Groups are the fundamental tool for segmenting individuals and act as the backbone of your ChMS database. They are collections of individuals who share a common interest, such as their relationship to the church, participation in a ministry or small group, communication or event lists, etc.

Groups are also vital to an organized database, serving as sources for creating reports, taking attendance, and mass communication, among other things.

You don't need to add them all immediately, but having a well-thought-through Group structure will streamline your ministry management and goals.

Pro-Tip: While every ministry is unique, check out our Top 7 Suggested Group Types to organize and streamline ministry management!

Create Groups

1. Navigate to Groups from the left menu, then click Add. 
   
   
   
   
2. Give the Group a Name, Choose Leader(s), and give the Group a Description. Note that group descriptions will be displayed publicly if you use the Group Finder tool.
   
   
3. Add an Address, if appropriate. This will allow the group to be found geographically if using Group Finder. 
   
   
4. If this group meets at a consistent, specific time, toggle on Group Meet Time and enter a Day and Time. (Note: Group Meet time can also control when a Group appears within Check-In.)
   
   
   
   
5. Expand Attendance and Check-In, and select whether you will track individual attendance using this group or use it for Check-In. (Optional) 
   
   
   
   
6. Expand Properties and Settings and select any Group Properties (tags) used as filter options. (Learn more about how Group Properties streamlines your processes.)
   
   
7. When you've selected the settings for this Group, click Save. You will be taken to the Group Information page for your newly created Group.
   
   
8. To add people to the Group, click the Tri-Dot icon, then select Add Individuals to this Group.
   
   
   
   
9. Search for people one by one and click their names to add them to the group. Once you've added all the individuals, click Done. 
   
   

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Congratulations, you've reached the end of the Quick Start Guide. You're now ready to start using your Church Management software and can further customize it as you go. Start by creating a form, building a workflow, and exploring additional tools!

Updated May 19, 2025 12:53