ParishSOFT Sees Renewed Vision and Commitment, Amidst Growth
Announces product name change at 2017 Users' Conference
Contact: Annette Gannon, 734-922-0842
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 6, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- ParishSOFT held its tenth annual users' conference from October 22-25, 2017, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. More than 300 Catholic parish and diocesan leaders from across North America gathered to empower their mission and ministry with what has become the hallmark of the event: learning together how to use technology and best practices to serve God's people more effectively, in a uniquely Catholic setting that feels like a spiritual retreat. Conference keynotes and presenters drove home critical points: the people are the church; it is time to own the identity of and responsibility for creating missionary disciples; our missions demand that the Church use technology and tools with boldness and creativity in service of the Gospel. To this aim, ParishSOFT unveiled new initiatives that will lead the company, its products, and the parishes and arch/dioceses it serves into the future.
ParishSOFT, started by Father David Rosenberg in 1998, has grown over the last two decades into a full suite, web-based, solution. Since 2015, union with Ministry Brands has opened new vistas and made possible greater depth in ParishSOFT's service to the Catholic Church.
Ministry Brands renewed its committed relationship in 2017 with dedicated resources and focus on ParishSOFT's web-based suites – acknowledging ParishSOFT as the premier provider of software for Catholic parishes and arch/dioceses. Catholic Church leaders continue to express the need for a more deeply integrated tool set that enables ministry from "cradle to grave." Because ParishSOFT products were designed from the beginning to deliver an integrated, single-database solution, and the company remains the sole provider of integrated web-based accounting and church management systems designed specifically to meet the unique needs of the Catholic Church, ParishSOFT is already working to achieve the level of deep, seamless integration that customers demand. ParishSOFT product development efforts already underway will continue for the foreseeable future.
As a reflection of ParishSOFT's unique Catholic focus and reputation in the Catholic market, ParishSOFT is excited to announce a name change. ParishSOFT's online suites, formerly known as the ConnectNow Family and Accounting Suites, will now be known as the ParishSOFT Family Suite and ParishSOFT Accounting Suite. The transition will not be immediately visible in the application and will not impact user experience or product performance.
Well equipped for the next phase of software building, the ParishSOFT product roadmap reveals the subsequent steps for their Family and Accounting Suites. ParishSOFT Family Suite, which includes census and membership applications, will be deeply enhanced on both the arch/diocesan and parish levels with robust new and improved functionality and tighter integration. Updates are being designed to help staff and volunteers tend to administration and accounting more effectively; build disciples and minister to their people from cradle to grave; and to deliver a more seamless experience in the online venues where parishioners sign up to serve, participate, and give. Work has already begun on Diocesan Directory features for this December's product release. Ministry Brands has also pledged to expand and enhance ParishSOFT Accounting for parish finances.
ParishSOFT's customers serve the greatest mission. Additional ongoing efforts to provide world-class service include projects for 2018 that will reduce hold times for customers seeking support. Customers will be able to receive a call back without losing their place in line.
Arch/Dioceses and parishes remain at the heart of ParishSOFT's mission. To mark the 20th anniversary for the company in 2018, ParishSOFT has announced its "20 Years of Celebration and Service." As part of this celebration, ParishSOFT will be bringing its conference experience to a diocese or region near you in the form of daylong events throughout the country. The ParishSOFT users' conference in its traditional three-day format will return in fall 2019. Please watch www.parishsoft.com for locations and details.
Arch/Dioceses and regions interested in hosting a one-day ParishSOFT event are invited to contact Karen Kasenow-Johnson at kjohnson@parishsoft.com.
ParishSOFT General Manager Timothy Sember said, "We thank our customers for being part of our journey for the past 20 years, and we look forward to the next 20 years of Connecting People and the Church."
About ParishSOFT
Since 1998, ParishSOFT has been committed to providing the highest quality church management software for Catholic Churches throughout the world. Today, ParishSOFT's mobile church management and accounting systems - including ParishSOFT Family Suite, ParishSOFT Accounting Suite, and ParishSOFT Diocesan Suite - are in more than 9,000 parishes and in more than 173 arch/dioceses. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we empower churches with the technology and service they need to achieve their missions. For more information, visit www.parishsoft.com.
About Ministry Brands
Ministry Brands is the leading SaaS platform for churches and other faith-based organizations in the United States, and is the owner of ParishSOFT. Ministry Brands leadership and ParishSOFT's General Manager Timothy Sember work to identify and implement technology solutions that allow pastors and church executives, technology professionals and administrators to carry out their Gospel mission with excellence, relevance, and efficiency. Ministry Brands' suite of solutions includes church management, accounting, giving and payment processing, and website development software. For more information, visit www.ministrybrands.com.