New Installation

[Denyse]

We have been running PC+ for many years. Presently we are running PC7+ and are mid year. Our chart of accounts is in dire need of an update and I would like to do that with a new install of v11. There are two things I need from the old setup, membership information and contributions for this year.
I was hoping to install the new version, setup a new chart of accounts, funds, etc., enter balances from previous c of a, then import membership and contributions into the new setup from the old.
Does this sound like a good plan?
TIA

[NeilZ]

We have been running PC+ for many years. Presently we are running PC7+ and are mid year. Our chart of accounts is in dire need of an update and I would like to do that with a new install of v11. There are two things I need from the old setup, membership information and contributions for this year.
I was hoping to install the new version, setup a new chart of accounts, funds, etc., enter balances from previous c of a, then import membership and contributions into the new setup from the old.
Does this sound like a good plan?
TIA

Unfortunately, that won't work. With all the changes in the Membership & Contributions databases from v7 to v11, you really can't do a direct import, even if one was offered.

Here are the steps to do a full conversion and accounting restart:

1. Install the new version.
2. start the program, allow it to convert the old database files.
3. Under File -> Preferences -> Accounting Setup click on the Restart Accounting button. This will initialize all the Accounting data and you can then set it up as you want using the Accounting Setup Wizard.
4. When finished with the accounting setup, just go into Contributions -> Setup -> Maintain List of Contribution Funds and adjust the Credit/Debit accounts for all the Contributions Funds to the new accounts.

[CONLEJM]

Hello, I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving!

I am new to the board; we're in Goffstown NH and we currently use PowerChurch Version 8 (and we have used Version 8 for at least 10 years). I think we are in a similar situation as rospau, the original poster.

We have the Accounting function taking place on one computer and the Membership function taking place on another computer. The two computers do not communicate or share data in any way, so these are essentially two standalone functions. We do not use the software for Contributions, nor does our Pastor or any of our Elders/Deacons use the software at all. We do not have a "network" per se, though we do use Dropbox for some non-PowerChurch file sharing.

Ten years later, I've been asked to help our Contributions function migrate over to PowerChurch (from a homegrown Excel process), and to somehow get the Accounting, Membership and Contribution functions to speak to each other and integrate with one another. Subsequently, the goal would be that the Pastor and Elders/Deacons have access to the software so that they can better shepherd the flock and have better administrative insight and dashboards and such.

I am thinking we would begin using the PowerChurch for Contributions at the start of the new year, as it is unlikely that the Excel process would import nicely into this.

Would you recommend upgrading to v. 11.5? What steps would you recommend taking to integrate the Membership and Accounting and Contribution functions? Is Dropbox a potential aid in sharing data between the three functions? Are the steps described to rospau the same steps we should take?

Thanks for any advice.

[NeilZ]

Hello, I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving!

I am new to the board; we're in Goffstown NH and we currently use PowerChurch Version 8 (and we have used Version 8 for at least 10 years). I think we are in a similar situation as rospau, the original poster.

To answer your last question, YES, definitely upgrade as you're missing out on a lot of good features.

We have the Accounting function taking place on one computer and the Membership function taking place on another computer. The two computers do not communicate or share data in any way, so these are essentially two standalone functions. We do not use the software for Contributions, nor does our Pastor or any of our Elders/Deacons use the software at all. We do not have a "network" per se, though we do use Dropbox for some non-PowerChurch file sharing.

Ten years later, I've been asked to help our Contributions function migrate over to PowerChurch (from a homegrown Excel process), and to somehow get the Accounting, Membership and Contribution functions to speak to each other and integrate with one another. Subsequently, the goal would be that the Pastor and Elders/Deacons have access to the software so that they can better shepherd the flock and have better administrative insight and dashboards and such.

I am thinking we would begin using the PowerChurch for Contributions at the start of the new year, as it is unlikely that the Excel process would import nicely into this.

Very true, it much easier to start at the start of the Contribution year, this way there is no worry about 'lost data'. The only thing is that you MUST maintain copies of all the Excel files for at least 4 years per the IRS.

What steps would you recommend taking to integrate the Membership and Accounting and Contribution functions? Is Dropbox a potential aid in sharing data between the three functions? Are the steps described to rospau the same steps we should take?

Thanks for any advice.

It is essential that you have a network setup in the church, otherwise you'll be having problems with backups and keeping them in sync. The other alternative is using Powerchurch Online, which you would use through a local client installed on your computers. You'd need a broadband Internet connection, but most people have that now. You would have to determine the relative cost effectiveness of using a local network setup, or the Powerchurch Online setup.

The good news is that if you need to migrate the Accounting and the Membership databases into one, it is VERY easy as there really isn't any connection between the two. The easiest way would be to do a backup of the Accounting files ONLY, then restore that to the Membership computer. In this way, you have everything that needs to be migrated in one place.

With a local setup, what you would then do is install PCPlus 11.5 on the machine with the merged database, and then let it do the migration. You would then setup the network clients using the directions as shown in the manual, or in the Knowledge Base articles found under the Support area of this site.

With Powerchurch Plus, I'm fairly sure that the Powerchurch staff will assist you in the move of your data to the Powerchurch Online servers, and the conversion of the database to v11.5 standards.

What I would do in the time between the start of the new year is get whoever does the counting used to entering Contributions into the system, and try to do away with keeping a paper trail, other than that produced by Powerchurch. While some churches do both, I've found that letting the system take care of the reports, and having the counters verify all their entries prior to printing reports is just as reliable if not moreso.

Hope this helps.

[CONLEJM]

Thanks so much! This is very helpful information.