Google Calendar

1. A Google Calendar is free, and most people are familiar with Gmail. This will automatically create a calendar for your church. Make the name easy for people to remember. Consider something like stpaulslakewood or stambroseboulder or stjohnscathedral.

2. After logging into your Google account, look for the word “Calendar” at the top of your screen. Click on this, and you should see a blank calendar. From this screen, you can add recurring and one-time events via the red “Add Event” button on the left side of the screen. For recurring events, click the “Repeat” box. For example, create an event titled “Bible Study on Acts” on Tuesday from 11:00 am to noon and have it repeat from today until March 12, 2019. You also can add a one-time event such as "All Church Potluck” on Feb. 3, 2019.

3. When you’ve added all of your events, embed this calendar on your website. Click the “Down” arrow by the name of your calendar and choose “Calendar Settings.” Under “Embed This Calendar,” you can add the calendar as is – in the standard Google layout – by copying the code that Google provides. You can customize the colors, size, and design by clicking on the “Customize” link in the “Embed” section. To display events from multiple calendars in the same calendar that is embedded, select the checkbox beside each calendar you wish to display in the section “Calendars to Display” at the bottom of your screen.

Supercharge your Google Calendar with these tools:

Clean Google Calendar: Free; "makes Google Calendar look nicer and launches it as a desktop application. Perhaps Google Calendar’s biggest drawback is its interface. It’s clunky, not particularly clear, and not intuitively-designed. Clean Google Calendar takes all the power of Google Calendar, but strips away the extra stuff that clutters up the UI." It also can be launched as a desktop app, as well as operate offline, allowing you to manage your calendar without internet access.

ESPACE EVENT SCHEDULER

eSPACE…“The software has a low learning curve and is intuitive. Customer service is responsive and helpful. Work orders can be submitted without a login. Work orders can contain custom forms to aid in more complex or unique requests. eSpace has mobile apps for iOS and Android (most work order systems rely on mobile webpages too much). Great modules to support assets ("Equipment"), inventory, and recurring preventative maintenance work orders. The system is actively being actively developed and upgraded on a regular basis. The web interface is well designed and spaced well to use with a tablet or 2in1 laptop computer. Low cost and easy payment options. eSpace functions well as a work order system and event management system which = less administrative work compared to managing 2 systems separately.” (https://www.capterra.com/p/144412/eSPACE/)

Tockify.com

Tockify.com "includes a visually rich pinboard calendar as well as attractive modern takes on month grid and list/agenda style calendars. All styles look great on mobile too. Tockify blends seamlessly into your site to improve its looks and impress your visitors. You don't have to settle for a widgety calendar that undermines your style. Tockify's customizer tool lets you control every aspect of your calendar's colors, fonts, and layout so you can make it match your site's style. All without any programming." (Tockify.com)

Time.ly

Timely Calendar.

Multiple Views: Create a beautiful calendar and choose between Posterboard, Tile, Stream and Agenda.

Easy event creation: Create single events or repeating events. Have an event that repeats every third Tuesday, except for next month? No Problem, your calendar can handle it.

Rich event listings: Create event descriptions add images, locations, maps, and ticket information

Organize: Save key information such as venues and organizer information. Huge time saver as you can add the information to new events without inputting the information every time.

Supports Ticketing add-on: Sell, manage and track tickets with the Timely Ticketing add-on.

HTTPS/SSL: Fully compatible with your HTTPS website

Responsive: Looks great on desktop and mobile devices

CalendarWiz.com

CalendarWiz.com is a great tool for online calendaring as an alternative to Google Calendar.

• Branding: The full calendar and plugins (upcoming events list, mini calendar, and search) can be customized to match your website colors exactly.

• Full Event Titles: Calendar day cells dynamically re-size to display an event’s complete title, while Google calendar truncates event titles to fit a specific cell width.

• Permissions: Ability to set privacy permissions for calendar users as well as public events that can be easily published on your website.

• Resource Scheduling: Prevent double booking of staff, facilities, or locations with conflict prevention. Reserve conference rooms, athletic facilities, church halls, executive appointments, shift schedules or any type of resource.

• Mobile: Allows permitted users to view, add, and edit events in CalendarWiz via Mobile device. The mobile calendar or an upcoming events list can also be added to your mobile website.

Suggested Resources:

From Nathaniel Powell, Director of Communications at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio: theeventscalendar.com website plug-in has a free option, then $80/year. Used by the National Cathedral, etc.