Sometimes we need to come back to the basics: Churches thrive when their people truly connect with one another.
Sunday services and midweek gatherings are usually the central touchpoint of church life, but some of the most meaningful relational moments happen in the in-between—in those everyday conversations, in the banter, and in the quick check-ins.
That’s what makes us so excited about offering chat to your communities!
What is chat, really?
Chat is more than just another messaging tool. It’s our purpose-built communication feature that seamlessly connects across Groups and Services, creating spaces where people can connect, coordinate, and grow together.
The best part? You can hop into a conversation from anywhere in Planning Center or Church Center!
Whether you’re managing a volunteer team, facilitating group connections, or coordinating logistics for a midweek service, chat offers the space for everyone to stay in touch.
Chat in Groups: Forming community
Diifferent groups will probably have different things they need to communicate. Here’s how that can look when you’re using chat in Groups.
- Prayer requests and praise reports: Members can ask for prayer, celebrate answered prayer, and offer encouragement to one another.
- Event coordinating: Keep everyone on the same page for retreats, service projects, or special gatherings. Trade the scattered texts and emails for all the information all in one place.
- Announcements: Share information with your entire group, like important reminders or church-wide updates, and then freeze the chat.
Chat in Services: Tracking details
Sunday morning coordination can happen faster and in real-time. Take a look at how you can keep up with the moving pieces using chat in Services.
- Volunteer teams check-ins: Your worship leader can share last-minute song changes, your production team can coordinate technical details, and your children’s ministry can send reminders about security protocols for checking kids out.
- Tech team pivots: Create a conversation with your tech team for a quick way to stay in touch leading up to Sunday morning, and make sure everyone has what they need.
- Arrangement coordination. Use chat to alert your worship teams to new song arrangements and field any questions or ideas.
To learn more about starting a chat with your team in Services, check out our guide!
Engaging by design
Ministry communication should be more than just functional—it can also be dynamic, inviting, and fun. In Planning Center, the chat experience comes alive with rich media sharing, so your youth pastor can share video recaps from last week's event, or your community outreach team can post photos from their latest service project.
Interactive elements like reactions let teams celebrate wins together after a successful service. Even simple features like GIF sharing can transform a volunteer coordination chat from purely functional to genuinely fun and community-building.
The heart of chat
Chat ultimately represents something we deeply believe: that churches grow stronger when their people are truly connected, both on Sundays and every other day of the week. It's about creating the right spaces for the conversations, relationships, and community connections that help for individuals, teams, and entire communities.
💙 The Planning Center Team