Database Technology and Database Technology and Church ManagementChurch Management

MSCM 8630 IT for Church Management

Dr. WagnerOctober 2, 2008

This week in class…This week in class…Two on-line sessions this week

◦Thursday night 7:30 p.m. EST◦Tuesday morning 9:30-10:30 EST

(repeat session)Continue reading

◦Chapter 4 in Welch book◦Go over articles from CC magazine

Start discussing database technologyReview the details of the second

assignment◦ Do Access (or other Database package)

tutorials in Element K as needed

Questions about class so Questions about class so far?far?

The Church IT Director The Church IT Director (article)(article)Shows growth in role of IT in churches

◦IT budgets Using some outside vendors

◦Church IT Directors not aware of resources journals CMS user groups Special software and hardware discounts

www.1computerbargains.com, Dell

Grassroots network of blogs http://jpowell.blogs.com

Challenges?

The Virtual World Dawning The Virtual World Dawning (article)(article)

How are virtual environments transforming churches?◦ Multi-site distributed model◦ 47 of 100 fastest growing churches use this

(?)◦ Church sites can be anywhere

Non-threatening, easy access, collaborate across time zones

Movement from push to pull communication model TIVO, iPod, Youtube

On-line digital libraries?Security issues? Worlds interacting?IBM and Cisco experiment with virtual

buildings for team meetings◦ People tend to mingle after meetings◦ Discussion groups form spontaneously

The Virtual World Dawning The Virtual World Dawning (cont.)(cont.)Virtual World Technologies

◦ Forterra Systems software◦ Qwaq hosting (now virtualworldsmanagement)◦ Virtual confession booth◦ Virtual cemeteries

http://www.worldgardens.com/◦ http://www.virtualchurch.org◦ Life Church Purchases 16 acres in Second Life◦ 6 million Google searches by spiritual

searchers each day (?)Advantages for churches?

◦ Anonymous, opportunity to explore, funnel into church, build a global presence?

Database TechnologyDatabase TechnologyWhy is this important?What are the basics?Look at some examplesPractice in Access

Why manage data?Why manage data?

Changing view of data

Higher costs of lost data

Encouragement of “team problem-solving”

Flexible reportingIntegrating it into

decision-making better

What kind of data do churches manage? What kind of data do churches manage? What is structured

data?What is

unstructured data?

What kind of data do churches manage? What kind of data do churches manage? Sermons, research prep

Letters, email – internal and external

Databases◦ Member lists, contacts,

contributions, baptisms, attendance

◦ Problems with multiple databases

Multimedia files – photos, videos, audio, bulletins

Governance docs – minutes, agendas, meeting notices

Custom templates, programs, etc.

Data Management Tasks Data Management Tasks

designing the database structureentering the dataupdating data by adding, changing,

or deletingsorting the datasearching through the data for a

record or group of records

obtaining screen or printed output

Common tasks for databases include:

Why not just use spreadsheets?

Why not just use spreadsheets?

Redundancy

◦Duplication of data or the storing of the same data in more than one place

Difficulty accessing data

Lack of powerful query capabilities

Limited security

Size limitations

Approaches to Data Management include: Approaches to Data Management include:

Custom Program Approach

File Processing System Approach

Database Management System Approach

Database Management Systems

Database Management Systems

OperatingSystem

DatabaseManagement

System

ApplicationPrograms

OperatingSystem

DatabaseManagement

System

ApplicationPrograms

Databases

DataDictionary

DatabaseManagement

Major Types of DatabasesMajor Types of Databases

DatabaseServer

DatabaseServer

ExternalDatabases

End UserWorkstation

OperationalDatabases

AnalyticalDatabases

DataWarehouseDatabases

End UserDatabases

DistributedDatabases

Database Management Systems

Program(s) through which users interact with database

Popular DBMSs include

◦Access

◦Filemaker Pro

◦Oracle

◦DB2

◦SQL Server

Logical Data ElementsLogical Data ElementsPersonnelDatabase

EmployeeRecord 2

EmployeeRecord 1

EmployeeRecord 3

EmployeeRecord 4

Name SS Salary Name SS Salary Name SS Salary Name SS Salary

Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data

PayrollFile

BenefitsFile

Let’s try some database practiceMS Access 2003You can also get to a version of

this by going to https://citrixweb.villanova.edu◦ Login with VU userID and PW◦ Navigate to “General Applications”

folder You should see both Office 2003 and

Office 2007

Assignment for next weekAssignment for next weekFinish spreadsheet assignmentStart using the Access tutorials

on Element K (if necessary)Start thinking of project ideas

Questions?Questions?