Q1: Why does the Activity Log seem to show activity on days when there isn't much going on at our church
By default, the Activity Log presumes that someone's involvement in a Group is valid activity. As such, being in a Group is considered activity and is logged with the date the Activity Log last ran if the person was in that Group at the time the Activity Log ran. For example, for Activity type "Current Ministry Team: Servant," the Activity Log notes the date they are currently on a ministry team (so it should get updated every day with that day's date). See Q4 for more information on Group activity in the Activity Log.

 

Q2: Can I delete records from the Activity Log?
You can delete records from the Activity Log without fear of the deletion affecting the primary database data. The Activity Log is a snapshot of other information throughout the system - deleting the snapshot never deletes the actual records. However, if the Activity Log is regenerated/recreated for any reason (which happens once or twice weekly on most systems), the data you've deleted may re-appear if the actual records that the snapshot is based on still exist. 
 
Q3: I see an Activity Log entry, but I can't find the record it seems to relate to. What's going on?
Activity Log data is based on the database data at the time the Activity Log was updated. If records have since gone missing, odds are that the records were deleted. A SPoC can contact Support if you want to regenerate the Activity Log. Additionally, a SPoC can contact Professional Services if you need deleted data researched or restored.

 

Q4: If being in a Group is not a good indicator of whether a person is active, how do we change how the Activity Log routine interprets this information?
You can adjust whether a Group is counted as activity. To do so, a SPoC can go to Lookup Values > Group Types and set the Activity Log Start Date to Yes for all Group Types where you want the Activity Log to record only the Start Date of the Group as activity (and therefore not the date the Activity Log was updated for those people still in those Groups).

 

Q5: What determines the "activity date" for an Activity Log entry from a Group Participant?
The Activity Date will always be the start date for Groups where only the start date should be audit logged. The Activity Date will be the end date or today's date for Group where ongoing participation should count towards current activity. (See Q4 for how to set.)

 

Q6: Can we use the Activity Log to identify "at risk/slipping/lapsing" people?
You can use the existing Activity Log views, or create your own views. You could also use reports such as Group Participant Attendance, Selected Contact Attendance, Selected Event Group Attendance, Selected Group Attendance, Selected Group Attendance by Event Type, Selected Group Attendance by Individual, Selected Group Attendee Search, Selected Group Last Attended, Selected Contact Group Involvement, Selected Group Involvement.