Step-By-Step Guidance through the Basic Settings for new Accounts in Churchteams
As a new user to Churchteams, the most important thing you can do right away is get your database customized to meet your needs. This article will explain each of the fields under the Basic Group Settings
Go to Groups & Events > Settings > Basic to edit the fields covered in this article:
- Leadership Title & Security: You can rename the titles that Churchteams uses by default. For example, if you call your Leaders something different such as Small Group Leader or Deacon, rename that in this section. A chart showing accessibility for each of the Security levels/Leadership Titles can be found by clicking the link for Password Administration. (The Accessibility Chart is found just under the tutorial video at the top of the page.)
*Use the Password Administration link to set up additional staff members and other leaders who will use Churchteams. To add a new user, scroll down to User Accounts and click the blue Add button. Search for anyone already in the database or enter their name and email address. The new user will be sent a link to Churchteams via email.
- Mapping: Set your Country Code and Time Zone.
- Access & Email Options:
o The login link/bookmark is the specific link to your Churchteams site. If you ever need to share the bookmark link, this is where you will come to copy that link, rather than doing so from your Browser’s address bar.
o Email Lists button will take you over to Step 3 where you can add an Email List title to the default(s) already shown, such as Newsletter. Note this only creates the title of the Email List – you will populate that list in another area. See How Do I Mass Add People to an Email List for assistance.
o Member Updates: We suggest that you set up an email account for the staff member charged with maintaining your database. This email address will receive an email every time an update, even minor, is made to a Member Profile. The inbox can receive several emails each day, so many churches set up a separate email just for this. If you mistakenly make changes or delete a member, you will use the member update email to recover the old information to be re-entered into Churchteams.
o Web Inquiries: The email address that will be shown should you use the website integration to add your Groups page on your website and have a general contact email showing.
o Enable Email Reminders: Check this box if you want to have Attendance Email Reminders enabled as your default. These emails contain a link to enter attendance. Each group must also be set to enable reminders. Click the link just to the left, “Setup details” to better refine the details of who receives the Attendance reports.
o Attendance/Reports: The email address listed here will receive the attendance reports that each leader takes from the Email Reminder link.
o Fourth Reminder: This is many times the staff member or Pastor who oversees Small Groups. If a group leader fails to complete the Meeting Report after that Attendance Report has been sent three times, a fourth reminder is instead sent to the email address listed here.
Once each field has been populated click Save.
The next Step is to edit to settings for the Groupfinder Profile Questions - these are the filters or categories for your groups. These settings are found under Groups & Events > Settings > Profile Questions. See 1.02 Settings Step 2: GroupFinder Profiles for guidance.