Get Started With Church Center + Planning Center

The Church Center App is your go-to source for up-to-date information about what is happening at Trinity.

Once you download the Church Center app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, you will open it and then be asked to find your church. You can search manually by typing in Trinity Church, or you can turn on the location services on your phone and then search for Trinity that way. 

From there, you will simply follow the instructions in the app to get set up with Trinity as your church.

Setup Guide

This guide will help you get set up quickly with two apps we use at church:

• Church Center (for the congregation): events, groups, giving, check-ins, and more

• Planning Center Services (for volunteers/teams): schedules, plan details, and Gathering plans

If you get stuck at any point, don’t worry, once the apps are installed, you can always come back and do the setup step-by-step.

Church Center:

Download Church Center

Church Center is the main “home base” app for staying connected.

• iPhone / iPad: Download “Church Center” from the App Store

• Android: Download “Church Center” from the Google Play Store

Step A — Open Church Center and find Trinity church

1. Open Church Center

2. Tap Get Started (or Log In)

3. Search for our church by:

   • Church name: Trinity Church

   • City: Indianapolis

   • Zip code: 46220

4. Select the correct church from the list

Step B — Sign in (recommended)

Signing in unlocks the most helpful features (like event, group, and household details).

1. Tap Sign In

2. Enter your phone number (or email, depending on your device)

3. Enter the verification code you receive by text

Step C — Turn on notifications (optional but helpful)

Notifications are how you’ll get reminders (events, group updates, messages, and check-in prompts).

• When prompted, tap Allow Notifications

• If you skipped it, you can enable later in your phone settings:

  • iPhone: Settings → Notifications → Church Center → Allow Notifications

  • Android: Settings → Apps → Church Center → Notifications

Step D — How to navigate Church Center

Most people use Church Center for the same handful of things. Here’s where to find them:

• Home: your starting point (what your church has featured)

• Calendar / Events: upcoming events and details

• Groups: join or view small groups, community groups, or action groups

• Profile / Account: update your info, household members, settings

Quick tip

• If you don’t see something right away, look for a menu or tabs at the bottom/top of the app.

Planning Center Services

This section is for anyone who is scheduled to serve (music, tech, hosting, hospitality, kids ministry, etc.).

Download Planning Center Services

Planning Center is what our serving teams use to schedule and communicate.

• iPhone / iPad: Download “Planning Center Services” from the App Store

• Android: Download “Planning Center Services” from the Google Play Store

Step A — Sign in to Services

1. Open Planning Center Services

2. Tap Log In

3. Use the email/phone number connected to your Planning Center profile

4. Enter the verification code (if prompted)

If you’re unsure which email/phone is connected to your profile, ask your team leader.

Step B — Turn on notifications (strongly recommended)

Notifications are what make Planning Center actually work in real life: schedule reminders, plan updates, messages, and request notifications.

• Enable notifications when prompted, or later in phone settings:

  • iPhone: Settings → Notifications → Planning Center Services

  • Android: Settings → Apps → Planning Center Services → Notifications

Step C — Where to find what you need in Services

Inside Planning Center Services

You’ll usually use these areas:

My Schedule

Your upcoming serving dates and any scheduling requests.

• Look for:

  • Accept / Decline (if your team uses responses)

  • Swap / Blockout dates (if enabled)

  • Event times and call times

Plans

The details for a specific service plan.

• You’ll often find:

  • Order of service

  • Notes from leaders

  • Attachments (charts, PDFs, links)

Step D — Best practices for serving smoothly

• Confirm your schedule early (don’t wait until Saturday night)

• Check the plan the day before (plans often get small updates)

• Use notifications so you don’t miss changes

• If you can’t serve, respond ASAP so the team can adjust

That’s it — you’re set

Once you have Church Center and Planning Center Services installed, you’re all set up to have the most up to date information from Trinity Church!