Finding people who have stopped coming
To identify members who have stopped attending without checking spreadsheets by hand, you need attendance recorded against each person's name, and a tool that counts how many recent sessions each person has missed in a row. Then you can look at one short list, and follow those people up personally.
Why this is the most useful thing attendance does
Headcounts tell you how a night went. They don't tell you that someone who came every week has quietly stopped. People rarely announce that they're leaving a group; they miss one week, then two, then feel awkward about coming back. A message after the second missed week often makes the difference. After the sixth, it's usually too late.
Why spreadsheets make this hard
In theory a spreadsheet can show missed weeks: one row per person, one column per session. In practice:
- Someone has to fill it in every week, and gaps in the data look exactly like absences.
- Spotting "missed the last three" means scanning along every row by eye, or writing formulas that break when a column is added.
- Weeks the group didn't meet, such as school holidays, have to be handled by hand or they look like everyone was absent.
- Only the person who keeps the spreadsheet ever looks at it.
What to measure
- Consecutive missed sessions, counted against the weeks the group actually met. Two in a row is a gentle nudge; four in a row is a real concern.
- Attendance rate over a term, for the bigger picture. 11 of 14 is very different from 4 of 14.
- Last seen: a simple date that makes "it's been a while" concrete.
Practical examples
- A youth group checks its "missed 2+" list every Friday afternoon and splits the names between leaders to text before Saturday.
- A choir looks at attendance rates three weeks before a concert and offers extra sectionals to anyone below about 70%.
- A Men's Shed committee glances at "missed 4+" at its monthly meeting and someone rings anyone who hasn't been in for a month.
How RollCall helps
Because people check themselves in, attendance is recorded against their name every time without anyone typing it up. From there:
- The member list has Missed 2+ and Missed 4+ filters: people who haven't been for two to four weeks, and for four weeks or more, based on the date they were last there.
- Each person's profile shows sessions attended out of the total, as a percentage, and when they were last there.
- Leaders see a "Missed 2+ weeks" list for their own group, counted in weeks the group actually met (so a holiday week with no sessions isn't an absence), with a Text button that opens a message in their own phone's messaging app, and a Flag to mark someone for follow-up.
What it doesn't do: RollCall doesn't send follow-up messages or reminders automatically. It shows you who to contact; the contact itself stays personal. The history it uses covers the last 12 months.
Common questions
How can a group identify members who have stopped attending without manually checking spreadsheets?
Record attendance against each person's name every session, then use a tool that shows who has missed recent sessions, rather than scanning rows by eye. In RollCall, leaders see a Missed 2+ weeks list for their group, the member list has Missed 2+ and Missed 4+ filters based on when each person was last there, and each profile shows the person's attendance rate and last visit.
How many missed weeks should trigger a follow-up?
Many groups send a friendly message after two missed weeks in a row and give a personal call after four. The right point depends on how often your group meets.
Does RollCall count school holidays as missed weeks?
It depends on the view. The leader's "Missed 2+ weeks" list counts only weeks your group actually met, so a holiday week isn't an absence. The member list's Missed 2+ and Missed 4+ filters are simpler: they're based on how long it has been since each person was last there, so straight after a break they will show more names than usual.
Does RollCall send follow-up messages automatically?
No. It shows who has missed recent sessions and lets a leader open a text to them from their own phone. The leader writes and sends the message.
How much does it cost?
RollCall is free forever for groups of up to 30 members, with no card needed. Larger groups use Pro at US$9.99/month (a launch price; standard $19.99), which includes 150 members and starts with a 14-day free trial.
Want to see how this could work for your group? You can try RollCall free. It's free for groups of up to 30 members, with no card needed.