Filling the serving grid

The serving grid is the editor. You fill cells in place for the events listed under Events being scheduled. Calendar's day panel can fill one date; this page is for the week.

A line under the toolbar counts empty role cells in the visible range. It does not email anyone.

📷 Screenshot: The serving grid with the unfilled-role count under the toolbar.

When to use the editor

Use the serving grid when you need to:

• Fill or change several roles across a week.
• See how many roles are still unfilled in the range you loaded.
• Add a special (external) assignee that is not on the ministry list.

Use Calendar (click the date) when you only need this Sunday. Open serving grid on that panel brings you here.

How a cell works

Each cell is one role on one occurrence. Date, ministry and role are not fields you type — they are the column, the page, and the row.

• An empty cell shows —.
• Each assigned person is a pill. A cell can hold more than one name.
• Ministry member searches people on this team. Pick a name and click Add.
• Special is for someone who is not on the ministry list. Click Add ★.
• × on a pill removes that person from the cell.

Nothing is stored until Save changes at the bottom of the grid.

📷 Screenshot: One cell with a name pill, the ministry-member search, and the Special row.

Past columns are view-only: names as text, no add row, no ×.

Conflicts and badges

The grid warns; it does not usually block.

• Adding the same person twice to the same cell is refused.
• ⚡ — already scheduled on an overlapping activity. You can still add them.
• ≡ — already in another role on this same occurrence (multi-role). You can still add them.
• ★ — special / non-ministry assignee, matched to a person record.
• ? — special name that did not match a person, so conflict checks cannot run.

Hints appear under the add row while you type, and as icons on the pill after you add.

The snapshot

Schedule snapshot sits above the grid. It is the same dates in cards, a simple list, or a worksheet. Tick Hide empty roles when you only want cells that already have names.

Edit on a snapshot row focuses the grid on that one occurrence. Show all schedules under the grid clears the focus. Start and End do not change.

The snapshot also shows a few past dates for looking back. Those stay read-only.

Saving

The bar under the grid says No unsaved changes or You have unsaved assignment changes. Save changes stays disabled until there is something to write and you may manage schedules.

• Save writes every dirty cell for the events currently selected — not one row at a time.
• A Sunday-only selection never deletes a Prayer Meeting assignment.
• Load, changing event chips, or leaving the page asks You have unsaved assignment changes. Discard them?
• If every occurrence in the window is already past, the grid is view-only and says so.

After a successful save, the names are on Calendar and on each person's My Schedule. This page does not send mail.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming a missing date was deleted. A date leaves the serving grid when its activity is deselected, not when its assignments are removed. Re-select the activity and the names are still there.
• Reaching for a posted list to staff a service. Posted lists are standing rotas with no activity behind them. If the date belongs to something on the calendar, it belongs in the serving grid.
• Leaving without Save changes. Pills you just added are only on this screen until you save.
• Adding an unmatched Special name by accident. A ? pill will not get conflict or availability checks. Prefer a ministry member, or a Special name that matches a person.
• Counting on the unfilled line for “we wanted two Servers.” It counts empty cells, not how many people you hoped to put in a filled one.