As of today, the New Navigation Menu is now the default menu for all users in TouchPoint. We know that change is never easy, but we believe that after using the new layout for a bit, you will find that options are now laid out in a more logical manner. For those of you that did not try it during the beta period, 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 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.
If you have any issues with the new navigation, please contact Support and let us know. If you need to temporarily revert back to the old navigation menu, you can do so by clicking the User menu at the top-right and toggling the New Navigation off.
Who cares what your registration pages look like?
Probably your Communications Team. And, if we think about it, your congregation and potential new members do, too. In a digital era where every interaction counts, simply placing your logo on a registration page is just scratching the surface. But why settle for the basics? Your registration pages are more than just a formality; they represent an extension of your church’s hospitality. Let’s delve into crafting registration pages that not only your team but your community can take pride in.
First impressions are lasting. The moment someone steps onto your registration page, they should feel like it is an extension of your website. A thoughtfully designed page conveys professionalism, care, and meticulousness. It communicates, “We value your experience with us.”
But what exactly does ‘well-designed’ entail in this scenario?
Branding Consistency: From your church’s logo to its color scheme and typography, every element on your registration page should echo the consistency found across all your digital platforms. This coherence not only fortifies brand recognition but also cultivates trust.
User-Friendly Interface: The path to registration should be straightforward, with readily accessible information. A cluttered or bewildering layout can deter potential attendees.
Mobile Responsiveness: Considering the growing reliance on mobile devices for web access, ensuring that your registration pages are optimized for mobile is imperative.
Wrapping Up
Your registration pages are a pivotal element of your church’s digital footprint. “Who cares what your registration pages look like?” The answer should be: we all do. By dedicating just one hour per background, you can elevate your registration pages from functional to fabulous.
As we blogged about early last month, we will be flipping the switch next week, so everyone will have the New Navigation Menu as the default. We hope you’ve had a chance to test it out and familiarize yourself with the new, improved layout. If not, we encourage you to go ahead and manually turn it on for yourself now.
We appreciate all the feedback we’ve received from those of you who have already been testing out the New Menu, and we will be releasing any necessary tweaks prior to turning it on for everyone. The New Menu will be live when you log in to TouchPoint on Tuesday, April 9. If you have any difficulty navigating the New Menu, you will still have the option to toggle back to the old menu for a period of time.
As always, if you have any questions, please contact Support through TouchPoint’s Database.
Ready For VBS Registration? Let TouchPoint Software make it easy. As VBS approaches, it’s crucial to focus on creating a fun and impactful program for the kids. TouchPoin makes registration hassle-free, letting you concentrate on what truly matters.
Say goodbye to paperwork and hello to easy, customizable registration forms, effective communication, and automated notifications. With TouchPoint, you’re all set for a successful VBS. This allows you to section out kids into the appropriate age groups, view any allergies to foods, and other useful information at a glance.
Before, During, After Registration
Before: Get ready with customizable forms and analytics. Keep potential attendees informed and engaged from the get-go.
During: Track sign-ups in real-time, manage attendance seamlessly, and ensure a hassle-free sign-up experience.
After: Keep the connection alive with follow-up emails and gather valuable feedback for next time.
We’re Here to Help
Planning VBS is a big task, and you’ve got enough to handle. We’re more than software; we’re your VBS (and other events) planning partner. Interested in seeing how TouchPoint can simplify your VBS registration? Let’s talk. We offer consulting in two one-hour blocks and additional support through email.
Registration Support is on its way.
Don’t let registration stress you out. Click here to schedule your session with us. With TouchPoint, you’re ready for an amazing VBS experience.
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.
Stay In Touch! Subscribe!
Stay up-to-date with the latest enhancements and communications with our monthly newsletter, webinars, and blogs.
