Groups are the foundation of a well-organized database. They power reporting, attendance tracking, and mass communication. Below are seven group categories recommended by our Success Coaches, along with examples of naming conventions to help keep your Groups organized.
Status
Status groups describe an individual's relationship with the church.
- Status-Member
- Status-Regular Attendee
- Status-Visitor
- Status-Contributor-Only
Tip: Use unique, consistent naming conventions for each group type. For example, type "Status" in the Group Search to find all groups that include "Status" in their name.
Ministry Team
Ministry Team groups bring together staff, volunteers, or both who serve in a shared ministry area.
- MT-Offering Counters
- MT-Office Support
- MT-Children's Ministry
- MT-Elders
Tip: Use abbreviations to keep group names concise. For example, Ministry Team = "MT."
Small Groups
Small groups are typically adult or teen groups that focus on spiritual growth in a relational, nurturing setting. They tend to be long-lived, with members joining and leaving over time. Small groups go by many names, including Life Groups, Care Groups, and others.
- SG-Allen (SG = Small Group)
- CG-Smith (CG = Care Group)
- LG-Jones (LG = Life Group)
Tip: You are not locked into a predefined set of names. Customize your naming conventions using your ministry's terminology.
Class
Classes are groups that meet for a defined period with a specific purpose, such as a topical Bible study, a life skills course, or a membership class.
- Class-Journey
- Class-Insights into Genesis
- Class-Contagious Christianity
Event
Event groups collect attendees from a previous event, making it easy to follow up or promote future events to the same audience.
- Event-Global Leadership Summit
- Event-VBS
- Event-Anytown Ministerial Association
Mailing List
While many of the group types above can serve as mailing lists, dedicated mailing list groups can provide additional flexibility.
- ML-Newsletter
- ML-Area Church Leaders
Attendance
Attendance groups capture attendance data for individuals or group totals (headcount). Configure the attendance type in Group Settings using the Track Individual Attendance option:
- Selected: records detailed attendance by person.
- Cleared: records a headcount only.
Tip: Assign every person in your database to a Status group. Here is why it matters:
- It makes it easier to track ministry growth and people's progress through your discipleship process.
- You can search for people who are not in a Status group to:
- Ensure no one and no ministry opportunity is overlooked.
- Identify new records created by Giving, Forms, or Check-In that may be duplicates to keep your data clean.
- Status groups make it more manageable to keep people records up to date.
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