ChurchTrac Overview for New Users

The ChurchTrac 8 (2011 Version) overview is available in two formats: Video or Text. Choose your option below. Note: The video version requires a Flash plug-in to work correctly.

YOUTUBE (VIDEO) TUTORIAL

TEXT-ONLY TUTORIAL

ChurchTrac is easy to learn and use. In fact, one of the great things about ChurchTrac is how a powerful piece of software can be so easy to use! This section is designed to give you a quick look at how to perform basic tasks in ChurchTrac. You’ll find more detailed information on many of the topics mentioned here in the ChurchTrac user guide and online knowledgebase.

Navigating ChurchTrac

The main toolbar at the top of the program gives you quick access to all of your data, which is organized into categories (People, Groups, Attendance, etc). Click one of the buttons on the main toolbar to open the screen for that particular feature.

(You can hide the main toolbar buttons that you don't use, just click on the Utilities button).

If you are just getting acquainted with the program for the first time, feel free to click around and explore the features on the various screens. Most of the screens include some sample data to give you an idea of what ChurchTrac can do and how to get started.

The People Screen

Most of your data entry (at least at first) will occur on the People screen. This screen keeps track of all the information related to individuals and families. The People screen (like many of the screens in ChurchTrac) is organized into two sections: The left side of the screen lists the names you have entered, and the right side of the screen displays information about the name that you've selected on the left:

In the example above, Bob Demo's name is selected on the left, therefore all the tabs on the right will display information about Bob Demo or his family. The tabs on the right side of the screen gives you access to pictures, notes, profiles, and more. You can even hide the tabs you don't use by clicking the Utilities button.

The Output Options button gives you quick access to reports, email, letters, and more. When you click on one of the tabs on the People screen, additional report options will appear on the toolbar as well.

Hint: When you’re ready to start entering your own data into ChurchTrac, you should begin by first entering people and family information using the People screen (or you can use the Import feature by clicking "Utilities"). Once you have entered all the people names into the database, it will be much easier to configure groups, set up attendance, and enter contributions.

When entering more than one name from the same family, it’s usually best to enter the “head of household” first, as ChurchTrac will ask for the spouse’s name and automatically create the Family name based on the information you provide. You can then easily add children or other family members as well.

Getting Help

Every screen in ChurchTrac has at least one help icon (the main help icon for each screen is located on the top left corner of the program window). If you ever have a question or need a little extra help, simply click one of the help icons. ChurchTrac will display a help screen containing important how-to information for that topic. ChurchTrac 8 also has the online knowledgebase and user guide built in. To access these resources, click on the Welcome button, then choose "Knowledgebase and User Guide". The knowledgebase contains articles with step-by-step instructions, plus answers to frequently asked questions.

Setting up Your ChurchTrac Database

After you’ve entered names on the People screen (and maybe some basic contact information), you can then set up your groups and begin using the attendance features (see the groups and attendance sections of the user guide for step-by-step instructions when you get to that point).

IMPORTANT TIP: To make things easier, don’t try setting up groups and attendance features until you’ve entered everyone’s name and basic information on the people screen. See the user guide for detailed assistance in setting up groups and attendance, or this knowledgebase article.

The free version of ChurchTrac allows you to enter up to 100 individual's names. To enter more than 100 names, you'll need to purchase an unlock code. Unlock codes are available in tiers: up to 250 names, up to 500 names, up to 1000, or unlimited names.

How do I "save" my changes in ChurchTrac?

There are no "save" buttons in ChurchTrac. Any changes you make to an entry are automatically saved when you move to a new record or when you open a new window.
 

You'll notice the text in the selection box above is blue. A blue text or data field in ChurchTrac means that you can double-click on that field for additional information or to customize the entries that appear in that list. For example, when you double-click the Member Status or Age Category selection box (pictured above), you can create your own custom entries that will appear in this field.

Hint: To make a selection from a selection box (like the Membership Status selection box pictured above), click the triangle-shaped button on the right side of the combo box to list the available choices. You can also type the first few letters inside the combo box, and ChurchTrac will automatically display the entries that begin with those letters. You can then press the Enter button on your keyboard to accept the entry that is displayed.

Double-click on any blue text in ChurchTrac to customize the selections for that field or to see additional options.

Hint: To delete a record from a list, click on the record selector next to the entry you want to delete and press the delete button on your keyboard.

The record selector may have a symbol inside: a triangle inside a record selector means that this is the current record (like the example above). In ChurchTrac there is often another section of the screen that displays additional information about the currently selected record. In the first illustration for example, clicking on the "Bed Babies" class would list the members of that class.

Entering Your Custom Data

ChurchTrac may not have a built-in field that will work with some of the information you want to keep track of. The People screen has 16 user-defined fields that you can rename and redefine to meet your needs. You can use these fields to keep track of membership dates or other important information when ChurchTrac doesn’t already have a built-in field that will work. You can also provide default selections for each user-defined field by double-clicking on the user-defined field that you want to customize.

Updating Your Program Files

To ensure optimal performance, it is recommended that you download and install program updates at least once a month. To see if an update is available, click the Welcome button, then click "Check for Program Updates". ChurchTrac is updated frequently, and updates often include new or improved features in addition to error corrections. If you do encounter an error that is not resolved by installing a program update, please check the online knowledgebase for possible solutions, and make technical support aware of the problem.

Security

You can configure ChurchTrac to require a password for certain screens, or to require a user name and password each time the program is opened. You can choose which method of security you want to employ by clicking the Utilities button. When you set up a user name and password for each user, you can then specify who has access to certain features, and who does not have access. You can also limit certain users to read/view only access, which prevents them from being able to make changes in the database.

Other Utilities

When you click on the Utilities button, the Program Settings screen is automatically displayed. This screen gives you quick access to settings and preferences that you can set. For example, you can change the default color scheme, enter your church's information (this will print on your reports), and select display options.

IMPORTANT: Backing up Your Data

Your ChurchTrac data is stored in a file on your computer. To avoid data loss, you should create a backup of your data on a regular basis. To create a backup, click the Utilities menu, then choose Backup. Save your back up file to an external drive or flash drive. You can also save your data file online using ChurchTrac's data sharing feature.