Planning Center consulting that reduces admin friction.
Stories & Systems helps churches and ministries get more from Planning Center — cleaner workflows, better integrations, less duplicate entry, and practical automation that respects pastoral work.
Planning Center is often the operational backbone of ministry life. The trouble is rarely the product alone — it is the surrounding chaos: side spreadsheets, unclear ownership, half-finished forms, and staff who become the human integration layer between systems.
Led by David Runnels, Stories & Systems treats Planning Center work as operations design, not just software setup. The goal is capacity for ministry — fewer manual loops, clearer handoffs, and systems people can trust.
This engagement is a fit when…
- Multi-campus or growing single-campus churches drowning in admin handoffs
- Teams using Planning Center alongside CRM, giving, forms, or internal tools that do not talk to each other
- Staff who re-enter people data, event details, or volunteer information across systems
- Leaders who want practical AI and automation without losing pastoral judgment
From messy reality to a workable operating rhythm.
- 01
Workflow and systems audit
Map how people, events, groups, and volunteer processes actually move — including the spreadsheets and side channels Planning Center never sees.
- 02
Configuration and cleanup
Tighten lists, forms, permissions, and naming so staff trust what they open on Monday morning.
- 03
Integration design
Connect Planning Center to adjacent tools (CRM, communications, ops platforms) so data passes once and stays consistent.
- 04
Automation with guardrails
Automate reminders, intake routing, and repetitive follow-up while keeping sensitive pastoral moments human.
Other useful starting points.
Want a clearer Planning Center operation?
Tell us how your campus runs today. We will help you see what to simplify, connect, or automate first.
Contact Stories & Systems