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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 have now taught with computers in Sunday School in four different churches over two decades. In Presbyterian terminology I am classified as an inter-denominational worker and my software company is what they call a 'validated ministry.' (I am also the "Parish Associate" in a local congregation). In the early 2000's we began to develop our own software, while continuing to carry other people's good software. We've now released more Bible story and Bible game software programs than any other company. "We" are a very small company. I am also blessed to work several highly skilled independent service providers, programmers, artists, sound recordists, voice and video talent -most of whom have been working with us for many years. We have a great creative and service team who go above and beyond the call every time. Learn more about our people. Here's WHAT we do and WHO we 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.
I've worked in Christian education for the past 28+ years in several capacities: as an Associate Minister in two churches, Sunday School teacher, youth leader, Confirmation leader, camp counselor, church elder, deacon, and church consultant I'm a 1985 graduate of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary with an undergrad degree from Ohio State (not in computer science). In early 1996 while serving as Associate Minister in a Chicago area church, my wife and I started Sunday Software. We soon realized we had created a monster, so we moved it and our family back to Columbus Ohio, our hometown, and turned Sunday Software into a full time ministry. In 2008 we moved to St. Croix in the USVI for a "four year warm weather adventure" where my wife is on contract with the local hospital. We still ship out of Hilliard Ohio. I currently serve as the "Parish Associate" in a local Reformed church. I'm an avid NHL fan and ocean kayaker. 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, APCE Advocate, Christian Computing, and Presbyterian Outlook. I write a CE & Church Tech Resource blog at www.sundayresources.net and I am also the volunteer web guy for www.rotation.org. 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. Many of my customers have met me through seminars and conferences where I have presented. When you call, I (usually) answer the phone.
We work with a variety of people and companies to bring you great software and service.
Shelley MacQueen -- Shelley helps out in the family business, providing accounting, office, and catalog support. She is also one of our software testers. Our Software
Development Team: 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.... I was raised in the Presbyterian Church USA, got my M. Div at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, was ordained as a Presbyterian minister, and currently serve in a Reformed church (RCA). I consider myself modern in outlook, open minded, and open to the Spirit. Many of my customers are mainline Christians like me, but a significant number are more conservative or evangelical or more liberal than me. We're all pretty much teaching Bible stories to our kids the same way with the same basic meanings and interpretations. I love the Bible, and love TEACHING the Bible to kids in creative and inspiring ways. If you feel the same way, you've come to the right place. <>< Neil
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Contact Info 1-614-527-8776 For immediate help & questions: 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 in a movie 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. We've stayed focused on what I know best ~ software for Christian education and the needs of the local church. Many Christian developers have come and "gone on" to other things. 2. 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. Recognition that Elaborate and Expensively Produced games usually put the developer out of business, as the Christian marketplace rarely supports such efforts, however well intentioned. Such customers usually only buy one copy and don't come back for more. Whereas the Church has a HUGE need for "teaching games" to attract and inform kids. We are not competing against $50 million dollar Nintendo games, but boring Sunday School curriculum. 4. A belief in offering personal teaching and technical support. Christians and churches expect it, and we enjoy providing it. 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 directing profit back 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 the race is not to the swift, but to the enduring. Some developers put everything they have into one Big title and last about 2 years. We develop good -but modestly elaborate software and make our return on it over a period of many years, not just a few. This model gives us stability and longevity, which builds trust and relationships with our customers, developers, and suppliers. 8. Avoiding traditional "bookstore" distribution channels and not limiting ourselves to one distributor. Many good developers have suffered from such. 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 beat a path to our door. But I've learned that this mission business is for the few who "get it" and are willing to persist in it. But they must also do the things that work, rather than let their enthusiasm blind them to the lessons others have learned. If you are a developer who would like to talk about your program or ideas, contact me. neil@sundaysoftware.com My advice is free, and occasionally correct! <>< Neil MacQueen
(on another page) (on another page) View our latest newsletter for sale & discount info, software notes, teaching tips and interesting links.
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We make it
our business to inform software developers of the needs of the
church and teachers.
We
seek to
influence their products and marketing decisions. And sometimes they
actually listen to us!
I'm a husband, father
of 3 wonderful kids, Presbyterian
minister, and founder and president of Sunday Software
Inc. 
Jim Ramsey (pictured
right) --
also known as "Captain Dew Rag," Jim has provided all the shipping
and receiving services for Sunday Software since 2000. 
