Before you can get started with ChurchTools, you’ll first need to begin using digital church management (DGM) with your congregation so that you can access the ELKW portal. During the initial phase of DGM implementation, you can apply for your own ChurchTools account for your congregation. You can then use the portal to obtain access to your own ChurchTools account.
1. Using digital church management for your congregation #
1.1 #
In this DGM document, you’ll learn how to get started with DGM: Getting started with digital church management
1.2 Get employees on board with using digital church management #
Once you’ve completed Step 1.1, as the administrator, you can gradually bring all employees on board to use the system.
The DGM provides you, as the person in charge, with these instructions: To-Do – Add employees to the DGM.
You can make this guide available to employees so they can register through the digital church management portal: Registration guide.
2. Have ChurchTools made available to you on the portal #
If your church has applied to use ChurchTools and access has been activated, you, as a staff member, can request that the specialized application be enabled for your own portal access through the portal.
You can find instructions on how to activate your congregation’s ChurchTools account for portal access here: Request a specialized application in the portal
ChurchTools is now fully available to you. You can also find more information and instructions on setup and use in our tutorials and help pages.
FAQ #
1. Can the domain “elkwxxxx” be changed? #
No, unfortunately that’s not possible.
2. Can we use the songs from the Evangelical Hymnal at events? #
Yes, we can import all the song numbers and titles from the Protestant Hymnal of the LK Württemberg into the Song Pool. All it takes is an e-mail from an authorized representative to our support team. Please include the ID of the song category to which we should add the songs. You can find this in the master data of the Events module under “Song Category.”
Since the licensing issues have not yet been resolved, the sheet music and lyrics cannot currently be used in ChurchTools. Please contact gemeindemanagement@elk-wue.de directly regarding this matter.
3. Can we migrate our existing ChurchTools system to the digital church management platform? #
Does your congregation already use ChurchTools, and are you the admin? If so, your ChurchTools account must be integrated into the Evangelical Regional Church of Württemberg’s digital church management system. You can find more information here.
4. Why can’t I see what I used to see in ChurchTools after re-registering on the portal? #
When you re-registered on the portal, you received a new elkw e-mail address and were asked to provide this new e-mail address to your ChurchTools administrator. If you did not do so, a new account has now been created for you in your system using the new e-mail address. It is very likely that this new account does not have the same permissions. As a result, you will see less information when you sign up for the portal using the new account.
Solution: Please contact your ChurchTools admin and explain your problem, including the e-mail address you’re currently using. They can then correct this for your account. If you are the admin, you’ll find instructions here on how to regain your permissions.
5. Why can’t I log in to the portal using the “Microsoft Edge” browser? #
You can find our help page on this topic here.