist Church! We dove into essential strategies for churches gearing up for the Easter season and explored how TouchPoint Software’s church database system can streamline Easter preparations.
From member management to communication with newcomers and engagement for serving opportunities, TouchPoint simplifies every aspect of Easter planning. Notably, its automation capabilities ensure no one slips through the cracks, even during the busiest season.
Morgan and Luke also highlighted the software’s adaptability to the unique challenges of Easter services compared to regular weekly gatherings. Prepare for Easter with confidence and efficiency with TouchPoint Software.
Last year, we launched the New Navigation Menu in beta. We have received great feedback from our partner churches which allowed us to enhance and improve the menu. As of now, users can optionally turn it on to use it.
We are now nearing the end of our beta testing phase and will be setting the New Menu as the default option for all users the night of April 8th. For those of you that have not used the New Menu yet, we highly encourage you to go ahead and enable it so that you can familiarize yourself with it.
Here are a few highlights of the New Menu:
Finance items are all in their own menu area now, which will make finance tools easier to access. This new layout provides space for new reports that are coming for churches using TouchPoint Giving.
The Reports menu has gone away, and now each main navigation area has its own Reports menu under it. You can add SQL and Python reports to this menu by using the “Add Report to Menu” option at the bottom of each report.
Many admin tools and functionality were renamed and better organized.
Tags are now completely managed from the Tag icon in the upper right corner near the Search icon.
When you log in to TouchPoint on April 9th, you will see the New Menu. If you run into any issues with the menu, please report them to Support. There will be an option to revert back to the old menu, if needed. That option will go away in the near future and the old menu will be completely removed.
Another reminder blog post will be published in the coming weeks. For any questions/comments, please contact Support.
Summit 2024 Registration Is Open!
We are already counting down the days until we gather together in Alabama! This year’s event will be Tuesday, September 17th through Thursday, September 19th and hosted by our wonderful church partner, Vestavia Hills Methodist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
Summit is an opportunity for church staff to learn unique ways to utilize TouchPoint and network with others in similar roles. This year, we anticipate 300 in attendance.
We offer various learning tracks geared towards Executive Pastor, IT, Finance, Database Admin, Ministry Frontlines, and Communications.
Early Bird Pricing Going On NOW!
$225/Person Through March 15th
$250/Person After March 15th
Check out our Summit Landing Page for the most up-to-date information on sessions, ministry partners, transportation, meals, and accommodations. We will regularly be adding in more details as the event draws nearer.
Check Out Highlights From Summit 2023!
We can’t wait to see you in Alabama!
– Your TouchPoint Summit Team
Jan 31, 2024
The next release is scheduled to be deployed tonight, January 31. This includes new features and a few background updates for future releases.
Require Login for Online Giving pages
There is a new setting available on the Online Giving Setup page named “Require Login”. When set to True, the donor will be taken to the Easy Sign In screen to complete their donation after they enter in the amount and fund. Enabling this option can:
Reduce duplicate people records
Speed up the donation process by displaying the donor’s saved payment method(s)
Require Account Code on Registration
There is a new Admin setting named “Require Account Code on Registration” that requires all registration Involvements to have an Account Code filled in if a fee is used. This will ensure that all your registration batch entries will have the proper account code specified when someone registers and pays for an event. Before setting this to True, be sure to run the Registration Without Account Codes report to identify the registration Involvements that are missing an account code.
Future Enhancements
Several behind the scenes updates are included which lay the groundwork for future feature updates that you will hear more about in the coming weeks.
Other small bug fixes and tweaks were included in the release. For more information about the updates in this release, please check the help documentation tomorrow morning.
Hayley Whitworth • Jan 31, 2024
Couldn’t catch the latest webinar? Fear not!
The start of the new year is a great time to freshen up your database. Andrew and Cody kicked things off discussing why we need to be concerned about untidy data and how an organized database allows us to best minister to our flock. They covered some great ways to evaluate the state of your database and then take immediate steps towards cleaning things up.
