ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON CONNECTNOW MINISTRY SCHEDULER

Transcription

1 ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON CONNECTNOW MINISTRY SCHEDULER Updated September 2015 Prepared by Karina Salas & Lisa Ann Trainor For Distribution and Use in the Archdiocese of Boston 1

2 Table of Context Chapter 1 Getting Started What Is Ministry Scheduler? About the Ministry Scheduler Tab How to Log In to Ministry Scheduler How to Log Out of Ministry Scheduler Chapter 2 Customizing Layouts and Applying Filters How to Customize the Layout of a Page How to Filter Records How to Use the Calendar to Set a Date Chapter 3 Configuring Ministry Scheduler About the Ministry Scheduler Configuration Page Planning Your Configuration Configuring Ministry Scheduler How to Add Ministry Groups, Ministries, Events, and Roles How to Edit and Delete Ministry Groups, Ministries, Events, and Roles Chapter 4 Updating Minister Directory Records About the Minister Directory Page Reviewing and Updating Minister Records for Accuracy and Completeness How to View and Update Incomplete Minister Directory Records How to Add New Ministers to the Directory How to Edit & Delete Minister Records How to Change an Assignment's End Date for a Group of Ministers How to View a Minister's Family Directory Record How to Create Mailing Labels Chapter 5 Managing Minister Preferences About the Minister Preferences Page How to View and Change a Family's Scheduling Preferences How to View and Change a Member's Ministry Preferences How to View a Minister's Profile How to Specify a Minister's Availability How to Specify a Minister's Schedule Exceptions How to Specify Exception Dates for Recurring Events 2

3 Chapter 6 Creating and Managing Teams About the Teams Page How to Create a Team How to Add a Person to a Team How to Edit a Team Record How to Delete a Person from a Team How to Delete a Team Chapter 7 Creating Schedules About the Scheduling Options Page About the Scheduling Page Understanding the Automated Scheduler How to Set Up the Scheduler How to Generate a Schedule How to Clear Schedule Data How to View the Status of Minister Assignments for an Event How to Add Ministers and Remove Ministers from a Schedule How to Help Prevent Family Members from Being Scheduled at More Than One Sunday Obligation Event During the Same Weekend How to Ensure That a Family That Wants to Serve Together Is Always Scheduled Together Troubleshooting Scheduling Results Chapter 8 Creating Reports About the Ministry Scheduler Reports Page How to Configure a Report Viewing, Printing, and Saving Reports How to Export a List to a Spreadsheet or.csv File Chapter 9 Communicating with Your Ministers How to Send an Message How to Publish a Schedule to the Web How to Perform a Mail Merge Chapter 10 Helping Your Ministers How to Help Your Ministers Create an Account How to Update Preferences and Scheduling Exceptions (Ministers only) How to Recover a Forgotten Password 3

4 How to Help Your Ministers Volunteer for Ministries How to Help Your Ministers Recommit from a Volunteer Activity How to Help Your Ministers Access and View Their Schedules Chapter 11 Getting Help About Ministry Scheduler Help for Administrators How to Print a Help Topic 4

5 Chapter 1 ~ Getting Started What Is Ministry Scheduler? Ministry Scheduler is a web based application that facilitates your ministry outreach by helping you effectively manage and schedule any number of ministers or volunteers for your church services and activities. Features and Benefits Ministry Scheduler can handle even the most complex schedules, enabling you to build customized schedules simultaneously for multiple ministries over an extended period of time. You access Ministry Scheduler on the Web using standard browsers, which eliminates the need for installing software on your computer. Following is a list of features and benefits of Ministry Scheduler: Ministry Scheduler is a complete scheduling solution for your organization and works for you in the following ways: Provides an intuitive, easy to use user interface. Delivered over the Internet so you have no software to install, update, or maintain. Enables secure, 24/7 access to your data and accessibility over the web from any computer or laptop PC. Integrates with your ParishSOFT ConnectNow My Own Church and Family desktop census applications. Automates and improves your scheduling procedures, giving you greater control over the scheduling process so that you can easily deal with last minute schedule changes. Fully customizable, enabling you to define your own groups, ministries, and events. Expands your pool of volunteers by allowing them to log in and indicate interest in particular events and ministries. Enables your ministers to provide input to change and manage their own scheduling preferences, which can save the scheduler significant processing time. Meets even the most complex scheduling needs, enabling you to schedule a single ministry or multiple ministries for one or more events over an extended period of time. Helps you create balanced and fair schedules that you can quickly publish online to all of your volunteers. This can help reduce absenteeism among your volunteers. 5

6 Creates schedule and association preferences for families and teams who want to or must be together or apart. Easily and quickly creates reports in a variety of formats for printing, e mailing, and publishing to the web. Fundamental Terms Ministry Scheduler's Configuration page is shown below: To understand and use Ministry Scheduler, you should be familiar with the following terms: Ministers: any individuals who are scheduled to serve in a ministry. Another word for minister is "volunteer". Groups: major, independent entities in your organization. A group has a common major interest, goal, or concern. Examples of groups are Liturgy, Funeral Committee, and Money Counters. Ministry: a distinct group within a Group (a subgroup). The ministry shares the main interest of the Group but has a specific focus or concern. Examples of ministries are ushers, servers, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC). Roles: refers to special job assignments or duties. Examples of roles are Lead, Host, and Choir Director. Event: an event is an organization's meetings or gatherings (for example, Mass, a worship service, a festival, or a youth board meeting). 6

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8 About the Ministry Scheduler Tab The Ministry Scheduler tab has seven main buttons that give you access to the application's main pages where you can perform scheduling and management tasks. Button Task Description Click to access the Ministry Scheduler Configuration page where you can define the groups, ministries, roles, and events in your organization. Click to view a Minister Directory, a resource directory that lists all of the ministers in your member database. You can add, delete, and edit minister records. Click to display the Teams page. On this page, you can create and manage groups of members and ministers, called "teams". Click to display the Minister Preferences page where you can scheduling preferences for an individual and a family, such as who prefers to be (or must be) scheduled together or apart, and to specify dates when a minister is unable to serve. Click to display the Scheduling Options page, which contains options used to set up the scheduler. Click to display the Scheduling page. On this page, you can schedule ministers for events. Click to display the Ministry Scheduler Reports page. On this page, you can create a variety of reports that you can save and print. You can also publish schedules on your Web site. 8

9 System Requirements The ConnectNow Family of applications is available on the Web 24/7 and requires no special hardware or software. For church administrators and individual member users, all that is needed is an Internet connection and a Web browser. Browser and pop up requirements have been covered in prerequisite classes. Getting Started Your starting point and path through the application vary depending upon whether you are a Time & Talent user or a first time user of ParishSOFT's ConnectNow applications. Throughout the Help, the headings and links "Time & Talent Users" and "First Time Users"identify your unique path and contain specific information for you to know. To learn the application and to set up an initial schedule, follow the path defined for your particular user type only. Time & Talent Users If your organization is migrating to Ministry Scheduler from the Time & Talent module in the Parish Suite, your entire configuration is automatically imported into Ministry Scheduler. Corresponding data fields between the two applications (for example, Ministry Group and Event) are synchronized, and Ministry Scheduler fields are automatically populated with Time & Talent values. New fields, on the other hand, are populated with Ministry Scheduler default values. Your first step is to review the configuration data that was ported over from Time & Talent to Ministry Scheduler (that is, all of your ministry groups, ministries, and events) to make sure that it is accurate and complete. If your organization has added new ministries or discontinued others, you need to add them or delete them in Ministry Scheduler. To get started, refer to the Clickable Flowchart of the Schedule Creation Process and follow the path to perform each of the actions given for Time & Talent Users. LOGIN After you log in, the ConnectNow Family Suite Home page is displayed: 9

10 1. Select the Ministry Scheduler tab. Buttons on the Ministry Scheduler tab are displayed. How to Log Out of Ministry Scheduler 1. In the upper right corner, select the SIGN OUT link: 1. Close your browser. For added security, we recommend that you close your browser after you sign out. 10

11 Chapter 2 ~ Customizing Layouts and Applying Filters How to Customize the Layout of a Page You can customize the default layout of some of the pages in the Ministry Scheduler application to meet your needs. Changing Column Widths 1. Position your mouse pointer on the line between the column that you want to widen or narrow and the column next to it. A double arrow cursor is displayed at the boundary line between the two columns. For example: 1. Click the left mouse button and drag the boundary line right or left to respectively widen or narrow the column to the left of the cursor. 2. Release the mouse button after the column is the width that you want it to be. Rearranging Columns You can rearrange the columns in the layout to suit your particular preference for viewing information. After rearranging the columns, you can permanently save your new layout so that the next time you display the page, your new layout is displayed. 11

12 1. Click and hold the left mouse button while dragging the desired column to a new location. As you drag the column, a double arrow cursor is displayed at each boundary between the columns. This special cursor lets you know where you can release the mouse button to relocate the column. In the above illustration, the user wants to relocate the Ministry column between the Edit/Delete/Info column and the Ministry Group column. The double arrow cursor marks the exact location where the column can be placed. 1. When the column is in the desired location, release the left mouse button. The content reloads and the column appears in its new location. If desired, you can permanently save your column changes so that they are in effect the next time you display the page or you can reset the layout to the default configuration. Filtering the Display of Records As your list of ministers grows in size, you will find filtering very useful. The alphanumeric filters, located at the top of the directory, provide a way to help you manage list views and drill down to the exact records you want to see (for example, you can set up the filters to view only those ministers who volunteered for the Cantor ministry). For instructions on using the filters, see How to Filter Records. 12

13 Sorting the Display of Records You can sort the display of records by clicking any one of the column headings. A sort icon appears to the right of the column name to indicate the column you are sorting on and the direction of the sort: name. If you do a sort on the Full Name column header, the sort is performed on the member s first sorts in ascending order such that successively higher values (numeric or alphabetic) are displayed as you proceed down the page. sorts in descending order such that successively lower values (numeric or alphabetic) are displayed as you proceed down the list. If desired, you can permanently save your sort settings so that they are in effect the next time you display the page or you can reset the layout to the default configuration. Changing the Number of Records Displayed Per Page By default, ten records are displayed per page. To change the number of records that you can view on each page, select the desired option from the Records box: To speed up page loading, select a lower value. Permanently Saving Layout Changes 13

14 If desired, you can permanently save your new layout (sort settings and column changes) so that they are in effect the next time you open the directory. To do this, click. Resetting the Layout to the Default Configuration To reset the layout to the original view (default settings), click. How to Filter Records Depending on the size of your organization, the number of pages of records can reach a substantial size. In certain situations, you may not be interested in working with all of your records. You may want to focus on a particular group or type of information. By applying a basic or advanced filter, you can sort the records and view exactly the information that you want. Basic Filters The basic filters apply to the columns in the directory. The type of information in the column determines the type of filter (numeric or alphabetic) that you can apply. The filter applies to the first character in the selected column. There are two types of filters: Numeric: apply to a column with numeric values (for example, FamilyDUID ). 14

15 Alphabetic: apply to a column with alphabetic values (for example, Last Name ). To apply a basic filter: 1. Select the column containing the information you want to view. A directional arrow ( or ) is displayed to the right of the column name to indicate that it is selected and to indicate the direction of the sort (up or down). 1. Select the desired filter (for example, "1"). The content reloads and information with the filter criteria you specified is displayed. Using the Basic Filter: Example Suppose you want to look at all scheduled events occurring at 11:00 AM. To do this in Minister Directory, select the Event Desc. column and then select the 1 filter. Results are similar to the following: As you can see, events occurring at other times that begin with the number "1" are also displayed; for example, 1:00. In the Event Desc. column, a yellow flag indicates a special event. The filter description field shows you the criteria you selected and the column you are filtering on. In the following example, the user selected 1 as the filter criteria is 1 and selected filtering on the Event Desc. column: 15

16 Advanced Filter The Advanced Filter is not available on all pages. The advanced filters let you specify multiple criteria, enabling you to find unique records containing the exact criteria you specify. 1. Click to display the Advanced Filter setup: 1. Type a last name, if desired, and then select options from the remaining selection boxes. If you want to filter on a date, check the Enable Date Filtering box. Then, supply the date information. 2. Select one of the following options to apply to the criteria you specified in Step 2: Include : to display only those ministers who match the filter criteria you selected. Exclude : to display only those ministers who do not match the filter criteria you selected. 1. Do one of the following: Click to process your filter selections. The results are displayed in Minister Directory. Click to clear your entries from the filter setup and return to the Minister Directory. Click to exit and return to the Minister Directory. 16

17 Using the Advanced Filter (Example) Suppose that you want to view only those ministers who volunteered to be cantors at the 11AM Sunday service. You can use the Advanced Filter to specify the exact group of ministers that you want to see. Do the following: 1. Click to display the Advanced Filter setup. 2. Skip the Last Name field. 3. Select the following criteria: Liturgy (Ministry Group) Cantor (Ministry) 11AM Sunday (Event) 1. Leave Include checked because you want the list to include all of the criteria you specified. 1. Click. The content reloads and the records for cantors who volunteered for the 11 AM Sunday event are displayed. Clearing the Filters To clear the basic filters and re display all of the records in a list, click Clear Filter. To clear the advanced filter, click. How to Use the Calendar to Set a Date This topic provides tips for using the calendar icon to set a date or to select a date range. In the Family Directory application, you set a date or date range by clicking the calendar icon: calendar similar to the following is displayed:. A 17

18 Note that the current month and year are displayed at the top of the calendar, and the date defaults to today's date. Use the following tips to select a different date: Changing the Year and Day If the year you want to select is in a different decade, see Changing the Decade for a quick way to change the year. To go back one year at a time, click until the desired year is displayed at the top of the calendar. Then, select a day from the calendar. The content reloads, the calendar disappears, and the new date you selected appears in the date field. To go forward one year at a time, click until the desired year is displayed at the top of the calendar. Then, select a day from the calendar. The content reloads, the calendar disappears, and the new date you selected appears in the date field. Changing the Month and Day To go back one month at a time, click until the desired month is displayed at the top of the calendar. Then, select a day from the calendar. The content reloads, the calendar disappears, and the new date you selected appears in the date field. To go forward one month at a time, click until the desired month is displayed at the top of the calendar. Then, select a day from the calendar. The content reloads, the calendar disappears, and the new date you selected appears in the date field. 18

19 Changing the Decade To change the decade, select the month or year at the top of the calendar: A sub level calendar is displayed: 19

20 The sub level calendar shows the current year and month. The years in the current decade are displayed along the bottom (see highlighted area in the above illustration). To go back a decade, click until you see the year you want at the bottom of the calendar. Select the year, and then click. The sub calendar disappears. Note that the top of the calendar displays the year you selected. Now, select the desired month and day from the calendar. The content reloads, the calendar disappears, and the new date appears in the date field. To go forward a decade, click until you see the year you want at the bottom of the calendar. Select the year, and then click. The sub calendar disappears. Note that the top of the calendar displays the year you selected. Now, select the desired month and day from the calendar. The content reloads, the calendar disappears, and the new date appears in the date field. 20

21 Chapter 3 ~ Configuring Ministry Scheduler About the Ministry Scheduler Configuration Page The Configuration page where you set up, define, and manage the ministries in your organization. Overview of the Configuration Page The Configuration page below shows a sample setup. If you are a first time user, the Configuration page initially contains no data. If you are a Time & Talent user, the Ministry Scheduler Configuration page initially displays values brought into Ministry Scheduler from Time & Talent. Organization List The organization associated with your ConnectNow login credentials automatically appears in the Organization list, which is located in the upper right corner of the page. If you manage multiple organizations, select the organization that you want to configure from the list to display that organization's configuration page. If you are returning to this page, be sure to check which organization is shown in this list. The list defaults to the organization you selected when you last viewed this page. 21

22 How This Page Is Organized The main page is divided into four sections, which contain the following information: Groups : the names of the major service groups in your organization. Common service groups include Liturgy, Hospitality, and Religious Education. Ministries : the tasks (or roles) that are performed by your volunteers on behalf of your church at a service or an event. Examples of ministries are Usher, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (EMHC), and Lector. Roles : (optional) special job assignments or duties. Examples of roles are Lead, Host, and Choir Director. Events : activities and services with their dates and times. Command Buttons and Icons Click the Add button to display a dialog box to add a ministry group, ministry, role, or event. After you add the item, it is listed in its respective section on the Ministry Scheduler Configuration page. See How to Add Ministry Groups, Ministries, Events, and Roles for details. Select the desired group, ministry, role, or event and then click this button to edit the information. See How to Edit and Delete Ministry Groups, Ministries, Events, and Roles for details. Select the desired group, ministry, role, or event and then click this button to remove it. See How to Edit and Delete Ministry Groups, Ministries, Events, and Roles for details. Indicates a public ministry. A pubic ministry is one that can be seen by all members who can then select it as a volunteer opportunity on their My Ministry tab when they log in to My Own Church. Indicates a private ministry. A private ministry is one that cannot be seen by members. It is not listed as a volunteer opportunity on their My Ministry tab when they log in to My Own Church. Viewing a Group's Ministries and Events Select a group in the Groups section to view its associated ministries, roles (optional), and events. Configuring Ministry Scheduler The details of the configuration process vary depending upon whether you are migrating to Ministry Scheduler from the Time & Talent application or you are a first time user. Go to Configuring Ministry Scheduler for details. 22

23 Planning Your Configuration Before you undertake the detailed task of configuring Ministry Scheduler, gather information about your organization's ministry groups and use that information to plan your configurations. Thinking things out in advance is a worthwhile investment of your time. For one, planning can help ensure that you create configurations that meet your organization's needs. Planning can also save you time and effort in the long run by enabling you to avoid mistakes that can cause you to have to undo and redo configurations. This topic provides ideas and suggestions to help you plan and configure Ministry Scheduler. The information applies to both Time & Talent users and first time users of Ministry Scheduler. Understanding Ministry Scheduler's Configuration Categories Ministry Scheduler provides four main categories to enable you to define the structure of your organization's ministries: Group : a group is the highest level element in your configuration and consists of separate, independent entities in your organization. Groups can contain subgroups, called ministries (see next item in this list), which share activities and events in common with the top level group. If you define events for a group, they are uniquely associated with the group only not with its individual subgroups, if specified. In the reporting system, you can track and filter on individual groups. However, you cannot roll up group level data for aggregate reporting. Ministry : a ministry is a subgroup within the top level Groups category (see previous item in this list). Ministries within a group share events and activities with the other ministries in the group. Events are associated with the Groups category only not with the individual ministries, if specified. In the reporting system, you can track and filter on a ministry and you can roll up ministry level data for aggregate reporting. Role : a role is a position to be filled by one or more qualified ministers (for example, "service leader", "coach", or "speaker"). A role, furthermore, is a configuration grouping, but in the reporting system, it functions as a text label only. This means that you cannot track or filter on a role and view role associated data. If a role is an important data element that you want to track and view in your reports, one creative solution is to use the Ministries group to specify the role. Then, you can filter on the role and view its data in your reports. For example, if you have a need to filter on catechists, create a ministry named "Catechist". 23

24 Event : an event is an organization's meetings or gatherings (for example, a Mass, a worship service, a festival, or a youth board meeting). As previously mentioned, events configured in this category are directly associated with the Groups category only. If you are interested in viewing and tracking a group's events, a good starting point is to make a list of events associated with your top level group. (In the application, this entails creating the group first and then adding events to it.) If your top level group has subgroups (defined in the Ministries category), keep in mind that events are not unique to ministries but to the top level group only. If it is important to keep a ministry's events separate, elevate the ministry to the Groups category. In other words, make the ministry a group. As you analyze your organization, you need to think about how your organization's ministries fit into the aforementioned configuration categories. Defining Your Groups and Ministries To get the most out of the application, configure Ministry Scheduler to mimic the current structure of your organization and its ministries. If your final configurations match up precisely, you will find it easier to extract minister data and, more importantly, produce reports that present that data in meaningful ways to you and your ministers. As an important first step, identify all of your organization's groups and ministries. If any of your ministries can be subdivided into smaller groups, you should also identify those subgroups as well. In addition, list each group's events. No detail is required at this stage. Simply listing your groups and mapping them to their respective events is sufficient. We recommend that you define your groups on paper or in a word processing document so that you can see everything in writing before committing your configurations to the application. Should a Group Be Configured as a Ministry Group or a Ministry? After you have all of your groups listed, you need to figure out how to best fit them into the design of the application; that is, into the four configuration groups listed earlier. For certain groups, it may be difficult for you to determine whether or not they should be configured as a top level group (in the Groups category) or as a subgroup (in the Ministries category). To make this determination, ask yourself "how will this group be managed?" Consider whether the group will be managed as an independent entity with events that are unique and separate from those of other groups in your organization or whether the group will be managed as a subgroup where it will share resources (people) and events with peer subgroups. After you make a determination about the group's characteristics, consider these suggestions: 24

25 If a group is entirely independent and has its own unique set of events, it probably makes sense to configure that group as a top level group in the Groups category. For details, go to How to Add Ministry Groups, Ministries, Events, and Roles. For example, suppose you have a Boy Scouts group and a Girl Scouts group in your organization. And, supposed that each group is primarily focused on its own activities and shares few activities and events with the other group. In this case, you would probably want to create separate top level groups: Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. If a group functions as part of a larger group and shares resources and events with other peer subgroups, it probably makes sense to configure it as a subgroup in the Ministries category. For details, go to How to Add Ministry Groups, Ministries, Events, and Roles. For example, suppose the Boy Scouts group and the Girls Scout group often work together and share activities and events. In this case, you would probably want to indicate that peer relationship by configuring them as subgroups or ministries within a top level group. You could label the top level group "Scouts" (in the Groups category), and add "Boy Scouts" and "Girl Scouts" as subgroups (in the Ministries category). Important Factors to Consider Consider these factors when trying to decide whether to make a group a ministry group or a ministry: Standalone groups cannot be aggregated. That is, Ministry Scheduler's reporting system cannot roll up data in the Groups category and produce summary or aggregate reports of your top level groups. The subgroup level is the highest level at which you can get aggregate views of your data. Therefore, if one of your goals is to roll up data and do summary reporting, you will achieve that goal more efficiently if you configure the group as a subgroup. At the Groups level, you can generate individual lists and schedules by group, but you will have to do any summary or aggregate reporting outside of the application. The scheduler aims to create fair and balanced schedules for your ministers. It will attempt to prevent double scheduling of ministers that belong to a group that contains shared ministries. Having a lot of ministry groups can present a usability disadvantage when you are working in the application. While the application's list boxes can accommodate many items, the default size of the box determines how many items are visible at a time. If a list contains too many items, you will have to use the scroll bar to view them all. And, the longer a list, the longer it takes for you to locate the group you are looking for. 25

26 What Type of Output Do You Want? Every church's needs are unique, and there are a variety of ways to configure Ministry Scheduler to meet those needs. Before you jump in and modify existing configurations or create ones from scratch, give careful thought and consideration to what types of output you want. Schedules Ministry Scheduler is designed to support volunteer management activities, specifically the scheduling of volunteers and the tracking of their contact information, skills, availability, and interest. The application enables you to easily create schedules and organize ministers who volunteer to serve at weekly worship services and church sponsored special events, such as church programs and social gatherings like festivals and picnics. If your organization has less than 50 active volunteers, you may require no more than several simple lists to manage your ministers' assignments and associate your volunteers with specific events and serving dates/times. However, if your organization consists of several hundred volunteers or more, your scheduling requirements will necessarily be more detailed and complex. You may need to fill a number of individual assignments as well as assignments of those who serve collectively in minister groups. To add to the complexity, you may need to set up schedules for one time events and rotating schedules for recurring events. Your schedules may need to take into account various contingencies, such as your ministers' availability and serving preferences, vacation and exception (block out) dates, and special training or screening requirements. If your goal is to manage events for groups and fill time slots with individual volunteers or groups of volunteers, the output you desire is a schedule. At a minimum, you will need to define all of your top level (main) groups ( Groups ) and specify each group's activities ( Events ). If a top level group contains subgroups ( Ministries ), such as "choir member", "greeter", or "food server", you can represent this secondary level of detail by adding each subgroup (as a separate ministry) to the main group's configuration. You can then track, schedule, and report on each top level group and, if needed, break out and generate schedules and assignment lists by subgroup. Rosters Ministry Scheduler is also designed to simplify the process of creating and managing rosters or lists of ministers. A roster can be as simple as a list of names of ministers who belong to a certain group, but a roster can also contain other useful information. With Ministry Scheduler, you can create a variety of rosters, each designed to serve a specific purpose. For example, you can create a talent pool roster comprised of ministers who have special skills, volunteer interests, or types of knowledge. You can also create an "always available" roster that lists ministers in your organization who are available to serve on work days, in undesirable time slots or locations, or on short notice. Having a special "availability" roster 26

27 can come in handy when you need to quickly backfill a minister who cannot serve due to a scheduling conflict or illness. If your goal is to build a roster, your desired output is a list. At a minimum, a roster configuration contains a top level group ( Group ). A slightly more complex roster can be configured to organize ministers into subgroups ( Ministries ) by function, skill, or position. Because a typical roster has no events associated with it, most likely you will not need the Event category in your configuration. The application requires that you add an event for each group that you configure. To satisfy the requirements of the application, you can give the event a general label, such as "Any Event" or "n/a". What Types of Reports Do You Need? The reports are your output, and a well planned configuration enables you generate reports that meet your needs. As you develop your configurations, think about the types of reports you will want to create. In the reporting system, the filters are tools that simplify reporting, enabling you to view subsets of your data. Note that the report filters correspond exactly to the three primary configuration categories: Group, Ministries, Events. The Role configuration group is not associated with a report filter. It merely functions as a text label for data entry. This one to one correspondence between the report filters and configuration categories is significant. That is, when you select and apply report filters to your minister records, the application searches for data that matches the filter criteria you specify. If your configurations are set up to correctly reflect your organization's groups and structure, the filters when applied will obtain better matches, and you will be able to generate the types of reports you desire. Sorting options enable you to format and organize the information in the report for easier reading. 27

28 Aggregate Reports and Individual Ministry Reports Consider the following configuration in which the top level Women's Volleyball group consists of two ministries, Recreational and Travel. For any configuration like this composed of subgroups or ministries, you can produce an aggregate (roll up) report for the top level group that combines data from all of the subgroups you created in the Ministries category. Any group in the Groups level category is an independent entity whose data cannot be aggregated or rolled up in the reporting system. You can produce separate groups level reports. However, if you want to roll up groups level data, you must do this outside of Ministry Scheduler. For example, from this configuration, you can produce an aggregate schedule for the entire Women's Volleyball group by selecting Ministry Schedule as the report type, and then selecting the desired filtering options: From the same configuration, you can a generate separate schedule for each ministry. Again, by selecting the desired filters: 28

29 Evaluating Your Configurations We recommend that you create a few test configurations that reflect common usage and then evaluate them before investing a lot of time in setting up the application. Following is a suggested process for creating and testing your configurations: 1. Review the configuration scenarios shown in the topic Examples of Configuration Scenarios. 2. Create a few configurations that match your organization. 3. View the results of your configurations: Make sure you see what your ministers see. To check how a configuration looks to your ministers, do the following: 1. Log in to your account. 2. Select the Home tab under Quick Links, select the My Own Church link. 3. Select the My Ministry tab, and then click. 4. View how your groups appear on the Ministry Opportunities list. If you do not like what you see, make the necessary revisions and then recheck. Generate a few test reports and schedules to see if you achieve the desired output. 1. After you are satisfied with the test configurations you created and their output is acceptable, proceed to configure Ministry Scheduler. Configuring Ministry Scheduler Configuration Tasks for Former Time & Talent Users If your organization is migrating to Ministry Scheduler from the Time & Talent module in the Parish Suite, all of the ministries, ministry groups, and events set up in Time & Talent are synchronized with Ministry Scheduler so that corresponding data fields are automatically populated with Time & Talent values. 29

30 Although synchronization simplifies the configuration process, you need to conduct a thorough review of the data to make sure that it is accurate and complete. The goal of your review is to make sure the information is complete (that every ministry group, ministry, and event in your organization is included) and that the information is correct. After your Time & Talent data is brought into Ministry Scheduler, click Configuration page. Do the following: to display the Examine your configuration to determine if it is complete. You may find that you need to add new ministries, ministry groups, ministry roles, and/or events. If you need to do this, go to How to Add Ministry Groups, Ministries, Events, and Roles for instructions on how to add the missing elements to your configuration. Examine your configuration to determine if it is accurate. You may need to make changes (for example, you may need to change the name of a ministry or the time of an event) or remove ministries from your organization. To perform these types of editing tasks, go to How to Edit and Delete Ministry Groups, Ministries, Events, and Roles. After you completely configure Ministry Scheduler, return to the schedule creation diagram and continue on to the next step. Configuration Tasks for First Time Ministry Scheduler Users If you are a first time user, you must configure Ministry Scheduler from scratch to match your organization's specific requirements. The configuration process entails adding all of your organization s ministry groups, ministries, and events that require scheduling. To get started, go to How to Add Ministry Groups, Ministries, Events, and Roles and complete all of the procedures in that topic for each ministry that you want to add to your organization. After add all of your ministries, ministry groups, roles (optional), and events, return to the schedule creation diagram and continue on to the next step. How to Add Ministry Groups, Ministries, Events, and Roles Configuring Ministry Scheduler entails adding all of your ministry groups, ministries, and events. If desired, you can specify roles, but that task is optional. Planning Your Configuration It is advisable to plan ahead for how you are going to use your ministry records by creating a configuration that provides the type of output you desire. See Planning Your Configuration for 30

31 suggestions and examples of some common configuration scenarios to help you get started on a configuration that meets your needs. Time & Talent Users If you are migrating to Ministry Scheduler from the desktop Time & Talent application, your data is automatically imported into Ministry Scheduler. You configuration task entails reviewing the imported data and then using the procedures in this topic to add missing groups, ministries, and events. First Time Users If you are a first time user, it is assumed that you have completed creating all of your family and member records in ConnectNow Family Directory. Your configuration task entails manually configuring Ministry Scheduler from scratch by following the procedures in this topic in the order given. The following illustration gives you an idea of what a complete configuration can look like: Adding a Ministry Group Examples of ministry groups are liturgy, charitable groups, youth groups, choirs, trainers, and athletic groups, to name a few. For each group you add, you must also identify one of its ministries and an event for that ministry. Complete this procedure for each group that you want to add. 1. In the Groups section, click. The Add Ministry Group dialog box is displayed: 31

32 The asterisk ( * ) indicates that the information is required. 1. Type a name for the group in the Group Name field and for the ministry in the Ministry Name field. If you decide later that you want to change a name that you enter, see Changing the Name of a Group, Ministry, or Role for instructions. 1. If you want the name of the ministry to be viewable by members who log in to My Own Church, leave the Public box checked. Otherwise, clear the Public box. If you check the Public box, a blue people icon is displayed next to the group s name on the Configuration page. The blue color indicates that members can see the ministry listed as a volunteer opportunity on their My Ministry tab when they log in to My Own Church. If you do not check the Public box, the people icon displayed on the Configuration page has no color, indicating that the ministry is private and visible only to administrators. 1. Type a name for the event and select a time. If the event has no time, check the Check For No Time Event box. 2. In the Event Occurrence section, do one of the following: 32

33 For tips on using the calendar, see How to Use the Calendar to Set a Date. If the event takes place on a single occasion, select One Time Event. Click and then select the date for the event. If the event takes place on multiple occasions: 1. Select Recurring Event. Click and then specify a start date. 2. Select one of the end date options. 3. Indicate whether the event occurs weekly or monthly. 4. Specify the number of weeks and the day or days of the week the event takes place on. 1. Click. The group is added to the Groups section along with the ministry and event information you provided. Adding Additional Ministries to a Ministry Group If a group contains other ministries, you need to add them to the group. For each ministry that you want to add to a group, complete the following: 1. In the Groups section, select the desired group. 2. In the Ministries section, click to display the Add Ministry dialog box: 1. In the Name field, type the name of the ministry (for example, "Usher"). 2. If you want the ministry to be viewable to members who log in to My Own Church, leave the Public box checked (the default). Otherwise, clear the Public box. Members who log in to My Own Church and select the Volunteer link under My Ministry > Ministry Opportunities will see all of the ministries that are marked "Public" and be able to select them to volunteer. 33

34 1. Click. The name of the ministry is added to the list of ministries for the group you selected. If you checked the Public option, members can see the name of the ministry on the My Ministry tab after logging in to My Own Church. (optional) Defining Minister Roles If desired, you can define specific roles or positions for which ministers in a given group and ministry are qualified to assume. Roles typically correspond to a specific job, skill, or duty, such as group leader or secretary. For each role that you want to define, complete the following: 1. In the Groups section, select the desired group. 2. In the Roles section, click to display the Add Ministry Role dialog box: 1. In the Name field, type the name of the role (for example, team leader or counselor ). 1. Click. The role is added to the list of roles for the group you selected. Adding Events When you added a group, you defined a single event for the group. If a group serves at more than one event, you need to add all events to the group. For each event that you need to add, complete the following: 1. In the Groups section, select the desired group. 2. In the Events section, click to display the Add Event setup dialog box: 34

35 You can supply a name for the event and configure details about it, such as the time and date, frequency (monthly or weekly), and recurrence. You can also indicate whether the event is special and whether it fulfills an obligation for Sunday Mass. 1. In the Name field, type the name of the event (required). If you want to show the time of the event, include the time as part of the name of the event when you type it in the Name field (for example, type 2nd Sunday Mass Meeting 11am ). 1. Provide detailed information for the event. For descriptions of the fields, see Event Fields. 1. Click. The event is added to the list of events for the group, ministry, and role (optional) you selected. How to Edit and Delete Ministry Groups, Ministries, Roles, and Events Planning Your Configuration It is advisable to plan ahead for how you are going to use your ministry records by creating a configuration that provides the type of output you desire. See Planning Your Configuration for 35

36 suggestions and examples of some common configuration scenarios to help you get started on a configuration that meets your needs. Changing the Name of a Group, Ministry, or Role 1. In the Groups, Ministries, or Roles section, select the group, ministry, or role name. 2. Click. The current name is displayed in the Name field. 1. Type the new name. 2. Click. The new name appears in the list. Editing the Details for an Event 1. Select the event and then click. The Edit Event window opens. For example: 1. Change the details for the event. For descriptions of the event fields, see Event Fields. 1. Click. 36

37 Deleting a Group, Ministry, Role, or an Event Clicking the Delete button permanently removes all associated records from the database. The records cannot be retrieved. 1. In the desired section, click the Delete button:. You are prompted to confirm the deletion. 1. Do one of the following: Click to remove the group, ministry, role, or event from the database. Click to cancel the deletion. 37

38 Chapter 4 ~ Updating Minister Directory Records About the Minister Directory Page Minister Directory serves as a master list of all the members in your Family Directory database who have expressed a desire to serve in a ministry. As you work through the application, you will need to view the information about your ministers that is contained in this directory. Overview of Minister Directory The Minister Directory is a complete listing of all of the ministers in your organization. As you can see in the above illustration, the directory holds a lot of information about each minister and the information can be viewed in a single glance: Minister's name, address, and telephone number, Minister's ministry assignments (the groups and ministry events volunteered for) and assignment date ranges. Minister's status: active or inactive and whether or not training requirements are fulfilled. Minister's special needs and required assistance Total number of minister records. 38

39 if a member is involved in more than one ministry, the directory contains a separate record for each ministry. Organization List The organization associated with your ConnectNow login credentials automatically appears in the Organization list, which is located in the upper right corner of the Minister Directory page. If you manage multiple organizations, select the organization that you want to view from the list to display that organization's directory. If you are returning to this page, be sure to check which organization is currently shown in the list. The list defaults to the organization you selected when you last viewed this page. Filtering and Sorting the Directory As your list of ministers grows in size, you will find filtering and sorting very useful. The alphanumeric filters, located at the top of the directory, provide a way to help you manage list views and drill down to the exact records you want to see (for example, you can set up the filters to view only those ministers who volunteered for the Cantor ministry). For instructions on using the filters, see How to Filter Records. You can also sort records on any column in the directory (for example, start dates in descending order) in a way that makes the information more easily accessible. For instructions column sorting, see Sorting the Display of Records. Viewing Incomplete Records Click the Click Here to view incomplete minister records to display records in the directory that are missing information. 39

40 Trained Checkbox If the Trained checkbox is selected (checked), the minister has received training for the ministry. For all ministries, the automated scheduler considers training as a requirement for scheduling. Therefore, this box must be checked for the minister to be considered for automatic and manual scheduling. If the box is not checked, the scheduler automatically removes the minister from the pool of ministers available for scheduling. Sub Only If the Sub Only box is checked, the minister is serving as a substitute only in the ministry. Substitutes are not scheduled automatically by the automated scheduler. You can manually schedule a substitute. Temp Inactive If the Temp Inactive box is checked, the minister is temporarily inactive. You cannot automatically or manually schedule inactive ministers. Minister Directory Command Buttons adds a new minister to the directory. adds groups of ministers to the directory. edits multiple minister records. changes an assignment's end date for a group of ministers. See How to Change an Assignment's End Date for a Group of Ministers. permanently saves changes to the layout. resets the layout to the default configuration. sends e mail to selected people. For details, see How to Send an E mail Message. lets you create personalized hardcopy letters for mass mailings to families and members. See displays the Advanced Filter setup. See Advanced Filter. clears the Advanced Filter. This button is displayed only if the Advanced Filter is activated. 40

41 displays the Quick Reports menu where you quickly create the following: Minister Mailing labels and Family Group Mailing labels. lets you view and edit the associated ministry record. lets you delete the associated ministry record. lets you view details of the associated ministry record. Minister Directory Icons (yellow flag) indicates a special event. (wheelchair) indicates that a minister has a special need or requires assistance for a disability. Position your mouse pointer on the wheelchair icon to view an infotip that describes the nature of the disability (for example, requires wheelchair access or hearing impaired ). The wheelchair icon is displayed if the Special Needs box is checked in the member s census record in the Family Directory. The infotip description is extracted from the text field associated with the check box. If no information is entered in the text field, the infotip contains no specifics about the minister s disability. indicates that the minister is temporarily inactive. indicates an inactive minister. An inactive minister is a minister whose assignment end date has passed. Position your mouse over the calendar icon to find out the exact date when the minister s assignment expired or when the minister became inactive. Navigation and Viewing Aids Page buttons The page buttons are located at the bottom of the page. These buttons let you navigate quickly to specific pages in the directory. Simply click the desired page number button to display the records on that page. You can also click to advance to the next page or click to go back to the previous page. Horizontal scroll bar 41

42 Each minister record occupies a single line that extends beyond the width of the Minister Directory page. To bring information that extends beyond the borders of the page into view, click and drag the horizontal scroll bar left or right. # Records Menu You can change the number records (default = 10) that are displayed on a page. To do this, select the desired option from the Records list: To speed up page loading, select a lower value. Reviewing and Updating Minister Records for Accuracy and Completeness After you configure the application to include all of your organization s ministries and events (as described in the topic Configuring Ministry Scheduler) and the configuration is complete and correct, you are ready to review your minister directory records and update them, if necessary. The goal is to make sure that the basic information in each record is accurate and complete. That is, each record in the directory must contain the minister's name, ministry group, the specific ministry, and the event. The process of updating your minister directory information varies depending upon whether you are a Time & Talent user or a first time user of ParishSOFT applications. It is important that you follow the instructions that pertain to your user classification and complete the tasks in the prescribed sequence. Instructions for Time & Talent Users During the synchronization process, all of your minister data, including your minister s personal information, ministry assignments, availability, and exception dates is made available to Ministry Scheduler. The data is extracted and organized into the Minister Directory, which is a comprehensive list of your organization s ministers and ministries. 42

43 To create a basic record in the directory, Ministry Scheduler, at a minimum, must receive the following source data from the Time & Talent application: Minister name Ministry group Ministry Event Ministry Scheduler attempts to match Time & Talent data to these four fields, and then, depending on the results, the Ministry Scheduler does the following: If data for one or more of the four fields listed above is missing, Ministry Scheduler creates record in the directory but flags the record as "incomplete". If Ministry Scheduler finds data to match all four fields, it does the following: 1. Creates a basic minister record and enters the minister's name, the ministry group, the ministry, and the event. 2. Creates a basic minister record and enters the minister name, ministry group, ministry, and event. 3. Populates remaining data fields with corresponding Time & Talent values. 4. Populates any new fields with default values. A new field is any field with functionality that does not exist in the Time & Talent application. After the synchronization process, Ministry Scheduler assigns a default value as a placeholder in each new field. Do the following: 1. Review and update each record Ministry Scheduler flags as incomplete. To do this, go to How to View and Update Incomplete Minister Directory Records. Follow the instructions to add the missing information into each incomplete record. 2. When done, return to the schedule creation diagram and continue on to the next step. How to View and Update Incomplete Minister Directory Records At a minimum, each record in Minister Directory must contain information in the following fields: Full Name (name of the minister), Ministry Group, Ministry, and Event. This procedure shows you how to view records that are missing one or more of these values. You then learn how to reconcile each record. 43

44 1. Click to display Minister Directory : 1. Click the link Click Here to view incomplete Minister Records. A list of incomplete records is displayed. An empty field indicates missing information. For example: A record is considered incomplete if it is missing one or more of the following pieces of information: Minister name (Full Name) Ministry group 44

45 Ministry Event 1. Do one of the following: If a record is not legitimate or is a duplicate, remove it from the database. To do this: 1. To the left of the desired record, click. 2. Click to confirm the deletion. If you want to keep the record, you need to update it by supplying the missing information. Complete the following: 1. To the left of the desired record, click to display the Edit Minister dialog box, as shown in the following example: 1. Update the minister s record by supplying the missing values as appropriate. 1. Click to save the changes to the database. 2. To verify that the information was updated, click the link Viewing incomplete records. Click Here to view complete Minister Records. You return to Minister Directory where you can see that the record is updated with your changes. 1. Repeat Steps 2 3 for each incomplete record in the list. 45

46 How to Add New Ministers to the Directory You can add ministers to your directory one at a time or in groups or batches. Adding a Single Minister 1. Click to display the Add Minister dialog box: An asterisk ( * ) indicates a required field. The Members list on the left is an alphabetical listing of all of your member records. 1. To locate a member, do the following: Type the last name in the Last Name search box. The Members list refreshes, and members matching the last name you entered are displayed. Click the page buttons to page through the Members list. Each page displays 10 records. 1. To select a member, click the Select link to the left of the member s name. The member s name is displayed in the Name/Age field in the New Minister's Data section, located on the right side. 46

47 The member s age is displayed in parentheses after the name. 1. Position your mouse over the View Current Ministries link (under the member s name) to display all of the ministries in which the member is currently involved 2. Do the following: 1. Select filter criteria for Ministry Group, Ministry, Ministry Role (optional), and Ministry Event. 2. Type a date or click and select a date in both the Start Date and End Date boxes. The date range you supply marks the starting and ending dates of the minister s assignment in the selected ministry. If you do not want to supply an end date for the assignment, clear the End Date box. Minister Directory indicates whether an assignment is past the end date by displaying this icon in the minister s record:. 1. Check the Trained? box to indicate that the member has completed training and can be scheduled for the selected ministry. For all ministries, the automated scheduler considers training as a requirement for scheduling. If this box is not checked, the minister cannot be scheduled. The scheduler automatically removes the minister from the selection pool when generating a schedule. 1. Check the Sub Only? box to indicate that the member serves as a substitute in this ministry only and should therefore not be scheduled automatically. 1. If desired, type notes in the Comments box. 2. When done, click one of the following: Click to save the information and close the dialog box. Click to save the information and add a new ministry record for the currently selected member. Click to save the information and add a new ministry record for another member. 47

48 Adding a Group of Ministers (Batch Adding) If you have a number of ministers that you want to add at one time to the directory, you can save time and minimize data entry by adding them as a group (batch add). 1. Click to display the Batch Add Ministers dialog box: The dialog box is divided into two sections. The right section displays a list of available members. The left section contains filters that you select to apply to the member list. 1. In the left section, select your search criteria from the Ministry Group, Ministry, Ministry Role (optional) and Ministry Event lists. With each selection you make, the list of members refreshes and displays only those members who do not match the criteria you selected. It is important to understand that your filter selections create a list of members who are not already ministers in the group, ministry, and event that you select. For example, if you select the Liturgy group and the Cantor ministry within that group, the resulting list consists of all members who are currently ministers in the Liturgy/Cantor group. 1. If you want to see only those members who volunteered for the ministry that matches your selected criteria, check the Volunteered box. Otherwise, leave the box unchecked. 48

49 How to Edit Minister Records You can make changes to a single record or, if you want to make the same changes to more than one record, you can edit the records as a group (batch edit). Editing a Single Minister Record 1. To the left of the minister s record that you want to edit, click. The Edit Minister dialog box is displayed: The asterisk ( * ) indicates required information. The member s name and age are displayed at the top. Details of the member s ministry record are displayed in the remaining fields. 1. Make the desired changes to the member s record: Select a different ministry group, ministry, role (optional) and/or event. In the Start Date and End Date boxes, type a date or click and select a date. 49

50 For tips on using the calendar, see How to Use the Calendar to Set a Date. The date range you supply marks the starting and ending dates of the minister s assignment in the selected ministry. If you do not want to supply an end date for the assignment, clear the End Date box. Check the Trained? box to indicate that the member has completed training and can be scheduled for the selected ministry. The auto scheduler schedules trained ministers only. Check the Sub Only? box to indicate that the member serves only as a substitute in this ministry. The auto scheduler does not automatically schedule a substitute minister. Check the Temporarily Inactivate box to indicate that the minister s participation is on hold. Then, indicate whether the minister is inactive for the current ministry only by selecting Current Ministry or for all ministries by selecting All Ministries. In Minister Directory, the following icon is displayed to indicate that a minister is temporarily inactive:. 1. Add comments, if desired. 2. When done, click to save the information and exit the dialog box. Editing Multiple Records Suppose that you want to make the same changes to multiple minister records. You can save time and reduce errors by editing the records in groups. This type of editing is called a batch edit. 1. Click to display the Batch Edit Ministers dialog box: The asterisk ( * ) indicates required information. 50

51 The dialog box is divided into two sections. The right section displays a list of available members. The Ministry Search section contains search filters that you can apply to the member list. With each search criteria that you select you select in this section, the list of available members updates to show you the names of ministers who match your selection criteria. For example, if you select the Liturgy group and the Cantor ministry, the list refreshes and shows you only ministers in the Liturgy/Cantor group. Select more search options to refine your search and obtain more accurate results. The Edit Minister's New Data section at the bottom contains the same fields as those in the Ministry Search section. All you have to do is select or enter the changes that you want to apply to the ministers who match your search criteria. 1. To apply bulk changes to a group of ministers, follow these steps: 1. Select your search criteria in the Ministry Search section. You can choose as many criteria as you want to narrow down the search. 51

52 With each selection, the list on the right refreshes and shows you only those ministers who match the criteria you selected. 1. If you want to further limit your list to only those members who both volunteered and who are currently ministers that match criteria you selected, check the Volunteered box. Ministers whose time of service has expired or is near expiration can recommission themselves to their current ministries by logging in to My Own Church, and selecting the Volunteer link under My Ministry > Ministry Opportunities. By checking the Volunteered box, you can view ministers in that group. 1. To apply a date filter to the list, check the Enable Date Filtering box. In the Date Filter, enter dates and then select the link Apply Filter to refresh the contents of the member list. 2. Specify the changes you want to make. With each selection, the list refreshes and displays only eligible ministers: In the Edit Minister's New Data section, select a ministry group, ministry, role (optional), and event. Select a date range. Check the Trained? box to indicate that the member has completed training and can be scheduled for the selected ministry. The auto scheduler schedules trained ministers only. Check the Sub Only? box to indicate that the member serves only as a substitute in this ministry. The auto scheduler does not automatically schedule a substitute minister. 1. Select the individual minister records that you want to change. To do this, check the box next to the minister s name. Alternatively, the checkbox to the left of the Last Name heading to select all of the listed ministers. To clear the check box, click the check box again. 1. If you want to view selected records only, select the Selected Members tab. 1. When done, click. Then, click to confirm the change. Minister Directory is displayed with the updated records. 52

53 Volunteers are those members who logged in to My Own Church, and selected the Volunteer link under My Ministry > Ministry Opportunities. 1. In the bottom left, select your ministry criteria from the New Minister's Data section: Start Date and End Date : type a date or click and select a date in both the Start Date and End Date boxes. The date range you supply marks the starting and ending dates of the minister s assignment in the selected ministry. If you do not want to supply an end date for the assignment, clear the End Date box. Trained? : indicates that the member has completed training and can be scheduled for the selected ministry. Sub Only? : indicates that the member serves as a substitute in this ministry only and should therefore not be scheduled automatically. 1. From the list, identify the members that you want to add. Do one of the following: Select a single member by checking the box to the left of the member s name. Select all members in the list by checking the box to the left of the Last Name heading. Use the vertical scroll bar to view members further down the list. To clear a single selection, check the box to remove the checkmark. To clear all selections at once, the box to the left of the Last Name heading. 1. If you want to remove selected ministers from the volunteered list for the group, ministry, and event, check the Reset Volunteers box. 2. Click. Minister Directory is displayed. The members you selected are now added to the directory. How to Delete a Minister Record 1. Click.to display Minister Directory : 53

54 1. To the left of the minister that you want to delete, click. A message is displayed, requesting that you confirm the deletion. 1. To delete the record, click. The record is removed from the directory. How to Change an Assignment's End Date for a Group of Ministers Suppose that a group of ministers just completed training or refresher training and you need to change an assignment s end date for every minister in the group. You do not have to separately change each minister s record. You can use this procedure to simultaneously change an assignment s end date for a group of records. This type of change is called batch editing. 1. Click. The Bulk Change End Date dialog box is displayed: 54

55 1. Select the desired filter criteria to locate only the records that you want to change. 2. Make sure that the End Date box is checked. 3. Type a new date in the End Date field or click and select a new end date from the calendar. For tips on using the calendar, see How to Use the Calendar to Set a Date. 1. Click. All records matching the criteria you selected are changed to the new end date you specified. How to View a Minister's Family Directory Record A minister's Family Directory record contains detailed personal information, such as age and birthday, and contact information, such as the e mail address and telephone number. 1. Click to display Minister Directory : 55

56 1. To the left of the desired minister's directory entry, click. The selected minister's Family Directory record is displayed. For example: 1. To return to Minister Directory, select the Minister Directory link in the top left corner of the record. 56

57 How to Create Mailing Labels You can easily create mailing labels for individual ministers and for family groups directly from Minister Directory. 1. Click.to display Minister Directory : 1. Click to display the reports menu: 1. Select the option for the type of mailing label you want to create: Minister Mailing Label Family Group Mailing Label 1. Click. The mailing labels are displayed in Report Viewer. To print labels, see Viewing, Printing, and Saving Reports. 57

58 Chapter 5 ~ Managing Ministers Preferences About the Minister Preferences Page To produce fair and balanced schedules, the scheduling tool must take into account your ministers preferences (both individual and family group), which includes their availability to serve, preferred serving frequencies, and schedule exceptions (those time periods when a minister is unavailable for service). Therefore, before generating your schedules, you must make sure that all of this information is included in every minister s record. The Minister Preferences page is where you configure individual minister and family group preferences. Overview of the Minister Preferences Page The Minister Preferences page contains a list of records of families in your Family Directory database that are involved in one or more ministries. From this page, you access the family group preference configurations and the individual minister preference configurations. To get started, click the following icons: configures family preferences. For details, see How to View and Change a Family's Scheduling Preferences. configures individual member preferences. For details, see How to View and Change a Member's Ministry Preferences. 58

59 Organization List The organization associated with your ConnectNow login credentials automatically appears in the Organization list, which is located in the upper right corner of the Minister Preferences page. If you manage multiple organizations, select the organization that you want to view from the list to access that organization's list of minister records and to view and minister preferences. If you are returning to this page, be sure to check which organization is currently shown in this list. The list defaults to the organization you selected when you last viewed this page. Filtering and Sorting Minister Records As the list of minister records grows in size, you will find filtering and sorting very useful. The alphanumeric filters, located at the top of the directory, provide a way to help you manage list views and drill down to the exact records you want to see (for example, you can view only those families whose last name starts with "T" by selecting the T filter). For instructions on using the filters, see How to Filter Records. You can also sort on any column in the list (for example, Family DUID ) in a way that makes the information more easily accessible. For instructions column sorting, see Sorting the Display of Records. Command Buttons permanently saves changes to the layout. See How to Customize a Page's Layout. resets the layout to the default configuration. displays the Advanced Filter setup. See Advanced Filters. 59

60 displays the Family Preferences tab where you can configure new family preferences and editing existing ones. For instructions, see How to Configure a Family's Scheduling Preferences displays the Member Preferences tab where you can do the following: View member preferences. Specify a minister's availability. Specify exceptions to a minister's schedule. Specify new member preferences and edit existing ones. Navigation and Viewing Aids Page buttons The page buttons are located at the bottom of the page. These buttons let you navigate quickly to specific pages in the Minister Preferences list. Simply click the desired page number button to display the records on that page. You can also click to advance to the next page or click to go back to the previous page. Horizontal scroll bar Each family record occupies a single line that extends beyond the width of the Minister Preferences page. To bring information that extends beyond the borders of the page into view, click and drag the horizontal scroll bar left or right. # Records Display You can change the number of family records (default = 10) that are displayed on a page. To do this, select the desired option from the Records list: To speed up page loading, select a lower value. 60

61 How to View and Change a Family's Scheduling Preferences If a minister belongs to a family, you must set the family's scheduling preferences for each of their associated (shared) ministries. The family preference settings enable a family to create a schedule whereby all members are always kept together, always kept apart, or scheduled as needed in those ministries in which they participate as a family. 1. Click. 2. To the left of family s name. click. The Family Preferences tab is displayed. On this tab, you can view a snapshot of the family s ministry involvement. The current family preference setting for each family associated ministry is displayed in the Preference column on the far right, as shown in this illustration: The default setting is No Preference for each family associated ministry. If desired, you can rearrange the columns and save the new layout. See Rearranging_Columns for details. 61

62 1. To change the family's preference settings: 1. Click the Edit Family Preferences link to display the Update Family Preferences window: The settings in this dialog box enable you to coordinate a family's schedule by assigning their scheduling preferences on a ministry by ministry basis. 1. By default, the system avoids scheduling members of the same family at different Sunday obligation events that take place during the same weekend. To override the default setting, clear (uncheck) the Avoid scheduling family members at different Sunday obligation events check box (see the previous illustration). 62

63 The checkbox control is designed to assist you with keeping family members from being scheduled at different Sunday obligation events and is only helpful if the family is scheduled in more than one such event in the same weekend. For suggestions on how to keep family members from being scheduled together at such events, go to How to Prevent Family Members from Being Scheduled at Different Events in the Same Weekend. 1. For each listed ministry, select one of the following options from the Preference list box: No Preference : (the default) specifies that family members who are qualified to serve in this ministry are scheduled as needed ( don t care ) for the same event. Keep Apart : specifies that when two or more family members are qualified to serve in this ministry, they are never scheduled together for the same event. Prefer Together : specifies that when two or more family members are qualified to serve in this ministry, whenever possible, they are scheduled together for the same event. 1. Click to save the changes. The family's preference settings are updated and listed on the Family Preferences tab. How to View and Change a Member's Ministry Preferences You need to enter each minister's scheduling preferences into his or her record. The scheduling tool uses this information to create fair and balanced schedules. 1. Click. 2. To the left of family or member's name. click. The Member Preferences tab is displayed. For example: 63

64 The left side of the Member Preferences tab lists the names of individual family members. 1. Select the member whose ministry preferences you want to view. 2. On the right side, select the Ministry tab to see the selected member's ministry preferences. For example: 64

65 The ministries are listed in priority order of serving preference from most preferred (first) to least preferred (last). 1. To change the member's preferences: 1. Click the Edit Ministry Preferences link to put the list in edit mode so that you can make your changes: 1. To indicate that the minister is available to serve at special events that are scheduled in all ministries, check the Available for Special Events? box. 2. To change priority order of the minister s serving preferences, click the row containing the desired ministry and drag it to a higher or lower position in the list. (When you position the mouse pointer on the row, the cursor changes to a double arrow to let you know that the row is selected.) When the ministry is in the desired position in the list, release the mouse button. 3. Repeat Step c until the ministries are in the preferred order. 1. Click to save the member s preferences. The content refreshes, and the new preferences settings are displayed on the Ministry tab. 65

66 How to View a Minister's Profile The Minister Profile tab summarizes a member's ministry involvement along with details of his or her availability and family scheduling preferences. You can use this information to make sure that the minister s preference information and schedule exceptions are accurate and complete. 1. Click. 2. To the left of family or member's name. click. The Member Preferences tab is displayed, as shown in the illustration below: The names of individual family members are listed in the Members section on the left side of the tab. 1. Select the family member whose profile you want to view. 66

67 2. Make sure that the Minister Profile tab is selected. A list of the minister's active ministries, family scheduling preferences at the same events, availability for special events, and schedule exceptions are listed on this tab. How to Specify a Minister's Availability These instructions show you how to define a minister s availability and preferred serving frequency (willingness to serve). 1. Click. 2. To the left of family s name. click. The Member Preferences tab is displayed. For example: The left side of the Member Preferences tab lists the names of individual family members. 1. Select the desired member. 2. Select the Ministry tab to display to view the member's preferences: 67

68 1. To specify the minister s availability for a specific ministry, click. The Willingness To Serve dialog box for the selected ministry is displayed: 1. Do one of the following: If minister can serve at all times for the selected ministry, leave the Always Available box checked. Then, check Apply Selection To All Ministries if the minister can serve at all times for all listed ministries. Otherwise, leave the box unchecked. Click to exit and return to the Ministry tab. If the minister cannot serve at all times for the selected ministry, click (to clear) the Always Available check box. Then, do one of the following: If the minister can serve at a specific event only, make sure that the One Time Event option is selected. Then, in the Event Date box, type the exact date of availability or click 68