Adding custom fields for small groups

Overview of intended functionality

When adding small groups, we've tried to anticipate the most common standard and optional field needs for small group information. However, you can add custom fields for any additional group details that don't fit neatly in one of the standard or optional group fields.

For example, you may want to maintain additional details of group leader names or the typical group meeting duration. This information could be added to the group Description field - or you could add small group custom fields. When adding custom fields, you can control the ability to view and edit a field, meaning group custom fields can be set to show on the group page that prospective small group members will see; and editable in My ChurchSuite by group leaders with "Edit Group Details" role permissions.

You can choose from a range of formats for the field response data. Field Name and Option labels have a 250-character maximum limit, while responses for Single sentence and Paragraph type fields have a 250-character maximum length. Custom fields can be optionally set as required in ChurchSuite (affecting Small Groups module Users) with additional settings to control who can view and edit fields and whether the field is required in other parts of the ecosystem - My ChurchSuite, Connect and Embed.

Custom fields are fully searchable using the module's Advanced Search and can be used as conditions in Smart Tags. Finally, the Table Generator report can be used to identify missing or present custom field responses.

Adding custom fields

To add a custom field, go to the Small Groups module settings by clicking the cogwheels icon at the top-right corner of the module.

On the Module Options tab scroll down to the Custom Fields section and click Add custom field.

On the Add custom field pop-up, enter an appropriate custom field Name and select the response Type. Depending on the response type, you can set response Options by clicking Add option. You can re-order response options by clicking the re-ordering control to the left of each option or remove an unwanted option entirely. You can also set whether the field is Required in ChurchSuite - module users will be required to add a response to the custom field when adding or editing groups and when importing groups into the module.

Finally, the Settings determine the visibility and ability to edit the custom field in other parts of ChurchSuite, and whether it is required. In this way, a field could be set as required for module Users but not required in other places where people may be viewing group details or where permitted role-holders are editing their group details. Similarly, some custom fields may be internal-use only - such as a risk assessment date that you don't wish to be visible when viewing the group details outside of ChurchSuite but is a required field for Users when they are adding, editing or importing groups. Remember to click Save to add the new custom field.

The newly-added custom field is now listed under Custom Fields. Continue adding other custom fields as/if needed. Note the option to re-order by clicking the Order icons.

Changing existing custom fields and response options

You can make changes to custom field settings and response options by selecting Edit from the action menu (shown below). Note that a View changes log is maintained for all changes subsequently made to that custom field. You can also permanently (immediately and irreversibly) Delete an unwanted custom field, which will also remove all knowledge of all groups' responses - delete with caution!

When editing a custom field you can change the Order of options in the list - perhaps having added a new option that you wish to be positioned in a certain place in the list. Click the re-order control to the left of the option name. The option order is respected across ChurchSuite wherever that custom field is surfaced as editable. Additionally, making a change to a custom field's Name or Option label will immediately make that change known across the platform. For example, changing an existing option from "Yes" to "Risk Assessed" will update all groups in the module whose data had the old response to now have the new response.

From time to time, you may wish to remove unwanted response options that no longer serve a useful purpose. Clicking the X next to a response option will give you a choice to permanently (immediately and irreversibly) Delete the option - which will delete all knowledge of that response from all groups - or to Archive the response option.

Having made a selection to archive or delete, remember to click Save on the Edit pop-up. Archived response options can later be Set as active again if desired. Archiving an option will cause it to no longer be available to select when adding new data but will continue to show (with strike-through) at the bottom of the list of response options in the module settings and remain as the selected option against any group that has previously chosen it. Therefore, it's possible to Edit a group that has an archived response option and make an unrelated change, and the archived option will persist against that group when saved. Archived response options remain fully searchable in Advanced Search and Smart Tags.

Note that it's only possible to change the response Type to another within the same subtype, as follows:

• List subtype: Checkbox List, Drop-Down List, Radio List
• Non-list subtype: Email, Phone, Single Sentence, Paragraph
• Date subtype: Date

Batch-updating custom field response data

When adding a new custom field that is required - and where you have existing groups - the Batch Update action can be used to assign a default value to all those groups. This action is only available for required fields but you can temporarily set a field as required to perform a batch update to assign a default value and then un-require the field afterwards.

Selecting Batch update will open a pop-up, enabling you to select the default response option to be written to all groups. Note that this will update all groups in the site/s being viewed. Only those groups without existing valid custom field response values will be updated - those groups with an existing response value (active or archived) will not be changed.

Custom fields in action

Custom field responses can be added when adding or editing a small group. Required custom fields are distinguished by a red asterisk - module users will be unable to save the pop-up until all the required fields, including required custom fields, have valid entries.

Custom fields are shown on the Details tab of a group profile.

Similarly, in the member-facing My ChurchSuite, group members with Edit group role permissions - perhaps those with a "Leader" role - can edit their group details, including custom fields that are set editable in My ChurchSuite.

Those viewing the group in My ChurchSuite will see custom fields whose My ChurchSuite visibility is enabled.

Custom fields are fully searchable when using the Advanced Search feature to search groups.

Custom Fields can also be used as Smart Tag conditions to match people who have or don't have certain custom field options.

---