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(HELP ?) Circles provide narratives on Training, Explanations, and Hints. These can be related to the overall screen, or to specific items on the screen.

This (HELP ?) Circle narrative is for the (GROUP SELECTION) Radio Buttons on the "GROUPS" Screen in MemberLink.

The Display Panel on the "GROUPS" Screen (or any screen that displays groups) shows three different types of Groups: "Regular Groups", "Family Groups", and "Care Groups". Whichever of these Group types you want to see and work with on the Display Panel - just click the appropriate "Radio Button" to select them and cause that type of Groups to be displayed on the screen.

These "Radio Buttons" are found on the left side of the "GROUPS" Screen, near the top just under the Information Bar and above the ROW/COLUMN FORM area of the Display Panel . The title of the selected group type appears in the center near the top just under the Information Bar . The title will be "Regular Groups", "Family Groups", or "Care Groups" depending upon which "Radio Button" is selected.

Only one type of Group can be displayed on the ROW/COLUMN FORM at any one time. You may choose to display "Regular Groups", "Family Groups", or "Care Groups" but not more than one of these at a time. You can click one of these "Radio Buttons" at any time to change which type of Group is being displayed. The default will be "Regular Groups".

** Note: "Radio Buttons" only appear if you have at least one group of the corresponding type defined. For example, if you have not defined any "Care Groups", the (CARE GROUP) Radio Button will not appear.

What is the purpose of "Groups" in MemberLink?

The reason you create Groups is to help you organize and manage your church ministries and the people who participate in them. Individuals can be aggregated or "grouped together" to meet any organizational need.

For example:
- You can take attendance for Groups.
- Groups can appear in the online Photo/Contact Directory.
- You can send email messages and text messages directly to Groups, to target certain people instead of sending the message to the entire congregation.

Group Types: Regular, Family, & Care Groups

The following is a definition of each Group Type that you can create if you need them.

Regular Groups:
If the Group is not a "Care Group" or "Family Group", all others are called "Regular Groups". Your imagination is the limit for how many different Groups you can create at your church. They could be committees, leadership teams, ministry groups, staff and volunteer groups, classes like Sunday School or discipleship, Small Groups, etc.

"Regular Groups" are the default Group Type. When you are creating a new Group, the (REGULAR GROUPS) Radio Button will be checked. You have to click the (FAMILY GROUPS) Radio Button or the (CARE GROUPS) Radio Button if you want to create something other than a "Regular Group".

** Note: The Display Panel on the "GROUPS" Screen sorts the Groups, by default, into ascending sequence using the "GROUP NAME" Column. If you want to see all your similar Groups listed together, instead of interspersed alphabetically, you can control that by how you name them.

- For example, you could start all Sunday School class groups with "SS -" in front of the class name, like SS - Class 01, SS - Class 02, etc. The classes would be listed together as all the class names sort together with the SS - in front.

Family Groups:
These Groups facilitate gathering the individual members of a family into a group that identifies them as a family unit.

MemberLink maintains a contact record for each person. Within a family, the last names could be different, the current addresses could be different, and the phone numbers or email addresses could be different, etc., because each person has their own data in a contact record.

However, by creating "Family Groups", these various individuals can be linked together as a unit despite different last names in blended families, different addresses when junior has moved away to attend college, etc.

"Family Groups" can also appear in the online Photo/Contact Directory. If you click that Checkbox option when creating a "Family Group", people who can login to the Member Portal module will be able to see who is in a family and how to contact family members. You may also click and check or uncheck that option later if you want to "Modify" the "Family Group".

Also, within "Family Groups", you can designate one person to be the "Primary" person in the family and another person (if appropriate) to be the "Secondary" person in the family.

Why designate a person as the "Primary" in the Family Group?

The system automatically creates and maintains a "Primary Family Group" based upon your designation of a Primary person. If you want to send an email message to your church families, but not to each individual in all the families, you can send it to the "Primary Family Group". The same would be true if you want to mail a card or letter to the families but not to all the individuals in each family. The system can use the email address or mailing address of the "primary" person to create the mailing label so that you do not have to send to every person in a family unit. You get one label per family using the "Primary Family Group".

** Note: If you have single individuals who do not have other family members in their family unit, you still create a "Family Groups" for them anyway. It will have the one person, who you also designate as the Primary in that family unit. Then you will be able to send email or letters to that person when you send them to "all" families by using the "Primary Family Group".

Why designate a person as the "Secondary" in the Family Group?

If you choose to print a Family Directory Report, the "Primary" person will print first along with their contact info. Then anyone designated as the "Secondary" person will print next along with their info. Everyone else in the Family Group will listed after the Primary and Secondary.

Care Groups:
These groups are used primarily in two ways.

"¢ You have a large Group, with its leadership, but you want to subdivide it into smaller Groups. Each smaller Group will also have a leader to oversee or "care" for the people in their smaller "Care Group".

- Example: You have a Sunday School class that has grown to 30 members. You can create three 10-person "Care Groups", with one person in each Group assigned as the Care Group leader. The members of a smaller Group can become more familiar with each other and with the prayer and support needs of Group members, more so perhaps than was possible within the larger Group of 30 people.

"¢ You have deacons, elders, bishops, church staff, volunteers, etc., who have the responsibility for overseeing Groups of members or Groups of prospects. Each of these overseers can be designated as a Care Group leader, with the people under their responsibility as the members in their "Care Group".

- Examples of such "Care Groups" might be Groups of homebound members, Groups of nursing home members, deacon family ministry members, etc.

[MANAGE CARE GROUP SETS] Button: Just to the right of the Care Group title, near the top center of the screen, is the [MANAGE CARE GROUP SETS] Button. You can go to that screen to create categories or "Sets" of "Care Groups" to help you organize your "Care Groups".

A person can only be in one "Care Group" per Care Group Set.

- For example, if the person is in one of the Sunday School "Care Groups", they cannot be in another of the Sunday School "Care Groups". But if you create a Set for Sunday School "Care Groups" and another Set for special Groups such as Deacon "Care Groups", the same person can be in one "Care Group" in each of those two Care Group Sets.

"Care Groups" can appear in the online Photo/Contact Directory. If you click that Checkbox option when creating the "Care Group", people who can login to the Member Portal module will be able to see who is in that "Care Group". You may also click and check or uncheck that option later if you want to "Modify" the "Care Group".

** Tip: You can put the Care Group Leader's name in, or make it a part of, the "Care Group" name. Then if the leader changes, you only need to rename the Group with the new leader name. You will not need to create a new Group for the new leader and move members from the old Group to the new Group to restructure for the change in "Care Group" leadership.

"CAA Product Help" from CAA Ministries at Support@CAAsoftware.com or 404-551-4230