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Contact Data Entry

Entering a contact begins with searching. Always try searching for an individual in multiple ways - for example, by partial name and by address or phone number. Click People > Search > Find a Person to display the advanced search form. This practice prevents creating duplicate records. If the individual cannot be found, you must add a new household.

Tip! People entering contacts should have the People Edit, People Contact, Address Edit, and Communication Edit security access rights. These rights allow entering contacts and updating addresses and communication values.

If you find the individual record, or a family member of the individual, you can click the actions gear in the search results listing to enter a contact form.

ClosedActions Gear > Enter a Contact

The first time you enter contacts, you will be asked to select a form (and possibly a service time). Once you have selected these options, Fellowship One remembers your selection until you close your Internet browser. You will only see the Service time drop-down list if you have chosen to associate service times with your contact form. See Create a Contact Form for details.

ClosedChoose a Form

If you need to change any the form selection, simply click Change Form at the top of the form.

ClosedChange Form

Next, check the address and communication values by clicking Show household view in the contact form, this takes you to the household view for the selected individual. You can see all communication and address values as well as all household members.

ClosedShow Household View

In the household view, you can also enter additional family members. Often, children will have records in the database due to Check-in for activities like Children's service. Parents are often asked to complete visitor cards. These cards are typically entered through the contact data entry process after an activity has occurred.

When you have updated the household record, click Enter a contact form in the Actions area on the right side of the household view. This will display the contact form again.

Household or Individual

You are given the opportunity to enter contacts for either the household or the individual. Some items lend themselves to households - like first visit/guest contact items. Other items are particular to the individual - like women's, men's, or children's ministry requests. You may enter some items for the household and others for individuals in the household.

ClosedHousehold Contacts

ClosedIndividual Contacts

Entering contacts for individuals has the benefit of also allowing assignment registrations and applying individual attributes. See Create a Contact Form for details on how to associate activity registrations and individual attributes with contact forms. These options only display when entering contacts for individuals.

Initial Note

The text entered into the Initial note field can be seen by everyone working tasks from this form. For example, if both the First Visit and Interest - Small Groups contact items are selected, both Fellowship One users responsible for these items will see the initial note when working these items.

Contact Item Notes

The Notes option beside each contact item allows you enter notes specifically for the person responsible for working the contact item. These notes will not be seen by the other people working contact items on this card. They are not private, they can be accessed by all staff that have the Ministry Read access right to the associated ministry.

Entering Contacts

The steps to enter a contact are

  1. Use people search to try and locate the individual in at least two ways. If the person cannot be found, you must add a new household.
  2. Check to make sure all address and communication values are up-to-date.
  3. Click Enter a contact form. This option is available from the actions gear in search results or from the actions gear in the individual view or from the list of available actions in the household view.
  4. Optionally, apply a service time to the contact form. This option is available if you have associated service times with your contact form. See Create a Contact Form for details.
  5. Select either Household or one of the individuals in the household from the Select household/individual drop-down list on the right side of the screen.
  6. Enter an Initial Note if appropriate.
  7. Select each contact item that applies to the selected individual or household. Remember that you can add notes for specific contact items by clicking the Notes option beside the contact item.
  8. Optionally, select another individual in the household and continue selecting contact items.
  9. Click View summary and review your entry.
  10. Click Save contact. Your contact is saved!

Quick Contact Entry

In cases where people call or email the church, you may need to enter a single contact item. There's a quick way to do this. Simply type the name or partial name of the person in the People Search field and press Enter to display search results. Click the name to display the individual record. Click the plus add new icon in the Contact Items widget.

Select the Contact Form and Contact Item. Optionally, you may also enter a note. Select the Only those with confidential contact rights can view this contact item if the item is confidential.

Note: The Confidential contact security access right is required to view confidential contacts.

ClosedQuick Contact Entry

Next, see working contacts