# Lightpost

## Lightpost

- [Intro to Lightpost](https://docs.lightpost.app/readme.md): Below is a short demo of Lightpost.  This does not cover all the features available, but will help give an idea of how Lightpost works.
- [Welcome to Lightpost](https://docs.lightpost.app/getting-started/welcome-to-lightpost.md): After your new account is created, you'll need to ensure some setup steps to your account are completed.
- [How to Launch Lightpost](https://docs.lightpost.app/getting-started/how-to-launch-lightpost.md): Lightpost offers a few options for helping expedite getting your members aware and logged in.
- [Users](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/users.md)
- [User Management Overview](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/users/user-management-overview.md)
- [Login Methods](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/users/login-methods.md): Lightpost offers 3 different methods of logging in for members:  email, username and phone number.
- [Account Membership](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/users/account-membership.md): Account membership terminology can be confusing based on other systems use of this language. We'll try to clear that up here.
- [Family Units](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/users/family-units.md): Family units in Lightpost are a key part of how information is displayed throughout the app, especially in regards to the Directory.
- [Family Emails](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/users/family-emails.md)
- [Church Offices](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/users/church-offices.md): A "church office" (sometimes called a "church role" in congregations) are titles such as "Elder", "Deacon", "Minister", "Evangelist", etc.
- [Groups](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups.md): Groups are a special and import part of Lightpost for organization and communication.
- [Group Settings](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/group-settings.md): Where each group setting lives in the Admin and in the member apps, and which settings Group Admins can change themselves.
- [Group Posts and Forums](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/group-posts.md): Group Posts and Group Forums provide two ways for members to communicate using the same Lightpost group content.
- [Group Post Review](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/group-post-review.md): Require a Group Admin or Group Post Admin to approve new member posts or forum topics before the rest of the group can see them.
- [Scheduled Group Posts](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/scheduled-group-posts.md): Write a group post or forum topic now and have Lightpost publish it to the group at a later date and time.
- [Group Roles and Event Permissions](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/group-roles.md): Group Roles delegates administration, post moderation, messaging, and group calendar access for one specific group.
- [Group Video Calls](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/group-video-calls.md): Hold live video and audio calls with members of a Lightpost group.
- [Group ETAs](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/group-etas.md): Share a live arrival time with a group while traveling, including automatic ETA updates, notes, and arrival status.
- [Task Boards](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/task-boards.md): Give your groups a visual way to organize and track work. Each board is a Kanban-style layout with columns and cards that you can drag between columns as work progresses.
- [Group Lock](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/group-lock.md): Lightpost offers the ability to disallow adding new members, without explicit approval and alerting, to help ensure group posts and task boards remain private.
- [E-mailing](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/e-mailing.md): Lightpost allows your congregation to email groups for easy communication.
- [Email Costs](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/e-mailing/email-costs.md): Why do you charge for emails?  Shouldn't emailing be free?
- [Texting (SMS)](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/sms.md): Lightpost allows your congregation to text groups for quick, one-way communication from a dedicated toll-free number to the mobile numbers on people's profiles.
- [SMS and Text Encoding](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/sms/text-encoding.md): SMS messages use a special and limited character set.
- [Texting (MMS)](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/sms-1.md): Lightpost also allows your congregation to text groups for quick communication via MMS.
- [Voice Calls](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/voice-calls.md)
- [Numbers for SMS, MMS & Voice](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/numbers-for-sms-mms-and-voice.md)
- [Messaging Policies](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/messaging-policies.md)
- [Communication Use Policy](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/messaging-policies/communication-use-policy.md): Lightpost has strict use policies for sending emails, SMS and voice calls.
- [SMS message length limits](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/messaging-policies/sms-message-length-limits.md): Lightpost follows the technical 160 character limit per SMS.
- [E-mail Costs](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/groups/messaging-policies/e-mail-costs.md): Why do you charge for emails? Shouldn't emailing be free?
- [Roles](https://docs.lightpost.app/core-concepts/roles.md): Roles are different from Groups in that they are only used determine what access a user account has to Lightpost.
- [Directory](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/directory.md): 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.
- [Reference Directories](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/directory/reference-directories.md): You can allow members to see "reference" or "heritage" directories — typically a way to list former members' contact information.
- [Groups in the Directory](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/directory/groups-in-the-directory.md): Let members see which groups a person or family belongs to while browsing the directory, for the groups you choose.
- [Calendars](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/calendars.md): Lightpost's calendars helps your church organize and share events with members, groups, and the public. Create multiple calendars, set up recurring events, enable RSVPs & let members subscribe.
- [Media & Collections](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/media-and-collections.md): Lightpost offers the ability to upload sermons, lessons and studies, along with files and links related to the content.
- [Media / Sermons](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/media-and-collections/media-sermons.md): Media (previously called "Sermons" only) offers a great way to make Biblical content available to your members and the public.
- [Collections](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/media-and-collections/collections.md): Collections (previously called "Tags") has been updated to allow for better organization for admins and members alike.
- [Member Involvement](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/member-involvement.md): Involvement Areas are a great way to allow your congregation to see all the possible ways they can be involved in the work of the church and indicate which ways they are willing to participate.
- [Volunteers Management](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/member-involvement/volunteers-management.md): For all members that select involvement areas, you have a couple of options around what "side effects" might happen from that.
- [Volunteers List](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/member-involvement/volunteers-list.md): You can provide access via Roles for people to see a list of what members have selected which Involvement Areas.
- [New Member Highlights](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/new-member-highlights.md): Welcome new families by featuring them on the member home screen for a date range you choose.
- [Prayer Lists](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/prayer-lists.md): Prayer Lists let your congregation share, track, and follow prayer requests. Members can submit requests, add updates, indicate they are praying, and stay informed as situations develop.
- [Sign-up Sheets](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/sign-up-sheets.md): Sign-up Sheets digitizes the classic "sign-up sheet in the foyer" experience. Create digital sign-ups for events, meals, volunteering, and more—accessible from anywhere.
- [Song Tracking](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/song-tracking.md): Song Tracking helps you keep a record of songs sung during worship services. It provides a shared song library, song books, verse tracking, and a full history of what was sung, when, and by whom.
- [File Sharing](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/file-sharing.md): File Sharing lets your church distribute documents, media, and other files to members. Organize files in folders, control who can access them, and set expiration dates for time-sensitive content.
- [Bible Class Registration](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/bible-class-registration.md): Bible Class Registration helps your church manage classes that change regularly—like quarterly adult Bible studies, Sunday school classes, or midweek studies.
- [Programs](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/programs.md): Programs are available to all Lightpost accounts subscribed to at least the base subscription.
- [Group Check-in](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/programs/group-check-in.md): Watch the included video for a full demo!
- [Emergency Check-in](https://docs.lightpost.app/features/emergency-check-in.md): Emergency Check-in helps your church quickly account for members during a crisis—natural disasters, severe weather, etc.
- [Assignments](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/assignments.md): Assignments offer a great way to organize, assign, notify and manage assignments.
- [Assignment Details](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/assignments/assignment-details.md): Assignments have two types of details you can add to them for instructions to the assignee.
- [User Availability](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/assignments/user-availability.md)
- [Attendance Tracking](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/attendance-tracking.md): The Attendance feature in Lightpost offers a number of options centered around keeping attendance records for both head count and individual users.
- [Attendance Types](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/attendance-tracking/attendance-types.md): Attendance types in Lightpost define what attendance records we record user attendance for.
- [General Attendance Tracking](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/attendance-tracking/general-attendance-tracking.md): General attendance tracking is a way to record a "head count" for particular attendance types.
- [User Attendance Tracking](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/attendance-tracking/user-attendance-tracking.md): User attendance tracking is a way to take attendance for specific users who have been added to Lightpost.
- [Visitor Cards](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/attendance-tracking/visitor-cards.md): Lightpost provides a URL and QR code that you can place strategically to allow visitors to fill out a record of their attendance with additional information.
- [Online Giving](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/online-giving.md): Online Giving lets members give by card or bank account from the web and mobile apps, and guests give by card from a public link, with gifts deposited directly into your church's Stripe account.
- [Setup](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/online-giving/setup.md): Lightpost uses Stripe.com as the payment processor for online giving.  To get started, follow the instructions below.
- [Payment Methods](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/online-giving/payment-methods.md): How members add cards and bank accounts for online giving, including bank account verification.
- [Recurring Giving](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/online-giving/recurring-giving.md): Members can schedule automatic weekly or monthly gifts from the web app or the mobile app.
- [Guest Giving](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/online-giving/guest-giving.md): Guest giving lets visitors and other non-members give by card from a public link, without a Lightpost login.
- [Giving Reports](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/online-giving/giving-reports.md): Reports for online gifts and Stripe deposits, plus year-end contribution statements.
- [Financial Management](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/financial-management.md): Financial Management in Lightpost tracks contributions, income, expenses, and budgets, with reports for leaders and year-end statements for members.
- [Recording Contributions & Expenses](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/financial-management/recording-transactions.md): Record contributions and expenses by hand or with a check reader, and find, filter, edit, and export them later.
- [Importing Transactions](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/financial-management/importing-transactions.md): Import contributions or expenses from a CSV file, match them to categories and members, and resume an unfinished import later.
- [Finance Categories](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/financial-management/finance-categories.md): Finance Categories let you segment your income and expenses into funds and set yearly budgets to track giving and spending against targets.
- [Finance Reports](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/financial-management/finance-reports.md): Weekly, budget, and monthly income & expense reports for church leaders, each available on screen or as a PDF.
- [Contribution Statements](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/financial-management/contribution-statements.md): Generate year-end contribution statements, email them to members as PDFs, and let members download them from the web app.
- [Visitor Tracking](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/visitor-tracking.md)
- [What's New (Update Guide)](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/visitor-tracking/visitor-tracking-whats-new.md): We've rebuilt Visitor Tracking to be faster & simpler — add visitors without creating a user profile first, capture whole visiting families & manage everything from the mobile app (in upcoming v10)
- [Child Check-in](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/child-check-in.md): Check children in and out, manage guardians and pickup authorization, page parents, and print labels from staff tools or a parent self-service station.
- [Self-service Check-in Stations](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/child-check-in/child-check-in-stations.md): Register and configure a shared tablet for parent self-service child check-in, checkout, new-family registration, and label printing.
- [What's New (Update Guide)](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/child-check-in/child-check-in-whats-new.md): Child Check-in now includes reusable child and guardian profiles, parent paging, staff mobile tools, and registered parent self-service stations.
- [Website](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/website.md): Lightpost offers website hosting for churches of Christ! ❤️
- [Templates](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/website/templates.md): Lightpost Websites offer 3 templates to choose from.  Two of them offer custom color schemes.
- [On-boarding Process](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/website/on-boarding-process.md)
- [Domain Management](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/website/domain-management.md): Lightpost offers to keep up with your domain name registrar renewals and configuration.
- [DNS Setup](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/website/dns-setup.md): This is the DNS configuration for website hosting.
- [Lightpost Print](https://docs.lightpost.app/other-features/lightpost-print.md): Set up Lightpost Print and choose between Local Printing and Internet Printing for label printers.
- [Securing Your Data](https://docs.lightpost.app/education/securing-your-data.md): Practical guidance for protecting church member data, limiting exports, and responding carefully to requests for information.
- [Security](https://docs.lightpost.app/education/security.md): How Lightpost protects church data, accounts, and the systems that support them.
- [Data Import](https://docs.lightpost.app/faqs/data-import.md): We can import your church directory information from source files you may have for an extra fee.  Below is an outline of what this service offering is and what is needed.
- [Email Delivery](https://docs.lightpost.app/faqs/email-delivery.md)
- [Emails marked as spam](https://docs.lightpost.app/faqs/emails-marked-as-spam.md): A user may accidentally mark an email coming from Lightpost as spam. Here are the steps to resolve this.
- [More Info Requested](https://docs.lightpost.app/faqs/more-info-requested.md): Here are some common questions and responses for congregations seeking more information about Lightpost topics.