Leaderboards

Document Version: 1.0
Last Updated: January 2026
Audience: Youth Ministry Leaders, Church Administrators, Engagement Managers

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Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Leaderboard Types
3. Ranking Configuration
4. Display Settings
5. Timeframes & Resets
6. Recognition & Rewards
7. Privacy Controls
8. Group Leaderboards
9. Analytics & Reporting
10. Moderation
11. Troubleshooting
12. Best Practices

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Overview

Purpose

The Leaderboards system provides visibility and motivation tools that:

• Display user rankings based on various metrics
• Drive engagement through healthy competition
• Celebrate achievement and progress
• Build community through shared goals
• Track performance trends over time

Key Components

Component	Description
Rankings	Ordered lists of user performance
Metrics	Data points driving rankings
Timeframes	Reset periods for competition
Display	Visibility and presentation options
Rewards	Recognition for top performers
Privacy	User control over visibility

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Leaderboard Types

Available Leaderboards

Type	Metric	Description
Overall XP	Total XP	All-around engagement
Streak	Consecutive days	Consistency tracking
Reading	Verses/chapters	Scripture engagement
Memorization	Verses memorized	Memory achievements
Quiz	Scores/completions	Knowledge testing
Challenge	Challenges done	Activity completion
Group	Combined metrics	Team performance

Configuration Options

Each leaderboard can be configured:

Leaderboard Settings:
  Enabled: true/false
  Visibility: public/members/leaders
  Timeframe: weekly/monthly/all-time
  Display Count: 10/25/50/100
  Show Movement: true/false
  Allow Opt-Out: true/false

Enabling/Disabling Leaderboards

1. Navigate to Admin Panel → Leaderboards
2. Select leaderboard type
3. Toggle Enabled status
4. Configure settings
5. Save changes

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Ranking Configuration

Ranking Methods

Method	Description	Best For
Absolute	Ordered by raw score	Clear hierarchy
Tiered	Grouped into brackets	Broader recognition
Percentile	Relative to population	Scalable competition
Improvement	Based on growth	Encouraging newcomers

Absolute Ranking

Configuration:

Ranking Type: Absolute
Order: Descending
Tie Breaker: Earlier achievement
Display: Position + Score

Example Output:

1. Sarah M. — 2,450 XP
2. Marcus T. — 2,380 XP
3. Emily R. — 2,210 XP

Tier-Based Ranking

Configuration:

Ranking Type: Tiered
Tiers:
  - Gold: 2000+ XP
  - Silver: 1000-1999 XP
  - Bronze: 500-999 XP
  - Participant: 1-499 XP

Example Output:

🥇 Gold Tier: Sarah, Marcus, Emily
🥈 Silver Tier: Jacob, Hannah, Michael
🥉 Bronze Tier: David, Grace, Joshua

Improvement Ranking

Configuration:

Ranking Type: Improvement
Period: This Week
Metric: XP Gained (absolute or %)
Minimum Threshold: 50 XP

Example Output:

Most Improved:
1. David K. — +450 XP (+180%)
2. Grace L. — +380 XP (+95%)

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Display Settings

Public Leaderboard Display

Setting	Options	Description
Position Count	10/25/50/100	How many to display
Show Avatars	Yes/No	User profile images
Show Movement	Yes/No	↑↓ indicators
Show Distance	Yes/No	Points to next rank
Highlight User	Yes/No	Emphasize viewer’s position

Dashboard Widget

Configuration:

Widget Settings:
  Show On: Dashboard
  Type: Compact/Expanded
  Positions: Top 5 + User
  Update Frequency: Real-time/Hourly

Position Indicators

Symbol	Meaning
🥇	1st Place
🥈	2nd Place
🥉	3rd Place
↑	Moved up
↓	Moved down
—	No change
🆕	New entry

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Timeframes & Resets

Timeframe Options

Timeframe	Resets	Use Case
Daily	Every midnight	High-frequency engagement
Weekly	Monday 12:00 AM	Regular fresh starts
Monthly	1st of month	Sustained effort
Quarterly	Every 3 months	Long-term goals
Yearly	January 1st	Annual recognition
All-Time	Never	Legacy tracking
Custom	Defined dates	Events/seasons

Reset Procedure

Automatic Reset:

1. System triggers at scheduled time
2. Current standings archived
3. Scores reset to zero
4. New period begins
5. Notifications sent (optional)

Manual Reset:

1. Navigate to Leaderboard settings
2. Click “Manual Reset”
3. Confirm action
4. Add reset reason
5. Execute reset

Archive Access

Historical leaderboards accessible:

• Past period winners
• Historical performance
• Trend analysis
• Record tracking

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Recognition & Rewards

Automated Recognition

Trigger	Recognition
Top 3 Finish	Badge awarded
New #1	Notification sent
Milestone Reached	Achievement unlocked
Streak Maintained	Streak badge
Period Champion	Title awarded

Manual Recognition

Award Options:

1. Select user(s)
2. Choose recognition type
3. Add personal message
4. Set visibility
5. Send/award

Reward Configuration

Reward Type	Configuration
Badges	Auto-award on position
Achievements	Unlock at milestones
Titles	Assign to champions
XP Bonus	Add for top finishers
Physical	Track externally

Reward Schedule

Achievement	Reward
Weekly Top 3	Bronze badge
Monthly Champion	Silver badge + announcement
Quarterly Leader	Gold badge + recognition
Yearly Champion	Special title + prize

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Privacy Controls

User Privacy Options

Setting	Effect
Visible	Shown on all leaderboards
Anonymous	Shown as “Anonymous User”
Friends Only	Only visible to connections
Hidden	Excluded from public display

Configuring User Privacy

User Self-Service:

1. Navigate to Profile → Privacy
2. Find Leaderboard settings
3. Select visibility level
4. Save preferences

Admin Override:

1. Navigate to user profile
2. Edit privacy settings
3. Set leaderboard visibility
4. Save changes

Privacy Defaults

User Type	Default Setting
New Users	Visible
Minors	Church Only
Leaders	Visible
Opted Out	Hidden

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Group Leaderboards

Group Ranking Types

Type	Calculation
Total XP	Sum of all member XP
Average XP	Mean XP per member
Participation	% of active members
Completion	% of challenges done

Balancing Group Sizes

Challenge: Larger groups have advantage in totals

Solutions:

Method	Description
Average Scores	Divide total by members
Per Capita	Score per active member
Participation %	% meeting threshold
Size Brackets	Compete within similar sizes

Group Leaderboard Settings

Group Leaderboard:
  Metric: Average XP
  Minimum Members: 3
  Active Threshold: 1 action/week
  Display: Top 10 groups
  Show Member Count: Yes

Inter-Group Competition

Setup:

1. Define competition period
2. Select participating groups
3. Choose metric
4. Set prize/recognition
5. Launch competition

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Analytics & Reporting

Leaderboard Metrics

Metric	Description
Participation Rate	% of eligible users ranked
Position Volatility	Average position changes
Concentration	Score distribution
Engagement Lift	Activity vs. non-participants
Opt-Out Rate	% choosing privacy

Reports Available

1. Period Summary

• Top performers
• Score distribution
• Movement analysis
• Participation stats

1. Trend Analysis

• Performance over time
• Seasonal patterns
• Growth trends

1. User Report

• Individual ranking history
• Best performances
• Improvement tracking

Using Analytics

If participation low:

• Increase visibility
• Add better incentives
• Create smaller competitions

If same winners always:

• Add improvement leaderboards
• Create tier-based competition
• Implement more frequent resets

If high opt-outs:

• Check for negative culture
• Offer more privacy options
• Reframe as personal growth

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Moderation

Fraud Prevention

Watch For:

• Suspicious score jumps
• Bot-like activity
• System exploitation
• Multiple accounts

Detection Methods:

• Automated anomaly detection
• Manual review triggers
• Community reporting
• Pattern analysis

Handling Violations

Severity	Example	Action
Minor	Accidental duplicate	Correct score
Moderate	Intentional gaming	Warning + reset
Serious	Systematic cheating	Temporary ban
Severe	Repeated violation	Permanent ban

Score Adjustment

Process:

1. Document issue
2. Calculate correct score
3. Apply adjustment
4. Notify user (optional)
5. Log action

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Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue	Cause	Solution
Rank not updating	Cache delay	Wait or force refresh
User missing	Privacy setting	Check user preferences
Wrong score	Sync issue	Recalculate manually
Reset didn’t happen	Schedule error	Trigger manual reset
Ties not handled	Config issue	Set tie-breaker

Diagnostic Steps

1. Missing User

• Check privacy settings
• Verify activity threshold met
• Confirm account active
• Review eligibility criteria

1. Score Discrepancy

• Review activity log
• Check calculation method
• Verify XP sources
• Recalculate manually if needed

1. Display Issues

• Clear cache
• Check configuration
• Verify permissions
• Test in different browser

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Best Practices

Healthy Competition Culture

Do	Don’t
✅ Celebrate all progress	❌ Only recognize winners
✅ Highlight improvement	❌ Shame low performers
✅ Offer privacy options	❌ Force participation
✅ Vary recognition types	❌ Always same rewards
✅ Frame as personal growth	❌ Create zero-sum mentality

Communication

When Announcing Leaders:

• Celebrate effort, not just results
• Recognize improvement
• Encourage all participants
• Avoid comparisons that shame

Messaging Examples:

✅ Good: “Congratulations to Sarah who showed incredible dedication this week!”

❌ Bad: “Sarah crushed everyone else this week.”

Maintenance Schedule

Task	Frequency
Review participation	Weekly
Check for anomalies	Weekly
Announce leaders	Per reset
Evaluate effectiveness	Monthly
Adjust settings	Quarterly

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Quick Reference

Leaderboard Setup Checklist

• [ ] Choose leaderboard type(s)
• [ ] Select ranking method
• [ ] Set timeframe
• [ ] Configure display options
• [ ] Define recognition/rewards
• [ ] Set privacy defaults
• [ ] Test with sample data
• [ ] Announce to community
• [ ] Monitor initial response

Ranking Method Selection

Goal	Use Method
Clear winners	Absolute
Broader recognition	Tiered
Scalable competition	Percentile
Encourage newcomers	Improvement

Timeframe Selection

Engagement Level	Use Timeframe
High activity needed	Daily/Weekly
Sustained effort	Monthly
Long-term commitment	Quarterly/Yearly
Legacy recognition	All-Time

Problem Resolution

Symptom	Likely Cause	Solution
Low participation	Not visible enough	Increase prominence
Same winners	No variety	Add improvement board
Negative competition	Poor framing	Reframe messaging
High opt-outs	Privacy concerns	More options

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Support

For additional assistance:

• Review in-app help documentation
• Contact church administrator
• Submit support ticket for technical issues

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This SOP should be reviewed and updated quarterly to reflect feature changes and ministry needs.