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Role-Based Access

SoapBox uses role-based permissions to ensure leaders have the right access to manage their ministries effectively while maintaining appropriate boundaries.

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Role Hierarchy

Platform Admin
    └── Church Admin
        └── Pastor/Elder
            └── Staff
                └── Ministry Leader
                    └── Group Leader
                        └── Volunteer
                            └── Member

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Role Definitions

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Member

Base-level access for all church members.

Can Do

  • Access personal spiritual tools
  • View community feed
  • Join groups
  • Give online
  • Message others
  • RSVP to events

Cannot Do

  • Access admin tools
  • Manage other users
  • Create church events
  • View sensitive reports
  • Modify church settings

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Volunteer

Members who serve in ministry capacities.
PermissionAccess
View scheduleTheir own schedule
Confirm/decline servingYes
See team rosterLimited to their ministry
Access training materialsYes
Log serving hoursYes

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Group Leader

Leaders of small groups or Bible studies. Additional Permissions:
  • Manage group members
  • Post to group feed
  • View group attendance
  • Access group prayer wall
  • Message group members
  • Edit group details

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Ministry Leader

Leaders overseeing specific ministry areas. Additional Permissions:
  • Manage volunteers in their ministry
  • Create ministry events
  • Access ministry reports
  • Send ministry communications
  • Manage ministry schedules
  • View volunteer applications

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Staff

Church employees with broader access. Additional Permissions:
  • Access multiple ministries
  • View comprehensive reports
  • Manage church-wide events
  • Access staff communication channels
  • View member contact information
  • Process administrative tasks

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Pastor/Elder

Senior church leadership. Additional Permissions:
  • Full ministry access
  • View pastoral care information
  • Access giving reports (aggregate)
  • Approve volunteer applications
  • View background check status
  • Override scheduling conflicts

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Church Admin

Technical administration of the church’s SoapBox account. Additional Permissions:
  • Manage all users and roles
  • Configure church settings
  • Access all reports and data
  • Manage integrations
  • Control permissions
  • Billing and subscription management

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Platform Admin

SoapBox staff with platform-level access (not available to churches).

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Permission Categories

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People Management

ActionMemberVolGLMLStaffPastorAdmin
View member directory✓✓✓✓✓✓✓
View contact details--GroupMinistry✓✓✓
Add/remove members--GroupMinistry✓✓✓
Assign roles----Limited✓✓
View background checks---✓✓✓✓

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Events

ActionMemberVolGLMLStaffPastorAdmin
View events✓✓✓✓✓✓✓
RSVP to events✓✓✓✓✓✓✓
Create group events--✓✓✓✓✓
Create ministry events---✓✓✓✓
Create church events----✓✓✓
Delete any event-----✓✓

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Communication

ActionMemberVolGLMLStaffPastorAdmin
Direct messages✓✓✓✓✓✓✓
Group messages✓✓✓✓✓✓✓
Ministry broadcasts---✓✓✓✓
Church announcements----✓✓✓
Email campaigns----✓✓✓

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Reports

ActionMemberVolGLMLStaffPastorAdmin
Personal giving history✓✓✓✓✓✓✓
Group attendance--✓✓✓✓✓
Ministry reports---✓✓✓✓
Church-wide reports----✓✓✓
Financial reports-----✓✓
Complete data export------✓

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Ministry-Specific Permissions

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Worship Ministry Leader

  • Schedule worship team members
  • Manage setlists and planning
  • Access Planning Center integration (if enabled)
  • View worship team availability

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Children’s Ministry Leader

  • Manage check-in system
  • View child/guardian relationships
  • Access emergency contact info
  • Manage classroom assignments

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Youth Ministry Leader

  • Manage youth events
  • View parent contact info
  • Send communications to parents
  • Manage youth small groups

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Outreach Ministry Leader

  • Create outreach events
  • Manage outreach volunteers
  • Track outreach metrics
  • Manage community partnerships

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Multi-Campus Permissions

For churches with multiple locations:
RoleCampus Access
Campus LeaderFull access to their campus
Ministry LeaderTheir ministry at their campus
Church AdminAll campuses
Executive PastorAll campuses

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How Roles Are Assigned

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By Church Admins

  1. Admin navigates to Admin > Users
  2. Searches for the user
  3. Clicks Edit Roles
  4. Assigns appropriate role(s)
  5. Saves changes

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Automatic Assignment

Some roles are assigned automatically:
  • Member - Upon joining the church
  • Volunteer - Upon serving application approval
  • Group Leader - Upon creating/leading a group

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Requesting Additional Access

If you need additional permissions:
  1. Contact your ministry supervisor
  2. Explain what you need access to and why
  3. They’ll submit request to church admin
  4. Admin reviews and approves/denies
  5. You’re notified of the decision
Access requests are logged for security. Only request permissions you need for your role.

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Security Best Practices

Only grant the minimum permissions needed for someone’s role.
Periodically review who has what access and remove unnecessary permissions.
When someone changes roles, update their permissions promptly.
Leaders should use strong passwords and enable 2FA.

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Next Steps

Volunteer Management

Start managing your ministry team.

Scheduling

Learn to schedule your volunteers.