Have you ever built out a new small group in Rock? Or maybe you are editing an existing small group… You may have noticed a section called “Group Attribute Values“. What are they and how are they used? In this ProTip, we will take a few minutes to unpack each of them for you!
The Group Attribute Values are a set of custom values that we have built. These custom values help us sort/report out specific groups and it also helps our guests search/find specific groups.
Lets unpack these Group Attributes!
- Public Name: If you leave this field blank, the group will appear on our external group finder with the name that you have built the group. However, if you would like the group to be displayed on our external group viewer with a different name than how it was built, you can type a name in this field. An use case for this would be if you wanted to name your groups one way inside Rock so that you can easily find them… but want them to be displayed to the public with a different name.
- Group Semester: This is a multi select field. This helps us have a better understanding for the number of semesters this group has met together. If a group maintains the same name and same group leader, we would ask that you continue to add semesters to this group based on the semesters they meet. If a group changes leadership or changes the name/function/purpose of the group, we would ask that you build a new group.
- Group Start Date: This attribute will display on our external group finder. It helps a guest know the first date that the group will meet this semester when selecting a group to be apart of. This is particularly helpful to guests as they select groups that may have already started or are starting the same week they are searching.
- Registration Close Date: This attribute might be the best kept secret! By setting this attribute, the group will disappear from the external group finder on this date even if the group is not full.
- Group End Date: Similarly to the Group Start Date, this attribute will display on our external group finder. It will help a guest know the last date that a group will meet this semester. This is very helpful when a guest is trying to plan our the next few months!
- Hub Category: This is used for reporting purposes and helps our team know what hub this group belongs to.
- Topic: Similar to the Hub Category, this attribute is used for reporting purposes and helps our team know what topics a particular group is affiliated with. However, more importantly this attribute is displayed on our external group finder as a way by which our guests can sort the groups they would like to look through.
8. Does this group meet online: While this attribute is used for reporting; most importantly, when this attribute is marked [YES], a computer icon will appear on our external group finder. Our guests will know that this group meets online.
9. Are children welcome: This attribute is displayed on our external group finder and is also a filter that guests can use when searching for groups. This is particularly helpful for adult groups that may or may not allow you to bring your children with you to group.
10. Does this group offer child care reimbursement: This attributes is not often used. Take caution when using this attribute. By setting this attribute to [YES] a form for Child Care Reimbursement will be made available to guests who are actively part of this group. The form allows guests to submit reimbursement for their child care. This attribute is use specifically for parts of Celebrate Recovery and a couple of our Women’s Groups.
11. Is your group open to being highlighted on social media: This attribute can be set by staff or by the particular Group Leader. This attribute is used for reporting and provides our team leads, on groups that can be showcased on our social platforms.
12. Is this group open to being highlighted on our weekend service: Similarly to the attribute regarding social media, this attribute can be set by staff or by the particular Group Leader. This attribute is used for reporting and provides our team, leads on groups that can be showcased during a weekend service.
13. Group Photo: Last but not least… and simple enough, this attribute allows you to display a fun picture of the group on our external group finder. This can be a helpful feature for a guest who is deciding to sign up for a group!