This guide will cover setting up ChMS to sync with Planning Center Online.

We've built this integration so contact information can be updated in just one place, your ChMS software, saving you duplicate work in two unique systems. 

Note: The sync only works one way - from your ChMS → Planning Center. Information that is updated in Planning Center will not sync back to ChMS.

Setup

Prerequisite: You must have full administrative permissions in both ChMS and Planning Center for integration to succeed.

1. Login into Planning Center Online. (You MUST do this first or the link will not work).

2. In the header of ChMS, click on the Settings Gear icon, select Settings, then click on the Services tab. (Depending on screen resolution, you may need to click More to view Services).
   
   
3. Click the Enabled radio button in the Planning Center Section.

4. Then click Authorize access with Planning Center. You will be taken to Planning Center's website.

5. Click the link the Allow button to complete the link. You will now be taken back to the ChMS.
   
   
6. Scroll back down to the Planning Center section.
   
   
7. Next, choose the group(s) you'd like to sync with Planning Center. As you select groups, they will appear in the Sync Groups section.

8. When you update anyone in your selected groups, they will get updated in Planning Center Online. Individuals that may have already been in one of these sync groups, prior to the integration setup, will not sync to Planning Center Online automatically. ChMS will sync individuals under the following circumstances:
   • An individual who was part of a Sync Group prior to the integration will have their profile updated; e.g. their email address changed and was updated in your ChMS.
   • An individual is added to a Sync Group after the initial integration.
     
     
9. Click Save to finalize the sync setup.

What information syncs?

The following contact fields sync from ChMS to Planning Center Online:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Primary Email Address
• Home, Cell, and Work Phone

Important Notes & FAQs

• Only Individuals that have an email address on their profile in ChMS will sync with Planning Center Online.
• Individuals will initially sync with the "People" area of Planning Center Online but can be used throughout the entire program.
• The selected Sync Groups themselves will not sync to Planning Center Online, only the individuals that are in the groups. 
• Syncs happen every 15 minutes. So, after you choose your Sync Groups and begin adding individuals to those groups, it could take 15 minutes before those changes appear in Planning Center. The same is true for updates made to the individuals' contact information after the initial sync.

Connection Issue Troubleshooting

If you encounter an issue, disabling and re-enabling the sync often resolves any issues.

Use the radio button to Disable the sync and then click Save to remove the authorization. Then, follow the setup steps above again and establish the integration.

Updated August 16, 2023 20:16