“It [the parish] is a community of communities, a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of their journey, and a center of constant missionary outreach.” (“The Joy of the Gospel,” #28)
Good Data Impacts Parishioners
Why does data matter? Data represents lives. Precious souls entrusted to your care. Good data impacts every aspect of your parish’s ability to care for its people, and it impacts every parishioner’s experience with your parish. Does your data truly reflect your parishioners?
With so much to be done, it’s easy to get lost in the forest and lose sight of the horizon – the “why” behind what we do – amidst the teeming life of parish events, sacramental prep classes, and parish missions. When properly collected and carefully mined, data can be the trail-marker tree that allows us to see over the undergrowth and reorient ourselves to our destination – reaching parishioners.
Key to Gathering Data – Ask
Looking for a new parish home, I recently had the opportunity to attend numerous parishes. Enter parish number one. Struck by the beautiful liturgy, fervent pastor and parish activities, I eagerly introduced myself asking to get involved. The response was tepid at best. The seemingly apathetic reply is understandable, given the load of responsibility many of our pastors carry, but when combined with the lack of welcome from parishioners – where nary a greeting or sign of interest could be found – indicated to me my search was not over. So went several parishes.
Somewhat disheartened, I slipped through the threshold of what has become my current parish. Greeted warmly at the door, and met with a sincere welcome from the pulpit (including direction toward informational resources) – not to mention the pastor’s personal welcome to newcomers and visitors – I quickly found myself regaining hope in finding a Catholic community in my new city.
Right away I was plugged into parish life as parishioners introduced themselves, inquired about my interests, and pointed me the right direction. Normally reluctant to surrender personal information, I provided my contact information and census data with joy. Why? Because they asked, and it was clear that this was a parish that cared about making connections.
Data Storage and Maintenance Determines Effectiveness
Now we’re all on the same page regarding the necessity of gathering parishioner and visitor data (hint: it helps us connect!). But there’s data, and then there’s good data. Good data helps parishes to better know the people they serve. How you collect and store data will have a direct impact on how effectively you are able to understand and reach out to your parishioners.
Pave the Way for Engagement, Stay Tuned for Part Two
How is your parish gathering information? ParishSOFT’s Family Suite and Family Directory’s parishioner portal, My Own Church, give your parish and parishioner’s the tools they need to not simply register, but truly engage in parish life!
Stay tuned for Good Data, Tell the Real Story – part two of this series where we will address common data issues, and how to prevent them, that keep you from connecting with your parishioners.
Find out more about how ParishSOFT can support both data integrity and ministry in your parish by attending a free demo, or call us at 866.930.4774 x 7 to learn how ParishSOFT Family Suite can serve your mission!
Making Data Matter – Part One | Good Data, Tell the Real Story – Part Two
