How do I create a free church directory?

Claim a free Faith Common church page — members can save your church and opt-in to a member directory with photos. For a printed directory, use Canva's free church directory template and import a CSV of members.

What should a church directory include?

Each entry typically has: family name, individual names, a photo, address, phone, email, ministry involvement, and member-since date. Always make sensitive fields opt-in.

Is Instant Church Directory free?

Instant Church Directory has a free trial but costs $99/year after. ChurchTrac includes a directory free under 100 members. Faith Common's member save/follow + church profile is fully free.

How often should we update the church directory?

Online directories should be live and self-serve so members update their own info. Printed directories should be reprinted every 12–18 months.

What about privacy for our church directory?

Always make member listings opt-in, never include children's contact info, restrict access to verified members only, and store data with a provider that has clear privacy policies and RLS-protected access.

All guides

How to Create a Church Directory

A free, mobile-first directory that members actually use — without the $99/year subscription.

A church directory should do one job: help your members find and connect with each other. Most printed directories are obsolete the day they ship, and most paid online tools charge for features you don't need. Here's how to build a free directory that works in 2026.

60-second start

Step 1 of 4

What's the season you're in?

Next step

Free, mobile-first, opt-in directory built into your Faith Common church page.

Start your free church directory

Online vs. printed: pick one

Online: always current, searchable, mobile-friendly, opt-in privacy controls. Best for almost every church.
Printed: nice keepsake, but outdated within months. Print only if your congregation skews older and prefers physical.
Best of both: keep the live online directory; print a 'family album' once a year for the older members.

Free online directory (Faith Common)

Claim your free church page.
Invite members via shareable code — they sign up with name, photo, and opt-in fields.
Members can save your church, follow announcements, and message group leaders.
Privacy is RLS-protected: only verified members see directory contact info.

DIY directory in Google Sheets / Word

Use a Google Form to collect: name, family members, photo upload, phone (opt-in), email (opt-in), ministry.
Pipe responses into a Google Sheet with restricted sharing.
Export to a Word/Canva template for a printable version.
Limitation: no self-service updates, no mobile app, no notifications.

Photo directory best practices

Schedule a 'photo Sunday' with a volunteer photographer + neutral backdrop.
Allow people to submit their own photos via upload.
Use consistent crop (square, head-and-shoulders).
Tag each photo with the person's name so members can search.

Privacy rules (don't skip)

Every field besides name+photo should be opt-in.
Never list children's contact info.
Restrict directory access to verified members only.
Have a clear deletion/opt-out path.
Store data with a provider that has RLS + clear privacy policy.

Get started

The fastest path: claim a free Faith Common church page, invite members with a 6-character code, and you have a working directory + public profile in one afternoon. No $99/year, no spreadsheet sprawl.