30/05/2025
Managing your church’s online presence can feel like a full-time job—especially when you’re balancing church admin, sermons, events, prayer, and community updates. But here’s the good news: with the right scheduling tools, your church can stay consistent, reach more people, and free up time to focus on real ministry.
This guide breaks down beginner-friendly, free scheduling tools—Buffer, Meta Business Suite, Canva Scheduler and Planable—and tips of how churches can use them.
Why Scheduling Matters
Whether you’re announcing a midweek Bible study, sharing Sunday highlights, or posting prayer graphics—scheduling allows your team to plan ahead and stay visible throughout the week without needing to be online constantly. It’s especially helpful for volunteer-led teams, part time church staff or busy clergy.
Top five scheduling tips for your church
1. Start with a simple weekly plan
Example:
Monday: Prayer
Wednesday: Bible Verse
Friday: Community Highlight
Sunday: Service Reminder (A few hours before)
2. Batch everything on one day
Choose one day (e.g. Monday morning) to prepare and schedule all posts for the week.
3. Use templates
Reuse designs for Bible verses, events, or quote posts. Canva makes this easy.
4. Schedule around church life
Align posts with your church calendar: create content based on sermons, invitations to courses, youth nights, Easter, and Christmas events.
5. Review each month or quarter
Look back at what posts got the most likes, shares, or comments—then do more of that!
The four best scheduling tools for churches
1. Buffer
Best for: Church admin staff who want something clean and simple.
Free Plan Includes:
3 social accounts (e.g. Facebook Page, Instagram, X)
10 scheduled posts per account
Church Use Example:
Schedule daily devotionals to Facebook at 6AM and sermon quotes to Instagram at 7PM.
Pros:
Easy to use
Works with most platforms
Cons:
You can only schedule 10 posts per platform in advance on the free plan
Basic design features
Upgrade Cost: From approx. £5/month per platform
2. Meta Business Suite
Best for: Churches that primarily use Facebook and Instagram and want a free, built-in scheduling tool.
Free Plan Includes:
Unlimited scheduling for Facebook and Instagram posts and stories
Cross-platform content calendar
Access to insights and performance analytics
Unified inbox for Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger
AI-powered recommendations for best posting times
Mobile and desktop access
Church Use Example:
Schedule your Sunday service reminders, midweek Bible verses, and event promotions directly from your church’s Facebook Page or Instagram account—all from one dashboard.
Pros:
100% free
Built-in for Facebook and Instagram
Great for churches already using Meta platforms
Includes analytics and inbox tools
Cons:
Only works with Meta platforms (no X, LinkedIn, etc.)
Interface can feel complex at first
Upgrade Cost: None – it’s completely free
3. Canva Content Scheduler (Free for Nonprofits)
Best for: Churches who already use Canva to design posts.
Free for Churches:
UK churches and registered charities can apply for free Canva Pro through Canva for Nonprofits. This includes access to premium templates, brand kits, and the content scheduler.
Free Plan Includes (with Nonprofit Access):
Post to eight platforms (including Instagram, Facebook, X)
Schedule directly from your design workspace
Access to premium templates, fonts, and stock images
Church Use Example:
Design and schedule your sermon series visuals directly from Canva to Facebook and Instagram.
Pros:
Seamless workflow for designs
No need to download and re-upload content
Works for carousels, announcements, and more
Free Pro access for eligible churches
Cons:
Must use Canva for designs to schedule them
Upgrade Cost: Free for eligible UK churches and charities
4. Planable
Best for: Churches that want a collaborative, visual-first approach to social media planning.
Free Plan Includes:
1 workspace with up to 4 social media pages (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X)
Unlimited users (great for teams and volunteers)
50 total posts (not per month)
Visual content calendar with feed, grid, list, and calendar views
Real-time collaboration and approval workflows
Church Use Example:
Your media team can draft posts for the week, get feedback from another member of staff , and schedule everything in one place—without endless email threads.
Pros:
Excellent for team collaboration and approvals
Multiple calendar views (great for visual planning)
Real-time feedback and editing
Easy to use for non-designers
Cons:
Free plan is limited to 50 total posts
Steep pricing once you need to upgrade
Upgrade Cost: From approx. £26/month (billed annually)
Comparison Table
Simple A–Z Scheduling System for Your Church
Start with the Church Calendar – Note down events, sermon series, initiatives, and holidays
Choose Content Types – e.g. Quotes, Prayers, Videos, Highlights
Assign a scheduling day – Pick one day per week to schedule everything
Use a shared planner – Google Sheets, Trello, or a physical board
Keep everything in folders – for example, create a “This Week’s Posts” folder in Google Drive or Dropbox
Track and improve – Check which posts people are engaging with most each month
We all know there can be so much to keep on top of. But through sharing more through social media, your church can reach beyond its walls and into the everyday lives of your community. With the right tools and a simple plan, this doesn’t have to take up too much of your week.
Choose one tool, plan your week, and take the first step toward a more intentional online ministry.
