The Group Locator feature functions as a comprehensive ‘bird's eye’ view for all your groups, listing all groups marked with an address on a map for reference. The locator can be filtered by locations and categories to narrow down results.
Tithely Tip
Learn how to Enable The Group Finder next!
Benefits of Group Locator
The Group Locator feature becomes particularly useful when helping a member find a small group close to a particular area or landmark. It enhances the way people connect and participate in group activities by providing a visual and searchable map of group locations.
Enabling and Customizing Group Finder in Your Member Area
The Group Finder feature allows members to search and filter groups within your organization, enhancing the way people connect and participate in group activities. Follow these steps to enable and customize the Group Finder:
- Navigate to Settings.
- Select Groups.
- Select Group Finder.
- Enable the Group Finder. At the top of the page, you'll find a simple Yes/No option to enable the Group Finder.
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Customize Group Finder Options: Once enabled, you can make additional choices regarding which groups can appear and the options users can use to filter groups in the member area:
- Automatically Contact People: Automatically contact people when they request to join a group.
- Map: The Group Finder has an interactive map to view the approximate location where groups will meet. You can either show the map by default or hide it behind a map button.
- Embed Code: Obtain the embed code to place the Group Finder on your website or other platforms.
- Filters: Allow your members to filter the list of available groups by certain attributes of the group. For example, this will allow them to filter to only see groups within the 'Small Groups' category.
- Restrictions: Restrict the list of available groups by certain attributes of the group. For example, you may want to restrict groups based on their location.
- Save Your Settings.
Understanding Filtering and Restriction Options
Filtering: This setting determines if users can filter groups based on specific criteria on the front end. For instance, users might filter groups by preferred Group Categories or by demographics relevant to them.
Restrictions: This allows the church to control which groups are displayed. For example, you might choose to show only groups assigned to the Adults demographic and in the “Small Groups” category. The configuration is customizable according to the church's preferences.
Important for Existing Churches
If you're enabling Group Finder for the first time, consider adding “Group Finder” to your navigation menu under Settings > Layouts. This step is crucial for existing churches that have previously customized their menu, ensuring that members can easily locate the Group Finder in the Member area. New accounts should have this set by default.
Note on Group Visibility
Please note that the Group Finder will not display groups you are already a member of. To view your groups, members should navigate to "My Groups."