Win, Consolidate, Disciple and Send is the method or ladder of success upon which the New Life Christian Fellowship in Darien, Connecticut is built. A cell-based church, this ministry equips its 1,500 members to go forward and share the Good News in cells of 12 across the globe. With exceptional growth rates to date, this church requires a church management software program capable of meeting their diverse administrative needs.

Putting Contributions to Work. ACS Technologies is providing the church with the solution that they had been looking for. As the church begins the consolidation process of their four previous data base systems, current processes and procedures are routinely evaluated. ACS has stepped up to the plate and assisted the church first and foremost with the use of its Contributions module, simplifying this process significantly.

Driving the transition is Chief Financial Officer, Vyts Kulpa who has worked for the ministry for a total of 12 years and has been in this role for the past two years. Chartered with the task of identifying and improving the automation and overall church operations and administration at New Life Christian Fellowship, Kulpa recognizes that ACS Technologies provides a robust product that can meet their needs in a variety of ways. One aspect is the efficiency of the Contributions module. Kulpa explains, “ACS has allowed the church to supply its members with accurate, detailed and up to date giving records. When you are working at a church that has grown about 45 percent since its start, clarifying the process to record the weekly church offering is essential.”

Check Reader Reduces Workload. In 2004, the church took advantage of the ACS Check Reader feature which scans contributors' checks and opens their respective giving records, for even greater rapid entry. Kulpa added, “Utilizing this module has reduced the time that it took to record contributions by 30 to 40 percent. From start to finish, this process used to take a couple of days only to be repeated the following Sunday. With ACS, now we are done by Monday afternoon with the entire process. The task of recording contributions from approximately 400-500 envelopes was lengthy at best.”

“When it comes to the process of recording the offering, the Contributions module does it all!” Kulpa admits, “Before ACS, we wrote each check on a deposit ticket. Now the computer generates a whole list of contributors and I am done in no time. What used to take 30-50 seconds per check now takes about five. This is an overall savings of about two to three hours per week. The Check Reader is a wonderful tool.”

With a background in corporate finance, Kulpa is well aware of the time saving tools and ongoing product enhancements that are available through ACS. Streamlining these processes help him to perform his job with greater accuracy and maximize his efficiency. “My forte is to reduce workloads,” remarked Kulpa. “There are so many ways that ACS will improve our productivity. The capabilities are endless.”

Kulpa has recently spent a significant amount of time assessing ways to ensure that the processes and procedures run smoothly in his church. “The user profiles are awesome in ACS, there is so much valuable data to extrapolate,” Kulpa notes. He continues, “When I run a census report, literally in 30 seconds, I am able to get a picture of the whole church. It is incredible.”

Unlocking Potential. The church recently purchased Access ACS and is beginning to recognize the extent to which the product can revolutionize their ministry. Kulpa remarked, “Sometimes I feel like a kid in a candy store. The information that we need to get out there is literally at our fingertips. The motivator of having Access ACS is to allow our staff and ministry leaders to update their own personal profile. There is a tremendous need for this. The only way that we can be in the forefront is to be technologically equipped. This was evident when we sent our year end giving statements. We told members that if they didn’t get their statements, to let us know via our Web site. The response was overwhelming. People want to communicate via this media and if we aren’t ready we can’t meet their needs. Besides, most people like to see their church operating in a technical savvy way and now we will be able to do just that!”

About New Life Christian Fellowship
Loving God, Loving People; the New Life Christian Fellowship is a cell-based church located in Darien, Connecticut. Offering three Sunday services with translations available in three languages, this ministry believes that the Gospel message doesn't end with a changed life, but that its rippling effect results in a changed world. From individuals, to families, to communities, to societies, and to nations, the Gospel has the power to transform.

ACS Technologies Products and Services Used
People Suite: People, Contributions, Attendance, Connections, Special Mailings
Financial Suite: General Ledger, Payroll, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Fixed Assets
Growth Products: Ministry Scheduler, Church Growth Tools, CASS It!, Max It!
Services: Network/Multiuser

Web Site
www.nlcf.ws