SN: You’ve been intensely busy for more than a year…

Mike: Yes, many of the staff of the Information Technology Group have been working on the Connect and Care system which will be installed in early 2011.

SN: What is Connect and Care?

Mike: It’s an information system to better track the people associated with Campus Crusade for Christ: staff, donors, students, volunteers … This large system will help us connect with our friends’ and partners’ interests and track the ways they’ve been involved in Campus Crusade. We hope to know better how to care for them and also to predict what their future involvement or interests might be. Campus Crusade for Christ will then have a personalized snapshot of our friends’ interests, past involvement, and current life stage so we can let them know about the many opportunities we offer through our various ministries.

For instance, Sus and I were involved with the Campus Ministry as students, attending conferences and training. While on staff, we’ve donated regularly to various staff and ministries, attended several FamilyLIfe conferences, and taken a short-term missions trip. Our children were involved in various ways with the Campus Crusade high school and college student ministries. Our daughter, Jenn, has recently been a seasonal employee at our International Headquarters.

SN: What is your part in this significant project?

Mike: I’m the lead business analyst. I make sure this new system provides key functions for our staff and ministries. I lead a team of six business analysts and coordinate with a number of software engineers.

I’m spending a lot of time testing our new software with our Donor Services department because I’m also responsible for leading some of the major testing efforts, making sure hundreds of smaller components work together in the bigger process. Since dozens of pieces of information or activities may be generated from one gift, testing makes sure all of these steps happen correctly; such as, who sent the gift and what crucial project or staff member it’s supposed to help fund. For example, an online gift at give.ccci.org to one of our staff or ministries goes through a number of steps: processing with a bank or credit card company, generating an
e-mail note to the staff member and a receipt for the donor.

SN: How can we pray for you?

Mike: A LOT of people are involved in helping to construct, test, and implement this new system. Please pray for endurance and for all the pieces to come together. Also, please pray for wisdom as each week the team encounters big technical issues that need to be resolved.

Thank you for your prayers and investment in our ministry with the Information Technology Group. You are helping Campus Crusade for Christ care for our partners and friends so together we can reach the lost.