Top 7 Things to Know When You’re New to Canva
New to Canva? You’re not alone. Many pastors, admins, and church creatives are jumping in for the first time—and discovering how much time and stress it saves. But knowing where to start can feel overwhelming.
Whether you just got your nonprofit account approved or you're poking around for the first time, here are 7 essential things every church should know when getting started.
1. Start with Templates
Canva has thousands of pre-made designs—ready for you to customize. No need to stare at a blank page.
Simply search for terms like:
“Church flyer”
“Sermon series slides”
“Worship night invite”
“Connect card”
Templates give you a professional layout, font pairing, and color balance right out of the gate. All you need to do is plug in your content.
Want a head start? My shop has church-specific templates built for flyers, slides, signs, and more. Take a peek here.
2. Use Folders to Stay Organized
If you're creating graphics weekly, things can get messy fast. Canva lets you organize your designs into folders—perfect for churches with multiple ministries or campuses. Trust me, make use of this feature.
Create folders like:
Sunday Sermon Series
Special Events
Social Media
Kids Ministry
Volunteers
This is a huge time-saver when you're juggling lots of content throughout the year.
3. Set Up a Brand Kit (Canva Pro Only)
The Brand Kit is where your church’s identity lives inside Canva. You can upload:
Logos (horizontal, vertical, black/white, etc.)
Your color palette (with hex codes)
Fonts for headers, subheadings, and body text
Once set up, every design you create will automatically match your church’s style—keeping everything cohesive without extra work. It’s lovely.
4. Use Canva’s Built-In Photo Library
Canva Pro gives you access to a huge library of stock images that work well for church contexts.
Try searching for terms like:
“Worship”
“Prayer group”
“Community outreach”
“Family smiling”
“Bible Study”
“Small Group”
These images are especially helpful for slides, social posts, and promotional materials when you don’t have professional photos of your own.
5. Add Elements, Icons, and Shapes (But Keep It Simple)
The Elements tab is your go-to for icons, illustrations, shapes, and backgrounds. These can enhance your design and help emphasize key messages—but less is more.
Stick to:
Clean lines
Accent shapes
Icons that support your message (not distract from it)
Too many elements can make your design feel crowded or hard to read, especially from a screen or stage.
6. Resize Your Design in One Click
Need the same design for multiple platforms?
Create one design and use Magic Resize to automatically adjust it for:
Instagram stories
Facebook posts
Posters or flyers
Presentation slides
This saves you from rebuilding the same graphic from scratch. Just tweak the new layout and you’re ready to go. You will love this feature, it’s the chefs kiss.
7. Export the Right Way
When your design is ready, download it in the correct format based on how you’ll use it:
Social Media → PNG (high quality, small file size)
Print Materials → PDF Print (with crop marks and bleed turned on)
Digital PDF → PDF Standard (keeps hyperlinks live)
Slides → JPEG or use Canva’s built-in presentation mode
Naming your files clearly (e.g., “July_VolunteerFlyer.pdf”) will help you stay organized for re-use later.
Bonus: You’re Not Alone in This
You don’t have to be a “designer” to create high-quality visuals for your church. With Canva—and a few ready-made templates—you’ll be surprised how quickly you can elevate your communications.
And if you need a little boost? I offer affordable templates, resources, and support made just for churches. Let’s make ministry easier together.
