What do you use User Codes for?

[peabodyumc]

I just rec'd PC+ V9 and am trying to pull some things together before I start entering a lot of information. One thing that stumps me is what to use all the codes for to get the most of PC+. For the special codes in the family mailing list I thought the manual's suggestion of Mailings (all, newsletter only, etc) was a good one but not sure how to use the other two.

For the personal profile codes I did tag one for special needs (hearing impaired, wheelchair, etc.) and then I have three tagged for different keys the church has with yes or no fields. But what about the others?

We are a small chruch so we don't have a large ministry. What are good "every church needs this" codes to use?

Thanks for the help!

Laurie

[Zaphod]

There's nothing that says you have to use them. If you have a particular need for them, they're there. Otherwise, you can leave them blank with no negative repercussions.

The main thing to keep in mind when creating a custom code is that each listing must be mutually exclusive. You can't make multiple selections in a single code.

I thought that there was an older thread about common uses of custom codes, but I couldn't find it just now in a search. Maybe it's time for one!

How does everyone else use custom codes in Family Mailing List and Personal Profiles?

[BrianShoe]

We've only started to explore use of Custom Codes, so we may see more uses as we go along.

We're starting to use the PowerChurch database as a central repository for *ALL* church mail and email information (to remove the scattered snippets in various Word files and paper lists). To keep the kind of information straight, we've started using Custom Codes.

At the Family level, we've created a code for "Contractor/Svc Provider" - the roofing contractor, the cleaner, the steeple & bell repair person, the heating company service dept, the pest treatment service all get this code. It has to be flagged "do not include in directory" and "do not include in mailouts", but we leave the option for including in family reports enabled so we can review the entire family mailing list contents.

At the Personal Profile level, we've created an "Email Group" code, with values like "Members & Friends", "Press Releases", and "Neighboring Clergy". In the past, our secretary would send out a mid-month update newsletter to all members, through Outlook; with this group code, we're trying to get her to use PowerChurch for group email.

[NeilZ]

At the Family level, we've created a code for "Contractor/Svc Provider" - the roofing contractor, the cleaner, the steeple & bell repair person, the heating company service dept, the pest treatment service all get this code. It has to be flagged "do not include in directory" and "do not include in mailouts", but we leave the option for including in family reports enabled so we can review the entire family mailing list contents.

Shouldn't this type of data be kept in the Accounts Payable module ??

[BrianShoe]

Neil -

Good point.
We probably *WOULD* be keeping all this in Accounts Payable, if we were using the accounting module. However, since we have our accounting work done by an outside accountant - who uses QuickBooks - we haven't even touched the accounting module in PC+.

Our PowerChurch installation is only in its second year of use, and we're still in the mode of "selling" it to all the users - and getting the secretary to use it in favor of older, more laborious but more familiar methods. (Example: printing mailing labels. She still has some separate Word document she uses for that - I could scream sometimes.)

[foxygramps]

From many of the posts I read, and the problems of getting the users to adapt to PC+, I get the strong feeling that many of us suffer from "the tail wagging the dog" problem.
Get used to hand holding, cajoling, and some times demanding change.