One of the first steps to getting your ChMS set up for your organization is to create groups. Groups contain lists of people for membership status, grades, classes, choirs, services, outreach teams, etc.

Create A Group

1. Navigate to Groups in the left sidebar (This may be different if the terminology is changed in General Settings  → Terminology).
   
   
2. Click the Add tab at the top.
   
   
3. Give the group a name. Orient the name to represent a function or task, such as 'Directory,' 'Members,' 'Members—Moved Away,' etc.

Pro-Tip: Spend time with your team creating and planning a naming scheme for your organization. Think about your objectives and goals, then plan your group names to meet those needs. Having a plan in this area will create a clear structure and template for other groups created later. To help you get started, see 7 group types every church should use.

4. Assign a group leader (optional).
   
   
5. List a brief description (optional - ex. Woman's Wednesday Morning Bible Study).
   
   
6. Enter Address information (optional - to be used for the Group Finder).
   
   
7. Assign the Meeting Day and Time (optional - to be used for the Group Finder).
   
   
8. Assign Group Properties/Settings using the [ Edit ] link.

What are Group Properties? As you add more groups, you can 'tag' each with a Property such as age group, type of gathering, event type, etc. This simplifies viewing or reporting on groups. Group Properties can also be saved as Group Views for repeated use. In short, they're a flexible tool to help you quickly manage and filter your groups. Learn More! 

9. Click SAVE to complete the group creation process.

Clone (Copy) a Group

The Clone Group icon allows you to quickly and conveniently create new groups based on an existing group. This can help when you have several new groups to create. 

1. Navigate to Groups in the left sidebar and select List.
   
   
2. Locate the Group you want to duplicate and click on the Clone Group icon on the far right. 

3. When clicked, you will have options for cloning the group. Your options include:
   
   
   1. Group Name: Your original group name will be added with "(Copy)" at the end to differentiate the two. 
      
      
   2. Include Group Settings: Group settings from the original group will be copied into the duplicated Group. Double-check the settings to ensure they are correct. 
      
      
   3. Include Active Group Members and Leaders: Members and leaders will be copied to the cloned group.

4. Click Create and make any changes to the Group you may need to and then click Save!

Updated April 03, 2024 13:32