How The Potter’s House of Fort Worth Leverages Church Tech To Serve Their Community

Summary

The Potter’s House of Fort Worth was on the verge of a breakthrough. They had a rapidly growing community, but disconnected spreadsheets and manual processes were keeping them from meaningfully connecting with their members. The church found itself at a crossroads due to outdated methods and the need for a more cohesive approach to streamline operations and enhance congregation engagement. 

In addition to the challenges posed by using multiple systems, The Potter’s House of Fort Worth also needed better methods for communication and coordination in their team. With different departments working on separate systems, it became difficult for them to share important information and collaborate effectively. The breaking point was when a congressional ruling impacted texting short codes and the church found themselves asking people to memorize a 10-digit code to give.

In search of a solution, they found Pushpay, encouraged by positive experiences from a sister campus. They found the robust, user-friendly platform that the church desperately needed. Not only did it resolve the immediate challenges of organization and giving, but it also opened up new avenues for engagement and growth. The Potter’s House now enjoys a seamless solution that supports everything from event promotion and volunteer coordination to a deeper understanding of congregational engagement through detailed metrics.

Challenges

As the church community grew rapidly, their patchwork of disconnected spreadsheets and manual processes became increasingly unmanageable. Trying to keep track of finances, events, and congregation engagement through multiple systems was a daunting task that consumed valuable time and resources. 

Cedric Spencer, the church’s IT Director, recalls, “We didn’t have a ChMS platform at all. We were piecing things together piecemeal. For example, if staff hadn’t recently looked at the spreadsheets or calendars we were using, a space could get double booked and teams could be showing up with no spaces to use.” 

But their challenges extended beyond room management. With different departments using separate systems, teams found it difficult to share important information and collaborate effectively. Cedric recalled, “The frustration continued over time for volunteers, ministry leaders, and staff.” The church’s rapid expansion only magnified these issues, highlighting the urgent need for something that seamlessly connects the church’s operations and data.

An unexpected legislative change that affected the church’s text-to-give process finally forced the church to seriously consider adopting a robust church software. With short codes for texting no longer working, Cedric remembered, “We were having to ask people to memorize a 10-digit code to be able to give. That’s what really prompted us to go to the next thing, a more robust, flexible solution.”

Solutions

After testing Pushpay’s ChMS based on their sister campus’s recommendation, Cedric said, “We decided we can’t go without this anymore.” The Potter’s House of Fort Worth started using Pushpay’s ChMS in 2017, and for the first time, staff and volunteers had access to a unified, user-friendly system to streamline processes and stay organized. It brought together all the church’s data and processes for seamless communication and coordination between ministries. 

Cedric shared how impactful the ChMS has been in their efforts to connect and engage with the Fort Worth Community: “We have a monthly food drive that people register for. We have our backpack giveaways, EDUFEST, and multiple events for entrepreneurship and financial literacy. All of these require registrations, so we can see the number of people coming and what that number looks like. We tried to do some of these things before we had a platform and we weren’t successful. The tools made the difference.”

In 2020, the church added Pushpay’s giving and app solutions to their tech stack, and Cedric reflected that the new tools were “definitely a significant addition of features and services.” With Pushpay’s giving solution, The Potter’s House gave their congregation an easy, secure way to give. Additionally, the church app, with a clean and easy-to-navigate dashboard, made it easy for congregants to engage deeper within the church.  

Cedric shared, “At the end of the day, in all three areas—the management software, online giving, and the app—necessity was what pushed us to embrace these tools. But it has been one of the best things we ever did.”

Results

Since 2017, The Potter’s House of Fort Worth has seen a significant transformation in its operations and engagement with the help of Pushpay. Cedric recalled, “I’ve been here since we first opened the campus, so I know why we use it and what it was before we had Pushpay. From my perspective, it’s very much well worth it because I remember what it was like before we had the systems and processes.”

The post-COVID era has brought challenges and opportunities for churches worldwide, and The Potter’s House of Fort Worth was no exception. Cedric acknowledged, “There’s a shift and a change post-COVID for our church. And every Sunday, we’re seeing new faces. It’s remarkable. “Alongside more people and new faces each week, The Potter’s House of Fort Worth was also seeing growth in their numbers. Cedric shared, “I’ve 100% seen a change in our church’s metrics since we started using Pushpay. We leverage Pushpay to help us figure out how to do ministry more effectively, and we’re getting better because we can see what’s effective.”

After more than seven years of using Pushpay, The Potter’s House of Fort Worth continues to find value in Pushpay’s software. Cedric highlights the continuous innovation and responsiveness of the tech to the evolving needs of their church: “Our processes and our utilization of tech pre-COVID is totally different, but the way Pushpay is constantly updating the product is one of the most valuable things for this service for us. We can be assured and confident that we’re getting a product that is innovative and meets the needs of our church. It really is helping us serve our congregation well.” This enduring relationship with Pushpay has helped The Potter’s House of Fort Worth adapt, grow, and look forward with confidence, knowing they have a partner committed to their success and the growth of their community.

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