Church Bus needs app

[kidpreacherk]

I am in desperate need of a bus ministry app. Currently I have a paper route list generated on MS-Excel with stop#, Kids names, Addresses, pphone,Sunday P/u time, Sun. Drop off time, and Wednesday Night P/U Time. We run 2, soon to be 3 routes, with over 120 kids. When our regulars bring visitors, we have to pencil them in, and then use a highlighter to mark all who boarded. After service, we try to check off all the kids, but since they board as a mass, not in order as on the sheet, reboarding after church takes a LONG time, with the kids getting louder and wilder the longer it takes. Wed. nights are worst, since it is dark, making it hard to read the names.

Then, I came up with an idea. An app that would list the bus route, just like the paper. When a kids gets on, you tap his/her name, and it automaticly highlights the name, enters it into an attendance tracking database, AND lists the name on an alphabetical (by first name) re-load list. If you have a visitor, click on the space after the last kid listed for that stop, and an entry window would open so you could add the name, address, phone, Birthday, grade.....
After service, you would open the Re-load list, and as the kids loaded, the worker would click on the kids names as board, and the names would be removed from the list, making it easy to know at the end if any child is missing.

After the route, synch the tablets with the master attendance file, so that all the info is up to date, new kids are added, and the attendance data is locked in.

Currently, I use a laptop, but will buy whatever Pad I need to go with app.

CAN ANYONE HELP ME????

Darin Roberts
www.kidpreacher.org

[Brian_Houghton]

Hi Darrin,

Thanks for posting. Are you interested in designing a database to be used within HanDBase so you can collect data about your students/kids? If so, do you have a copy of HanDBase for your device yet? That would be the first step. Let me know so I can offer some advice!

[kidpreacherk]

To be honest, I don't own a device to put the software on. I figured I would find someone who can design the app for me as described, and then buy whatever tablet would go with the software. Since I have next to no budget for this, and will have to ask the congragation for the money to cover the tablets, I figured it would be smarter to find ANYONE who could create the app HOWEVER they want in whatever OS they are most comfortable, than to buy a tablet, and then hope someone will help that HAPPENS to use the same OS.

I went to an android app site, and they said I needed to go to this forum.

I DO appreciate the reply. THANKS!!!

[Brian_Houghton]

Hi,

Thanks for following up. I'd be happy to help with putting together a set of databases to be used in conjunction with HanDBase. They would require the HanDBase app, for either iOS (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad) or Android to be used. The HanDBase app would be a $9.99 purchase, on top of the tablet expense.

If you are okay with me putting together a simple set of databases for you, let me know the specifics of what you are looking for.

[joyousrebirth]

I found this post when I was searching for a church van/bus ministry app or program. I am in the same situation as the other guy and need something that makes it easier. Was something ever developed? And if yes, then how can I get it?

[ddhsoftwareadmin]

Hi,

Just checked with Brian- the previous person never did follow up with the details of what they needed, so we didn't wind up putting something together for them. That said, I'd be happy to do so for you- just need to know what you'd like to track specifically. If you'd prefer you can email me at dhaupert@ddhsoftware.com and we can go over the details but I'm assuming you'd need something like what was described by the previous person. Let's talk specifics and I can get you with something to start with in a few days.