Latest News and Announcements

08/26/2010 - Intelligent Mail Barcodes


The US Postal Service recently sent out a letter reminding bulk mail customers about the new Intelligent Mail Barcodes that will be a requirement as of May 2011. PowerChurch Plus Versions 9 and higher were updated in 2008, adding support for the Intelligent Mail Barcodes. You can find the configuration options under File > Preferences > Mailing Label Setup. If you do not see the Intelligent Mail Barcode options on this screen, download the latest Maintenance Release for your version at http://powerchurch.com/mr.

08/02/2010 - Check In Maintenance Release


A new Maintenance Release for the PowerChurch Check In system has been published, dated 08/02/2010. Separate installers are available for the Server component and the Kiosk component. You can download the updates at: http://powerchurch.com/mr Once the server has been updated, kiosks must be updated before they will be able to connect to the server. This is the last Maintenance Release for Check In that will feature separate Server/Kiosk installs. After this release, when the server is updated, the kiosks will automatically be updated the next time you connect. This release contains following fixes, changes and new features:

  • Some families excluded from update family
  • Default Adult Y/N values when adding new family
  • Adult Y/N values not updated when editing a family
  • PDF manual was out of date with new features
  • Possible to receive "Minimum resolution 1024x600" message when resolution is set to 1024x600
  • Increase server timeout on the kiosk
  • New Feature - Update kiosk from server automatically


07/19/2010 - New Custom Report Walkthrough


We have added a new custom report walkthrough "Attendance Count Report" in the Knowledge Base. This report groups multiple services together on a single date to give you an accurate attendance status and count. To view the list of custom report walkthroughs available on the site, visit Custom Report Examples.

07/12/2010 - Version 11 Maintenance Release


A Maintenance Release dated 7/12/2010 has been published for Version 11. To download and install this from within the program, go to Help > Download Maintenance Release. To manually download and install it, visit http://powerchurch.com/mr. The following changes were made in this update:

  • E-mail may not be sent to either address if one address is bad (for example: bademail; good@email.com)
  • Vendor names not sorted properly in "Select items to pay" list
  • HTML bookmark links not formatted properly in bulk e-mail
  • Local copy of CHM help file not being updated with Maintenance Release
  • Sync to Google Calendar hangs on error
  • Designated Contributions report title shows "Designated Givings"
  • Family email address ignored on E-mail Statement List report
  • Possible to create error message when adding new Contribution Fund
  • Birthday & Anniversary report does not include multiple months of dates
  • Beginning and Ending Instructions do not print on every group in the Family Update Form
  • Blank Family Form does not show last family or individual phone field
  • First name does not print on Current Officers labels in Activities & Skills


07/08/2010 - Quarterly Newsletter - Summer 2010


We have published the first issue of a new quarterly e-mail newsletter. If you did not receive the e-mail, you can view it here. You can change e-mail subscriptions here or by logging in to my account. We have also added the full newsletter text in the searchable Knowledge Base.

07/06/2010 - Version 10 Maintenance Release


A Maintenance Release dated 7/6/2010 was published for PowerChurch Plus version 10 and 10.4. The following changes were made in this release:

Accounts Payable

  • Missing date causes error on invoice and manual check
  • Account detail on check stub might use old, deleted acct names
  • Added prompt if A/P transaction does not affect an asset account

Attendance

  • Attendance Register Form - Weekly Column format does not have visitor lines
  • Activity Attendance report is not formatted properly in Excel Contributions

Contributions

  • Add "don't show this" option to Contribution date warning
  • Monthly Contribution Totals report is not formatted properly in Excel
  • Unposted Contributions report can group incorrectly by name instead of envelope
  • Canadian Tax Receipts require middle initial or name
  • Release repeating does not release end of month contributions

Events

  • Newly booked rooms do not always show on Daily Plan View
  • Events filtered by activity does not always work
  • Event Occurrences with Detail report date format does not follow Regional Settings

Fund Accounting

  • Balance Sheet by Fund report always includes account numbers
  • Annual Budget Worksheet report - Budget by the group accounts are not treated as budgeted
  • Custom Reports - Income & Expense balances not reset to zero at beginning of year
  • Account Activity report ignores "show year end transactions" option
  • Cash Management report - added sort within account types

Mailing Labels

  • 14 label sheets (5162) are out of alignment
  • Envelope number cut off on 5162 labels
  • Bar codes stop printing after a problem address

Other

  • Backup to CD/DVD not supported in Windows 7
  • Crystal Reports can error on 64 bit Windows
  • Date lookup button does not work in certain scenarios
  • Bulk e-mail - Anchor links do not work in HTML formatting
  • Zip Code sort is wrong when alternate address in use Personal Profiles
  • Export Data missing e-mail preference fields


06/16/2010 - Version 11 Maintenance Release


A new Maintenance Release has been published for PowerChurch Plus version 11. Visit http://powerchurch.com/mr to download this release manually, or simply go to Help > Download Maintenance Release. The following issues were addressed in this Maintenance Release:

Accounts Payable

  • Repeating transaction can be out of balance in certain circumstances
  • Feature Change - Accounts Payable invoice/manual check description changes to match vendor name
  • Feature Change - Support added for July 1 change to Canadian HST

Attendance

  • Feature Change - Consecutive Absentee report can now be grouped by Activity Type, to support multiple services
  • Feature Change - Blank Visitor lines added to Attendance Register Form on Weekly Column layout
  • Press F1 on Attendance Mail Merge/Labels screen opens wrong help topic
  • Activity Attendance report saved to Excel file layout problem

Contributions

  • Added "Don't show this" option on Contributions date changed warning
  • An error occurs when you click the Refresh Report Options button on the Bank Deposit Slip
  • Monthly Contribution Totals report saved to Excel file layout problem
  • Calculator button removed from tab sequence on Enter Contributions
  • Contribution Fund Type not shown on funds lookup lists
  • Reverse contributions does not reverse designation
  • E-mail Contribution Statement doesn't recognize family e-mail
  • Error on fund lookup in Contributions graphs

Custom Reports

  • Unique family id (mail_no) missing from Custom Reports

Events

  • Feature Change - Sync to Google Calendar now only syncs events from one month prior and 18 months future
  • Filtering by activity or church-wide on Events reports does not work
  • Sync to Google Calendar errors when Google server timeout
  • Uncheck "Sync to Google" setting on event does not remove it from Google Calendar on next sync

Family Mailing List

  • Visit Area and Who Visits fields return two digit codes instead of descriptions in some reports
  • Blank Family Form and Family Update Form missing profile phone # 5
  • Blank pages removed from Family Update Form

Fund Accounting

  • Income and expense account balances not resetting to $0 at beginning of the year in Custom Reports
  • Annual Budget Worksheet not including "Budget by the group" detail accounts

General

  • Running report from Quick Task menu does not load default profile
  • Tool tips added to buttons throughout Version 11
  • Users without "Maintain Custom Code" permissions can add new codes

Mailing Labels

  • 5162 14 label sheets out of alignment
  • When printing labels using Intelligent Mail Bar codes, a problem address will cause bar codes to stop printing

Ministry Services

  • Spell check button missing from Add Ministry Services
  • Feature Change - Allow future dates entered into Ministry Services Passwords/Permissions

Payroll

  • Feature Change - 941 Form changing on July 1, 2010
  • Code "W" (health savings account) added as an option in Box 12 on the W2
  • W2 does not print second State or Locality
  • Feature Change - Arizona State tax table format changing on July 1, 2010
  • Post Payroll added to Accounting Audit Log

Personal Profiles

  • Select by Visit Area does not work on Selected Profiles - Full Details report

Visitations

  • Error on deleting custom Visitations codes
  • Family Mailing List permissions should not be required to add new Visitations


06/03/2010 - New Check In demo video added


The third video in the Check In Demo series has been added to the site. You can find it on our YouTube page, Check In product tour, and video tutorials page.

06/02/2010 - Version 9 Maintenance Release


A new Maintenance Release dated 6/1/2010 is available for PowerChurch Plus Version 9. You can download this Maintenance Release on the following web page: http://www.powerchurch.com/mr/ Below are some of the issues that have been corrected in this Maintenance Release:

Accounts Payable

  • Manual check - Error when you do not enter a date
  • Manual Check - Save button does not enable after changing vendor
  • Open Invoices - Error when you do not enter a date

Attendance

  • Fast Data Entry - Now allows multiple user data entry

Contributions

  • Unposted Contributions report - Groups by name rather than envelope number
  • E-mail CO Statements - Now has "stop sending" button to cancel the process
  • Check Reader - Screen can freeze up in certain situations when click the Clear button

Custom Reports

  • If missing QM data files, show message rather than error and close
  • Space in output file name causes error
  • Contributions - Profile Notes field is empty
  • Accounts Payable - Vendor account number not available
  • Fund Accounting - Income and Expense account balances do not reset to zero at year start

Family Mailing List

  • Family Phone Number List - Type column not wide enough for "2nd Home Phone"

Reports/Mailing Labels

  • Sort by Zip/Postal Code is incorrect for alternate addresses

Fund Accounting

  • Annual Budget Worksheet - Budget by the group accounts not showing as budgeted
  • Yearly Budget Comparison - Month column not wide enough for "September YYYY"
  • Income & Expense By Year - Group accounts show $0 balance, should be blank
  • Maintain List of Accounting Funds - Can not change fund number
  • Maintain List of Accounting Funds - Can not delete a fund
  • Cash Management Report - Improved account sort order

Mailing Labels

  • 5162 (14 label sheets) out of alignment
  • Bar codes cease to print if one address has an issue

Personal Profiles

  • Export Data - ASCII tab delimited file has wrong file extension
  • Export Data - Several fields missing from export
  • Pictorial Directory - Errors if file path to picture is too long

Sermon Filer

  • Allow longer file paths in file reference


05/04/2010 - Check In Maintenance Release


A new Maintenance Release for the PowerChurch Check In system has been published, dated 05/04/2010. Separate installers are available for the Server component and the Kiosk component. You can download the updates at: powerchurch.com/mr This release contains following fixes, changes and new features:

  • Pager number does not print on label
  • Pager number field "remembers" last number entered
  • Pager number does not show on the Class Roster page
  • Pictures aren't displayed on Windows 7 64 bit
  • List of names and pictures does not go away when searching for a different name fails
  • If an error occurs when downloading pictures, screen is locked
  • Check Out list is not sorted
  • Theme returns to default after check in on web kiosk
  • On screen keyboard behavior is wrong, switching from self serve to manned mode
  • Occasionally, a request for a certain file in the Web Kiosk, such as "style.css", fails.
  • PCPLUS password is 12 characters, Check In is only 10 characters
  • Parent label doesn't print for new families
  • If no allergies are defined, "Click here to enter text" is printing on the label
  • Setup screen can select Dymo printer when no Dymo printer is installed
  • Kiosk errors when printer is not found
  • Setup screen allows you to save a blank Dymo "label set"
  • Feature Change: Print a single name tag label when checking person into multiple activities
  • Feature Change: Accept / Retry buttons when taking a picture from web cam
  • Feature Change: If no members of family are in any activities, can now add non-family member for check in (Grandma/Grandson scenario)
  • New Feature: Auto-Maximize on startup (self serve mode only)
  • New Feature: Reprint Name Tag button on Class Roster page
  • New Feature: Move to a different activity button on Class Roster page
  • New Feature: Show photo on Class Roster page
  • New Feature: View larger/Print picture from Class Roster page
  • New Feature: Show photo on Check Out page
  • New Feature: Allergies Report - Prints a list of everyone who is checked in with allergies
  • New Feature: Check Out List - Prints a form to use for manual check out


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