Managing Coordinators in Answers VBS

The coordinator feature is one of the most powerful tools in the MyAnswers digital platform. It allows you to invite other people to help manage your VBS without sharing login credentials. Each coordinator gets their own account with specific permissions tailored to their role.

The AnswersVBS tools on MyAnswers.com go far beyond simple registration. The platform includes:

• Planning checklists

• Scheduling tools

• Student and volunteer management

• Team organization

• Schedule printing

• Complete digital library with all VBS content

• Public webpage promotion tools

If you want someone to help with any of these aspects—managing checklists, creating schedules, handling promotion, or accessing content—add them as a coordinator rather than sharing your login. This is more secure and provides a better experience for everyone involved.

1. Log into MyAnswers.com

2. Click on the People tab at the top

3. Scroll down to see three groups: Students, Volunteers, and Coordinators

4. Click Coordinators or Coordinator Settings

This takes you to the enrolled coordinators page, where you can see a list of all your coordinators.

1. Navigate to the Checklist section

2. Select a specific coordinator role checklist (e.g., Publicity)

3. Enter an email address and click Invite

The system automatically assigns the corresponding role based on which checklist you're viewing.

From any screen in MyAnswers Digital Tools:

1. Click Settings

2. Select Edit Coordinators

The coordinators page functions similarly to the students and volunteers lists:

• Search: Find specific coordinators by name

• Filter: Sort coordinators by role

• View Details: See each coordinator's role assignment

At the bottom of the coordinators page, you'll find a simple two-field form:

• Email address

• Role

When you select a role from the dropdown menu, a description appears explaining what that role includes and what permissions it grants.

Available Roles:

• Director: Has full access to all tool capabilities (you can have multiple directors)

• Decorating: Specific permissions related to decoration planning

• Publicity: Focused on promotion and public webpage management

• Team Leader: Special role with team-specific access (explained in detail below)

• And other specialized roles

Each role comes with different permissions tailored to that coordinator's responsibilities. Click through each role to see what access it provides.

1. Enter the coordinator's email address

2. Select Publicity from the role dropdown

3. Click Add Coordinator

The coordinator appears in your list with their assigned role displayed.

• You cannot edit a coordinator's personal information (like their name) because it's their individual account

• If their information needs updating, they must log in and edit it in their own account settings

• You can remove coordinators or change/remove their roles at any time

When a coordinator logs in, their dashboard is customized based on their role. The most significant customization is their checklist, which shows only tasks relevant to their responsibilities.

Each coordinator role has a unique checklist with tasks pulled directly from the director's guide.

Example: Publicity Coordinator Checklist

• Announce the date and time of this year's VBS

• Links directly to the digital library with announcement ideas

• Tasks can be marked complete, skipped, or closed

Benefits:

• Distributes planning tasks to the right people

• Each coordinator sees only what's relevant to their role

• Keeps everyone organized and on track

You can view all coordinator checklists by navigating to the Checklist section and selecting different roles from the left sidebar.

The Team Leader role includes unique functionality that makes it especially powerful.

When inviting a team leader, you can assign them to a specific team:

1. Enter their email address

2. Select Team Leader from the role dropdown

3. Choose their team from the team dropdown (e.g., Peru)

4. Click Add Coordinator

The coordinator receives an email invitation that looks like this:

Subject: You're invited

Message: "[Your name] has invited you to help coordinate for Vacation Bible School. Sign into the VBS Tools."

When a team leader clicks the link in their invitation email, they're taken directly to the enrolled students screen with their specific team pre-selected in the filter dropdown. This means they immediately see only the students on their team.

Access Student Information:

• Emergency contact details

• Allergy information

• Any other registered student data

• All accessible from mobile devices (the tool is mobile-friendly)

Take Attendance: Team leaders can efficiently check in their students using two methods:

1. Individual Check-In: Tap the check-in button next to each student's name

2. Bulk Check-In: Select multiple students and use the Actions dropdown to "Check In Selected Students"

This is particularly useful if your VBS has team leaders take attendance for their groups rather than using a central check-in desk.

Coordinators can communicate with each other and the director directly through the tool.

1. Navigate to the Checklist section

2. Find a relevant checklist item

3. Click the chat icon next to the task

4. Type your message

5. Send it to people assigned to that task

• Messages are sent to coordinators assigned to related tasks

• The director is automatically copied on all messages

• Messages sent through the tool are also emailed to recipients

• All messages appear in the chat icon at the top of the interface

• Quick, easy team communication

• Centralized conversation about specific VBS tasks

• Email notifications ensure messages are seen

• Keeps planning discussions organized by topic

The coordinators feature exists to make your VBS planning better and easier by:

• Distributing responsibilities across your team

• Giving each person the right level of access

• Providing role-specific guidance through customized checklists

• Enabling efficient communication

• Supporting mobile access for on-the-go management

By leveraging coordinators effectively, you can share the workload and ensure every aspect of your VBS receives the attention it deserves.