Making a Church Website More Useful with Planning Center

A church website can contain plenty of useful information and still leave visitors wondering what to do next. Someone might find a ministry they’re interested in, but if joining means searching for an email address or moving between unrelated processes, taking that next step can become harder than it needs to be.

That was an important part of our work with Kingsview Church in Stoney Creek, Ontario. Kingsview already had a strong foundation of ministry content, established branding and a wonderful collection of photography from within its own community. The opportunity was to bring those strengths together in a website that felt welcoming, was easier to navigate and connected more effectively with the systems the church was already using.

One of our biggest priorities was Planning Center Online. Rather than treating the website as a separate place to manage church information, we wanted it to help people find opportunities and move naturally into the next step.

Start with what visitors need to do

When someone visits a church website, they usually have something specific in mind. A family may be wondering what to expect on Sunday. Someone else might be looking for a small group, wanting to serve or considering baptism. Others may simply need a way to ask for prayer.

A good starting point for any church website project is to think through those different needs before deciding how the navigation should be organized.

On Kingsview’s new website, visitors can quickly plan a first visit, watch a service, explore ministries or see what’s happening at the church. The Next Steps section brings important opportunities together, including groups, serving, discipleship and events. The broader site also provides ways to explore baptism, baby dedication and church membership.

We focused on making the next action clear. Rather than asking people to contact the church just to discover where to begin, the website gives them practical routes to learn more and get connected.

The important lesson isn’t that every church needs exactly the same pages. It’s that each page should help visitors understand where they are and what they can do next.

Connect events and groups to Planning Center

Kingsview was already using Planning Center Online to support its church operations. That gave us a strong foundation to build on.

We connected the website’s public-facing event and group information with Planning Center so the website could present relevant opportunities while continuing to work with the systems Kingsview’s team already knew.

On the events page, people can browse upcoming gatherings drawn from the church’s Planning Center calendar and follow available registration paths. The groups directory brings together opportunities for community, including LIFEgroups, interest groups, support groups and discipleship courses, with details and ways to request to join.

For the person visiting the website, that makes it easier to discover what is available without needing to understand which church management system is working behind the scenes.

For church staff, the value is just as practical. The website can display information from the system they already use instead of requiring every detail to be maintained in two separate places. Planning Center continues to support the related registrations and ministry processes.

We’ve approached this same challenge with different tools on other church projects. For example, our work with First Presbyterian Church was built around Church Community Builder. The platforms are different, but the principle is similar: let the church’s existing systems support a simpler experience for visitors.

Keep worship and ministry within reach

One part of Kingsview’s website I particularly appreciate is the Watch experience.

We brought the church’s YouTube content into a dedicated space where visitors can find upcoming online services and previous messages. A countdown helps people know when the next livestream will begin, while the sermon archive and links to Spotify and Apple Podcasts give them more ways to engage with the church’s teaching.

That matters beyond Sunday morning. Someone might be travelling, staying home because of illness or exploring Kingsview for the first time. They can still hear a message and get to know the church.

We also organized dedicated content for children’s ministry, youth, young adults, adults, discipleship, groups, and missions and outreach. Each area has a place to explain what it offers and guide people toward becoming involved.

With a church that has so much happening throughout the week, the goal wasn’t simply to fit more content into the website. It was to give that content a consistent structure so visitors could find what mattered to them.

Make room for care, giving and conversation

Not everyone comes to a church website looking for an event or program. Sometimes someone is reaching out because they need encouragement, practical support or prayer.

Kingsview’s Prayer and Care page gives people a welcoming place to share a prayer request, connect with the church’s care ministry and learn about weekly prayer gatherings. I especially appreciate that this part of the website was treated as an important opportunity for connection, rather than something tucked away in a general contact page.

The giving experience also reflects Kingsview’s existing preferences. The church chose to continue using PayPal, so we provided clear options for giving online through PayPal or a credit card, along with Interac e-Transfer information. A helpful FAQ answers common questions without making visitors search for the details.

We also incorporated Beacon, our AI-powered website chatbot. Beacon gives visitors another way to ask questions in everyday language and find relevant church information or a useful page to visit. At Kingsview, it is an additional point of assistance, not a replacement for personal communication or pastoral care.

These features serve different purposes, but together they make the website more useful to someone who needs a particular kind of connection.

Build from the church’s existing strengths

Something I really appreciated about working with Kingsview was how thoughtfully their team approached the project.

Our first conversations began through relationships I’d built with a couple of their pastors over the years. We explored the opportunity, prepared a proposal and then allowed time for Kingsview to work through its internal planning and government grant application. Nearly a year later, after funding was approved, we revisited the plan and moved forward with a clear direction.

Their staff had also taken time to gather examples of websites they liked and explain what appealed to them. Some of that feedback was about colour or layout, and some was simply about how a website felt to use. It gave us a useful way to identify what they had in common while keeping Kingsview’s established identity at the centre of the design.

Another real advantage was their photography. Kingsview’s in-house photographer had captured and organized images from across church life. Those genuine photographs helped us show the people and ministries that make Kingsview who they are, rather than relying on generic images.

One of their pastors did an excellent job coordinating content and feedback internally. That made it easier for us to keep the design consistent as we worked through ministry pages, integrations and additional seasonal content. Security was also an important priority in the redevelopment, alongside a modern, responsive design that works across desktop, tablet and mobile devices.

The whole experience reinforced something I value in projects like this: good collaboration and preparation often make the finished website stronger.

A website should help the church do what it is there to do

Kingsview’s new website launched in August 2026. What I’m most pleased with is the balance between a clean, welcoming design and everything it helps visitors do behind the scenes.

People can explore the church, find a ministry, watch a message, browse groups, register for events, request prayer or choose a giving option without the experience feeling like a collection of disconnected systems.

For another church planning a website redesign, I think there are a few useful things to consider. Start by identifying the questions people are coming to your website to answer. Look at where your existing systems, like Planning Center, can support those next steps. Take advantage of the content, photography and brand resources your team already has. And give yourselves enough time to work through the priorities and funding options that make sense for your organization.

Kingsview did those things thoughtfully, and it was a genuine pleasure partnering with their team to bring the project together.

If you’re exploring a church website redesign and wondering how it could work more closely with Planning Center or your existing ministry processes, we’d be happy to talk through what would be useful for your church.