Special Event Scheduling
An example that walks you through how to use the Check-In system with the My Groups widget to manage people serving in an Event.
It's like that your children's ministry team comfortable with the Check-In system. But you can also use the Check-In system with the My Groups widget to manage people who serve in an Event. In this example, you want to create Groups and fill them with volunteers for your Vacation Bible School (VBS). Then, you want to use these Groups to schedule people to serve on specific days or nights of your VBS.
List Your Volunteers
- Create Groups for VBS. One Group may suffice, but different Groups for difference service areas may be helpful. Different service area Groups may include teachers, crafts, general helpers, and so on.
- Make sure to set Available Online to Yes on the Group's record.
- Create Events with a title like "Volunteer for VBS July 12-17".
- Have these Events happen every Sunday morning as you recruit volunteers.
- Set Allow Check-in to Yes.
- Set Ignore Program Groups to Yes.
- After saving the Event, add the newly-created Groups to the Event's Groups tab.
- Use the Copy feature to make this a recurring Event, or extend this Event out for the duration of the sign-up season.
- Each Sunday, set up an attended Check-In station and enable this Event for Check-In.
- Direct people interested in serving at VBS to this station, and use the Edit Family feature to add them to the appropriate Group. Then check them in and print a tag reminding them they volunteered.
Schedule Your Volunteers
- Create Events for each day or night of VBS.
- Add the VBS Groups to the Event.
- Use the RSVP feature of the My Groups widget to send RSVP emails to those who volunteered for that Group. Sending an RSVP for each Event ensures you know how many people you confirm per Event.