The Ultimate Guide to Streamlining Your Planning Center People Database
This week, we're diving into the world of database maintenance. Yes, I know it might not sound like the most thrilling adventure, but stick with me – a well-organized Planning Center People database is like a well-oiled machine, making your life and your team's work a whole lot smoother.
In my past life, I oversaw a very large People database with over 250k profiles. Trying to find people going through the membership process or looking for current stats on how many people fit a category would not have been possible if we didn’t consistently run maintenance routines. Whether it’s cleaning up duplicate profiles or finding profiles with missing information, it’s all crucial to decision-making. Let’s face it, bad data affects all areas of your church and it can stop you in your tracks.
Why a Clean Database Matters More Than Your Morning Coffee
First things first, let’s discuss why keeping your Planning Center People database clean is crucial. Imagine trying to find that one coffee mug with the blue handle and polka dots in a cluttered kitchen—frustrating, right? The same goes for your database. A clean database means easier access to accurate information, leading to better decision-making and more effective ministry.
When running lists to find segments of people or parents using kid’s check-ins or congregants signing up for events, having accurate profiles for your congregants matters. It determines if you are finding everyone in that list or if your parents see more than one profile for their household members when they go to check in. Keeping your database up-to-date and free from duplicates is essential.
The Art of Regular Maintenance: Your New Routine
Now, onto the fun part – setting up a regular maintenance routine. This isn't just about dusting off the cobwebs; it's about making sure everything is where it should be.
Weekly Maintenance: Start off Monday morning with a weekly run-through. Look for duplicates, new profiles that have been created, and incomplete information. Think of it as a weekly meeting with your database. It’s a chance to catch up and see how things are going.
Monthly Deep Dives: Once a month, take a deeper dive. This is where you look at engagement levels and activity, track attendance patterns, and ensure that all member information is up to date. It’s like a monthly check-up for your database’s health.
Quarterly Clean-Ups: It's time for a big clean-up every three months. Archive old sign-ups, update group information, and review your lists for relevance. It's a bit like spring cleaning, but you get to do it four times a year!
Many tools are available within Planning Center People to help with these maintenance routines. Let’s take a look at some of tools below.
Lists: Your Secret Weapon
Lists in Planning Center People are like magic wands; they can do wonders for your organization. Use them to filter your database in order to find missing or incomplete profile data, attendance and activity, or event planning. Regularly updating these lists keeps you from sending the youth group info to the senior's tea party group (awkward, right?).
Some of my favorite maintenance lists in People are:
Profiles with missing information. Look for things like missing gender, marital status, age and email or phone numbers.
Email addresses that are blocked.
Children who are marked as the Primary within the household.
Background checks that are about to expire in the next 30 days.
Profiles with no activity over a period of time.
Volunteers within Services who haven’t served in over 3 months.
Profiles with no membership type set.
If a multi-campus church, profiles without a campus set.
Automation: Let the Tech Do the Work
Embrace automation wherever possible. Using lists with automations gives you the power to update profile information without having to manually visit each profile and make the update. As an example, for teens that have just turned 18, create a list to watch for people who are “at least 18 years of age” and set up an automation to change their Child/Adult status to “Adult”. Through a list for newly created profiles, you can find new visitors and add them to a Connect or New Visitor follow-up process. It's like having an assistant who works 24/7, without the coffee breaks.
Training: Knowledge is Power
Don’t go at it alone! Train others on your team on how to use Planning Center effectively. Regular training sessions ensure everyone is on the same page and using the database to its full potential. Create stakeholders who oversee certain areas of your database and help you keep things in check. Think about who can help manage the duplicate profiles each Monday morning or designate someone to review new profiles created over the past week to verify membership types or campus designation is set. Avoid having only one person in charge of database maintenance, which is what we call a “single point of failure.” If your database manager goes on vacation or the Lord calls them into another season somewhere else, you may be stuck with a large gap of time when no maintenance is being done. Create redundancy in your database maintenance routines by training additional “PCO Champions” on your team.
This is also a great time to mention that we offer support and coaching for setting up data maintenance routines or ministry process strategy sessions. If you need help navigating your database or setting up automations across your lists, forms, and workflows, we’re always here to help. Check out our services at https://www.threefold.solutions or email us at info@threefold.solutions and let’s talk about how we can help.
Final Thoughts: The Payoff of a Pristine Database
Keep at it; soon, maintaining a clean database will be second nature. You’ll see improved communication, better planning, and a smoother overall running of your church's operations. Your attendance numbers will be more accurate and effective, enabling better decisions in your ministry's growth and outreach efforts. Regular maintenance, although initially time-consuming, will save you time and headaches in the long run, letting you focus more on your church's mission than on backend tasks.
Remember, your Planning Center People database is more than just a collection of names and numbers; it's a dynamic tool that supports the heart of your church. By dedicating a bit of time and effort to its upkeep, you are, in essence, nurturing your congregation’s growth and ensuring that every individual feels seen and cared for.
As we wrap up, keep in mind that a well-maintained database isn't just a destination; it's a continuous journey of improvement. With each update, each list refined, and every duplicate removed, you are paving the way for a more connected and efficient ministry. So embrace this process, involve your team, and watch as your streamlined database transforms the way you serve your congregation. Remember, at Threefold Solutions, we are always here to support you in this journey, ensuring your database remains not just fresh and updated but is also flourishing.
