Create recurring calendar events

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Jonathan Reinink

One of the most requested Church Social features has just landed: recurring calendar events. You are now able to create calendar events that repeat daily, weekly or monthly. Simply enter a event start Date, and then select one of the repeating options from the Repeats drop down list. You can also specify a Repeat until date if the event does not repeat forever. Give it a try, we have done our best to keep this feature nice and simple!

Screenshot of the recurring events option

Handling exceptions

One of the biggest challenges with recurring events is handling exceptions. For example, maybe you want to edit the title of only one event in your "Morning worship service" series to indicate that there is Lord's Supper that service. You can do this using the Apply to setting, which includes the following three options:

  • All events in this series: Will apply the changes to all events in the series, even those in the past.
  • This event and future events: Will apply the changes to the event instance you are editing, as well as all future events in that series.
  • Only this event: Will apply the changes to only the event instance you are editing.

Use it carefully

We were a little hesitant to add this feature at first. Recurring events, if not used carefully, can lead to a less reliable calendar. For instance, maybe you have a bible study every other Thursday, except in unique situations. If you do not add an exception to the calendar for those situations, members of your congregation may think there is still bible study those days, when in fact there is not. We now feel the benefits of recurring events outweigh this risk, it is just an important thing to keep in mind as you manage your calendar.