Running events with a sign-up sheet passed around on Sunday morning works — until you have 80 people trying to register for a retreat with 50 spaces. Online registration gives you accurate numbers, dietary requirements, and a way to manage capacity before the event, not on the day.
Step 1: Create the event
In the Aurnet admin dashboard, go to Events and click Create. Add the title, date, time, location, and a description. Choose the scope — church-wide events are visible to all members; cluster or department events are visible only to that group. Set a featured image if you have one.
Step 2: Attach a registration form
Click the Registration tab on your event. Enable registration and build your form. Standard fields include name and email (pre-filled from the member's profile). Add custom fields for anything else — dietary requirements, T-shirt size, emergency contact, accessibility needs. Each field can be required or optional.
Save time by creating reusable form templates. If your church runs similar events regularly (retreats, conferences, day trips), build the template once and apply it to future events with one click.
Step 3: Set capacity and approval
Set a maximum capacity if the venue has a limit. When the event is full, new registrations automatically go to a waitlist. You can also enable manual approval — useful for events where you need to vet attendees or balance group sizes. Registrations sit in a 'Pending' state until a leader approves or rejects them.
Step 4: Open registration
Set a registration window (opens and closes dates) or leave it open until the event. Members see a 'Register' button on the event detail screen in the app. They fill in the form, submit, and get a confirmation. You get a notification in the admin dashboard.
Step 5: Manage registrations
The admin registrations screen shows every submission with status filters: approved, pending, rejected, waitlisted, cancelled. You can approve or reject individually, or use bulk actions to process a batch. Need a headcount with dietary info? Export to CSV with one click.
Step 6: Check-in on the day
If you've enabled ticketing, each approved registrant gets a QR code in the app. At the door, scan codes with any phone camera to check people in. Attendance is recorded automatically. No paper lists, no ticking names off a spreadsheet.
After the event
Review your attendance data in the admin dashboard. See who registered but didn't show up, who was on the waitlist, and how quickly registrations filled. This data helps you plan capacity and timing for the next event — and gives your leadership team real numbers instead of estimates.