Church Space makes it easy to design and send customized, on-brand emails to the right people using your Planning Center lists. Here’s how to create and manage an email from start to finish.

​
How to Create an Email

You can start a new email in two ways:

  • Go to Emails and click New Email
  • Or click Create New in the sidebar and select Email

Enter a subject (you can change it later), and you’ll be taken to the email editor with the New Email popup open.

​
Choosing a Starting Point

You’ll have four options:

  1. Use the Email Generator

    • Choose an email type:
      • Updates (image blocks + text blocks + buttons)
      • Article (image, author block, and text content)
    • Select a color scheme, font family, and toggle Card Style if desired

  2. My Templates

    • Apply a saved template
    • Choose to apply the full layout or just the style

  3. Recently Sent Emails

    • Copy the content or style of a recently sent email

  4. Start From Scratch

    • Begin with a blank email and build it from the ground up

​
Designing Your Email

​
Adding and Editing Blocks

  • Drag blocks from the left sidebar into the email canvas
  • Reorder blocks by dragging them within the canvas
  • Click a block to edit it in the sidebar (or edit directly in the text block)
  • Use the formatting toolbar above the canvas for text formatting

​
Duplicate or Delete a Block

  • Click the block, then use the duplicate or trash icons to the right of the block or use the same options at the bottom of the sidebar.
  • Click on the footer or select Footer in the sidebar
  • Edit the content, social links, and layout
  • Click the refresh icon to reset to your default footer
  • Click the save icon to save this version as your new default footer

​
Editing Email Style

Click on Styles in the sidebar to customize:

  • Card Style: Applies a background color to your email content area
  • Rounded Corners: Adjusts border radius
  • Block Spacing: Controls space between content blocks
  • Font: Choose a supported font family (custom fonts are not supported in Church Space as most email clients do not reliably support web fonts)
  • Text Colors: Adjust body text, accent text, and link colors

​
Setting Email Details

Go to the email’s detail page by clicking “Save and Exit” if you’re in the editor or by clicking on the email in the Emails table.

​
TO

  • List: The Planning Center list this email is going to

    The displayed number is the count in PCO. Actual recipients may be fewer due to unsubscribes, missing emails, or duplicates.

  • Category: The type of email (e.g. General, Students, Kids)

    Helps recipients manage their preferences.

​
FROM

  • From Email: The part before the @ of your sending address
  • From Name: The sender name shown in the inbox
  • Reply-to Address: Where replies to this email will go

​
SUBJECT

  • Subject: What appears as the subject line in the inbox
  • Preview Text: The summary text shown in inboxes (not visible in the email)

​
SEND TIME

  • Send Now: The email will send when you click Send Now in the top right and then confirm
  • Schedule: Pick a date and time at least 10 minutes in the future (time shown in your local timezone)

    The email is not officially scheduled until you click Schedule and confirm.

​
Testing Your Email

  • Send a test email to up to 5 addresses at a time, separated by commas
  • Click Send Test in the editor or on the details page
  • Test emails do not count against your send limit

​
Other Notes

  • Email appearance may vary slightly across email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.)
  • We follow modern HTML email standards and work to minimize rendering differences
  • If you notice display issues, let us know at support@churchspace.co and we’ll help resolve it

Ready to design and send your first email? Head to Church Space Emails to get started.