Documentation

Groups

Organize and manage ministry groups and their members in your parish.

Overview

The Groups module helps you organize parish ministries, committees, and teams. Track which parishioners belong to which groups, assign roles within groups, and maintain an organized directory of all group members. This module focuses on group membership management rather than scheduling or task coordination.

What are Groups?

Groups in Outward Sign represent any collection of people who serve together in parish life:

Common Parish Groups

  • Liturgical Ministries - Choir, Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Altar Servers, Ushers
  • Pastoral Councils - Parish Council, Finance Council, Liturgy Committee
  • Formation Groups - RCIA Team, Catechists, Youth Ministry Leaders
  • Service Ministries - St. Vincent de Paul, Food Pantry Volunteers, Bereavement Ministry
  • Social Groups - Men's Group, Women's Group, Young Adults, Seniors
  • Maintenance - Facilities Committee, Landscaping Team, Sacristans

Key Features

  • Simple Membership Tracking - Who belongs to which groups
  • Role Assignment - Define roles within groups (e.g., Coordinator, Secretary, Member)
  • Active/Inactive Status - Track current and past group memberships
  • Contact Directory - Quick access to member contact information

What Groups Are Not

Groups in Outward Sign are for membership tracking only. They do not include:

  • Scheduling or calendar management (use Events for that)
  • Task assignment or project management
  • Attendance tracking
  • Communication tools (email, messaging)

Creating a Group

Step 1: Basic Information

1. Navigate to Groups in the sidebar

2. Click New Group

3. Enter group details in the dialog:

- Name - Group name (required)

- Description - Brief description of the group's purpose

- Active Status - Whether the group is currently active

Step 2: Save

1. Click Create Group

2. Group appears in the list

3. Ready to add members

Adding Members to a Group

Method 1: From Group View

1. Open the group by clicking on it

2. Click Add Member

3. Select person from dropdown

4. Optionally assign a role (Coordinator, Secretary, Member, etc.)

5. Click Add Member

Method 2: From Group Members Directory

1. Navigate to Group Members (under Groups in sidebar)

2. Click Add Membership

3. Select person

4. Select group

5. Optionally assign role

6. Click Add Membership

Method 3: From Person's Profile

1. Navigate to the person's profile in People

2. View their group memberships

3. Click Manage Memberships

4. Add them to additional groups as needed

Managing Group Roles

What are Group Roles?

Group roles define responsibilities within a group. Examples:

  • Coordinator - Group leader or primary contact
  • Secretary - Handles administrative tasks
  • Treasurer - Manages finances (if applicable)
  • Member - General group participant

Creating Group Roles

Group roles are managed by administrators:

1. Navigate to Settings > Parish Settings

2. Find Group Roles section

3. Add new roles as needed

4. Define role name and description

Assigning Roles

Assign roles when adding members or edit existing memberships:

1. Open group or person's membership page

2. Select role from dropdown

3. Save changes

Changing Roles

Update a member's role within a group:

1. View group or person's memberships

2. Click Change Role

3. Select new role

4. Save

Removing Members from Groups

From Group View

1. Open the group

2. Find member in list

3. Click remove (X) button

4. Confirm removal

From Person's Profile

1. Navigate to person's profile

2. View their memberships

3. Click Manage Memberships

4. Remove specific group membership

Note: Removing a member from a group does not delete their person record. It only removes their association with that group.

Viewing Groups

Group List

View all parish groups:

1. Navigate to Groups

2. See all groups with:

- Group name

- Description

- Member count

- Active/Inactive status

Group Details

View individual group information:

1. Click on a group name

2. See:

- Group description

- Full member list with roles

- Contact information for each member

- Group status (active/inactive)

Search and Filter

Find groups quickly:

  • Search - Search by group name or description
  • Filter by Status - Show only active or inactive groups
  • Sort - Alphabetically or by member count

Group Members Directory

What is the Directory?

A person-centric view showing all people who belong to groups:

1. Navigate to Group Members (under Groups section)

2. See all people with group memberships

3. View which groups each person belongs to

4. See roles within each group

Directory Features

  • Search People - Find members by name or email
  • View Memberships - See all groups a person belongs to
  • Contact Info - Email, phone, address for each member
  • Quick Access - Click person to see detailed profile

Use Cases

  • Contact Lists - Generate contact lists for specific groups
  • Member Overview - See which people are most involved (multiple groups)
  • Role Tracking - Identify coordinators and leaders across groups
  • Parish Directory - Comprehensive directory of active parishioners

Active vs. Inactive Groups

Active Groups

Groups currently meeting and operating:

  • Appear prominently in lists
  • Members can be actively added/removed
  • Used for current ministry coordination

Inactive Groups

Groups that are no longer meeting:

  • Historical record of past ministries
  • Members are preserved in records
  • Can be reactivated if needed
  • Useful for parish archives

Managing Status

Change group status:

1. Open group details

2. Click Edit Group

3. Toggle Active status

4. Save changes

Common Workflows

Starting a New Ministry

1. Create Group - Set up the group in Outward Sign

2. Add Core Members - Invite founding members

3. Assign Coordinator - Designate ministry leader

4. Build Team - Add additional members over time

5. Track Growth - Monitor membership

Annual Ministry Updates

1. Review Membership - Check who is still active

2. Remove Inactive - Remove members who are no longer participating

3. Add New Members - Welcome new volunteers

4. Update Roles - Adjust leadership as needed

5. Archive Groups - Mark inactive ministries

Coordinator Transition

When leadership changes:

1. Remove Old Role - Change outgoing coordinator to Member

2. Assign New Coordinator - Give incoming leader Coordinator role

3. Update Contact Info - Ensure new leader's info is current

4. Communicate Change - Notify parish (outside Outward Sign)

Group Reorganization

When consolidating or splitting groups:

1. Create New Groups - Set up new structure

2. Move Members - Add members to new groups

3. Remove Old Memberships - Remove from previous groups

4. Mark Old Groups Inactive - Preserve history without clutter

Integration with Other Modules

People Module

Groups rely on the People directory:

  • Members must exist as person records first
  • All contact info comes from person records
  • Updating person info automatically updates in groups

Mass Role Members

For liturgical scheduling, use Mass Role Members instead of Groups:

  • Mass Role Members includes availability preferences
  • Tracks blackout dates and assignment history
  • Designed specifically for Mass scheduling

Groups = General membership ("Who belongs to the choir?")

Mass Role Members = Scheduling ("When can each lector serve?")

Best Practices

Group Organization

  • Clear Names - Use descriptive, consistent group names
  • Good Descriptions - Explain each group's purpose
  • Regular Updates - Review memberships at least annually
  • Archive Inactive - Mark old groups inactive rather than deleting

Role Management

  • Consistent Roles - Use the same role names across similar groups
  • Assign Coordinators - Every group should have at least one coordinator
  • Document Responsibilities - Use description field to clarify roles
  • Update Promptly - Change roles when leadership transitions

Membership Tracking

  • Verify Consent - Ensure people want to be listed as members
  • Update Contact Info - Encourage members to keep their info current
  • Remove Gracefully - When people leave, remove them from groups
  • Respect Privacy - Be mindful of who has access to member info

Communication

  • Export Lists - Use group lists to create email distribution lists
  • Bulletin Announcements - List group coordinators in parish communications
  • Welcome New Members - Personally welcome people when they join
  • Thank Departing Members - Acknowledge contributions when people leave

Reports and Lists

Generate Member Lists

Create contact lists for groups:

1. Open group details

2. View all members with contact info

3. Export or print for distribution

4. Use for email lists or phone trees

Ministry Overview

See parish ministry participation:

1. View all groups

2. Check member counts

3. Identify groups that need support

4. Recognize robust ministries

Individual Involvement

Track how involved each person is:

1. View person's profile

2. See all group memberships

3. Identify highly engaged parishioners

4. Recognize burnout risks (too many groups)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the difference between Groups and Group Members?

A: Groups is where you manage the groups themselves (create, edit, view groups). Group Members is a directory view focused on people and which groups they belong to.

Q: Can one person belong to multiple groups?

A: Yes! People can belong to as many groups as appropriate.

Q: Can I schedule meetings with Groups?

A: No, Groups is only for membership tracking. Use the Events module to schedule meetings and gatherings.

Q: What's the difference between Groups and Mass Role Members?

A: Groups tracks membership only. Mass Role Members is specifically for liturgical scheduling and includes availability, preferences, and assignment tracking.

Q: Can group members see each other's contact info?

A: That depends on your parish's permission settings and how you share the information. Outward Sign tracks the data, but you control who sees it.

Q: How do I email all members of a group?

A: Outward Sign doesn't have built-in email. Export the member list and use it to create a distribution list in your email system.

Q: Should I delete inactive groups?

A: No, mark them inactive instead. This preserves historical records and allows reactivation if needed.

Q: Can I assign multiple roles to one person in a group?

A: Not directly. If someone has multiple responsibilities, you might create a role like "Coordinator & Secretary" or note it in their person record.

Related Features

Need Help?

Contact your parish administrator or visit outwardsign.church for support.