Church Directory Planning Checklist

1. Define Your Goals

• Decide whether your church needs an online directory, a printed PDF, or both.
• Choose a realistic timeline for collecting photos and family information. Most churches need four to eight weeks.
• Decide who will lead the project — a staff member, volunteer coordinator, or small committee.
• Decide whether the directory will be public, private (members only), or shared only with staff.

2. Gather Your Team

• Assign one project owner who is responsible for the timeline and final review.
• Recruit one or two helpers for follow-up with families who haven't submitted yet.
• Decide who can review and approve family submissions.
• Prepare simple instructions for volunteers so everyone follows the same process.

3. Plan What to Collect

Decide which fields you need before opening submissions. Common fields include:

• Family name.
• Adult names (first and last).
• Children's names, if appropriate for your congregation.
• Phone number.
• Email address.
• Mailing address, if needed for your directory format.
• Family photo.
• Optional notes such as ministries, small groups, or anniversary dates.

Keep it simple. Collecting only what you will publish reduces friction and protects privacy.

4. Set Photo Guidelines

• Ask families to use a clear, recent photo taken within the past year.
• Prefer good lighting and simple backgrounds. Natural daylight near a window works well.
• Avoid blurry, dark, or heavily filtered images.
• Decide whether selfies are acceptable for your directory style.
• Decide whether individual photos, family group photos, or both are allowed.

For detailed guidance you can share with families, see our Church Directory Photo Tips guide.

5. Address Privacy and Consent

• Explain clearly how the directory information will be used and who can see it.
• Decide who can access the online directory — public, members only, or staff only.
• Give families a way to opt out or limit what information is published.
• Avoid collecting information the church does not need for the directory.
• Review your privacy expectations with the team before publishing.

For a deeper look at church directory privacy best practices, see our Church Directory Privacy guide.

6. Announce to the Congregation

• Prepare a short announcement for the Sunday bulletin, church email, or church app.
• Include the deadline for submissions.
• Explain what information families should provide and how the photo will be used.
• Include the upload or submission link.
• Schedule one or two reminders before the deadline.

Sample Announcement

Church family, we are preparing an updated pictorial directory to help members connect names with faces. Please submit your family photo and updated contact information by [date]. You can upload everything through this link: [link]. If you need help, contact [name] at [email/phone].

7. Review and Approve Submissions

• Check that names are spelled correctly and consistently.
• Confirm that contact information is complete for each family.
• Review photo quality — is the image clear, well-lit, and appropriate?
• Follow up with families who are missing information or haven't submitted yet.
• Make sure sensitive information is not published by mistake.

8. Pre-Publish Checklist

• Preview the online directory and check that it looks correct.
• Preview the printable PDF layout if your church is printing copies.
• Proofread names, phone numbers, and email addresses one final time.
• Confirm privacy and access settings match what you communicated to the congregation.
• Decide when to publish — coordinate with any announcements or distribution plans.
• Save or print a final PDF copy for church records.