Demo Mode

Improve Your Data

Practical recommendations for the fictional Grace Community Church.

Database cleanup plan
Illustrative recommendations only. No actual Planning Center settings were inspected. Suggestions reflect fictional gaps and your demo source choices, not detected configuration problems.

DEMO RECOMMENDATION

Make first visits consistently reportable

Why it matters

Missing first-visit dates can hide guests who need care.

Recommended Planning Center configuration

People date field: First Visit Date, with a dynamic People list.

Expected reporting benefit

A consistent first-time guest count and a reliable follow-up queue.

Implementation steps

  1. Agree on what counts as a first visit.
  2. Create a First Visit Date field in People.
  3. Build a list filtered by that date for the reporting period.
  4. Assign a follow-up owner and review the list weekly.
Review metric source

DEMO RECOMMENDATION

Use a single baptism date field

Why it matters

Notes and tags alone cannot reliably support period-based reporting.

Recommended Planning Center configuration

People date field: Baptism Date.

Expected reporting benefit

Baptisms can be counted by month without guessing dates.

Implementation steps

  1. Agree on one field name across ministries.
  2. Create a date field for baptism in People.
  3. Enter verified dates only; leave unknown dates blank.
  4. Create a People list filtered by the desired date range.
Review metric source

DEMO RECOMMENDATION

Standardize membership status

Why it matters

Different labels make membership totals hard to compare.

Recommended Planning Center configuration

People dropdown field: Membership Status, plus a membership date field.

Expected reporting benefit

One clearly defined membership snapshot.

Implementation steps

  1. Agree on Active, In process, and Inactive definitions.
  2. Create one shared dropdown field.
  3. Review older labels before migrating them.
  4. Create a dynamic list for Active members and audit quarterly.
Review metric source

DEMO RECOMMENDATION

Close the group attendance gaps

Why it matters

Unsubmitted meeting reports undercount participation.

Recommended Planning Center configuration

Planning Center Groups attendance tracking and a reporting cadence.

Expected reporting benefit

More complete participation counts without double-counting people.

Implementation steps

  1. Confirm which groups should report attendance.
  2. Ask leaders to record each meeting’s attendance in Groups.
  3. Review missing reports before closing the month.
  4. Keep person IDs when combining group reports.
Review metric source

DEMO RECOMMENDATION

Keep serving identities consistent

Why it matters

Name-only spreadsheets can count the same volunteer more than once.

Recommended Planning Center configuration

Planning Center Services teams linked to People records.

Expected reporting benefit

A clearer view of volunteer capacity and unfilled positions.

Implementation steps

  1. Use existing People records for team members.
  2. Review duplicate People records before assigning teams.
  3. Report distinct person IDs across teams.
  4. Separate accepted schedules from confirmed participation.
Review metric source