Generate a certificate
Pick a built-in template, select the member concerned and issue an official certificate in the document language.
The Documents module ships with ready-made certificate templates: membership, baptism, attendance, volunteer, participation, and letters of recommendation. You pick the template, choose the member it concerns, and the document fills itself in the language you want. Once issued, it carries a reference number and a QR code for authenticity checks.
Pick a certificate template
- Open Documents, then create a new document.
- On the start screen, scroll down to the Certificates section.
- Click the tile for the template you need: Membership certificate, Baptism certificate, Attendance certificate, Volunteer certificate, Participation certificate, or Letter of recommendation.
The body fills in at once with the template's standard wording, and the title takes the template's name.
Note: these templates are provided by the system, in five languages. You don't have to write the text from scratch - you only fill in the few details specific to the case.
Choose the document language
In the Details panel on the left, the Document language selector controls the language the certificate is written and printed in.
- By default it follows your church's language.
- You can change it at any time: the template text and the title are instantly regenerated in the new language (French, English, Spanish, Portuguese or Dutch).
Tip: the document language is separate from your interface language. You can work in English and issue a certificate in Spanish for a member moving abroad.
Select the member concerned
A certificate always refers to a member from your database, never to free text.
- In the Details panel, on the Member concerned line, open the member picker.
- Choose the person.
Their record then fills the text automatically:
| Information | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Full name | Member record |
| Join date | Member record |
| Baptism date | Member record |
| Date of birth | Member record |
| Address | Member record |
Note: as long as no member is chosen, or if a date is missing from the record, the spot stays blank, ready to be filled in. Keeping member records up to date avoids blanks on the certificate.
Fill in the remaining details
Some templates leave passages in square brackets [ ]: these are the details the system does not know (activity, role held, destination church, session dates...). Click into the text and replace each bracket with the right wording.
Also complete, in the Details panel:
- Place and Date: they make up the place-and-date line at the top of the document.
- Signatory and Role: the name and title of the person signing. These can be pre-filled from the module settings.
Preview and issue
- Click Preview to see the certificate exactly as it will print, on the church letterhead.
- Click Save to keep a draft.
- When everything is correct, click Issue.
On issue, the certificate is given a reference number and a QR code that lets anyone verify its authenticity. The document is then locked: it becomes a faithful archive that later changes to the signature or letterhead can no longer alter.
Warning: an issued document can no longer be edited. Read the preview carefully before issuing. If a mistake slips through anyway, you can revoke it and issue a new one.
Once issued, the certificate can be printed or downloaded as a PDF, and revoked if needed.