Christian Worship: Service Builder supports service plans for multiple locations

Congregations who meet in a multi-site configuration or who have partnered with neighboring congregations to support a pastor in a dual parish setting will find that Christian Worship: Service Builder works well in such situations and at a fair annual cost.

First, let’s clear the air on one thing. There’s no integrity in abusing the licensing terms of Christian Worship: Service Builder. I mentioned in a previous article that shared costs represent the fact that part of walking together as a synod is funding together the kind of work we can only accomplish collectively. Congregations should not think in terms of splitting the cost of Christian Worship: Service Builder with other congregations.

However, genuine multi-site and dual parish settings can take advantage of software features and a pricing model that reflects their administrative configuration.

Multi-site congregations are congregations that serve multiple geographic locations. Multi-site congregations will have one Christian Worship: Service Builder subscription and will utilize the “Locations” feature in the software to manage worship plans across multiple locations. Multi-site congregations will be billed at the plan level that reflects their total, combined worship attendance across all sites. However, multi-site congregations are ineligible for the subscription plan discounts that otherwise apply to congregations who have made a qualifying purchase of print hymnals and psalters.

Dual parishes are congregations that jointly support a single pastor who serves both congregations. Dual parishes may acquire a single Christian Worship: Service Builder subscription and utilize the same “Locations” feature within the software to make distinct worship plans for distinct locations. However, to qualify for this arrangement a dual parish must be served by a single pastor. Dual parish congregations remain eligible for subscription plan discounts based on qualifying hymnal purchases.

Note that the location feature of Christian Worship: Service Builder is useful for more traditional administrative arrangements as well. For instance, a congregation with a school and a local nursing home ministry can treat both as separate locations for the sake of maintaining a calendar of service plans for each. 

Finally, pastors who wish to partner with colleagues to plan and prepare worship will find that the powerful and practical sharing features in Christian Worship: Service Builder make such collaboration possible between congregations who maintain separate subscriptions as required by the licensing terms of Christian Worship: Service Builder.