Getting Started

Welcome to ChurchSuite! You may be wondering where to begin or what to do first. While there isn't a "hard and fast" right way, the following suggestions may help give some pointers as you begin.

• Getting started with the Address Book Module
• Importing your data
• Importing your children data

1. Review your account settings

You can make some simple customisations within your account settings —see Customising your account.

2. Add your sites

If you're a multi-site church, now is the time to add your various sites: Check out the Multi-site functionality.

3. Add your branding

Instantly transform your communications and public-facing pages by uploading your logo and setting your preferred brand colour - Using brands

4. Add other users

Add other Users and invite them to join you as you begin to explore your ChurchSuite account.

5. Address Book module

As the Address Book is a core required module within ChurchSuite, we'd suggest you look at this module first. Check out the Getting Started with the Address Book article for more information.

6. Explore other available modules

Check out the Getting Started links below for a module of interest:

Terminology

ChurchSuite is more than a single system! You'll see the following system names used across the modules and in our support articles and videos:

• ChurchSuite is for users/admins - the back-office system for staff and key volunteers.
• My ChurchSuite is for members. Contacts and children with My ChurchSuite access can update their personal details and manage their engagement.
• Check-In if for attendance - check regular children, visitors and team members in and out of their groups.
• Connect is for services - a suite of applications for use at Sunday services and in-person events.

Data Protection

We encourage you to review your Data Protection policies. Questions you might consider include:

• Do people know what personal information our organisation stores/processes and for what purposes? Do we have a lawful basis for processing each type of information? Is our privacy notice up to date?
• Do people understand that only appropriate users have access to our data, the security protections in place and their permissions?
• Does our Data Retention policy need updating? Have we purged all data we no longer need or have no lawful basis for processing?
• Do we need to refresh our training, confidentiality and data access provisions for our staff and other users?
• Are the default privacy settings and communication options appropriate and in accordance with the guiding legislation and our members' expectations and wishes?
• Do the organisation's "data capture" processes (e.g., visitor cards, web-embedded forms, etc.) have sufficient visibility of data protection messaging and privacy notices?
• Does our safeguarding policy need updating to reflect how data about children, young people and vulnerable adults will be handled?

Got a question?

You’ll find the answers to most questions in our support articles - they're all available through the Support menu located in the top-right corner of each page in ChurchSuite. Select Get help and search by topic, phrase or keyword. You can also access the Support Article library on our website. And if you still can't find something you're looking for, click to get in touch with one of the ChurchSuite team - we’re happy to help!