FAQ Profiles and Accounts
Note: if you have not yet read our introduction to Profiles and Accounts, we recommend you start there.
Q; Can I add someone to the system who does not have an email address?
A: By default, you cannot add a person to GoDoChurch unless they have an email address. Having said that, we realise not every church context has congregants who all have email. Because of this, we have given churches the option to disable email as a requirement for entering people into the system (you can access this setting in your database settings). When 'require email' is deactivated you will then need the following info to add a person to the system: First and last name, and a unique mobile number for the person.
To deactivate 'require email' open the main menu in GoDoChurch. Click Settings >> General. Un-tick the box that says 'Require people to have an email address'.
Q: Should I deactivate 'require email' in my settings?
A: Before you deactivate 'require email' consider the following. GoDoChurch relies on email addresses to send emails, follow up notifications, event registration confirmation, and many other things. By deactivating the need to have an email address you won't be able to use the Follow Up module or emailing features to their fullest potential. In summary, GoDoChurch works best when you have both email and a cell number for each of your congregants.
If, however, your church context means many people do not have email then you will need to deactivate the 'require email' setting in order to be able to add those people to your database.
Q: How do I add someone to the database without a contact number?
A: If you don't have a contact number for a person then you will need their email address to add them to your database. If you have neither an email or a contact number, and you absolutely must add them to your database, your only other option is to deactivate 'require email' in your settings, and then create a dummy cell number (e.g.: 28387273) for the person. Please note: We don't recommend this approach, as it rules out any means of contacting the person.
Q: How do I add a husband and wife who share an email address?
A: Unfortunately, there is no way to add two profiles to the system who share an email address because the system uses email address to tell profiles apart.
If a husband and wife share an email address you have only two options: 1) you can combine them into one profile (Jack and Jill Bennetts, for e.g.). We don't recommend this approach though as it causes problems when registering people for an event. If a profile representing a couple registers for an event you have no way of knowing if one or two people are registering.
The best approach is to encourage the couple to set up separate emails. If they are an elderly couple you could have someone help them with this. You can also set up their email accounts so all emails from one account are forwarded to the other account, allowing them to continue to manage both of their emails from one place, while having separate email addresses.