A new field is any
field with functionality that does not exist in the Time & Talent
application. After the synchronization process, Ministry Scheduler assigns
a default value as a placeholder in each new field.
After you configure the application to include all of your organization’s ministries and events (as described in the topic Configuring Ministry Scheduler) and the configuration is complete and correct , you are ready to review your minister directory records and update them, if necessary. The goal is to make sure that the basic information in each record is accurate and complete. That is, each record in the directory must contain the minister's name, ministry group, the specific ministry, and the event.
The process of updating your minister directory information varies depending upon whether you are a Time & Talent user or a first-time user of ParishSOFT applications. It is important that you follow the instructions that pertain to your user classification and complete the tasks in the prescribed sequence.
Instructions for Time & Talent Users
Instructions for First-Time Users
During the synchronization process, all of your minister data, including your minister’s personal information, ministry assignments, availability, and exception dates is made available to Ministry Scheduler. The data is extracted and organized into the Minister Directory, which is a comprehensive list of your organization’s ministers and ministries.
To create a basic record in the directory, Ministry Scheduler, at a minimum, must receive the following source data from the Time & Talent application:
● Minister name
● Ministry group
● Ministry
● Event
Ministry Scheduler attempts to match Time & Talent data to these four fields, and then, depending on the results, the Ministry Scheduler does the following:
● If data for one or more of the four fields listed above is missing, Ministry Scheduler creates record in the directory but flags the record as "incomplete".
● If Ministry Scheduler finds data to match all four fields, it does the following:
Creates a basic minister record and enters the minister's name, the ministry group, the ministry, and the event.
Creates a basic minister record and enters the minister name, ministry group, ministry, and event.
Populates remaining data fields with corresponding Time & Talent values.
Populates any new fields with default values.
A new field is any
field with functionality that does not exist in the Time & Talent
application. After the synchronization process, Ministry Scheduler assigns
a default value as a placeholder in each new field.
Do the following:
Review and update each record Ministry Scheduler flags as incomplete. To do this, go to How to View and Update Incomplete Minister Directory Records. Follow the instructions to add the missing information into each incomplete record.
When done, return to the schedule creation diagram and continue on to the next step.
If your organization does not currently use the Time & Talent or the ParishSOFT My Own Church applications, you are considered a first-time user.
Your task is to enter your minister information into the application. Complete the following steps in the order listed:
The
following steps assume that you have completed the configuration tasks
outlined for first-time users in the topic Configuring
Ministry Scheduler.
Enter each minister’s personal information into Ministry Scheduler. You can accomplish this task in several ways:
If you have an electronic document (for example, an Excel file or Word file) that contains the names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers of your ministers, you can use that file as a data source and save yourself time from doing extra data entry work by having ParishSOFT convert your data.
If you use other church management software that is compatible with Ministry Scheduler, it is possible that your ministers’ personal information can converted and used by Ministry Scheduler.
If desired, you can purchase ParishSOFT My Own Church, a web application that offers complete integration with Ministry Scheduler (and ParishSOFT’s other ParishSOFT applications). Members can use these applications to manage their own records. Changes to a record are processed electronically and without delay so you are assured of having a minister’s most current personal and schedule information.
If the previous alternatives do not work for you, you can manually enter the required minister information directly into Minister Directory.
To discuss these alternatives and determine which one is best for your organization, contact a ParishSOFT sales representative. See Contacting Us.
After your ministers’ personal data is entered into Ministry Scheduler, inform members of your church that they can log in and create an account and then volunteer for ministries of interest. Refer them to the Ministry Scheduler Minister Guide for instructions.
Configuring Ministry Scheduler
How to View and Update Incomplete Minister Directory Records
<Back to schedule creation diagram>