Knowledgebase

Overview

Services are regular liturgical celebrations and parish activities that occur on a recurring schedule. The Site Manager allows you to create services that automatically appear on your calendar with flexible scheduling options including simple seasonal patterns, weekly schedules, and complex recurring rules.

Accessing Service Management

1. Log into your Site Manager
2. Navigate to Components → Services
3. Services are organized by day of the week (Sunday through Saturday, plus Eve of Feast and Feast)

Understanding Service Organization

Services are grouped by:

• Days of the Week - Sunday through Saturday
• Eve of Feast - Services that occur the evening before major feast days
• Feast - Services that occur on feast days

Each day can have multiple services at different times.

Creating a New Service

Step 1: Access the Editor

1. Go to Components → Services
2. Find the day of the week for this service
3. Click the "Add" button at the bottom of that day's list

Step 2: Time Information

Start Time (required)

• Enter time in HH:MM format (e.g., 9:00 for 9:00 AM, 6:00 for 6:00 PM)
• Use 12-hour format
• Select AM or PM from the dropdown

Finish Time (optional)

• End time for the service
• Enter in HH:MM format
• Select AM or PM from the dropdown
• Leave blank if you don't want to display end times
• Example: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM for Divine Liturgy

Why use finish times:

• Helps visitors plan their attendance
• Shows service duration
• Useful for overlapping events
• Can be hidden globally in calendar settings if not needed

Step 3: Service Details

Service (required)

• Full formal name of the service
• Examples:
  • "Divine Liturgy"
  • "Great Vespers"
  • "Matins"
  • "Moleben to the Theotokos"
  • "Bible Study"

Display on Calendar

• Shorter version shown on the calendar
• Automatically filled from Service name if left blank
• Helps save space on compact calendar views
• Example:
  • Service: "Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom"
  • Display: "Divine Liturgy"

Description (optional)

• Additional details about the service
• Not shown on the calendar itself
• Used for:
  • Internal notes
  • Special instructions
  • Links to resources
  • Background information

Step 4: Tooltip (Optional)

Link this service to a tooltip for interactive information:

1. Click the Tooltip dropdown
2. Search for an existing tooltip by typing the service name
3. Select the appropriate tooltip from the results
4. If no tooltip exists, create one first in Components → Monthly Calendar → Manage Tooltips

Common tooltips for services:

• Divine Liturgy (explains the service structure)
• Vespers (explains evening prayer)
• Matins/Orthros (explains morning prayer)
• Bible Study (program details)
• Parish events (event information)

When linked, users can hover over or click the service name to see detailed information, images, and links.

Step 5: Scheduling

The scheduling system offers three modes of increasing complexity:

None (Basic)

• Service appears every week on this day
• No start or end dates
• No exceptions or special patterns
• Best for: Year-round weekly services that never change

Use for:

• Sunday Divine Liturgy (always at 10:00 AM every Sunday)
• Regular weekday Vespers
• Standing weekly services

Simple (Seasonal)

• Service appears during a specific season or date range
• Define a start date and end date
• Repeats weekly during that period
• Best for: Services that change seasonally or are temporary

First Day of Season:

• Start Month (1-12)
• Start Day (1-31)
• Start Year (optional - leave blank to repeat every year)

Last Day of Season:

• Finish Month (1-12)
• Finish Day (1-31)
• Finish Year (optional - leave blank to repeat every year)

Example 1: Summer Schedule (repeats annually)

• Service: Divine Liturgy
• Time: 9:00 AM
• Start: Month 6, Day 1 (June 1st, year blank)
• Finish: Month 8, Day 31 (August 31st, year blank)
• Every summer, Liturgy moves to 9:00 AM

Example 2: One-Time Event Series

• Service: Lenten Study
• Start: Month 3, Day 1, Year 2025
• Finish: Month 4, Day 15, Year 2025
• Only runs during Great Lent 2025

Advanced (Recurring)

For complex patterns using iCalendar-style recurrence rules.

Recurrence Type:

• None - Same as Basic mode
• Daily - Repeats every X days
• Weekly - Repeats on specific days of the week
• Monthly - Repeats on specific dates or weekday patterns
• Yearly - Repeats annually

Every X: (Interval)

• Repeat every X days/weeks/months
• Default: 1 (every single occurrence)
• Example: 2 for bi-weekly, 3 for every third week

Weekly Recurrence Options:

Select which days of the week:

• Check each day the service occurs
• Example: Tuesday and Thursday for weekday Vespers
• Can select multiple days

Monthly Recurrence Options:

Choose pattern:

• By Date - Same date each month (e.g., 15th of every month)
• By Weekday - Relative weekday pattern (e.g., 2nd Tuesday of every month)

For weekday patterns, select:

• Which Week: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or Last
• The day of week comes from which day list you're editing

Example: First Saturday Memorial Service

• Monthly recurrence
• By Weekday: 1st Saturday

End Conditions:

When does the recurrence stop?

• Never - Continues indefinitely
• On Date - Stops after a specific date
• After X Occurrences - Stops after a number of times

Step 6: Save

Click "Save" to create the service. The system will:

• Add it to the appropriate day's list
• Calculate all occurrences based on scheduling rules
• Display it on the monthly calendar at the specified times
• Apply any tooltip links

Editing an Existing Service

1. Go to Components → Services
2. Find the service under its day of the week
3. Click the "Edit" button next to the service
4. Make your changes
5. Click "Save"

After editing:

• Changes appear immediately on the calendar
• If you changed the schedule, occurrences recalculate
• If you changed the time, it updates everywhere
• Consider rebuilding tooltip cache if you changed the service name

Deleting a Service

1. Go to Components → Services
2. Find the service under its day of the week
3. Click the "Delete" button
4. Confirm the deletion

Warning: This permanently removes the service from your calendar. It will disappear from all views and dates.

Common Service Setup Examples

Example 1: Year-Round Sunday Liturgy

• Service: Divine Liturgy
• Time: 10:00 AM
• Display: Divine Liturgy
• Scheduling Mode: None (Basic)
• Result: Appears every Sunday at 10:00 AM

Example 2: Saturday Evening Vespers (Year-Round)

• Service: Great Vespers
• Time: 6:00 PM
• Day: Saturday
• Scheduling Mode: None (Basic)
• Result: Appears every Saturday at 6:00 PM

Example 3: Summer Schedule Change

Winter Schedule:

• Service: Divine Liturgy
• Time: 10:00 AM
• Scheduling Mode: Simple
• Start: 9/1, Finish: 5/31 (year blank)

Summer Schedule:

• Service: Divine Liturgy
• Time: 9:00 AM
• Scheduling Mode: Simple
• Start: 6/1, Finish: 8/31 (year blank)

Result: Liturgy automatically switches between 10:00 AM and 9:00 AM depending on season

Example 4: Weekday Vespers (Tuesday & Thursday)

• Service: Vespers
• Time: 6:00 PM
• Scheduling Mode: Advanced
• Recurrence: Weekly
• Days: Check Tuesday and Thursday
• End: Never
• Result: Vespers every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:00 PM

Example 5: First Saturday Memorial

• Service: Memorial Service
• Time: 9:00 AM
• Day: Saturday
• Scheduling Mode: Advanced
• Recurrence: Monthly
• Pattern: By Weekday, 1st Saturday
• End: Never
• Result: Memorial service on the first Saturday of every month

Example 6: Bible Study (Fall Session)

• Service: Bible Study
• Time: 7:00 PM
• Day: Wednesday
• Scheduling Mode: Simple
• Start: 9/1/2025, Finish: 12/15/2025
• Result: Wednesday evening Bible Study from September through mid-December 2025

Example 7: Lenten Services

Great Compline (Mon/Wed/Fri during Lent):

• Service: Great Compline
• Time: 7:00 PM
• Scheduling Mode: Simple
• Start: (First day of Great Lent)
• Finish: (Holy Friday)
• Create three separate services for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Presanctified Liturgy (Wed/Fri during Lent):

• Service: Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
• Time: 6:00 PM
• Scheduling Mode: Simple
• Start: (First day of Great Lent)
• Finish: (Holy Friday)
• Create two services for Wednesday and Friday

Special Scheduling Scenarios

Eve of Feast Services

Use the "Eve of Feast" day for services that occur before major feast days:

1. Create service under "Eve of Feast"
2. Set the time (typically 6:00 PM for Vigil)
3. Scheduling Mode: None
4. The service appears automatically on the eve of feast days in your calendar

Common Eve of Feast services:

• Great Vespers
• Vigil (All-Night Vigil)
• Vesperal Liturgy

Feast Day Services

Use the "Feast" day for services occurring on feast days:

1. Create service under "Feast"
2. Set the time (typically morning for Liturgy)
3. Scheduling Mode: None
4. Appears automatically on feast days

Common Feast services:

• Divine Liturgy
• Festal Matins

Multiple Services Same Day

You can add multiple services to any day:

Example - Sunday Schedule:

1. Matins: 9:00 AM
2. Divine Liturgy: 10:00 AM
3. Coffee Hour: 11:30 AM (created as a service)
4. Church School: 11:45 AM

All four items appear on the calendar at their respective times.

Temporary Service Changes

For one-time changes (like a visiting bishop), don't modify your regular service:

1. Create a new service with the special time/name
2. Use Advanced scheduling with "After 1 Occurrence"
3. Or use Simple scheduling with specific start and end dates that are the same
4. The special service appears just for that date

Best Practices

Service Naming

Be consistent:

• Use the same names across your calendar
• "Divine Liturgy" not sometimes "Liturgy" and sometimes "Divine Liturgy"
• "Great Vespers" not "Vigil" if they're different services

Use full liturgical names:

• Helps visitors who aren't familiar with abbreviations
• Better for search engine optimization
• Can be shortened in "Display on Calendar" field

Time Display

Include end times when:

• Services are longer than typical
• Multiple events happen in sequence
• Visitors need to plan their day
• Service duration varies significantly

Omit end times when:

• Duration is standard and well-known
• You prefer a cleaner calendar appearance
• End time is approximate/flexible

Scheduling Mode Selection

Use None (Basic) for:

• Year-round standing services
• Weekly recurring services with no exceptions
• Services that never change schedule

Use Simple (Seasonal) for:

• Summer/winter schedule changes
• Lenten services
• Seasonal programs
• Temporary service additions

Use Advanced (Recurring) for:

• Services on multiple days per week
• Monthly services (first Saturday, etc.)
• Bi-weekly or other complex patterns
• Services with specific end conditions

Description Field Usage

The Description field doesn't display on calendars, so use it for:

• Internal notes about the service
• Contact information for service leaders
• Link to streaming service
• Special setup requirements
• Notes about translations available
• Accessibility information

Tooltip Integration

Create tooltips for:

• Divine Liturgy (explain the service)
• Less common services (Vespers, Matins, Hours)
• Parish programs (Bible Study, classes)
• Special services unique to your parish

Tooltip content should:

• Explain what the service is
• Note approximate duration
• Mention if suitable for visitors
• Include any special instructions
• Link to more detailed information

Troubleshooting

Service not appearing on calendar

Checklist:

• Verify the service saved successfully
• Check the scheduling mode and date ranges
• For Seasonal: ensure current date falls within the range
• For Advanced: verify recurrence pattern is correct
• Check that you're viewing the correct day/date
• Look under the correct day of week section

Service appearing on wrong days

For Advanced scheduling:

• Verify which days of week are checked (Weekly)
• Check the monthly pattern settings (Monthly)
• Confirm "Every X" interval is set correctly
• Review the start date of the recurrence

For Seasonal:

• Check start and end dates
• Verify months and days are correct
• Ensure year fields are blank (unless one-time only)

Duplicate services showing

• Check if multiple service entries exist for the same time/day
• Review both Seasonal and Basic scheduling modes
• Remove outdated services
• Keep only one active version

Times displaying incorrectly

• Verify AM/PM selection
• Check time format (HH:MM)
• Ensure leading zeros for single digits if needed
• Confirm finish time AM/PM if using end times

Tooltip not appearing

• Verify tooltip is Active in Manage Tooltips
• Check that correct tooltip is selected in dropdown
• Ensure tooltip has include terms matching the service name
• Rebuild tooltip cache after changes

Seasonal service not ending

• Check finish date is set correctly
• Verify year is blank (for annual repeat) or set (for one-time)
• Confirm finish date is after start date
• Review month/day values