Create and Manage Categories and Resources
ChurchDesk lets you manage categories and resources in your calendar.
This helps you structure your events and reserve rooms or equipment as needed – so you and your team can stay on top of multiple or overlapping events.
In this article, you’ll learn:
What categories and resources are used for,
How to create, edit, and delete them,
And what to keep in mind when using them.
Categories help you sort and label your events – e.g. Worship service, Youth work, Confirmation class.
Resources refer to bookable items like rooms, projectors, kitchens, or audio equipment.
Both options appear when creating calendar events and are visually highlighted with colours.
ChurchDesk provides you with suggested categories and resources, which you can easily adjust, add to, or delete.
There are three types of categories in ChurchDesk:
Event categories
→ For events in the calendar (e.g. worship service, concert, community evening)
Note: All events must be assigned to at least one event category. This allows you to display events on your website or in newsletters, filter the calendar, and export personal iCal feeds.
Blog categories
→ For blog posts in groups or on your website (e.g. youth, music, news)
Absence categories
→ For time off such as vacation or sick leave
All categories are displayed in alphabetical order.
Click on your name in the top right corner and select “ChurchDesk Settings”.
Choose Category from the menu on the left.
Click on “**Create**”, enter a name and optionally choose a color. You can also enable “[Register attendance”](https://support.churchdesk.com/en/article/attendance-reh5s6/) here.
Existing categories can be edited using the edit icon under "**Actions**"
To delete a category, click on “**Actions**”.
Note: Categories can only be managed in the browser and only by Admins or Organisation Admins.
Resources are bookable items like rooms, equipment, or vehicles.
When you assign a resource to an event, it is automatically reserved for that time slot.
This ensures that the same resource can’t be double-booked – unless the user has been granted this permission (see below).
Example:
Category: Worship service
Resources: Church hall, Projector
Click on your name in the top right corner and select “ChurchDesk Settings”.
In the menu on the left, navigate to Parish & Resources.
Click on “**Create**”.
Enter a name and optionally choose a color.
To delete or edit a resource, click on “Actions”.
Note: Resources can only be managed in the browser and only by (Organisation) Admins.
They are shown in alphabetical order.
By default, ChurchDesk prevents double-bookings of resources.
However, in the user roles, you can allow certain users to book resources even if they are already reserved.
If a user selects an already-booked resource, a warning message will appear.
Users without the permission ("Can allow double bookings") won’t be able to save the event.
More about roles and permissions here: Manage users and roles
If your organisation uses the Multi-Church module, you’ll see an extra “Church” option when creating a resource.
This lets you assign the resource to a specific church and filter for it in the calendar.
More info on this module here: Multi-Church
To get the best experience when using categories and resources, we recommend checking the following settings:
Go to: Calendar > More > Display options
"Use the Color events bt resource"-option
→ Events will appear in the colour of the assigned resource instead of the category.
"Show booked resources"
→ Resources are shown directly in the calendar view.
When you edit a category or resource, changes are applied automatically. It may take a few minutes – refreshing the page can help.
Keywords: categories, resources, calendar, event category, blog category, absence, absence category, book room, calendar structure, church hall, tech, planning, multi-church, church management, calendar colours, settings, reservation, ChurchDesk calendar, user permissions, double booking, role management
This helps you structure your events and reserve rooms or equipment as needed – so you and your team can stay on top of multiple or overlapping events.
In this article, you’ll learn:
What categories and resources are used for,
How to create, edit, and delete them,
And what to keep in mind when using them.
What are categories and resources?
Categories help you sort and label your events – e.g. Worship service, Youth work, Confirmation class.
Resources refer to bookable items like rooms, projectors, kitchens, or audio equipment.
Both options appear when creating calendar events and are visually highlighted with colours.
ChurchDesk provides you with suggested categories and resources, which you can easily adjust, add to, or delete.
Managing categories
Three types of categories
There are three types of categories in ChurchDesk:
Event categories
→ For events in the calendar (e.g. worship service, concert, community evening)
Note: All events must be assigned to at least one event category. This allows you to display events on your website or in newsletters, filter the calendar, and export personal iCal feeds.
Blog categories
→ For blog posts in groups or on your website (e.g. youth, music, news)
Absence categories
→ For time off such as vacation or sick leave
All categories are displayed in alphabetical order.
How to create, edit, or delete a category
Click on your name in the top right corner and select “ChurchDesk Settings”.
Choose Category from the menu on the left.
Click on “**Create**”, enter a name and optionally choose a color. You can also enable “[Register attendance”](https://support.churchdesk.com/en/article/attendance-reh5s6/) here.
Existing categories can be edited using the edit icon under "**Actions**"
To delete a category, click on “**Actions**”.
Note: Categories can only be managed in the browser and only by Admins or Organisation Admins.
Managing resources
What are resources?
Resources are bookable items like rooms, equipment, or vehicles.
When you assign a resource to an event, it is automatically reserved for that time slot.
This ensures that the same resource can’t be double-booked – unless the user has been granted this permission (see below).
Example:
Category: Worship service
Resources: Church hall, Projector
How to create, edit, or delete resources
Click on your name in the top right corner and select “ChurchDesk Settings”.
In the menu on the left, navigate to Parish & Resources.
Click on “**Create**”.
Enter a name and optionally choose a color.
To delete or edit a resource, click on “Actions”.
Note: Resources can only be managed in the browser and only by (Organisation) Admins.
They are shown in alphabetical order.
Preventing double-bookings
By default, ChurchDesk prevents double-bookings of resources.
However, in the user roles, you can allow certain users to book resources even if they are already reserved.
If a user selects an already-booked resource, a warning message will appear.
Users without the permission ("Can allow double bookings") won’t be able to save the event.
More about roles and permissions here: Manage users and roles
Optional: Assigning to a location/church
If your organisation uses the Multi-Church module, you’ll see an extra “Church” option when creating a resource.
This lets you assign the resource to a specific church and filter for it in the calendar.
More info on this module here: Multi-Church
Display options in the calendar
To get the best experience when using categories and resources, we recommend checking the following settings:
Go to: Calendar > More > Display options
"Use the Color events bt resource"-option
→ Events will appear in the colour of the assigned resource instead of the category.
"Show booked resources"
→ Resources are shown directly in the calendar view.
When you edit a category or resource, changes are applied automatically. It may take a few minutes – refreshing the page can help.
Keywords: categories, resources, calendar, event category, blog category, absence, absence category, book room, calendar structure, church hall, tech, planning, multi-church, church management, calendar colours, settings, reservation, ChurchDesk calendar, user permissions, double booking, role management
Updated on: 19/06/2025
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