Contact Forms and Giving

Two of the most important "conversion" moments on a church website are when a visitor reaches out (Contact Form) and when they decide to give (Giving). Both are first-class section types in Website Studio and both connect to other parts of TimelyChurch. This guide covers the end-to-end setup.

Contact Form Section

The Contact Form section gives visitors a way to send a message to your church. It can use either the built-in default form (no setup) or a form you have built in the Forms module.

Built-in vs. Custom Form

Adding a Contact Form Section

1. Open a page in the editor (typically your Contact page).
2. Click Add Section > Interactive > Contact Form.
3. Click the edit icon on the new section.

Configuring the Form

In the Contact Form editor:

• Heading -- e.g., "Get in Touch."
• Subheading -- e.g., "We'd love to hear from you."
• Form to Display -- Leave it on Default Contact Form, or pick one of your forms from the Forms module in the same menu.

Note: The built-in default form sends submissions to your church's contact email (set in Church Settings → Profile). Forms from the Forms module follow that form's own notification settings.

End-to-End Walkthrough -- Custom Contact Form

If you want a contact form with custom fields (e.g., a "How can we pray for you?" textarea):

1. Build the form in the Forms module:
   • Go to Forms > New Form.
   • Add the fields you need (text, email, textarea, dropdowns, etc.).
   • Configure submission notifications and autoresponders.
   • Publish the form.
2. Embed it on the Contact page:
   • Open your Contact page in the page editor.
   • Edit the Contact Form section (or add one).
   • In Form to Display, pick the form you just built.
   • Save the section.
3. Test the round trip:
   • Visit the public Contact page.
   • Submit the form.
   • Confirm the submission lands in the Forms module's submissions tab and the notification email goes out.

Giving Section

The Giving section is a flexible donation call-to-action you can drop on any page. It is also one of the templates included with the Home and Giving page templates.

Adding a Giving Section

1. Open a page in the editor.
2. Click Add Section > Dynamic Content > Giving.
3. Click the edit icon on the new section.

Configuring the Giving Block

• Heading -- e.g., "Give Generously."
• Subheading -- e.g., "Your generosity changes lives."
• Description -- One or two sentences of context.
• Button Text -- e.g., "Give Now."
• Give URL (optional) -- The destination when the button is clicked. Leave it blank for your church's own online giving page, or enter the address of an external giving page.

How the Giving URL Works

If you leave the Give URL blank, the button opens your church's public online giving page in TimelyChurch. See Setting Up Online Giving for setting it up.

If you set the Give URL explicitly, that URL takes priority for that section only. This is useful when:

• You want a campaign-specific landing page (e.g., a building-fund page).
• Your church takes gifts on an external giving page.

Tip: Even when sending people to an external giving page, keep the section's heading and description on-brand. The seamless handoff is what matters.

End-to-End Walkthrough -- Giving Page

A solid giving page combines several sections:

1. Hero -- A bold "Give Generously" headline, a one-sentence vision statement, and a Give button.
2. Content -- A short paragraph or two on why your church gives, with a scripture reference.
3. Giving section -- The actual call-to-action button(s) tied to your giving destination.
4. FAQ -- Common questions: tax receipts, recurring gifts, how to update your card, where the money goes.
5. Contact Form (optional) -- For donors with one-off questions ("Can I give stock?").

The Giving page template in the page wizard pre-builds the first three for you (hero, giving, FAQ). See Creating and Managing Pages.

Cross-Module Integration Summary

The following table shows where contact-form and giving data ultimately lives:

Best Practices

• Make the Contact Form short. Three to four fields beats ten. People bail on long forms.
• Always test submission before publishing. Submit the form yourself and confirm the email arrives.
• Keep Giving copy outcome-oriented. "Your gift sends a kid to camp" is more compelling than "Donate."
• Use HTTPS giving URLs. If you point to an external giving page, make sure the URL starts with https://. Browsers warn users on insecure payment links.
• Test on mobile. Most giving traffic happens on phones. Make sure the button is big enough to tap.

Next Steps

• Page Templates and the Wizard -- The Giving page template uses both these sections
• Website Sections -- All available section types