Attendance and check-in
Attendance tracking records who came to your services, events, and groups, so you can see trends, spot first-time guests, and follow up well. This article covers taking attendance, the different check-in methods, correcting mistakes, and working when you're offline.
Taking attendance for an event
- Open Ministry > Attendance.
- Select the event from the list.
- Use the search bar to find an attendee by name.
- Click the check-in action for each person.
- As you check people in, Forge automatically:
- Prevents a duplicate check-in for the same person and event.
- Flags first-time guests based on attendance history.
- Records the check-in time.
- Watch the running totals: total present, first-time guests, and returning guests.
Household associations show alongside each attendee's name, so families are easy to recognize.
Check-in methods
Forge supports a few ways to capture attendance, depending on the setting:
| Method | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Manual | Staff select attendees from the roster, good for services and small groups |
| Kiosk | A self-service station with family lookup, used in lobbies and kids ministry |
| Offline | Records saved locally and synced later, for spots with poor connectivity |
| Bulk import | Batch entry through the API, useful for migrations or retroactive records |
Correcting a check-in
If someone is checked in by mistake, open the attendance roster for the event, find the record, and use the remove check-in action. The record is deleted and the totals update right away.
Working offline
Forge detects when you lose connectivity on its own, so there's nothing to switch on. Keep checking people in as usual. A message confirms each check-in is saved offline and will sync once you're back online.
When the device reconnects, Forge reads the pending records, checks for duplicates, works out who was a first-time guest, and saves everything. This is helpful for outdoor events or rooms with weak signal.
Kiosk and kids check-in
At a kiosk, a parent looks up their family by phone number or name, selects who is attending, and receives a security code. Labels print for each child and the parent, and any allergy or medical alerts appear during check-in. At pickup, the parent provides the code and staff verify the match before releasing the child.
Reviewing attendance reports
Switch to the dashboard view on the attendance page to see the bigger picture. Set a date range, then review summary cards for total attendance, first-time guests, returning guests, and average attendance. Forge also compares the current period against the previous one and shows per-event trends. You can export the filtered data to CSV.
Tips
- Let Forge flag first-time guests automatically, then build your follow-up from that list.
- Use kiosk check-in for kids ministry to handle pickup codes and alerts safely.
- Don't worry about losing signal at an event; offline check-ins sync on their own.
Common questions
What if I check someone in twice? Forge blocks duplicate check-ins for the same person and event, and you can remove a check-in to fix a mistake.
How are first-time guests identified? Forge checks attendance history and flags anyone with no prior record.
Does check-in work without internet? Yes. Records are stored locally and sync automatically once you reconnect.
Was this helpful, or missing something? Let us know.