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The owner, President, chief raconteur, and janitor of Sunday Software Inc. is Neil MacQueen (me), a Presbyterian minister, Sunday School teacher, and self-taught computer geek. I started teaching with software in my suburban Chicago church back in 1990. I quickly realized we had a tiger by the tail, and started telling other churches about what we were doing and learning. To meet growing interest in our project, in 1996 I formed "Sunday School Software Inc." with two other church members, while still serving as the Associate Pastor there. And that's when things unexpectedly took off. Sometimes you look around and wonder "who will do this?" In the case of Christian education software I decided to say, "Here I am." So, in the Fall of '96 I moved from full-time parish work to full-time work on Sunday Software. My family and I moved the company back to central Ohio where my wife and I had grown up. I still teach with computers in Sunday School. In Presbyterian parlance my software company is what they call a 'validated ministry.' In the early 2000's we began to develop our own software, as well as, carry other people's good software. A variety of folks constitute the "we" in our ministry. They include two employees: Jim and Shelley, as well as friends and family members who lend a hand, and some employees who have come and gone over the years. I am also blessed to work several highly skilled independent programmers, artists, sound recordists, voice and video talent -many of who have been with us for years. We have a great creative team who go above and beyond the call every time. Learn more about our people. Here's WHAT we do and are:
Several curriculum publishers use us or recommend us as their source for CE software, including Augsburg's Firelight, Cokesbury's PowerXpress, the curriculum folks at PCUSA, Cornerstones, and Potter's Workshops. Being available, knowledgeable, honest (not just telling/selling you what you want to hear) are things I take seriously.
Many people also know me from my work with the Workshop Rotation Movement --a new model for Sunday School that can include a computer lab. When you call our ministry I (usually) answer the phone and I like a good talk, so don't call in a rush. I do a little writing and free CE consulting on the side. I've published three books, one with Augsburg titled, Computers, Kids and Christian Education, another titled, Workshop Rotation with Presbyterian Publishing, and our seminal manual, Teaching with Computers in Christian Education. I have published articles in numerous magazines, including Church Educator, Children's Ministry, Your Church, Net Results, Church Web Advisor, Alert, Advocate, Christian Computing, and Presbyterian Outlook. I am also the volunteer web guy for www.rotation.org.
Shelley MacQueen -secretary/accounting. Shelley is helping out in the family business, providing accounting and office support. Our Software Development Team: Neil works with a number of multimedia guys to develop software. This talented team includes: Colin MacQueen (SoundWrangler), Ben Diehl (PupuPlatters.com), Deni Yagci (Divine Game), Gilbert Arcand (Montreal Models), Philip Williams (Staircasestudios), Mike Gale (Sonsoft), Tregg Duhigg (Mojomedia), and Marc Ankermann (Ankermann Solutions). At any given time, our team is hard at work developing another great new title. And a BIG part of that team is our customers. We actively solicit feedback about our software release so that we can improve them. And we email our customers about upcoming projects so that our customers can be part of the process. Unlike many developers and development companies, our designs and features reflect actual classroom use and customer input. Most developers and distributors don't actually teach with their software. We do. Theologically Speaking.... Occasionally new customers ask about my theology, or they ask if we have a statement of faith. So here you go: All the Bible scholars, theologians and Bible verses put together can't tell us half as much as we'll someday hear from God in person. God told us the Good News in person through Jesus, the Word made flesh. God's heart is full of grace and forgiveness, and God wants us to spend more time doing acts of love, than arguing ad infinitum over doctrine. To call anything infallible or inerrant other than God is what the Bible calls "idolatry." The Bible is the inspired witness to God's interaction with his people in history. Like all good parents, God will hold his children accountable, but God's eternal love for each of us is more powerful than God's anger. The only true church is the people of God acting like Christ (or at least confessing that they are supposed to be!). Any one denomination or theological tradition is at most only a portion of the Body of Christ. Those which claim exclusive knowledge are fools (in the un-biblical sense). The forces of divisiveness and factionalism in the Church are the spawn of Satan (in the figurative sense). We're not called to agree with one another on everything, but rather, to love one another. The highest calling in the church is to raise up children in the way they should go. Our Sunday School kids, -are both disciples now, and for the future. They are the parents, Sunday School teachers, and church leaders of tomorrow. Thus, when a child grows up learning their Bible stories and loving God, they can affect generations to come. That is how I answer the cheapskates who think folding chairs and tile floors are fine equipment to teach God's word with. It's not just about one kid, it's about all the other people that one Sunday School kid can eventually affect, and all the good things all of them can do in God's name. That's why I'm passionate about Sunday School, and teaching with attractive new tools like software. Plain fact of the matter is you can't teach a kid who isn't there, doesn't want to be there, or isn't coming back. And yet kids love computers and enjoy learning Bible stories with them. Now you know why there is a ministry that's also happens to be a "C corp" called Sunday Software Inc. <>< Neil
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Contact Info 1-614-527-8776 Email: neil@sundaysoftware.com Read what our customers say about us, and the idea of Computers in Christian Education.
Musings on our Existence We are now the oldest "surviving" Christian software distributor and producer focusing on children and youth titles -who is still producing new software. There were some companies that pre-dated us, or came after us. But they are either gone now, or they carry a limited variety of software, or their main business is something other than software, --or they aren't producing new titles anymore. We've grown quite a bit in the past years thanks to the support of our customers, and what we think is the right approach to selecting and producing software. But we're still pretty small in comparison to many resource providers. That's a blessing, but I am also reminded that James Cagney once bragged that HE TOO was "on top of the world, Ma" just before being blown to smithereens. Occasionally a new company or interested developer will ask me the following two questions. I don't believe Sunday Software should be the only kid on the CE software block. The Bible is a big book. --So here's what I tell them: How did we survive? 1. A belief in staying focused on what I know best ~ software for Christian education. Many Christian developers have "gone on" to other things. 2. A belief in being picky about software. Our customers appreciate that we have an opinion. And those who provide us with good stuff appreciate the sales and loyalty. 3. A belief in offering personal teaching and technical support. Christians and churches expect it, and we enjoy providing it. 4. A belief that teachers need teaching materials to go with most software, and certain design elements built into the software. Churches want content, and teachers want guides to help prepare with. And they want software that can be used in a typical Sunday School class timeframe. 5. A belief in turning revenue into new software, and moving the medium forward -rather than siphoning off profits like some publishers do. Coupled with this belief is a desire to explore new ways of presenting material on the computer screen, and not simply creating cookie-cutter programs. 6. A belief that our first version of every program isn't our last. We have a commitment to making every new program better. Too many developers are one-trick ponies. 7. A belief that we are in ministry first, and business second. 8. A belief in dealing directly with the end-users, --the churches, and not relying on the traditional "bookstore" distribution channels which have failed so many other developers time and time again. 9. A belief that people will pay a fair price for good software, and thus, we don't have to engage in Wal-Mart pricing. Those developers who think cheaply priced software produces more good software don't last long. 10. A belief that this is truly a mission field. I used to think the denominational and independent publishers would eventually knock us out. Or that some "dotcom" with a business plan would. But here we are. The truth is that most distributors and publishers aren't that interested in, or are restrained from getting into this medium for the long haul. I believe that I must keep all these beliefs or we'll lose our way. Eliminate or fail at even one, and we too will end up on the ash heap, or worse -just another distributor who eventually decides to do something else. Churches and Sunday Schools need distributors and developers who will be there for them over the long haul, -meeting their needs, and carrying good software regardless of its age or profit margin. They're making a commitment to cutting edge tools and so are we. If you're a fly-by-night developer or distributor, I would recommend you find something else to do. If you are serious about pursuing this medium as a great way to teach God's Word, then you are our new friend! Contact us. <>< Neil MacQueen
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I'm a husband, father, Presbyterian
minister, and founder and president of Sunday Software
Inc. I've worked in Christian education for the past 28+ years
in several capacities: as Associate minister in two churches,
youth leader, Sunday School teacher, Confirmation leader, camp
counselor, church elder, consultant, curriculum writer, and most recently as a
Parish Associate in a small local church. I'm a 1985 graduate of Louisville
Presbyterian Theological Seminary with an undergrad degree from
Ohio State (not in computer science). My wife (Malinda) and I
have three children. As of June 2008, we've been living in suburban Columbus
Ohio where we grew up. I'm an avid NHL fan.
Jim Ramsey (pictured
right) --
also known as "Captain Dew Rag" runs our shipping department.
He's a darn good packer too. If you get him on the phone, ask
him about his Harley. Jim has been with Sunday Software for over 9 years.