> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getparable.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Data Architecture
> Cross-module overview of how Planning Center data is organized and interconnected in Parable
# Planning Center Data Architecture
## Overview
Parable integrates with **8 Planning Center modules**, each representing a different aspect of church management. This page provides a high-level view of how these modules connect and share data.
## Module Overview
[Open diagram in new tab →](/diagrams/planning-center/architecture-01.svg)
## Module Interconnections
### People as the Central Hub
The **People module** is the foundation of the entire system. Nearly every other module references people in various roles:
* **Giving**: People as donors, joint givers, and batch creators
* **Groups**: People as group members, leaders, and owners
* **Check-ins**: People checking in to events
* **Services**: People as team members, leaders, and plan assignees
* **Calendar**: People as event creators and resource bookers
* **Registrations**: People as registrants and attendees
* **Publishing**: People as speakers and content creators
**Key Principles:**
1. **Sequential Processing**: Workflows execute sequentially to respect dependencies (People before Giving, etc.)
2. **Bulk Operations**: Data is collected and inserted in batches for performance
3. **Multi-tenant Isolation**: Row-level security ensures tenant data separation
4. **Heartbeat Pattern**: Long-running activities send heartbeats to prevent timeouts
## Database Schema Organization
All Planning Center data is stored in the `planning_center` schema with prefixed table names:
```
planning_center.{module}_{entity}
```
### Examples
* `planning_center.people_people` - People entities
* `planning_center.people_households` - Household entities
* `planning_center.giving_donations` - Donation entities
* `planning_center.groups_groups` - Group entities
* `planning_center.services_plans` - Service plan entities
### Common Patterns Across All Modules
Every table follows these patterns:
#### System Fields
All tables include:
* `system_status` - All tables have a `system_status` column that filters to only show `active` records
* `system_created_at` - When record was first created
* `system_updated_at` - Last modification timestamp
* `tenant_organization_id` - All tables have a `tenant_organization_id` column that filters to only show records for the current organization
#### Entity ID Pattern
All entities store their Planning Center ID:
* `{entity}_id` - Original Planning Center identifier (e.g., `people_id`, `donation_id`)
#### Row Level Security (RLS)
All tables have RLS policies that automatically:
* Filter data by current database role
* Ensure tenant isolation
* Restrict access to `system_status = 'active'` records
## Module Details
### People Module (84 tables)
**Core Entities:**
* People, Households, Household Memberships
* Addresses, Emails, Phone Numbers
* Campuses, Organizations
* Forms, Form Submissions
* Workflows, Workflow Cards
* Lists, Notes, Messages
**Complexity**: Highest - manages the foundational identity layer
**Key Relationship Pattern**: Heavy use of relationship tables for flexible associations
### Giving Module (24 tables)
**Core Entities:**
* Donations, Batches, Batch Groups
* Pledges, Pledge Campaigns
* Recurring Donations, Refunds
* Designations, Funds
* Payment Methods, Payment Sources
**Dependencies**: Requires People (donors), Campuses
**Key Feature**: Financial transaction tracking with audit trails
### Groups Module (25 tables)
**Core Entities:**
* Groups, Group Types
* Memberships, Enrollments
* Events, Event Notes, Attendance
* Locations, Resources, Tags
**Dependencies**: Requires People (members, leaders)
**Key Feature**: Community organization and event management
### Check-ins Module (26 tables)
**Core Entities:**
* Check-ins, Check-in Groups
* Events, Event Times, Event Periods
* Locations, Location Labels
* Person Events, Attendance Types
* Stations, Passes, Themes
**Dependencies**: Requires People (attendees), Events
**Key Feature**: Event attendance tracking with label printing
### Services Module (55+ tables)
**Core Entities:**
* Service Types, Plans, Plan Times
* Teams, Team Positions
* Songs, Arrangements, Keys
* Items, Media, Schedules
* Blockouts, Signup Sheets
**Dependencies**: Requires People (team members), potentially Groups
**Key Feature**: Complex worship service planning
### Calendar Module (27 tables)
**Core Entities:**
* Events, Event Instances, Event Times
* Resources, Resource Bookings
* Room Setups, Resource Questions
* Conflicts, Attachments, Feeds
**Dependencies**: Integrates with Groups, Services, Check-ins events
**Key Feature**: Centralized event and resource management
### Registrations Module (14 tables)
**Core Entities:**
* Registrations, Signups
* Attendees, Emergency Contacts
* Categories, Selection Types
* Locations, Campuses
**Dependencies**: Requires People (registrants)
**Key Feature**: Event registration and attendee management
### Publishing Module (15 tables)
**Core Entities:**
* Channels, Channel Times
* Episodes, Episode Times, Episode Resources
* Series, Speakers, Speakerships
* Note Templates
**Dependencies**: Requires People (speakers), potentially Services (sermons)
**Key Feature**: Sermon and content publishing workflow
## Performance Characteristics
### Table Sizes (Approximate)
Based on typical church databases:
| Module | Tables | Est. Rows (Small Church) | Est. Rows (Large Church) |
| ------------- | ------ | ------------------------ | ------------------------ |
| People | 84 | 10K - 50K | 500K - 2M |
| Giving | 24 | 5K - 20K | 200K - 1M |
| Groups | 25 | 1K - 5K | 50K - 200K |
| Check-ins | 26 | 5K - 20K | 100K - 500K |
| Services | 55+ | 2K - 10K | 50K - 200K |
| Calendar | 27 | 1K - 5K | 20K - 100K |
| Registrations | 14 | 500 - 2K | 10K - 50K |
| Publishing | 15 | 100 - 1K | 5K - 20K |
### Sync Performance
* **Full sync time**: 5 minutes - 2 hours (depends on data size)
* **Typical interval**: Every 24 hours
* **Bulk insert performance**: 1K-10K rows/second per table
## Multi-Tenant Architecture
### Tenant Isolation
[Open diagram in new tab →](/diagrams/planning-center/architecture-02.svg)
**Key Security Features:**
1. **Role-based access**: Each tenant has a dedicated database role
2. **Automatic filtering**: Views filter by `CURRENT_ROLE` to show only tenant's data
3. **No cross-tenant queries**: Impossible to access other tenants' data
4. **Schema-level isolation**: All Planning Center data in dedicated schema
## Common Query Patterns
### Cross-Module Queries
**Example: Find all donations from a specific group's members**
```sql theme={null}
-- Get all donations from small group members
WITH group_members AS (
SELECT DISTINCT person_id
FROM planning_center.groups_memberships_view
WHERE group_id = 'group_123'
)
SELECT
p.first_name,
p.last_name,
d.amount_cents / 100.0 AS amount,
d.received_at,
f.name AS fund_name
FROM group_members gm
JOIN planning_center.people_people_view p
ON gm.person_id = p.people_id
JOIN planning_center.giving_donation_relationships_view dr
ON p.people_id = dr.relationship_id
AND dr.relationship_type = 'person' -- Via relationship table
JOIN planning_center.giving_donations_view d
ON dr.donation_id = d.donation_id
JOIN planning_center.giving_designations_view des
ON d.donation_id = des.donation_id
JOIN planning_center.giving_funds_view f
ON des.fund_id = f.fund_id
WHERE d.received_at >= '2024-01-01'
ORDER BY d.received_at DESC;
```
**Example: Find people who are both group leaders and service team members**
```sql theme={null}
-- Find people serving in both groups and services
WITH group_leaders AS (
SELECT DISTINCT person_id
FROM planning_center.groups_memberships_view
WHERE role = 'leader'
),
service_team AS (
SELECT DISTINCT person_id
FROM planning_center.services_plan_people_view
WHERE status = 'C' -- Confirmed
)
SELECT
p.first_name,
p.last_name,
p.primary_email AS email,
COUNT(DISTINCT gm.group_id) AS groups_led,
COUNT(DISTINCT pp.plan_id) AS services_on
FROM planning_center.people_people_view p
JOIN group_leaders gl ON p.people_id = gl.person_id
JOIN service_team st ON p.people_id = st.person_id
LEFT JOIN planning_center.groups_memberships_view gm
ON p.people_id = gm.person_id AND gm.role = 'leader'
LEFT JOIN planning_center.services_plan_people_view pp
ON p.people_id = pp.person_id
GROUP BY p.people_id, p.first_name, p.last_name, p.primary_email
ORDER BY groups_led DESC, services_on DESC;
```
## Next Steps
Explore specific module data models:
Core identity and household management
Donations, pledges, and financial tracking
Small groups and community organization
Event attendance and check-in tracking
Worship service planning and teams
Event scheduling and resource booking
Event registration and signups
Sermon and content publishing
## Additional Resources
Query the Planning Center data via API