My serving: responding and blockout dates

When a leader puts you on a service roster and sends the invitations, you get a request to serve. Answer with one tap, and the leader sees right away who has confirmed.

The request to serve

• The email "Serving request: …" has a Respond button. It opens the Request to serve page with the service, your position, the team and the date. You don't need to sign in. The When line there can look technical because it shows UTC time; the email has your church's local time.
• If you want to add something, type it in Note (optional). Then click Accept or Can't make it.
• After Can't make it, pick someone on the team who has agreed to cover for you, confirm it and click Decline, … replaces me. Or click Decline without naming anyone. Only then is your answer saved.
• On the same page you can add blockout dates right away (see below).
• On iPhone and iPad the push notification has the same buttons: Accept and Can't make it. On Android the notification has no buttons, so tap it and answer in the app.

In the app

Church tab → My serving section (it shows up when you have upcoming serving). Each one shows its status: Invitation, Accepted, Confirmed or Declined.

• Accept — you confirm.
• Can't make it — you can give a reason (the team leader will see it) and tap Send. Changed your mind? Right after declining, before the item leaves the list, tap I can after all. Later, answer again through the link in the email or tell your leader.
• If you added blockout dates for that day, the app asks if you're sure: Accept anyway.

Tap a serving item to open the My assignment details: the service and rehearsal times, Open service plan and Who else is serving.

The first time you get a request, the app offers to turn on notifications. It's worth it, so nothing slips past you.

On Android the app also has Replacement (optional) when you decline, and an Open spots section under My serving with dates you can take yourself. The iPhone and iPad app in the App Store doesn't have these yet. Use the browser or the email link for them.

In the browser

Mine → My serving lists your serving with its status. There you can also:

• click Accept or I can't, and name a replacement when you decline,
• under Open spots, take a date the leader opened for your position with I'll take it. You can withdraw without asking the leader up to 48 hours before the service,
• under Household and serving, choose how you serve with your family: No preference, Together with my household or Never on the same day.

Blockout dates

Going away? Add it ahead of time. The leader will see it while building the schedule, and suggested rosters will skip you.

In the app: Church → Personal group → My blockout dates → the + button at the top (Add blockout dates):

• From and To,
• Every week — for regular dates (up to 7 days, repeats every week), e.g. Saturday–Sunday means every weekend,
• Reason (optional) → Save.

To delete blockout dates, swipe the row to the left.

In the browser you add blockout dates on the page from a serving request email: in Add blockout dates fill in From and To (and Reason if you like), then click Add blockout. The Mine → My serving page has no such form. A leader can also add them for you on your directory card, on the Blockout dates tab.

Serving in your phone's calendar

• In the app: under the My serving list → My serving in my phone's calendar.
• In the browser: Planning → Calendar → Subscribe → Create my calendar link, then add it to Google, Apple or Outlook.

The calendar refreshes by itself, but Google can take anywhere from a few hours to more than ten to pick up changes.

On your serving day

On iPhone, on the day of a serving you've accepted, a countdown to the rehearsal and service appears on the lock screen once you open the app. It's on from the start. You can turn it off in Settings → Notifications → Automatic countdown on serving day. There's also a "My assignment" widget for the home screen (on Android it's called "My serving"). On Android you get a persistent notification instead of the countdown.

Can't see your serving?

The My serving section only shows invitations the leader has already sent. If the leader says you've been invited but you see nothing, the directory probably has two cards for you: one added by hand, with you on the roster, and one created with your account. Ask an administrator to open People → Directory, the Duplicates tab, and click Compare and merge. What's on the roster moves to the card that stays.

The same goes for this message under Church → Personal group → My blockout dates: "Your account isn't linked to the church's people directory yet — ask a leader." There's no separate screen for linking an account to a card, so ask your administrator.

What's next

• The app for musicians: iPhone, iPad and Android
• WorshipPro guides — where to start