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Use Programs to plan each service and Templates to save a reusable service plan. A template can include an order of service, a recurrence, and segments that become rota duties. The relationship is:
  • Template: A reusable service plan with segments, rota needs, scope, and optional recurrence. Use it to create one program or generate recurring programs.
  • Program: One dated service created from a template. It may optionally link to an Event. Its assignable segments appear as duties and slots on the matching Rota.
  • Duty and slots: A duty is a serving role; its capacity is the number of people needed. Rota managers assign department members to the open slots.
For the rota assignment and calendar steps, see Create a serving schedule in Rota.

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Set up a reusable template

  1. Open Programs, select the Templates tab, then select New template.
  2. Enter a Name and optional Description.
  3. Choose Organization or Department under Scope. If you choose Department, select the department. This controls which rota the resulting service is planned for.
  4. Add the service order under Segments. Select Add segment for each part of the service, such as Welcome, Worship, Scripture, or Sermon. You can add an optional time label, duration, presenter, reference, or notes, then move segments to set their order.
  5. For each segment that needs a serving team, enable Assignable in rota and enter People needed. That number becomes the slot capacity for the resulting duty. Leave the option off for service segments that do not need rota assignments. Assignable segment titles must be distinct.
  6. If the service repeats, enable Recurs. Choose Weekly or Monthly, set the interval in weeks or months (1–52), select the Weekday or Day of month, and set the Time. You can also set a Timezone and Generate horizon, days (1–120 days).
  7. If each recurring program should also have an event, enable Create a linked event for each recurring program and set the event duration and optional location. This option is available when recurrence is enabled.
  8. Select Create template.
The template preview shows its planned rota slots and duties per program, and whether it appears on an organization or department rota. Recurrence creates program occurrences within the configured horizon. A template without recurrence can still be selected when you create a program manually.

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Create a dated program from a template

  1. Select the Programs tab and select New service.
  2. Choose From template and select a Template. The preview shows the rota slots and duties the template requests.
  3. Optionally choose an existing event in Link to an event.
  4. Set Date and time, then select Create program.
The new program uses the template’s service structure and scope. Its assignable segments provide the duties and open slots on Rota. New programs start as Draft. Rota managers can prepare assignments from their Rota view, but other staff can see and respond to a program only after it is Published. In the Programs tab, use the program’s row actions to select Publish when it is ready for staff. Open Rota to assign people. You can also choose Blank program and enter a Title, Date and time, optional description, and scope. A blank program has no template, so it does not appear on a department rota. Choose From template when you need a serving roster.

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Understand events, recurrence, and Rota

  • A Program is the service plan for a particular date. An Event is a separate record that you can link to it. Linking an event is optional and does not create rota duties on its own.
  • Recurrence belongs to the Template. When enabled, Faithloft generates dated programs that use the template; those programs then supply the rota duties.
  • A segment marked Assignable in rota becomes a duty. People needed sets the duty’s starting capacity. Rota managers can adjust the capacity for an individual occurrence from the rota board.
  • A segment without Assignable in rota remains part of the service plan but does not create a duty or slots.
  • The calendar subscription and Google or Outlook connection are under Rota. They sync your personal rota, rather than creating or changing a program template. See Sync your rota to a calendar.

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Maintain programs and templates

Use the Templates tab to edit or delete a reusable plan. Segment duties are maintained through their program template. When Faithloft reports that a template change could not be synced to some rota duties, review that warning and check the affected services. Use the Programs tab to manage individual services. Depending on your access and the program’s status, actions include editing, linking or unlinking an event, publishing, unpublishing, or archiving the program. If Programs, Templates, or an action is unavailable, contact your church administrator.