Planning Center Setup and Website Integration
Planning Center Setup and Website Integration for Churches
Intekk Media sets up Planning Center for churches that are starting fresh or have an account they have never fully used. We configure your modules, connect Planning Center to your website, and train your team before we hand off. You do not need a tech background to manage it after we are done.
John is amazing to work with, I will definitely be recommending him to other friends.
-Amos King-
(Cedar Hollow Greenhouses)
Quick Answers
What is Planning Center and how does it work for churches?
Planning Center is a church management platform built specifically for congregations. It handles service planning, volunteer scheduling, group management, event registration, member check-ins, and giving. Instead of managing all of that in spreadsheets or separate tools, Planning Center keeps it in one place your whole team can access. It is web-based and works on any device.
What Planning Center modules does a new church need?
Most churches start with four modules. Planning Center Services handles worship planning and volunteer scheduling. Planning Center People manages your congregation database. Planning Center Groups organizes small groups, classes, and teams. Planning Center Check-Ins handles attendance for Sunday services and kids ministry. Giving and Registrations are added when the church is ready. We recommend the right starting set during your intake call.
How do I set up Planning Center for my church?
Setup involves creating your account, configuring each module for your church structure, importing or entering your people database, setting up your service types and volunteer teams, and connecting any integrated tools like your giving platform or website. It is time-consuming to do correctly. Most churches either delay it for months or set it up incompletely. We handle the full setup so your team can start using it immediately.
How do I connect Planning Center to my church website?
Planning Center connects to your website through embedded registration links, calendar widgets, and giving buttons. Visitors can register for events, sign up for groups, and give online without leaving your site. We configure these connections and embed them in the right places during your website build or as a standalone integration project.
Can Planning Center replace my church website?
No. Planning Center has a public-facing church profile page, but it is not a substitute for a real church website. Your website is what a first-time visitor finds on Google. Planning Center is the operational system behind it. The two work together. Your website brings people in. Planning Center helps you manage them once they are there.
How long does Planning Center setup take?
A standard setup covering Services, People, Groups, and Check-Ins takes us five business days. More complex configurations with Giving, Registrations, or a large existing database may take longer. We will give you a clear timeline during the intake call.
How much does Planning Center cost?
Planning Center charges a monthly subscription fee based on the number of people in your database and which modules you use. Most small to mid-size churches pay between $14 and $99 per month depending on their configuration. That fee goes directly to Planning Center. Our setup fee is separate and is included in your website price.
Who sets up Planning Center for churches?
Most churches either attempt it themselves and stall out, or pay a consultant to do it. We set up Planning Center as part of our church website services, which means your site and your church management platform are configured to work together from day one.
What We Configure
Planning Center People
We set up your people database structure including member profiles, household connections, and custom fields for your congregation. If you have an existing database in another format, we handle the import. Just email your contact list to us in a CSV or opt to import contacts yourself.
Planning Center Groups
We configure one small group as an example setup. Your staff will configure more groups as needed.
Planning Center Giving
We configure one giving fund to get you started with online giving. Then we add a popup or link to the giving page from your website.
Planning Center Calendar/ Events
We add your church calendar to your website to push events, trips etc. right to your events page on your website.
Planning Center Forms
We create a volunteer signup form to let your church members apply to serve on your church team.
Church Center App
We add a promotional video for the Church Center app directly on your home page to encourage your church members to download the Church Center App.
Website Integration
We embed registration links, event calendars, and giving buttons from Planning Center directly into your church website. Visitors can take action without being redirected to a disconnected external page.
Staff Training
Before handoff, we walk your administrator and key team leaders through the basics of each module they will manage and point them to the appropriate Planning Center University Videos for in depth training. Your team will know have what they need to learn the system before we close the project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you set up Planning Center Giving?
Yes. Planning Center Giving can be configured as part of your setup and connected to your website. See our Online Giving Integration page for full details on giving platform setup.
What if we already have a Planning Center account that is partially set up?
We can audit your existing configuration, fix what is incomplete, and build out the modules you have not used yet. A cleanup and completion project is often faster and less expensive than starting over.
Can Planning Center send emails and text messages to our congregation?
Yes. Planning Center includes basic communication tools for emailing groups and sending texts to volunteers. We configure your communication settings during setup.
Is Planning Center hard for staff to learn?
The learning curve is manageable with a proper setup and training. Most staff are comfortable with day-to-day tasks within a week of handoff. Complex features like service planning templates take a bit longer but are well-documented by Planning Center.
Ready to Get Planning Center Running for Your Church?
A properly configured Planning Center turns a frustrating pile of spreadsheets and group texts into an organized system your whole team can use. We handle the setup. You handle ministry.
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