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 Source -- Choose Default Contact Form or Use a Form (which reveals a dropdown of forms from the Forms module).
• Form (when "Use a Form" is selected) -- Pick the form to embed.

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

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).
   • Set Form Source to Use a Form and 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 -- The destination when the button is clicked. This is typically your TimelyChurch giving page (/give) but can also be an external URL (Stripe, PayPal, Pushpay, Tithe.ly, etc.).

How the Giving URL Works

If you leave the Give URL blank, the button uses your church's configured giving destination -- the same one used by the Quick Give widget and member portal. Configure that destination in Church Profile > Giving (or your accounting settings).

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 Stripe link).
• You are in transition between giving providers and want to send a single page to the new provider.

Tip: Even when sending users to an external giving provider, 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 provider, 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