When deciding whether to make groups inactive, the key question is not how to do it, but rather what historical data needs to be retained.

• Option 1: Track when a group existed & who was in it.
• Option 2: Track which groups an individual participated in over time.

Both approaches are valid, depending on how the church manages group records. Individual history appears on an individual’s detail page as group involvement, but no group history detail page exists. This is why the “Inactive Groups” Group Type may be necessary.

Option 1: Tracking Group Existence & Membership

Group Type Setup

1. Create a group type for all inactive groups, named “Inactive Groups.”
2. Set the group type to not searchable & not public.
3. Leaders & members within this group type do not require permissions.
4. Ensure all custom fields remain available for this group type.

Moving Groups to Inactive

1. Navigate to Manage/Move Groups from the existing group type.
2. Move the inactive group(s) into the “Inactive Groups” group type.

Permissions & Span of Care (SOC)

• Regardless of how Span of Care (SOC) is configured, modify it to exclude the “Inactive Groups” group type.
• This ensures these groups remain hidden in individual SOCs as needed.

Option 2: Tracking Individual Participation Over Time

If only a few individuals are leaving a group (rather than the entire group becoming inactive), creating an Inactive Groups Group Type may not be necessary.

Using Historical Reports

• The M1211 Core Attendance Records Report (v3.1 & later) tracks historical group attendance for individuals no longer assigned to a group.
• The first report filter, “Return These People,” allows selection of:
  • Individuals who attended a group but are not currently assigned.

By removing individuals from an active group, attendance data remains intact & accessible through this report.

Note: This alternative will not appear in the involvement graph on an individual’s record. Using the Inactive Groups Group Type is the only way to view historical group history directly on an individual record.

Updated March 05, 2025 20:59