I’ve always loved August. As a kid, it was my favorite time of year because it was always marked by getting a new planner and new pens. That fresh-start-feeling is unbeatable.

Now, August not only marks the near end of the unbearable Nashville heat for me, it also means the ministry year is starting back! As a community group leader at my church, I see this time of year bring new people to the city, and I have the unique opportunity to help welcome them into my church community.

As someone with both a front-row seat to groups ministry and Planning Center products, here are 3 focus areas I'd make sure every group leader focuses on as groups ramp back up.

Setting up your groups and events

Before the fall, it’s important to set up your groups in Church Center so they’re easily discoverable.

Duplicating groups: If your groups look similar from year to year, or you need to create a new group that uses a lot of the same setup as an existing group, you can duplicate an existing group instead of building from scratch. 

Unarchiving previously used groups: Instead of rebuilding groups, you can unarchive a group that starts back again in the fall, and its members, resources, chat conversations, and events will be restored.

Resource pinning: Once your groups are built and in Church Center, you can organize them with resource pinning. Pin links and files right inside your group in Church Center, so things like discussion guides, childcare details, and location information are easy to find.

RSVP to events: Members can RSVP to events right from the app. They can also add extra guests, so your leaders get an accurate headcount before anyone shows up. Perfect for the beginning of the year when people are inviting friends to try new groups. 

Custom event images and promoting events to groups: Add custom images to make group events stand out in Church Center, or promote church-wide events to small groups so members can see what’s coming up.

Communicating with your groups

Finding a group in Church Center is just step one. Once members are in, it's where they stay connected with chat.

We have a senior exercise class that meets weekly. The members of this group routinely let each other know when they won't be there, share prayer requests, and solicit and offer help for rides, lawn maintenance, car trouble, etc. The chat feature has really connected the seniors in a way that has brought many more back to church after sitting things out for a long while!
Terri Donahoe, Grace Community Church

Enable group chat from Church Center: Group leaders can enable chat directly in Church Center, so group members have a powerful, efficient, and fun way to connect 

Gender-specific chat: Leaders can create gender-specific conversations right inside Planning Center chat, and as new members join the group, they're automatically added to the right conversation.

Email digest: For members who aren't opening the chat every day, the email digest delivers a daily roundup of recent messages straight to their inbox so nobody misses a prayer request, reminder, or funny GIF.

Email images and attachments: Attach files directly to a Groups email or embed images inline. Your flyer or invitation shows up right in the message instead of hiding behind a "click here."

See how it’s going

Once your groups are in full swing, reporting is one of the best ways to keep tabs on the ministry's health. Here are a few of my favorite reporting tools.

Multi-group overview reporting: This report can help identify which groups across your ministry have low engagement, so you know where to follow up with a leader.

CSV export of the groups list: Use this when you need a portable snapshot of your groups directory to share with your pastor, elder board, or anyone who doesn't live in Planning Center.

CSV export for multi-group event attendance: This export helps when you need attendance data outside of Planning Center, for things like presentations, custom reports, or to combine it with other church data.

If your fall is anything like mine, it'll be full of good conversations, new friends, and a chili night or two. These tools will help your group season start smoothly so that you can spend less time on setup and more time on things that really matter, like perfecting your cornbeard recipe.