How do I enter Guest or Connection Card information into the database?

Entering Connection Card information into the database is done through the Check-In feature for ease of entering family information

We recommend Connection Card (or Information/Welcome/Guest Card, etc) data entry of new guests as the best practice for inputting guests or new members into your Churchteams database.  If you use a guest card to gather information, this is what you will use for this data entry process.  

  1. Set up a Check-In View called “Connection Card Entry” (or whatever you call your guest information cards) by going to Check-In > Views/SetupIf you already have the Check-In View for Connection Card entry set up, skip down to Step 2.
    1. Click the blue Add Check-in View button.
    2. Enter the name Connection Card Entry in the box for the Check-in view name.
    3. The following are the boxes that we recommend you check/enable.  (More is explained about these settings in the Check-in Webinar, which we recommend you take when you are ready to set up Check-in stations for other Ministries.)
      • *Do not make any changes to B6 - Label Stylesheet, as you will not use this.

      • C4 - Allow adding people to groups/classes.

      • C5 - Allow transfer of people between groups/classes.

      • C6 - Allow removal of people from groups.

      • C7 - Display the last attendance date for each person when checking in.

      • C9 - Enable viewing/editing of existing member information (Enable the radial button for: “Member button will allow viewing/editing of the member profile page (NOTE: Allows for additional access to member information and SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED FOR PUBLIC CHECK-IN STATIONS).

      • C12 - Enable the "Add Family Members" option.

      • D:  Legacy / Classic

      • D1 - First Visit Date Attribute: choose “1st Visit” (or similar member attribute from the dropdown list.  If that attribute does not exist, leave this blank for now, then create that member attribute under Settings > Members > Member Attributes, click the blue Add button after you are done.  Come back here and make this selection after you have created this attribute.

      • D2 - Select  “First Time Guests” (or similar group you have already created for tracking guests).  If you do not already have this group set up, leave this blank for now and come back to make this selection after you have created that group.  This will automatically put these entries from Guest cards into your First Time Guest group - one less step for you!

      • D3 - select “Guest” (or similiar Church Member Type) from the drop down menu.  This will assign each new guest you are entering from the guest cards the Church Member Type of “Guest,” helping to automate your process.

      • D3 - D6:  review these attributes.  If you would like to require this information be added for anyone before the information can be saved, place a check.

      • D7: use the drop down menu to select any other attributes that you would like to be added into your quick entry of guest card information.  You will be given the option for these attributes to be required information or not.

      • E2 - Enable the "Add New Family" option (disable this for self/express check-in stations)

    4. Click Save. -- Your Connection Card Entry check-in view is now set up and saved. 
  2. To use the Connection Card Entry to enter Connection/Guest card information, gather your cards and go to Check-In > Start Check-in.
  3. In the pop-up window, select Connection Card Entry from the dropdown window.
  4. Change the date to the date the guests attended.  Remember this will be recorded on their Member Information page in the 1st Visit attribute.
  5. Check the option for “No label printing.”
  6. Click OK.
  7. Always use the Search box to search the last names of each of the families on your cards first.  This will help to ensure that you do not enter a duplicate into Churchteams.
  8. If the family is not found via the Search, click the Add New Family button.
  9. Use the card to enter a family’s information all together in the New Family box, click Save when done.
  10. Once a family’s information has been entered, you will see their names on the next screen and have a chance to add them to other groups, such as guest registration, interested in youth ministry or a children’s class.
  11. If a prayer request or other open-ended comment needs entered, click on the person's name.  This will open up another screen where you can enter this comment as a Note and make a follow up assignment.
  12. Click Done when any changes or additions are complete.
  13. Enter the next family.
  14. Once you have entered all guest cards, you can click your browser’s back button to Leave the Check-in area and return to your regular Churchteams screens.

*This is the best practice for consistently entering people into your Churchteams database and ensuring that you are collecting the needed information.  Based on the setup of the Connection Card Entry check-in view, you will also have a little bit of automation in place such as recording the date of the first visit, putting the guest into a guest tracking group and properly labeling the Church Member Type.