Leadership
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New in Planning Center Services: Volunteers Can Now Find Their Own Replacements When They Decline
Planning Center Services now lets volunteers find and confirm their own replacement when they decline. Here's how it works and how to turn it on for your teams.
Planning Center Background Check Services Compared
A complete comparison of all five background check options for Planning Center — Checkr, MinistrySafe, Protect My Ministry, Verified First, and manual tracking — with verified 2026 pricing, integration details, and guidance on which provider fits your church's size and needs.
Planning Center Services Just Solved One of the Biggest Headaches in Church Scheduling
Planning Center Services now lets teams belong to multiple Service Types — no more duplicate teams, messy workarounds, or confused volunteers. Learn how to merge, assign, and manage your church volunteer teams the right way.
Stopping the Last-Minute Texts: Stopping the Culture of Urgency
Most churches that rely on last-minute texts to keep things running aren’t unhealthy. They’re passionate. They’re relational. They care deeply about people and the mission. That’s what makes this issue so deceptive. The problem isn’t laziness or lack of commitment. In many cases, it’s the opposite
Leading Through the Fire: Navigating Ministry Transitions When People Walk Away
Every ministry leader will eventually face a heartbreaking season. Sometimes, key people walk away angry, hurt, or disillusioned. Maybe they’re mad at you, the situation, or even God. Over the years, I have experienced this. Conference rooms that once buzzed with vision and excitement for the fut
How to Organize Your Song Library in Planning Center Music
If you’ve been leading worship or planning services for any amount of time, you know the pain of a messy song library. Duplicate titles, missing arrangements, or unclear keys can create headaches for worship leaders and confusion for teams. The good news? Planning Center Music (within Services) giv
From Dream Team to Real Team: The “Why” Before the “What”
Now that you understand that excellence is about being faithful with what’s in front of you, it’s time to move on to the next thing to consider when you’re at a conference and feeling inspired. Often, when we see something we like, we tend to get excited and want to adopt it immediately. The firs
Building a Core Leadership Team: From Theory to Practice
Discover how to build leadership pipelines in your church using Planning Center and intentional development systems.
Stay Ahead of Scheduling Gaps with Planning Center’s New Alert Feature
Struggling with last-minute volunteer scheduling? Planning Center Services just released a new feature— Scheduling Gap Alerts —to help you stay ahead of unfilled positions. Get customizable email reminders 1 to 7 days before your service so you never miss a spot. Plus, take advantage of tools like
Rediscovering Our Roots: Balancing Tradition and Innovation in Modern Churches
Discover how to build authentic church community by blending Acts 2 principles with modern ministry practices.
Effective 1:1s
Learn how to run effective 1:1 meetings using the 4 C’s framework to boost trust, clarity, and team development.
Busy Doesn't Always Mean Productive
Avoid busy procrastination in church leadership. Learn to align your ministry with vision, purpose, and true spiritual impact.
How We Communicate
Discover how understanding communication styles can boost team clarity, connection, and collaboration in your leadership.
Leading a Generous Church: Building a Culture of Discipleship Through Giving
Discover how to grow generosity in your church through vision, discipleship, and strategic storytelling that inspires lasting impact.
Hands-on, Hands-off, or Hands-in? Finding Your Leadership Balance in Ministry
Explore hands-on, hands-off, and hands-in leadership styles to build trust, empower your team, and lead with clarity.
The Ministry Dilemma: Balancing Maintenance and Growth
Learn how to balance maintenance and growth in ministry by discerning your current season and leading with clarity, purpose, and strategy.
5 Leadership Lessons from ARC Conference that Transformed My Ministry Approach
Explore 5 transformative leadership lessons from ARC Conference to grow in character, clarity, and Kingdom impact in today’s digital ministry world.
5 Ways to Empower Your Staff and Volunteers
Empower your church team with trust, vision, and support. Discover 5 ways to lead with confidence and build a stronger ministry.
The Sweet Spot of Service: Unleashing Gifts for Kingdom Impact
Help your church volunteers serve with joy by aligning their gifts, passions, and purpose through a strengths-based ministry approach.
Systems That Stand the Test of Time
Build sustainable systems that serve your team long-term. Learn key principles and top tools for creating lasting organizational processes.
The Craftsmanship of Ministry: Building Something That Lasts
Discover why lasting ministry impact requires patience, vision, and craftsmanship—not quick fixes or short-term success.
Establishing a Feedback Culture
Build a healthy feedback culture in your church by embracing honesty, fostering growth, and leading with openness. Honesty honors and strengthens teams.
Planning Center Updates: What's New This Spring 2025?
Discover the latest Spring 2025 Planning Center updates with new features for communication, scheduling, security, and volunteer coordination.
Have You Tried Texting? Revolutionize Your Ministry with the Power of SMS
Revolutionize your ministry with text messaging! Reach your congregation instantly, foster real connections, and boost engagement with SMS.
Volunteer Engagement: Celebrating Unseen Teams
Celebrate and appreciate the unseen volunteer teams in your church with simple gestures, personalized events, and tools like Planning Center.
Leadership Insight: Navigating Shifting and Crisis in Ministry
Learn how to navigate change and crisis in ministry with resilience, encouragement, and faith, turning challenges into growth opportunities.
Who's Going to Carry the Boats?
Who’s going to carry the boats? Discover the power of resilience, leadership, and faith in overcoming life's toughest challenges.
Transforming Ministry with Discovery-Based Volunteer Teams
Discover how a discovery-based volunteer approach helps churches place people in roles aligned with their gifts, creating energized and thriving teams.
Closed Highways, Leadership Responsibility, and Removing Obstacles
Learn how to identify and overcome internal and external obstacles to support your team's success, growth, and resilience in the workplace.
Planning Center Unleashes Major Updates to Streamline Church Operations
Explore the latest Planning Center updates to improve church management, streamline communication, and enhance team collaboration.
You Don't Have an Excuse
Discover how to create time for church growth and ministry priorities with practical, faith-driven strategies that transform your impact.
Unlocking Church Growth: The 10/80/10 Rule for Effective Delegation
Unlock church growth with the 10/80/10 Rule! Master planning, delegation, and optimization to empower your team and multiply ministry impact.
Everything I Built is Now Gone: Finding Peace in Ministry Transitions
Find peace in ministry transitions by focusing on eternal impact, planting seeds, and trusting God's plan for your lasting legacy.
The Internal Communication Revolution: 7 Powerful Strategies
Discover 7 powerful strategies, including using Planning Center, to revolutionize your church's internal communication, boost team efficiency, and strengthen connections.
The Myth of Overnight Success
Discover the truth behind the myth of overnight success and learn how consistent, long-term effort leads to lasting achievements in life and ministry.
Something’s Gotta Change
Learn how to navigate team changes with empathy, effective communication, and strategies to ease resistance and foster growth.
Unlocking the Power of Planning Center People: 5 Important Lists You Need Now!
Unlock the power of Planning Center People with 5 must-have lists to streamline your ministry and strengthen your church connections!
Empowering Others to Solve the RIGHT Problems
Learn how leaders can delegate effectively, empower their teams, and focus on strategic goals using the 10/80/10 rule for leadership success.
The Failure Factor
Discover how embracing failure can boost team growth, resilience, and problem-solving in leadership. Learn to turn setbacks into success.
The Art of Followship
Discover the power of followship in the Christian life. Learn why following Jesus is essential and how to embrace it within leadership.
Empowering Volunteers: A Church Leader's Guide
Discover how to empower church volunteers with StrengthsFinder 2.0 by aligning their strengths with impactful ministry roles.
The key to managing rapid church growth: a strong, reliable foundation.
Learn how to manage rapid church growth with a strong foundation, centralized processes, and effective team culture for sustainable expansion.
Lost in Buckets
Discover how church leaders can rebuild trust and foster a safe, supportive environment amidst challenges and scandals.
The Role of the Chief Reminding Officer in Leadership
Discover the vital role of a Chief Reminding Officer in leadership and how constant communication keeps your team motivated and aligned with your vision.
Embracing Online Discipleship: What is an LMS and is it Right for Your Church?
Discover how Learning Management Systems (LMS) can revolutionize your church's online discipleship and spiritual growth programs.
Achieve More by Doing Less
With insights from Cal Newport's productivity tips, discover ways to enhance ministry efficiency as a church leader.
Breaking the Burnout Cycle
Discover effective strategies to prevent volunteer burnout and maintain a vibrant church community.
Harnessing the Power of Text Messaging
Explore how texting in ministry can deepen connections and support congregants. Learn strategies for heartfelt messages and consistent communication.