Using the Attendance Screen

Note: Some new users make the mistake of trying to use attendance features of ChurchTrac before setting up the nuts and bolts that ensure the attendance features will work properly. For instance, you should not attempt to enter or add attendance records until you have entered all your names into the database (people screen), and properly set up your groups and classes (groups screen). Be sure to read and follow the setup instructions in the Groups Screen section of this user’s guide before proceeding with setting up attendance.

 

Creating a New Attendance Event Click the “Add attendance records for a new date” button to create a new set of attendance records for the group category you’ve selected. By default, the new attendance entries that ChurchTrac creates are unchecked (blank)—or “absent”. When using the detailed attendance tracking method, ChurchTrac will only create attendance entries for individuals who are actively assigned to one of the groups in the selected group category. Tip: You might be tempted to create new attendance events in advance, but this isn’t recommended. Since ChurchTrac creates new attendance records based on existing group membership, it’s best to enter all your attendance data, new members, and guests before creating new blank attendance records for the next event occurrence. For example, if it is the first week of the month, don’t create new attendance events for every Sunday in the month. It is recommended that you create a new attendance event only after entering the attendance data from the previous event. You should enter this Sunday’s attendance before creating an event to track next Sunday’s attendance. If you create events many weeks (or months) in advance, any changes you make (like adding or removing names from a group) will not be copied to the upcoming attendance events you’ve already created. Note: Each group category can only have one set of attendance records per date.

Entering Attendance Data
To mark someone present, simply click the check box next to each name, or uncheck the box to mark them absent. When using the count method for tracking attendance, simply enter the total number present for each group.

Tip: By default, every person is marked “absent” when you create new attendance records in ChurchTrac. Use the “Mark All Present” and “Mark All Absent” buttons to quickly mark every person in the current group present or absent.