(Posted on events forum with no replies, so I'm trying here)
We have used the outlook calendar exclusively for about 6 years.
Can y'all let us know of the major differences before we sign on the dotted line for PC Events module?
We currently have more than 3 "categories" of events in Outlook. Is that a problem with PC Events?
Thank you!
_________________
"For there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)
Outlook Converts?
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onemore4gsus
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Outlook Converts?
"For there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)
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onemore4gsus
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:16 pm
- Location: Virginia
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We are using only Outlook (singular users) for event calendaring. Staff members cannot currently network calendaring. I maintain and print them as necessary since we're not networked.Your question is a little broad. Are you using just outlook? Or, are you also using outlook with an exchange server to share calendars? If you are just using outlook, you have to e-mail each other meeting notices to keep each others calendars in sync.
PC Events with V. 10 sounds like just what we're looking for to network our calendar BUT...
Is there a limitation to the event "categories" in Power Church? Outlook has a seemingly unlimited number of categories to which you can assign a singular event (or series).
This is a major decision--whether or not to switch our entire calendar over to Power Church.
So we are looking for some advice from folks who have made the switch from Outlook calendaring to PC calendaring regarding the advantages/disadvantages of the switch.
"For there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)
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Jeff
- Program Development
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There are really no limitations to the event categories in PowerChurch. The event module is integrated with the other modules in PowerChurch Plus. For example, you might have activities in Activities and Skills module for Youth, Singles, Young Marrieds, and Children, etc. When you add an event in PowerChurch, you specify which activity calendars to put that event on. You can then create calendars for the specific activity groups that you would like. You can also specify that an event is a church-wide event and those events can appear on all activity calendars.
In addition to just activity calendars to categorize an event, you can also create event types. Sample event types would be, Prayer Meeting, Sunday School, Potluck, Committee Meeting, etc. Each Activity Calendar may have several different event types listed on it.
Where this all works together is say the singles and youth are going to an amusement park together, when you add the event to the calendar giving it an event type of "Fellowhip Activity" and add it to both the Youth and Singles Calendars. When you create the youth calendar it will be list, and when you create the Singles Calendar it will be listed there as well. You could just as easily create a calendar of all Prayer Meetings or Committee Mettings, regardless of whether they are tied to the singles, youth, or any other activity.
Technically your are limited to 9,999 different activity calendars and more than 1,000 different activity types.
In addition to just creating printed reports, PowerChurch can e-mail meeting reminders to members of your congregation. Each e-mail is customized to the activities the person is involved in. For example if I am involved in the singles and choir activities, then I my e-mail will have church-wide, choir, and singles events listed. If I have a child involved in the youth, there is an option to include events for children in the parent's e-mail messages. So as a parent my event e-mail could also include events for the areas my children are involved in too.
In addition to the above, you can also use the event module to schedule rooms and equipement to keep from double booking a room or a piece of equipment. You can also create tasks for an event. For example if you have some one babysit during the choir rehearsal, you can add that as a task. We include a small utility that can be scheduled using the windows scheduler. This utility will send an e-mail to people assigned tasks reminding them about the task that is due. So in the example above, the teenager, or person assigned to do the baysitting will get a message the day before the event reminding them that they are to babysit for the choir rehearsal.
You mentioned that your calendaring was not networked. If your Powerchurch is networked, then the events module would be networked as well. Another new feature in 10 is the PowerChurch Today screen. On this screen, your staff members can see what events are coming up and other current information from your data.
In addition to just activity calendars to categorize an event, you can also create event types. Sample event types would be, Prayer Meeting, Sunday School, Potluck, Committee Meeting, etc. Each Activity Calendar may have several different event types listed on it.
Where this all works together is say the singles and youth are going to an amusement park together, when you add the event to the calendar giving it an event type of "Fellowhip Activity" and add it to both the Youth and Singles Calendars. When you create the youth calendar it will be list, and when you create the Singles Calendar it will be listed there as well. You could just as easily create a calendar of all Prayer Meetings or Committee Mettings, regardless of whether they are tied to the singles, youth, or any other activity.
Technically your are limited to 9,999 different activity calendars and more than 1,000 different activity types.
In addition to just creating printed reports, PowerChurch can e-mail meeting reminders to members of your congregation. Each e-mail is customized to the activities the person is involved in. For example if I am involved in the singles and choir activities, then I my e-mail will have church-wide, choir, and singles events listed. If I have a child involved in the youth, there is an option to include events for children in the parent's e-mail messages. So as a parent my event e-mail could also include events for the areas my children are involved in too.
In addition to the above, you can also use the event module to schedule rooms and equipement to keep from double booking a room or a piece of equipment. You can also create tasks for an event. For example if you have some one babysit during the choir rehearsal, you can add that as a task. We include a small utility that can be scheduled using the windows scheduler. This utility will send an e-mail to people assigned tasks reminding them about the task that is due. So in the example above, the teenager, or person assigned to do the baysitting will get a message the day before the event reminding them that they are to babysit for the choir rehearsal.
You mentioned that your calendaring was not networked. If your Powerchurch is networked, then the events module would be networked as well. Another new feature in 10 is the PowerChurch Today screen. On this screen, your staff members can see what events are coming up and other current information from your data.