Documentation

Managing People

Learn how to manage your parish directory and people records in Outward Sign.

Overview

The People module helps you maintain a directory of everyone involved in your parish's sacramental life, including:

  • Parishioners
  • Family members
  • Ministers (lectors, servers, musicians)
  • Presiders (priests, deacons)
  • Staff members

Viewing People

1. Navigate to People in the sidebar

2. Browse or search for specific people

3. Click on a person's name to view their full profile

Search and Filters

  • Search by name - Type a person's name in the search box
  • Filter by role - View only ministers, presiders, or specific groups
  • Export directory - Download your parish directory as CSV

Creating a New Person

1. Navigate to People

2. Click Create Person

3. Fill in the person's information:

- Full Name - First, middle, and last name

- Email - Contact email address

- Phone - Primary phone number

- Address - Street address, city, state, postal code

- Date of Birth - Optional, helpful for sacramental records

- Notes - Any additional information

4. Click Save

Editing a Person

1. Find the person in the People list

2. Click on their name to view their profile

3. Click Edit

4. Update their information

5. Click Save

Person Roles and Assignments

Assigning Liturgical Roles

When planning sacramental celebrations, you can assign people to specific roles:

  • Presiders - Mark priests and deacons who can preside at celebrations
  • Lectors - Readers for the liturgy
  • Musicians - Cantors, organists, choir members
  • Servers - Altar servers
  • Ministers - Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion

Groups

People can belong to parish groups (e.g., choir, funeral ministry, wedding coordinators). See the Groups module for more details.

Person Profile Details

Each person's profile shows:

Contact Information

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Physical address

Sacramental History

View all sacramental celebrations this person has participated in:

  • As a primary participant (bride, groom, deceased, baptized)
  • As a minister (presider, lector, musician)
  • As a witness or family member

Groups and Ministries

  • All groups they belong to
  • Ministry roles they serve in
  • Availability and scheduling preferences

Privacy and Sharing

Who Can See People Records?

  • Admins - Can view and edit all people
  • Staff - Can view and edit all people
  • Ministry-Leaders - Can view people relevant to their modules
  • Parishioners - Can only view people connected to their own sacramental records

Sharing with Families

When planning sacramental celebrations, you can share event details with family members:

1. Create the sacramental record (wedding, baptism, etc.)

2. Share it with the family

3. They can view (but not edit) the celebration details

Best Practices

Data Entry

  • Be consistent - Use consistent naming and formatting
  • Keep it current - Update contact information promptly
  • Add notes - Include helpful context (e.g., "prefers emails," "Spanish speaker")
  • Verify information - Double-check spellings, especially for sacramental certificates

Privacy

  • Limit access - Only share information when necessary
  • Respect preferences - Honor communication preferences
  • Secure data - Don't export or share the directory externally without permission

Directory Maintenance

  • Regular updates - Review and update the directory quarterly
  • Remove duplicates - Merge duplicate person records
  • Archive inactive - Keep the active directory focused on current parishioners

Common Tasks

Adding a Family for a Wedding

1. Create person record for the Bride

2. Create person record for the Groom

3. When creating the wedding, select both from the people picker

4. Add parents and witnesses as needed

Setting Up a Minister Schedule

1. Navigate to People

2. Find the minister's profile

3. Note their contact information and availability

4. When planning celebrations, assign them to appropriate roles

Exporting the Directory

1. Navigate to People

2. Click Export or the download icon

3. Select CSV format

4. Open in Excel or Google Sheets for mailing labels, phone trees, etc.

Related Features

Need Help?

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