A church event can be anything from a free community lunch to a fundraising dinner to a weekly small group. What they have in common is a person, often a volunteer, who needs to know how many are coming. Here is how to keep it simple, and what to look for in a tool.
Start with what kind of event it is
| Kind of event | What you usually need | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| A free community lunch, kids' day or carol night | A free registration for each person or family | Numbers help with seating, catering and safety |
| A fundraising dinner or trivia night | Paid tickets, perhaps with a table or family option | Set a capacity so you do not oversell the hall |
| A weekly small group, kids' program or class | A repeating event | The sessions are created for you each week |
| A term-long course or camp | One ticket for the whole term, or per session | A pass saves people signing up every week |
| An outreach event with guest speakers | Free tickets with a capacity | A guest list helps at the door |
Free events: registration without payment
For a free event you do not need to take any money. Each person or family gets a free ticket, you see who is coming, and you can set a limit if the room is small. With One Ticket, free tickets carry no booking fee.
Ask only what you need to know, such as how many are in the group, and any dietary needs or access needs. Questions can be added to the ticket form, and the answers show in each attendee’s details and come out with your orders.
Paid events and fundraisers
For dinners, concerts and other fundraisers, you can sell paid tickets. Think about the ticket types first:
- Individual and family tickets. Different prices for different groups.
- A pair ticket. A ticket type can admit two people for one price, with two names at checkout. For a table of more people, sell one ticket per seat and add a question asking for the table or group name.
- Discount or access codes. A code lets you give a lower price to volunteers, or unlock a ticket just for your own members.
Payments are taken by card through Stripe and paid out to the account you connect. For paid tickets the buyer pays a small booking fee on top of the ticket price, so the price you set is what your church receives. Check the pricing page before you set the price. Make sure the account you connect is the right one for your church or ministry, and talk to your treasurer or board about who holds it.
If you are raising money for a cause, say on the event page where the money goes. People are more generous when they know.
Weekly groups and courses
If you run a regular group, you do not want to create a new page every week. A repeating event creates each session for you, with one link that stays the same. For courses where people commit to a whole term, you can offer a subscription to the series. Someone subscribes once and gets a ticket to each session. It is billed on the cycle you choose, and they can pause or cancel from a link in their email.
Keep it easy for everyone
Churches have people of every age, and not everyone is comfortable with technology. A few things help:
- Tickets arrive by email with a QR code, and people can show the code on a phone. They do not need to install an app.
- Make the event page plain. The date, time, place, price and a contact person, in short sentences.
- Offer a person to call. Put a phone number or email on the page for anyone who needs help booking.
- Register people yourself. For someone who would rather not book online, you can add them yourself on the box office page, as a free or cash entry. Box office entries carry no booking fee.
On the day
- Check people in with a phone. Scan each QR code at the door. A volunteer can have their own check-in link, so they do not need your login.
- Keep a guest list. For anyone who cannot find their ticket, search by name.
- Know your numbers. For children’s events, the list of who is coming, with any notes you asked for, is useful on the day.
A short checklist
- Decide whether the event is free, paid, or repeating.
- Set the ticket types and a capacity.
- Add the questions you actually need, such as dietary needs and group size.
- Write a short, plain event page with a contact person.
- Share the link in your bulletin, group chats and church email list.
- Pick who is on the door and show them how check-in works.
If you would like to try One Ticket for your next event, create your event. Setting up is free, and you can connect payments when you are ready to sell paid tickets.