Documentation

Inviting Team Members

This guide explains how to invite new team members to your parish in Outward Sign.

Who Can Invite Team Members?

  • Admins - Can invite all roles (admin, staff, ministry-leader, parishioner)
  • Staff - Can invite parishioners only

Understanding Parish Roles

Before inviting someone, understand the four roles available:

Admin

Full administrative control over the parish

Admins can:

  • Manage parish settings (name, address, contact information)
  • Manage all parishioners
  • Create and manage templates
  • Access all modules (masses, weddings, funerals, baptisms, etc.)
  • Invite team members with any role

Best for: Parish priests, parish administrators, IT coordinators

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Staff

Full access to sacramental modules

Staff members can:

  • Access all modules (masses, weddings, funerals, baptisms, etc.)
  • Create, edit, and delete all records
  • Invite parishioners to the parish
  • Cannot manage parish settings or templates

Best for: Parish secretaries, liturgical directors, deacons, pastoral associates

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Ministry-Leader

Configurable access to specific modules

Ministry-leaders can:

  • Access only the modules you select when inviting them
  • Create, edit, and delete records in their assigned modules
  • Cannot invite anyone or manage parish settings

Available modules to assign:

  • Masses
  • Weddings
  • Funerals
  • Baptisms
  • Presentations
  • Quinceañeras
  • Groups
  • Mass Intentions

Best for:

  • Wedding coordinators (assign: Weddings only)
  • Funeral ministry leaders (assign: Funerals only)
  • Music ministers (assign: Masses, Groups)
  • Baptism preparation coordinators (assign: Baptisms only)

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Parishioner

Read-only access to shared content

Parishioners can:

  • View sacramental records shared with them (their own wedding, baptism, etc.)
  • Share their records with family members
  • Cannot create, edit, or delete any records

Best for: Families preparing for sacraments, people viewing their own records

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How to Invite a Team Member

Step 1: Navigate to Parish Settings

1. Click your profile icon in the top right

2. Select Parish Settings from the dropdown

3. Scroll to the Team Management section

Step 2: Fill Out the Invitation Form

1. Enter email address - The person's email where they'll receive the invitation

2. Select role - Choose from Admin, Staff, Ministry-Leader, or Parishioner

3. Select modules (Ministry-Leader only) - If you selected Ministry-Leader, check the boxes for modules they should access

Step 3: Send the Invitation

1. Click Send Invitation

2. The person will receive an email with:

- Your parish name

- The role you're inviting them to

- Modules they can access (if ministry-leader)

- An "Accept Invitation" button

- Expiration date (7 days from now)

Step 4: They Accept the Invitation

The invited person will:

1. Click the "Accept Invitation" button in the email

2. Create an account if they don't have one (or sign in)

3. Automatically be added to your parish with the assigned role

4. See your parish in their parish selector

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Managing Pending Invitations

View Pending Invitations

In Parish Settings > Team Management, you'll see a list of pending invitations showing:

  • Email address
  • Role
  • Modules (if ministry-leader)
  • Expiration date
  • Who sent the invitation

Resend an Invitation

If someone didn't receive the invitation or it expired:

1. Find the invitation in the Pending Invitations list

2. Click Resend

3. A new invitation email will be sent with a new 7-day expiration

Note: The old invitation link will no longer work after resending.

Revoke an Invitation

If you sent an invitation by mistake:

1. Find the invitation in the Pending Invitations list

2. Click Revoke

3. The invitation link will become invalid

4. The person will not be able to accept it

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Invitation Expiration

  • All invitations expire 7 days after being sent
  • After expiration, the invitation link will not work
  • Use the Resend button to send a new invitation

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Changing Someone's Role

Important: Roles cannot be changed after someone accepts an invitation.

To give someone a different role:

1. Remove them from the parish (Parish Settings > Team Management > Remove)

2. Send a new invitation with the desired role

Why roles are permanent:

  • Prevents accidental privilege escalation
  • Creates a clear audit trail
  • Simplifies permission management

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Common Scenarios

Adding a Wedding Coordinator

1. Go to Parish Settings > Team Management

2. Enter their email

3. Select Ministry-Leader role

4. Check Weddings module only

5. Click Send Invitation

They will only see and access the Weddings module.

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Adding a Parish Secretary

1. Go to Parish Settings > Team Management

2. Enter their email

3. Select Staff role

4. Click Send Invitation

They will have full access to all modules but cannot manage parish settings.

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Adding a Family for Their Wedding

1. Go to Parish Settings > Team Management

2. Enter their email

3. Select Parishioner role

4. Click Send Invitation

Then share the wedding record with them so they can view details.

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Adding an Assistant Pastor

1. Go to Parish Settings > Team Management

2. Enter their email

3. Select Admin role (or Staff if you want to limit parish settings access)

4. Click Send Invitation

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Troubleshooting

The invitation email isn't arriving

  • Check the email address for typos
  • Ask them to check spam/junk folders
  • Use the Resend button to send a new invitation

The invitation link says "Invalid or Expired"

  • The invitation may have expired (7 days)
  • Use Resend to send a new invitation
  • The invitation may have already been accepted

Someone needs access to more modules

If they're a ministry-leader:

1. Remove them from the parish

2. Send a new invitation with all needed modules selected

If they're a parishioner and need module access:

1. Remove them

2. Send a new invitation as ministry-leader or staff

I invited someone with the wrong role

Use the Revoke button to cancel the invitation, then send a new one with the correct role.

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Security and Privacy

  • Invitation links are unique and cannot be guessed
  • Links expire after 7 days
  • Links can only be used once
  • Email addresses are private and only visible to admins
  • Only admins and staff can send invitations

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