Directory

The Directory gives members quick access to contact information for others in your church. Find families, get phone numbers, send emails, and get driving directions—all from one place.

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Be sure to check our Reference Directories for sharing information about others.

Who Appears in the Directory

Member Directory

The main directory shows members only. Membership is determined by a user's role:

  • Each role in Lightpost has a "membership level" setting

  • Users with roles set to "Indicate Membership" appear in the directory

  • Users with "Visitor" or "Non-member" roles do not appear

For more information on configuring roles and membership levels, see the Roles & Permissions Guide.

Reference Directories

In addition to the main member directory, your church can create reference directories for specific groups. These are useful for:

  • Former Members

  • Volunteer groups

Reference directories can include people who are not in the main member directory, making them flexible for special use cases.

People being in a Reference Directory does not mean they are able to login to your Lightpost account.

When reference directories exist, you'll see tabs at the top of the directory to switch between them.


Finding People

Use the search bar to find people by:

  • Name — First name, last name, or preferred name

  • Email address — Full or partial email

  • Phone number — Any format

  • Address — Street, city, or zip code

Search looks across the entire family, so searching for a child's name will find their family.

Browsing

The directory is organized alphabetically by last name. Use pagination to browse through all entries.


Directory Views

List View (Default)

Shows families in a card layout with:

  • Family last name

  • Head of household name (and spouse, depending on settings)

  • Children's names

  • Family photo thumbnail (if available)

Click any card to view the full family details.

Photo Directory

Some churches also enable a photo-only view that displays a grid of family photos for quick visual browsing.


Family Detail Page

Clicking a family opens their full contact information:

Family Members

Lists each person in the household with:

  • Name and family role (child, etc.)

  • Baptism status (if enabled by your church)

  • Birthday (never shows the birth year — only shows if enabled by your church)

  • Baptism birthday (if enabled by your church)

Click any family member to expand their details and download their vCard.

Membership Information

Depending on your church's settings, you may see:

  • Member since — Year the family joined

  • Wedding anniversary — Marriage date (if enabled)

Addresses

View all addresses for the family, including:

  • Address type (Home, Work, etc.)

  • Full formatted address

  • Map thumbnail preview

  • Directions button — Opens Google Maps with driving directions

Mailing-only addresses are labeled and don't show the directions option.

Phone Numbers

Lists all phone numbers for family members:

  • Owner's name (or "Family" for shared numbers)

  • Phone number (tap to call)

  • Phone type (Mobile, Home, Work, etc.)

One-tap calling: Tap any phone number to start a call directly from your device.

Email Addresses

Lists all email addresses for family members:

  • Owner's name (or "Family" for shared emails)

  • Email address (tap to compose)

  • Email type label

One-tap email: Tap any email to open your email app with that address.


Quick Actions

Call

Tap any phone number to immediately start a call. On mobile devices, this opens your phone app. On desktop, it may open your default calling application.

Text

On mobile devices, long-press a phone number to access messaging options, or use your device's standard text/SMS app with the displayed number.

Get Directions

Tap the Directions button next to any address to open Google Maps with turn-by-turn directions from your current location.

Download vCard

Each family member has a vCard download button. Tap it to save their contact information directly to your phone's contacts app.


Privacy & Visibility

What Others Can See

Members can only view contact information that has been:

  • Entered into the system by church staff

  • Added or updated by individual members (is enabled for your account)

  • Not marked as hidden by the individual

Hidden Information

Users can request to have specific contact details hidden from the directory:

  • Individual phone numbers

  • Individual email addresses

  • Addresses

Hidden items appear in the admin panel but not in the member-facing directory.

Deceased Members

Members marked as deceased are automatically excluded from the directory but their historical data is preserved in the admin system.


Display Settings

Your church administrator can customize what appears in the directory:

Setting
Effect

Show directory by user

Lists individuals instead of families

Show spouse in family name

Displays "John & Jane Smith" instead of just "John Smith"

Show member since

Displays membership year on family pages

Show wedding anniversary

Displays marriage date on family pages

Show birthdays

Displays birthday for each family member — birth year is never shown

Show baptism birthdays

Displays baptism date for each family member

Hide baptism status

Hides baptized/not baptized indicator


Mobile App

The directory is fully functional in the Lightpost mobile app with the same features:

  • Search by name, email, phone, or address

  • Browse families alphabetically

  • View full family details

  • One-tap calling and texting

  • One-tap directions via maps app

  • Download vCards to your contacts

The mobile app provides native integration with your device's phone, messaging, maps, and contacts apps for seamless communication.


Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I find someone in the directory? They may not have a "Member" role, may have been marked as a visitor, or may have requested their information be hidden.

Why is someone's phone number or email missing? That contact information may be marked as hidden, or it simply hasn't been entered into the system yet.

Can I update my own information? Yes, if your congregation has enabled the ability for members to edit their information. Otherwise, you can always contact your church administrator or leadership to update your contact details in the directory.

How do I get added to a reference directory? Reference directories are managed by administrators. Contact your church office to be added to a specific directory.

Is my information visible to everyone? Only logged-in members can view the directory. Your information is not publicly accessible on the internet.

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