Making the plan
just got easier
Planmaker is our most popular Chrestos tool. Your whole planning team works on the same plan online, and it only ever offers preachers who are genuinely free on that day, at that time and in that place.
A helping hand with the plan
Circuits are bigger than they used to be, and making the Methodist preaching plan has become a bigger job with them. Planmaker is here to help, not to take over. It keeps track of who is available on which day, at what time and in which place, and it only ever suggests preachers who are free and have not already reached their limit for the day or the quarter. Mistakes become far less likely, and the plan stays the thoughtful, pastoral task it should be.
Close to 100 Methodist circuits across the Connexion now make their plan with Chrestos, working together online rather than passing spreadsheets around. If you think it might be time for your circuit to make the leap, we would love to show you how it works.
How a Methodist preaching plan is put together
If you have never made one, the Methodist preaching plan is the quarterly timetable that says who is leading worship, in which church, on which Sunday, and at what time. Most circuits build it the same way, and it usually goes something like this.
- The circuit decides the quarter it is planning, and lists every church and every service in it.
- Preachers say when they are away, when they are already committed, and how often they are willing to lead.
- The plan-maker works through the services one at a time, matching each to a preacher who is free and within their limit.
- Ministers, Superintendents and stewards read it over, and changes come back before anything is printed.
- The finished plan is published: printed for those who want paper, and on the circuit website for everyone else.
The hard part is rarely the typing. It is holding every preacher’s availability in your head at once, spotting the Sunday where somebody has been put in two places, and keeping the whole thing fair over a quarter. That is the part Planmaker takes on. Availability is entered once by the preachers themselves, the grid only ever offers you somebody who is genuinely free, and when the plan is finished it can go straight onto your Chrestos website and into the calendar without anybody retyping it.
How long does a quarter take to plan?
It varies with the size of the circuit. Plan-makers using Planmaker generally tell us the work moves from several evenings to an afternoon, mostly because the chasing for availability happens by itself.
Can more than one person work on the plan?
Yes. The plan is built online, so a Superintendent and a plan-maker can work on the same quarter without passing a spreadsheet back and forth.
Does the plan have to go on our website?
No, but it can. If your circuit site runs on Chrestos the finished plan appears on it automatically, and service times show against each church. Circuits that publish the plan elsewhere can export it instead.
What about visiting preachers and Mission Areas?
Both are handled. Preachers can be marked as visiting, and churches can be grouped into Mission Areas so the plan reflects how your circuit actually works.
Can we still print it?
Yes. Planmaker exports the plan in several formats, including a printable one, so the people who want paper still get paper.
Pricing
Planmaker is leased for £25 + VAT a month, with no minimum contract, and it is also included with Chrestos Premium.
Planmaker benefits
Built around availability, so the right preacher is always in the right place.
Collaborative plan
Planmaker lets a team of people make the plan together. Users can have full control, or limited access to a specific section or mission area.
Website and calendar
The finished plan appears on your Chrestos website beside each church, and people can subscribe so services land in their phone calendar.
Multiple exports
Export the completed planning grid to a flexible PDF in various sizes and orientations, an editable Excel spreadsheet or an ICS iCalendar file.
Only the preachers
who are free
For any service, Chrestos only offers preachers who are available on that day, at that time and in that place, and who have not already reached their daily or quarterly maximum. Mistakes become much less likely, and the people making the plan can concentrate on the pastoral judgement that no computer can make.
Made together,
never alone
Planmaker is a multi-user system, so a team can build the plan together, each person with the access they need. And as with every Chrestos service, our friendly developers are on the phone and available by email whenever you need assistance, from your first quarter onwards.
See Planmaker
in action
Tell us a little about your circuit and we will walk you through a live plan, show you the exports and answer your questions, with no obligation.
"...We highly recommend ThenMedia Chrestos who have designed, hosted and supported our church website since 2015. They listened to our needs, exceeded expectations in design and ensured smooth content transfer from our previous site. Andrew, Toby and John have given us patient and effective telephone support..."
Ready to make the leap?
Let’s explore how Planmaker can support your circuit’s plan-making.
Technology for a brighter church