You can enable a number of options when creating a group or by performing an Edit later. The options are based on different features available in the database and are designed to increase interaction with your members and enable them to interact with each other.
Group Feature Icons
On the Groups screen, Settings and Actions Columns columns include helpful icons with tooltips so you can quickly identify which features are enabled for a Group.
Here is what they mean …
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→ Individual Attendance allows for church staff or volunteers to take attendance digitally for people. Useful for small groups and other gatherings.
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→ Check-in has been enabled. As needed, print name badges or check-in receipts with security codes.
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→ This Group appears in the Group Finder. (The Group Finder can be used to show Groups available to join. Embed the Group Finder on your website or make it available within our integrated Mobile App)!
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→ Open a Group to view the members, add or remove individuals, make mass changes, and much more!
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→ Clone (duplicate) a Group. This tool can be a huge time-saver when creating multiple similar groups!
Group Settings Features and Options
Click the Pencil icon from the Groups List Screen to edit a Group. The screen that appears will contain three sections of Group settings.
- Group Information
- Attendance and Check-in
- Properties and Settings
Note: Most groups will likely need just a few configured options, such as a Group name, leader, or Group Properties (tags) for filters or reporting.
While we'll cover details on every setting below, if you're new to groups, start with the basics of Creating Groups.
Group Information Settings
The Group Information section contains fields for fundamental details about the group, such as Group Name, Description, Location, and Group Meeting time.
Field Descriptions and Usage:
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Group Name: Appears on the Group List page and anywhere Groups are used within our software. Using standard, descriptive, yet concise naming conventions helps improve usability.
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Choose Leader(s): Search individuals and assign them as Group Leaders. Group Leaders can be given permissions to manage, take attendance, mass communicate, etc., with their groups.
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Current Leaders(s): Displays the current leaders of a group. Remove leaders by clicking the "X" icon on the blue chip.
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Description: Add a brief description of the group. This description should describe the group's purpose or other helpful usage details. If a group appears in the Group Finder, the description can be seen publicly.
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Address, City, State, Zip Code: These optional fields only display publicly within the Group Finder.
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Group Meet Time: Toggled off by default. The Group meet time displays within the Group Finder and is required if you'd like to control the day and time a group should appear within Check-In using Check-in Visibility.
- Day & Time: Select the day and time a group meets. When Group Meet Time is toggled on, the default is set to Sunday at 9:00 AM. Note: If you forget to toggle off Group Meet Time, the default Day and time will be saved for the group.
Pro-Tip: Avoid database dysfunction by following our Group organization and management tips found within 7 Group Types Every Church Should Use.
Attendance and Check-In Settings
Manage Group Individual Attendance and Check-in Settings in this area.
Individual Attendance and Check-In Settings
Toggle on Track Individual Attendance to enable individual attendance tracking for group members. If this option is not selected, the group can only be used for total attendance, a single overall number representing everyone present. Typically, Individual Attendance is used for smaller groups, and total attendance is used for large gatherings like a worship service.
Toggle on Use for Check-In to allow people to use a group for Check-In via web browser, iPad App, our integrated Mobile App, and more. Check-In simplifies and automates your attendance process and includes the ability to print labels, name tags, and security receipts. Learn More about Check-In!
Field Descriptions and Usage:
- Track Individual Attendance: Must be toggled on to allow individual attendance to be taken.
- Recording Absences: When individual attendance is enabled, select one of the three provided absence settings. For more, see Best Practices for Absence Settings.
Group Properties
Pro-Tip: Take advantage of Group Properties, a method for' tagging' Groups for easy filtering, reporting, and more. Learn more!
Use the [ Edit ] link right under the Meeting Day / Time fields to add a property or properties. There are a few setups by default, but this is a very customizable and powerful tool for more easily managing your Groups, especially when combined with Group Views (saved lists of Groups).
Use the checkbox to select as many properties as needed to clarify the Group and make it easy to filter later. Properties are also helpful when setting up your Check-In stations. For example, you can control what Groups will display in any given station based on the group properties assigned.
For more on how to manage and use Group Properties, see Settings: Group Properties.
Archive a Group
Sometimes, you may want to hide a group from your Groups list, but want to keep it for historical reasons such as attendance data or other details.
Archive on a mass scale from the Groups screen by checking off the desired groups, then by clicking on the Tri-Dot icon at the top right, then on Mass Archive/Activate.
Alternatively, when you're editing an individual group, click on the Tri-dot icon and click Inactivate.
Group Finder
You can only choose one of the options: Allow people to add themselves or Allow people to request to join the group. Selecting one will disable the other.
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Allow people to add themselves: When enabled, individuals will immediately be added to the Group. If you select this option, you can limit the number of people in the group. If you leave it blank, there will be no limit.
- Allow people to request to join the group: When enabled, an individual can request to join using a similarly titled button *(screenshot from our integrated Mobile App below). As soon as they do, an approval email will be sent to the group's leader before that person can be added to the roster. If the group does not have a group leader, the request notification will be sent to the Administrators instead.
Member Groups
These two permission options 'stack' upon each other.
- Allow People to Know They're Members allows individuals within a group to see ONLY the Group Name.
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Allow Members...To View Other Active Members allows individuals within the group to view other members and the profile information other members have chosen to share.
- Note: Profile Visibility allows ministry staff or group members to control what personal information Group Leaders or Members can view.
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