Whether your prayer circle is happening at a set time and location, virtually, or as a prayer chain over a day or even several days, SignUp makes it easy to gather people in prayer, and even easier for friends, family, congregation and community members to sign up to offer their prayer to a common cause.
Setting up your prayer schedule is similar to planning any other SignUp and this video will help you get started. Below, there are a few tips specifically for prayer circle and prayer chain planning.
Getting Started: Planning Your Prayer Circle or Prayer Chain Schedule
To begin, login at SignUp.com and click on from your Dashboard on your desktop or mobile device.
Planning Screen 1: Provide Details
- Complete the first step choosing the SignUp Kind: Single or Multiple Days and Category: Religious or Faith/Worship Group
- NOTE: If you are meeting in person or on a virtual meeting at the same time, add the map link or meeting link to the Location field. If people will be praying from multiple locations and times, please leave blank.
Planning Screen 2: Add Spots
Create your first time for people to pray to by adding a prayer Spot -- click the orange +Create New Spot button:
- Add a Spot
Complete this section as if you would be telling someone when they should pray as if you are speaking to them. We think you'll find it easy to answer the questions and proceed with adding all your Spot details.
Step 1. What do you want people to sign up for?
-
- Using the light blue entry fields, enter your first prayer spot- you will likely want 1 person to "do or attend" Pray for {Name, Cause, etc.} (Pray for Mary Holmes, Pray for World Peace) at a given time.
-
- If you're creating a prayer chain, click the orange Add Shifts button to add multiple prayer times at once. (these can then be copied to multiple days in Step 2, if needed.)
-
- Using the pull-down menus, first choose the day's start time and end time, then the prayer duration you want each person to pray for (5 min, 10 min, 20 min. etc.).
-
- The lower part of the screen will automatically show the prayer times that will be created. Edit your entries until you are satisfied with the results. The black X will delete any single time in the series.
- If your prayer chain includes praying that crosses midnight, please delete the last prayer time and manually add a Spot that goes until 11:59pm. (SignUp prayer appointments can't technically cross midnight). Learn more here
- Click Apply and all prayer times will be added to your SignUp in one click. In the example above we are adding 10 minute prayer sessions from 8am to 10pm .
Step 2: What day(s) does this Spot happen?
-
-
Select the date(s) of your prayer circle by clicking on the calendar - a date will turn green when the Spots are added.
-
Step 3: Add extra details (optional)
-
- This information will show on all Spots when participants are signing up to pray and will be included on their Confirmation and Reminder messages, automatically sent by SignUp.com. This can include information about who or what people are offering prayer for and links to your website or other resources.
-
- Click Save at the bottom of the screen to add this prayer series to your SignUp and return to the Add a Spot menu.
Want to add more Prayer Spots? Clicking the +Add a Spot button again and answer the prompts. Once you get started, it will be quick to proceed through the steps.
Happy with all your Prayer Spots? Click Next to finalize your SignUp by completing:
Planning Screen 3: Choose a Theme -- where you can upload a logo and select a colorful background.
Planning Screen 4: Invite -- where you have several options for inviting people to sign up.
Continue clicking Next until your SignUp is complete and live and shows on your Dashboard tab.
How to see your prayer schedule -- who signed up for when
Before the prayer circle day(s), you may quickly see who signed up in Reports tab of the SignUp's Organizer view.