User Support Forum

The financial secretary for my church has been using Power Church 8.0 and prior versions to record contributions for years. Other than possibly using Power Church for mailing labels, I don't think that the church office had used the software for much of anything for years. Anyway, our new secretary began to use version 8.5 to record attendence and really cleaned up the membership list. Now, we are trying to upgrade everyone to Version 10.4 and it has been an "experience."

I would like to have a single comprehensive database with all data. The finanacial secretary has been backing up "all files." Her disks have previously simply sat on a shelf at the church. I've found that if I "restore" the church computer using her files, it overwrites the membership file that the secretary has cleaned up.

What do I "lose" if I have the financial secretary only backup the contribution files and then "retore" that file to the church computer?

1. I think it only brings over the data for people listed in the membership with an envelop number.
2. I think it also ignores any contribution data where the person is NOT listed in the membership file or where the membership file does not show the envelop number.
3. I also think that it only brings over the current year of contribution data. (I'm really NOT sure about this one!)

Is this accurate? Also, is there "an easy button" to fix this? Or should I even worry about it. I do NOT want to lose the attendence information and the cleaned up membership file. Any assistance will be appreciated.

Margaret

Margaret you can combine the two databases but it will take some work on your part. Here are the steps you will need to take.

From the contributions copy run an envelope numbers list report. (Contributions -> Reports -> Envelope Numbers List)

On the church computer you will need to assign the members the same envelope numbers that are on the report. If someone is on the envelope numbers list that is not in the membership computer you will need to add them.

After all the envelope numbers have been entered, you should be able to run the envelope numbers list and it should match the report from the contributions computer.

On the memberhip computer make an all files backup.

On the contribution computer make just a contributions backup.

Restore the contributions backup on the membership computer.

You should now have the memberhsip and contributions combined.

Thanks Jeff.