Small Groups vs. Meeting Times

In Connection Card Pro, Small Groups and Meeting Times work together, but they’re not the same thing.

You can think of them in this way:

Small Groups = Who
Meeting Times = When

This guide explains the difference, how they work together, and when to create each one.

Table of contents

• Overview: The difference at a glance
• Small Groups: Who your people belong to
• Meeting Times: When gatherings actually happen
• How they work together
• Common setups
• Quick decision guide
• Tips & best practices

Overview: The difference at a glance

Small Groups are about the people: roster, leaders, roles, and group identity.

Meeting Times are about the gathering: the date/time pattern, calendar visibility, and attendance/check-in.

In most cases you’ll use both:

• Small Group defines the community.
• Meeting Time defines when that community actually gathers (and how you track attendance).

Small Groups: Who your people belong to

What a Small Group is

A Small Group represents a relational community of people – the roster, leaders, and all the details about that group.

Typical examples:

• Adult small group / life group
• Youth small group
• Bible study, home group, support group, etc.

Key things Small Groups are for

• Rosters & relationships
  • Who is in the group, who leads it, and how you contact them.
• Visibility & sign-ups
  • Public / Personal Hub group profile (image, description, location).
  • “Can join / request to join” settings for people using the Personal Hub or public group pages.
• Care & communication
  • Group-level email, text, and other communication tools.
  • Group files, notes, prayer needs, and other group-only content in the Personal Hub.
• Leader / member roles
  • Primary / secondary leader classifications.
  • Background check / training requirements.
• Age/grade restrictions
  • Optional age/grade rules that help keep the right people in the right group.
  • Age/grade rules can be used to easily run promotions each year, such as for school age promotions each year. 

•  Attendance and Check-in
   o Attendance can be recorded in Small groups.
   o Used in kiosks to check-in individuals and record attendance.

Where you’ll usually manage Small Groups

• Groups > Small Groups
• An individual group’s page (especially the Roster and Meeting Times tabs)

Meeting Times: When gatherings actually happen

What a Meeting Time is

A Meeting Time represents a specific recurring or one-off gathering that you can check people into and track attendance for.

Typical examples:

• “Sunday 9:00 AM Service”
• “Wednesday Youth”

Key things Meeting Times are for

• Attendance & check-in
  • Every Meeting Time is “check-in-able.”
  • Used in kiosks and the Attendance screens to mark who showed up.
• Schedule & frequency
  • Stores day of week, time, and frequency (weekly, custom, etc.).
• Calendars & reminders
  • Can show on public calendars and in the Personal Hub / mobile app.
  • Can send reminder emails and (optionally) track RSVP responses.
• Connect a Meeting Time to a Group
  • In the “Belongs to" field, you can associate a Small Group, Crew, or Class with a Meeting Time to show on public calendars and in the Personal Hub / mobile app.
• Serving & resources
  • “Crews and Volunteer Scheduling” ties volunteer positions to a Meeting Time.
  • “Resources” links rooms & resources (for availability and conflicts).

Where you’ll usually manage Meeting Times

• Services > Meeting Times (full list)
• The Meeting Times tab when viewing a specific Small Group, Department, etc.

How they work together

Although you can use each one on its own, they’re strongest together:

• Small Group holds the roster and public profile.
• Meeting Time represents the actual gathering on the calendar and for attendance/check-in. When creating/editing your Meeting Time select the group you want to connect to this meeting time from the "Belongs to" field.

This pairing gives you the best of both worlds:

• A clear place to manage who belongs in the group (Small Group roster and roles)
• A consistent way to track who attended each gathering (Meeting Time check-in and attendance)
• Flexibility to adjust a meeting time date (from the small group roster > Meeting time tab at the top) when you are skipping a meeting due to a holiday or other event.

You can still record attendance and/or check someone in directly to a small group, but setting up your Meeting times will help you make the most out of tracking attendance within your organization. When you have a meeting time connected to your small group you also have more flexibility to adjust the meeting time (from the small group roster > Meeting time tab at the top) such as when you are not meeting one week due to a holiday, etc.

If you want people to see their own roster use small groups. If you want it on the calendar, use meeting times, and better yet, just create a meeting time for that small group where you select the small group that belongs to that meeting time!

Common setups

1) Ongoing small group

• Create a Small Group with image, description, location, leaders, age restrictions, etc.
• Create a Meeting Time and:
  • Set the day/time and weekly frequency.
  • Display on appropriate calendars.
  • Associate that Small Group in the “Belongs to” field of your Meeting Time.
• Result: Members see the group profile, see gatherings on the calendar, and you can check them in each week.

2) Small group that doesn’t need full calendar / check-in

• You can keep a Small Group without a dedicated Meeting Time if you:
  • Only need a roster & communication.
  • Don’t need calendar display or kiosk check-in for that group.
• You can still add a Meeting Time later if needs grow.

When should I create a small Group vs. a Meeting Time?

Quick decision guide

Create / use a Small Group when you need:

• A roster of people who belong together over time.
• Leaders with specific roles and permissions.
• Public/Personal Hub group pages people can browse and join.
• Group-specific files, notes, and prayer needs.
• Age/grade restrictions or leader classifications.
• Recording attendance / Check-in via kiosk

Create / use a Meeting Time when you need:

• To track attendance or check-in for a gathering.
• To add something to calendars (public or member-only).
• To send reminder emails and (optionally) capture RSVPs.
• To connect volunteer Crews/Positions for scheduling.
• To attach rooms & resources and avoid double-booking.

In most cases you’ll use both:

• Small Group defines the community, used for grouping people together, and recording attendance.
• Meeting Time defines when that community actually gathers, and used for recording attendance.

Tips & best practices

• Name Meeting Times clearly. Include day/time or a clear identifier (especially if you have multiple similar gatherings).
• Use the Small Group for belonging. Keep rosters, roles, and group identity in the Small Group—not scattered across Meeting Times.
• Use Meeting Times for attendance. If you want consistent check-in and reporting, track it on the Meeting Time.
• Start simple. If you only need rosters and communication, begin with a Small Group and add a Meeting Time later if needed.