How to Create a Church Communications Calendar (Step-by-Step Guide)

How to Create a Church Communications Calendar (Step-by-Step Guide)

Let me guess: your church's "communications calendar" is either a Google Sheet someone updates once a month, a whiteboard in the youth room that keeps getting erased, or... your brain.

Maybe all three, and none of them agree.

You know you need a church communications calendar. Every blog post, every conference speaker, every church consultant says so. But here's what they don't tell you: where do you even start?

Today, we're fixing that. Here's the honest, practical guide for creating a calendar that actually works...not just exists.

Why Most Churches Don't Have One (And It's Not Your Fault)

Let's be real. You've probably tried this before.

Someone suggested you "just make a calendar." So you opened Google Sheets, started typing dates, and then...got stuck. What goes on it? Who updates it? How do you keep it from becoming another thing to maintain?

A week later, nobody was looking at it. Two weeks later, you forgot it existed.

The problem wasn't you. The problem was the approach.

A communications calendar isn't just a document. It's a system. And systems need structure, buy-in, and simplicity. Without those three things, a calendar becomes clutter.

What Actually Belongs in a Church Communications Calendar

Before we build anything, let's be clear about what you're building. A communications calendar should answer three questions for every message:

1. What are we communicating? (The message, event, or announcement)
2. When is it happening or being sent? (Timing across all channels)
3. How are people hearing about it? (Which channels you're using)

That's it. Simple, right?

Here's what that looks like in practice:

Every row tells a story. Every entry maps out the where, when, and who. That clarity prevents the "wait, did we announce that?" chaos.

The 3-Step Setup (Start This Week)

Don't overthink it. Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Choose Your Foundation (15 minutes)

Pick one tool. Just one.

Option A: Simple Spreadsheet
Use Google Sheets if that's what your team already knows. Create columns for Date, Event, Channels, Owner, and Status. Share it with your team. Start using it this week.

Option B: Dedicated Tool
If you're ready to level up, use Communicate. It's built specifically for this...giving you calendar views, channel planning, and team collaboration all in one place.

Option C: Physical Calendar
For small teams, a wall calendar with color-coded sticky notes works. Really. Don't let perfect be the enemy of done.

The rule: Whatever you pick, make sure your whole team can see it and edit it without needing permission from you every time.

Step 2: Load in What You Already Know (30 minutes)

You're not starting from zero. You already have:

• Major calendar dates (Easter, Christmas, fall kickoff)
• Sermon series plans (the next quarter or two)
• Recurring rhythms (weekly newsletter, monthly prayer updates)
• Big events people are already talking about

Add those to your calendar first. Right now. Don't wait for perfection. Just get them down.

Pro tip: Use different colors or categories for different types of content: campaigns, announcements, recurring updates, stories.

Step 3: Set Up Your Regular Rhythm (20 minutes)

Decide when you'll actually use this calendar:

• Weekly review on Mondays to see what's coming up
• Submission deadline on Tuesdays for ministry requests
• Approval process by Wednesdays for the week's content
• Publish schedule for the week ahead

Add those deadlines to the calendar itself. Make them recurring. Put reminders in your phone if you have to.

A calendar that nobody checks isn't a calendar. It's wishful thinking.

How We Built Ours (And What We'd Do Differently)

Alright, real talk. We didn't get this right the first time. Here's what we learned:

What We Tried First (And Why It Failed)

We started with the perfect spreadsheet. Color-coded. Multi-tabbed. Beautiful. Nobody touched it except me.

Why it failed: Too complicated. Too many tabs. People got lost trying to figure out where to put things.

What we learned: Start simple. One view. Easy to understand. You can add complexity later if you actually need it.

What We Tried Second (Still Learning)

We moved to a shared document that everyone could edit. Simple table. One team member in charge of keeping it updated. We're still using this basic setup because it works.

Why it's better: Low barrier to entry. Nobody needs training. Updates happen in real time.

What we'd do differently: We'd start with a dedicated tool like Communicate sooner. The upfront setup is worth the long-term clarity.

What Actually Works

Here's what finally clicked:

One source of truth. The calendar lives in one place. Everyone uses it. Nobody creates their own version in a separate spreadsheet.

Regular rhythm. We check it every Monday. We review it weekly with key leaders. We reference it when planning.

Permission to change. If something's not working, we adjust. Calendars evolve. That's okay.

Tools That Help (Without Making It Harder)

Look, you can manage a communications calendar in a Google Sheet. We did for a long time. But at some point, you'll probably want something built for this specific purpose.

Here's what to look for in a dedicated tool:

Simple enough that volunteers can use it
If your part-time staff or volunteers can't figure it out without training, keep looking.

Visible enough that everyone sees the plan
Dashboard views, calendar timelines, whatever works...but it needs to show the big picture at a glance.

Collaborative enough that people actually update it
Make it easy for ministry leaders to add requests. Make it easy for you to approve or adjust them.

Integrated enough that it saves you time
Can you plan once and publish everywhere? Can you see what's scheduled across all channels? That's the real value.

We built Communicate specifically because we needed something that checked all those boxes...and couldn't find it. It's the church communications calendar that actually helps you breathe easier instead of adding more work.

Your First Month Checklist

Don't try to build the perfect calendar in one day. Here's what to focus on in your first month:

Week 1: Set up the tool. Load in what you already know. Tell your team it exists.

Week 2: Start using it for real planning. Add this week's messages. Next week's prep. See what's missing.

Week 3: Get ministry leaders on board. Show them how to add requests. Walk through the process together.

Week 4: Review what worked and what didn't. Adjust your system. Refine your rhythm.

By the end of month one, you'll have a system...not just a spreadsheet that nobody looks at.

Common Roadblocks (And How to Bypass Them)

"Our calendar changes too much to keep a plan."

The fix: Plan in themes, not exact details. "Easter campaign messaging" goes on the calendar even if specific content isn't ready yet. You can fill in specifics as they get created.

"Ministry leaders won't use it."

The fix: Make it required. "We don't communicate announcements that aren't on the calendar." That sounds strict, but it trains people to use the system. Start with one simple guideline.

"I don't have time to build this."

The fix: Use a template or tool that's already built. Don't create from scratch. Communicate gives you structure out of the box. Add your dates, and you're running.

"Our church is too small for this."

The fix: Small churches need clarity most of all. Even if you're just planning for one person, having a calendar prevents you from forgetting things. Start small. Grow the system as you grow.

The Bottom Line

A communications calendar isn't about perfection. It's about clarity.

It's about knowing what's happening when, so you stop scrambling every Sunday. It's about having a shared plan your team can trust. It's about freeing up mental space so you can focus on ministry instead of logistics.

Start simple. Build momentum. Adjust as you go.

You've got this.

Want to put this into action? Start planning your church communications with Communicate — the only church communications calendar built just for ministry teams.

FAQs

Q: How far in advance should we plan our communications calendar?
A: Start with 90 days (one season). Once that feels manageable, expand to six months. Long-term planning gives you margin to create great content instead of scrambling week to week.

Q: Do we need a different calendar for different channels (social, email, etc.)?
A: No. That's how chaos happens. One calendar shows all channels. One place to see everything that's being communicated and when. Channels are columns, not separate calendars.

Q: What if we have multiple campuses or ministries that want independence?
A: Build a master calendar with campus or ministry sections. They can plan independently within their section, but everyone sees the big picture. Coordination without micromanagement.

Q: Can a volunteer-managed church really use a communications calendar effectively?
A: Absolutely. In fact, volunteers need it more than staff do. Limited time means maximum organization. A simple calendar keeps you from dropping the ball when life gets busy.