1. Plan Services
2. People
3. Elements
4. Worship Songs
5. Misc. Reports
6. Settings & Misc
7. Help

Let's go over each of the options in detail:

1. Plan Services

The title should be fairly self explanatory. When planning a church service, you'll want to click this first. You'll be presented with a little window pane which appears at the top left of your desktop. If you have services typed into SB already, this window will list all those which are upcoming. Otherwise it will be blank, with buttons and drop-down boxes to choose from.
To add a new service, start by clicking the 'View All' button at the bottom of this window pane.

A new window opens now which contains a lot of input boxes, tabs, and buttons. It can seem a little overwhelming. This is where you place all your information about your Sunday service.

If there are services already typed in, the database will automatically go to this Sunday's service.

At the bottom right of this window, click the [>*] button. This is a 'create a new record' button. Many of the screens throughout ServiceBuilder will have this button for adding new records.

Now that you've pressed the button, the first thing to do is to click the aqua text box, and enter a date. The date format will depend on where you live and how you have Windows set up. On my computer it's 7/4/2004 9:30.

Press TAB or ENTER when you're done and the record will be saved with this new date. It will also convert the date to long format automatically.

Your flashing 'cursor' will now be in the "Series:" box. Type a series name for your pastor's message, or leave blank if you prefer. Press TAB or ENTER again, and type in a Message title from your pastor's sermon.

Choose a name for your service now, in the drop down box above the aqua date box.

Pressing TAB three more times from the "Message:" box (or using your mouse to click there), you'll be ready to type an 'order of service.'

There are four tabs (Service Elements, People and Roles, Worship Details, and Notes/Comments) across the middle of the screen. We will work on the Service Elements tab first.

A. Service Elements | back | top

Service Elements is the name we give to things which happen in a church service like an offering, a special song, a prelude, an announcement, a hymn, etc.

This tab contains ten columns:

#, Length, Element Type, Main Info/Comment, Database Link, Person, checkboxes, and Backups/Actors

1. The first column is the order of the item in the service. If it's the first item, you would make this '1'.
2. The second column is the length in hours:minutes:seconds of the item in the order of service.
3. The third column is the Element Type. Here you would type something like 'Prelude,' or 'Offering' or 'Bible Reading.'
4. The fourth column is information or comments about this element.
5. The fifth column is a link to an element in the database; maybe a special, drama, video clip, reading, or other multi-media event. This has it's own column so you can keep track of how often you do certain elements. THIS DOES NOT refer to the name of a hymn, worship song, or chorus as they are placed in the WORSHIP DETAILS tab.
6. The sixth column is for the name of the person responsible for the item in the order of service.
7. The check boxes stand for contacted, confirmed, and has material respectively.
8. The backups/actors box is an additional text box for more detailed information about who is involved in the item in question.

Clicking a GO button next to an item will take you to more detailed information about that item.
Changing the number in the order column (#) will change the order of service.

B. People and Roles | back | top

People and Roles is the place to schedule people involved in this service.

This tab contains six columns

Roles, People, checkboxes, and Notes

1. The first column is the name of the role, such as speaker, actor, announcements, pianist, etc.
2. The second column is the name of the person in this role.
3. The next three columns are check boxes which stand for contacted, confirmed, and has material respectively.
4. The next column is a place to enter special notes pertaining to that role or that person.

C. Worship Details | back | top

Worship Details is the place to schedule worship songs, choruses, and hymns.

This tab contains seven columns

Order, Song Name, Length, Key, Speed, How Known, Overhead, Chart

1. The first column is the spot to change the order of worship songs. Putting a '1' in a box makes the song appear first in the list.
2. The second column is the name of the worship song, hymn, or chorus.
3. The third column is the key in which this song is played in.
4. The fourth column is a name to represent the speed of the song.
5. The fifth column is a name to repreent how well the congregation knows the song
6. The sixth column is two checkboxes. The first is for indicating if an overhead is made for the song. The second is to indicate if special lead sheets have been made for the song, or sheet music is available for the song.

Clicking the GO button takes you to more details about the song.

D. Notes/Comments | back | top

Notes/Comments is a place to indicate special information about the service. It might be where you type the scripture your pastor is using, or reminders about rehearsal that week, or any number of different things.

You've now successully entered in information for your service. Let's move along the bottom menu to the next item: People.

2. People | top

Service Builder has an extensive membership management section. From this part of the database you can keep track of your congregation, your visitors, your guest speakers, musicians, teachers, and more.

When you click People on the menu, a new menu appears. Starting at the bottom, it gives the following options:
People List, Dates Unavailable, Fill Holes in Schedule, Fill Schedule, People/Date-Type Search, People with No Birthday, Search Roles, Prayer Schedule-All, Prayer Schedule by Day, Album Owners, and People Reports.

A. People List | back | top

The people list an important part of ServiceBuilder, because it's the way you manage musicians, technical people, attendees, members, and more. Each row in the People List contains specific information for one person.

• Sort: the checkbox here allows you to put certain people at the top of the list, while others are at the bottom
• The yellow box is the 'available' box. You can type a phrase, such as n/a, current, etc.
• The number below the yellow box is the ID number associated with each person.
• The 'h' stands for home phone.
• The 'w' stands for work phone.
• The 'f' stands for fax.
• The 'spouse' box to the right of the name field is for the husband's or wife's name.
• The box to the right of the spouse is for the person's address.
• The 'primary instrument' is a free-form box. You can use it for anything.
• The referral box is a place to keep track of who referred this individual to you, or the church.
• The comment box is a free-form spot to type information pertaining to this individual.
• The 'r' stands for reads, and is a way to indicate how well the person reads music (if they are a musician).
• The 'e' stands for ear, and is a way to indicate how well the person can improvise or play by ear (if they are a musician).
• The 's' stands for seeker, and is a way to indicate whether the individual is a believer or a non-Christian.
• The email box is for a single email address. You may be able to separate multiple addresses with a semi-colon.
• The three buttons below the email address are:
  • Add to Distribution List: Adds this name to the distribution list. Clicking it will generate a response to first clear the list or to add the name to whatever names are already in this list.
  • Send Personal Email: Opens up a new email to the person in question
  • View Prayer List: Opens up a list for prayer requests regarding this person.
• The check box called Mailing List is a way to subscribe and unsubscribe this person from being contacted.

Following are five buttons:

1. Away: This opens up a new window for viewing and/or adding dates the person cannot attend a service or event.
2. Roles: This opens up a new window in which you can specify groups the person belongs to: male, female, singer, drummer, elder, etc.
3. Date Types: This opens up a new window in which you can add special dates: birthdays, anniversaries, date of membership, etc.
4. Schedule: This opens up a new window in which you can view the dates this person has been scheduled for a service or event.
5. Tasks: This opens up a new report in which you can view the ministry tasks which this person has been made responsible for.

At the bottom of the People List are six buttons

1. Search Roles: This allows you to search the People List for groups of people. For example, all attendees, elders, drummers, members, etc.
2. Search Name: This allows you to search the People List for names: Smith, George, John, etc.
3. List All: This shows all the names in the People List, and will remove any filter you've enabled.
4. Contact All: This adds all people in the People List to your distribution list.
5. Prayer Schedule: This opens a new dialog box where you can view prayer requests for people scheduled on different days.
6. Close: This button will close the People List window.

B. Dates Unavailable | back | top

Clicking this button will open a new window in which you can view the dates people cannot attend or be involved in a service or event.
First select a name from the list, then type a date. Optionally include the reason they are unable to attend in the free-form box following the date.

The Schedule Conflicts button in the lower right corner allows you to view all of the existing conflicts: when someone is unavailable, and yet is scheduled.

C. Fill Holes in Service | back | top

When you click this item from the People menu, you'll be prompted to enter a service time. Once you enter a time, (eg: 9:30) then all the scheduled roles which do not have a person in them will be listed.

IMPORTANT: This only works if you have a 'person' in your People List, called N E E D E D. The spaces between the letters are necessary.

You can now work through all the empty, 'N E E D E D' roles, and schedule people in them.

Clicking a GO button next to a date will take you to the details of that service/event.

D. Fill Schedule | back | top

Like the command above, this allows you to make schedule changes, however it will show both N E E D E D roles, and filled roles.

First it will ask you for part of the service name. Type 'contem', for example, to display all Contemporary Services.

Once you have filled your schedule and you are satisfied with it, click the button, "Email Scheduled People for All Upcoming Services." When you do, the distribution list will be filled with scheduled People's information, including their personal ID. You can then send an email allowing them to view the schedule online.

E. People/Date-Type Search | back | top

This command opens a new window from which you can select groups of people based on date information. For example, you can choose everyone who has a birthday in August, or who were baptised in June. You can view all members birthdays, or the date newcomers were first contacted.

Simply select options from the three drop-down boxes to view the groups of people.

If you wish to contact them, click 'Add to List' to add them to your distribution list. You will be asked if you wish to first empty any names currently in the distribution list.

F. People With No Birthday | back | top

Because ServiceBuilder often allows you to filter by age or age range, it is important to have the birthdays of individuals in your People List. This view allows you to find people who are in the list but do not have a birthday attached to their name.

G. Search Roles | back | top

This allows you to search the People List for groups of people. For example, all attendees, elders, drummers, members, etc.

H. Prayer Schedule - All | back | top

This opens a new dialog box where you can view prayer requests for people scheduled on all days.

I. Prayer Schedule - By Day | back | top

This opens a new dialog box where you can view prayer requests for people scheduled on different days.

J. Album Owners | back | top

This is a convenient way to manage which people in your congregation own various CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, and other media.

Clicking the GO button will take you to details about the media collection in question.

H. People Reports | back | top

This menu item contains various reports pertaining to the People List.

3. Elements | top

Service Elements is the name we give to things which happen in a church service like an offering, a special song, a prelude, an announcement, a hymn, etc.

When you click Elements on the menu, a new menu appears. Starting at the bottom, it gives the following options:

Elements List, Elements Collection, Search Elements, and Element Reports.

A. Elements List | back | top

The Elements List contains text boxes as follows:

1. Title: the name of the drama, video clip, reading, special, etc.
2. Performer: The name of the performer of this element (if there is one)
3. Writer: The name of the writer of this drama/song/reading.
4. Type: Type could be drama, special, reading, comment, etc.
5. Length: The length in hh:mm:ss of this element.
6. Rating: A rating from one to ten (1-10) of this element
7. Charted: A place to indicate if a special or other music type has sheet music.
8. Comment: A place to put comments relating to the element.

There are five tabs across the top of the Elements List window. They are as follows:

1. Lyrics or Script
   • This is a place to type/copy-in the lyrics or script from a drama, or perhaps a description of a video clip.
   • Click the 'Print' button to view a print-preview of the element.
2. Chords/Music
   • This is a place to type/copy-in the chords/text-chart and music for your specials.
   • If you have sheet music saved as a Finale file, or PDF file, or other type of music file, you can paste the path to this file in the Hyperlink box. Clicking this link would then open the sheet music in the appropriate application.
   • Click the 'Print' button to view a print-preview of the element's music.
3. Themes
   • Each element can be associated with themes from your master theme list. Select a theme, then type comments if appropriate to further clarify how the element might relate to the theme.
4. Sources
   • Sources relates to the Elements Collection screen. You cannot add elements to collections from this view, you can only view which collections contain the element in question. Click the GO button to view details about the collection on which this element is hosted.
5. History
   • History is the screen which displays information on when this element has been used in the past.
   • This tab contains four columns: date, performer, backups, and comments.

B. Elements Collection | back | top

A Collection is the name given to albums, books, videos, all of which contain more than one element. The movie "Forest Gump" is a collection of scenes, from which some are elements which could be used in a service/event. The CD Sarah McLachlan, Fallen, is a collection which contains 10 songs, some of which might be appropriate as an element in a service.

The Collection screen contains information on

1. Its title
2. Its location
3. Its elements

The 'Only These' button allows you to filter by collection type. For example, all collections by Steve Camp, or the Eagles, or all collections that are 'videos.'

C. Search Elements | back | top

Choosing 'Search Elements' from the Elements menu will allow you to find elements containing keywords. For example, type love, and press enter. You will have a list of all elements with this word in their lyrics. Clicking GO next to the element title will take you to more specific information about that element. Clicking GO next to the album title will take you to more specific information about that Collection.

D. Element Reports | back | top

There are various reports available that are connected to elements.

4. Worship Songs | top

5. Misc. Reports | top

6. Settings & Misc | top

7. Help | top