Planning Center is a set of software tools specifically designed for churches.
The platform is intended to empower churches to organize information, coordinate events, and communicate with their staff and congregation. There are plan “levels” that allow each church to select the products they need, from a facility events calendar to childcare check-in to church giving.
Having worked in, for, and around churches for more than a decade, we’ve seen many great examples of using the power of Planning Center to multiply the reach of church staff.
Which got us thinking…maybe you’d like to see what we’ve seen: ways that you can lighten your communication load so that you have more time to serve your community.
1. Build church relationships
Overview: Planning Center People isn’t just a database. Churches that use this side of the Planning Center platform effectively are the ones that find ways to create genuine connections and thoughtful moments.
Practical application: Use custom fields to track more than just contact information—create unique lists based on interests and family types. Monitor baptism and membership dates and celebrate anniversaries and milestones with a card or note of encouragement.
2. Orchestrate worship
Overview: The Services module does more than scheduling; it’s your backstage pass to seamless worship coordination.
Practical application: Plan diverse services effortlessly. Coordinate sermons, upload files from Spotify to Vimeo, and streamline rehearsal schedules. For your worship band, the Music Stand add-on helps musicians transpose chord charts and create notations on MP3s.
3. Simplify tithing
Overview: With many churches foregoing the physical collection of tithes during services, having an integrated and simple online tithing process is critical to helping your congregation give regularly.
Practical application: Create different campaigns for targeted giving, set up recurring donations, and track financial health with the built-in dashboard. Configure your privacy settings to ensure the right team members have access, whether they’re counters, viewers, bookkeepers, or admins.
4. Streamline events
Overview: Check Ins is more than a registration tool; it’s the efficient way to manage event attendance—and know which events are growing over time.
Practical application: Revolutionize Sunday School check-ins. Generate unique codes for parents and kids, sync with sticker printers, and enhance security. The headcount add-on ensures you have real-time event participation data, and because everything is integrated in Planning Center, you can see which events are being attended by which people.
5. Coordinate calendars
Overview: The Calendar feature isn’t just for schedules; it’s the command center for your church events that helps you prevent double bookings and resource mismanagement.
Practical application: Create approval groups that allow the right people to schedule and approve space usage. Manage resource inventory—from tables to trash cans—and integrate it into iCal and website widgets. Plan conferences and VBS seamlessly. Customize attendee types, add-ons, and discounts. The integration with Check Ins ensures a smooth registration experience, and the export feature streamlines financial reconciliation.
6. Connect small communities
Overview: Groups are more than just directories; they’re your church’s connection hub.
Practical application: Organize Bible studies, sports teams, and leader training. This app allows members to communicate as well as track engagement—simplifying small group management and attendance.
7. Take advantage of a do-it-all app
Overview: Having an app for your church creates so many unique opportunities to engage and grow your members, and Planning Center makes it easy.
Practical application: Customize your Planning Center app for an immersive experience. Share sermons and create custom pages. Livestream and publish services and sermons. Create and share Bible reading plans for your whole congregation to do together.
Make time for what matters most
Each Planning Center tool is more than a feature. Every function provides a practical solution to real challenges your church faces, which means more time for you to serve your church community. When you’re not hung up on communication issues and confusion, you make space for fellowship to remain at the core of your church.
Because here’s the bottom line: all the data and the software in the world can never replace the real-life power of showing up in the lives of the people who God brings into your church.
Are you hoping to streamline your communication and clearly communicate your vision to make more space for the most important things? Book a Discovery Call with TwoTone and we can help evaluate where we can take things off your plate and make communicating with your community simpler than ever before.
