Free guides for your church
Practical, jargon-free resources you can use straight away. Every guide is free to read online, and no account is needed.
We try hard to get everything here right, and every guide and template shows when it was last reviewed. But they are free, they are general and things change: the law, prices and the tools themselves. We cannot guarantee they are complete, current or right for your church, so check anything you rely on and take professional advice where a decision matters.
Not sure where to start?
You do not need all of them, and you certainly do not need them at once. This is the order we'd take them in. Do one, leave it a fortnight, then come back.
- Church Digital Health Check - Self-Assessment · 15 min Score where you are in 20 questions. Everything else follows from what this shows you.
- Church GDPR Checklist · 31 min Two legal obligations most churches have missed. The social media and livestream guides both assume this.
- Church Social Media Starter Checklist · 22 min Pick one platform and do it properly. Ignore the rest until this one is working.
- Church Website Audit Checklist · 6 min Most people meet your church here first. An hour with this is the best-value hour on the list.
Digital Foundations
Church Website Audit Checklist
A 66-point checklist to audit your church website covering first impressions, SEO, mobile, accessibility and security.
Read guide Digital FoundationsChurch Digital Health Check - Self-Assessment
A scored self-assessment tool to evaluate your church's digital maturity across website, social media and data.
Read guide Digital FoundationsGoogle Business Profile Setup Guide for Churches
Set up and optimise your church's Google Business Profile in 30 minutes to improve local search visibility.
Read guide Digital FoundationsChurch Domain and Email Setup Guide
How to register a custom domain and set up professional email for your church, including free nonprofit options.
Read guide Digital FoundationsChurch Digital Strategy One-Page Planner
A simple one-page digital strategy planner to help your church leadership team agree priorities and take action.
Read guideAI and Emerging Tech
AI Starter Guide for Church Leaders
A practical introduction to AI for church leaders with 10 real tasks, tool comparisons and data safety guidance.
Read guide AI and Emerging TechChurch AI Policy Template
A ready-to-adopt AI policy template for churches covering approved uses, data handling and transparency guidelines.
Read guideAlso free: AI Prompt Starter Pack, nine ready-to-use prompts for sermon prep, newsletters, social media, admin and funding. It is a PDF, and no email is needed.
Data and Compliance
Church GDPR Checklist
A comprehensive GDPR compliance checklist for UK churches covering data handling, consent, breaches and ICO registration.
Read guide Data and ComplianceChurch Copyright and Licensing Quick Guide
A plain-English guide to UK church copyright licences including CCLI, PRS, CLA and CVLI with costs and scenarios.
Read guideSocial Media
Church Social Media Starter Checklist
A step-by-step guide to launching your church on social media with platform advice, content ideas and a 7-day plan.
Read guide Social MediaChurch Social Media Content Calendar Template
A ready-to-use content calendar template with 8 post types, seasonal ideas and a batch-creation workflow.
Read guideStreaming and Video
Church Livestream Setup Checklist
Everything you need to start livestreaming church services, from free phone setups to quality rigs with audio tips.
Read guide Streaming and VideoAccessible Online Worship Guide
Make your church's online worship inclusive with guidance on captions, BSL, audio quality and neurodiversity.
Read guideCommunication
Church Newsletter Starter Kit
A complete guide to starting a church newsletter with platform options, content structure and GDPR-compliant list building.
Read guide CommunicationChurch Crisis Communications Checklist
A crisis communications plan for churches with preparation checklists, template statements and recovery guidance.
Read guideTools and Systems
Wired for Good
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