Skip to main content
This guide walks you through creating a complete service from scratch: building the order of service, assigning your team, and presenting live. By the end, you’ll have a fully operational Sunday morning workflow.

​
Prerequisites

Before creating your first service, make sure you have:
  • At least one church added (from the Onboarding wizard or Organization page)
  • At least one service type added (e.g., “Sunday Morning Worship”)
  • At least 3–5 songs in your Hymn Library
If you haven’t done these yet, start with the Onboarding Walkthrough or Organization guide.

​
Part 1 — Create the Program

1

Open the New Program Wizard

Navigate to Programs in the sidebar and click New Program.
2

Select Custom

Click the Custom tab. Select your Church, Ministry, and Service Type from the dropdowns.
3

Set Date and Time

Pick the service date. Set the start time (e.g., 10:30 AM).
4

Create

Click Save as Draft. The Service Order Editor opens.

​
Part 2 — Build the Service Order

A typical Sunday morning order of service looks like this:
#ItemTypeDuration
1WelcomeActivity2 min
2Opening SongSong5 min
3PrayerActivity3 min
4Song of PraiseSong4 min
5Scripture ReadingActivity3 min
6Offertory SongSong5 min
7Message / SermonActivity30 min
8Closing SongSong5 min
9BenedictionActivity2 min
1

Add Activities

Click Add Activity and select from your activity type catalog (Welcome, Prayer, Scripture Reading, etc.). Set the duration for each.
2

Add Songs

Click Add Song and search your hymn library. Click a song to add it.
3

Reorder Items

Drag items using the handle on the left to arrange them in the correct order.
4

Check the Timeline

Switch to Timeline view to see the calculated start and end times for each item. The total service duration appears at the bottom.
5

Save

Click Save (or Ctrl+S).

​
Part 3 — Assign Your Team

1

Go to the Roster Tab

Click the Roster tab in the program editor. Slots should appear based on your service type’s template roles.
If no slots appear, your service type may not have template roles configured. Set them up here →
2

Assign Volunteers

Click an empty slot and select a volunteer from the dropdown. Repeat for each role.
3

Check for Conflicts

The system shows warnings if a volunteer has a block-out date or is already assigned to another program on the same day.

​
Part 4 — Finalize and Notify

1

Review the Progress Bar

The progress bar at the top of the program header shows completion percentage. Check for any missing required fields.
2

Finalize the Program

Click Finalize. This marks the program as complete and triggers notifications to assigned team members.
Finalize at least 48 hours before the service to give volunteers time to confirm their assignments.

​
Part 5 — Present Live

1

Click Present

Open the program and click Present in the header toolbar.
2

Open the Display

Click Open Display to launch the full-screen lyrics window. Drag it to your projector screen.
3

Set Up Remote Control

Click Remote Control, scan the QR code with your phone, and control slides wirelessly.
4

Navigate Slides

Use arrow keys (or your phone remote) to move through slides. Press B to blank the screen during prayers or the sermon.
Presentation Mode requires a Pro or Max plan. Compare plans →

​
Congratulations 🎉

You’ve just completed your first full service workflow in AdoraPlan. Here’s what to explore next:

Save as Template

Turn this service order into a reusable template for next week.

Build Rotation Teams

Create pre-built teams for one-click weekly assignment.

Explore Playlists

Group songs by season for faster weekly planning.

View the Calendar

See all your programs on a visual timeline.