Events & RSVPs

Creating Your First Event

Every event you create appears on your church website automatically and opens an RSVP page your congregation can share. Here's how to set one up in under five minutes.

1. Go to Events in the sidebar.
2. Click + New Event.
3. Enter the event title (e.g., "Annual Church Picnic," "Men's Breakfast," "Christmas Eve Service").
4. Set the date and start time. For multi-day events, set an end date as well.
5. Enter the location — this can be a street address (for in-person events), a URL (for online events), or "To be announced."
6. Add a description. This appears on the RSVP page — include what people should bring, what to expect, and who the event is for. 2–3 paragraphs is ideal.
7. Upload a cover image (recommended: 1200×630px). This image appears as the event card on your site and when the RSVP link is shared on social media.
8. Set a capacity limit (optional). When the limit is reached, new RSVPs are added to a waitlist automatically.
9. Toggle RSVP Required on or off. If off, the event is informational only — no registration form.
10. Click Publish Event.

Managing RSVP Registrations

Once your event is live and RSVPs start coming in, your attendee list builds automatically. Here's how to view, manage, and export it.

Viewing your attendee list

1. Go to Events and click on your event.
2. Click the Attendees tab.
3. You'll see every RSVP with: name, email, registration date, and status (Confirmed, Waitlisted, or Cancelled).
4. Use the search bar to find a specific person by name or email.

Adding a walk-in registration

1. From the Attendees tab, click + Add Attendee.
2. Enter their name and email.
3. Click Add. They're added as Confirmed and receive a confirmation email immediately.

Cancelling a registration

1. Find the attendee in the list.
2. Click the three-dot menu next to their name.
3. Select Cancel Registration. They'll receive a cancellation confirmation. If you have a waitlist, the next person on the list receives an invitation to confirm their spot.

Exporting the attendee list

1. From the Attendees tab, click Export CSV.
2. The file downloads with: name, email, phone (if collected), registration date, and status.
3. Import into your check-in sheet, nametag printing software, or any planning tool.

Setting Up Automated Reminders

Reminder emails are sent automatically to confirmed registrants in the days and hours before your event. A well-timed reminder series can reduce no-shows by 30–40%.

Setting up reminders

1. Open your event and click the Reminders tab.
2. Toggle Enable Automated Reminders on.
3. Choose your reminder schedule. You can enable any combination of:
   • 1 Week Before — great for events that require travel or preparation
   • 1 Day Before — the single most effective reminder; almost always worth enabling
   • 2 Hours Before — ideal for same-day drives or when attendees might forget
4. Customize each reminder subject line and body (optional). The default templates are clear and professional — you can use them as-is.
5. Each reminder automatically includes: event name, date/time, location, and an "Add to Calendar" link.
6. Click Save Reminders.

What the reminder emails include by default

• Event title and cover image
• Date, time, and location (with map link for in-person events)
• "Add to Google Calendar" and "Add to Apple Calendar" links
• A "Can't make it?" cancellation link — important for keeping your attendee count accurate

Day-of Check-In

Your check-in system works in any browser — no app to download, no hardware required. Open it on a laptop or tablet at the door and you're ready to check people in as they arrive.

Opening the check-in view

1. Go to Events and open your event.
2. Click Check-In Mode in the top-right corner.
3. The screen switches to a focused check-in interface — search bar at the top, attendee list below.
4. Hand this device to your greeter or keep it at the registration table.

Checking someone in

1. Search by name or email — results filter as you type.
2. Find the person and click Check In ✓.
3. Their status updates instantly. A green checkmark appears next to their name.
4. The attendance count at the top updates in real time.

Adding walk-ins at the door

1. Click + Walk-In in the check-in view.
2. Enter their name and email (email optional for informal events).
3. Click Add & Check In. They're added to the attendee list and checked in simultaneously.

Reviewing attendance after the event

1. Exit check-in mode and open the Attendees tab.
2. Filter by Status → Checked In to see who actually attended.
3. People who registered but didn't show appear as No-Show. You can choose to send them a follow-up email — "We missed you! Here's what you can look forward to next time."

Calendar Sync & Embed

Your events can appear on your church website automatically and sync to your team's personal calendars — no manual updating needed.

Embedding your events calendar on your site

1. Go to Events → Settings → Embed.
2. Copy the embed code — it's a single script tag.
3. Paste it on your church website's events page (or anywhere you want a calendar to appear).
4. The calendar automatically shows upcoming events and links to each event's RSVP page. It updates in real-time as you add or edit events.

iCal subscription for staff calendars

1. Go to Events → Settings → Calendar Feed.
2. Copy your iCal URL.
3. In Google Calendar: click the + next to "Other calendars" → "From URL" → paste your iCal URL → "Add calendar."
4. In Apple Calendar: File → New Calendar Subscription → paste URL.
5. In Outlook: Add calendar → Subscribe from web → paste URL.
6. Your church events now appear in your personal calendar and update automatically when events are added or edited.

Google Maps integration

When you enter a full street address as your event location, a "View on Map" button appears on the RSVP page and in reminder emails. This works automatically — no setup required. For recurring locations (your church building), you can save it as a default location under Events → Settings → Default Location.