Check-In System Overview

TimelyChurch's Check-In module provides a secure, family-friendly way to track attendance at your services, classes, and events. It is designed with child safety at its core -- every child receives a unique security code, and parents must present a matching code to pick up their child.

Key Features

• Family check-in -- Search by phone number to pull up an entire household, then check in multiple family members at once.
• Security codes -- A unique 6-character alphanumeric code is generated for every check-in. The same code appears on the child's name tag and the parent's security receipt.
• Allergy and medical alerts -- Allergy information and special medical notes from a person's profile are automatically printed on labels and displayed during check-in.
• Label printing -- Print child name tags and parent security tags on Brother or Dymo thermal label printers. A drag-and-drop label designer lets you customize every detail.
• Kiosk mode -- A full-screen, self-service interface optimized for tablets and touchscreens. Families can look themselves up by phone number, scan a QR code, or search by name.
• Pre-check-in -- Members can pre-register from the member portal before they arrive. They receive a QR code that provides instant check-in at the kiosk.
• Multiple concurrent sessions -- Run separate check-in sessions for different events or classes happening at the same time (for example, a worship service and children's ministry running simultaneously).
• Visitor walk-in registration -- Check in first-time visitors on the spot. The system creates a new person record and a family record automatically.
• Headcount tracking -- Record a quick headcount for areas that do not require individual check-ins (such as a general worship auditorium).
• Event linking -- Tie a check-in session to an event from the Events module so attendance data flows into your event reports.
• Manual attendance -- Attendance now lives inside Check-In. Use the Manual Attendance button in the Check-In Station header to mark a class roster retroactively for a past class or event. When a person is checked into a class, an attendance record is also created automatically for that class on that date.
• Authorized pickups and emergency contacts -- Family records include who is authorized to pick up children and emergency contact priority, all visible at check-in and checkout time.
• Volunteer check-in / checkout -- Track which teachers and serving volunteers are on duty for each session, with volunteer-to-child ratios calculated live.
• Unclaimed children alerts -- A safety dashboard surfaces children who are still checked in past the session's expected end time, with parent contact info pre-loaded for outreach.
• Room occupancy view -- A live-count dashboard shows each classroom against its capacity, so leaders can spot a room nearing or over its limit before it becomes a problem.
• Lockdown mode -- A one-tap emergency control that suspends checkouts on every active session simultaneously. Re-enabling requires admin password confirmation.

Common Use Cases

Children's Ministry

This is the primary use case. Parents arrive, enter their phone number at the kiosk, select which children are attending, and the system prints a name tag for each child and a matching security receipt for the parent. Teachers see allergy alerts on the label. At pickup, the parent presents their security code, and the child is checked out only when the code matches and an authorized pickup person is selected from the family's list (an administrator can override this if needed).

Sunday School and Small Groups

Classes set up as Groups of type "class" appear automatically during check-in. When a child or adult is enrolled in a class, the kiosk will auto-select that class -- no manual selection needed. Attendance records are created at check-in time.

Worship Services and Events

Start a check-in session linked to a specific event from the Events module. Use individual check-ins for smaller gatherings or headcount mode for large auditorium services. The session report shows total attendance, a breakdown by hour, and a children-vs-adults split.

Multi-Service Sundays

If your church runs an early service, a late service, and a children's program simultaneously, create a separate session for each. The kiosk will prompt families to choose which session they are checking into.

How It Works at a Glance

1. An admin starts a check-in session from the Check-In Station page, optionally linking it to an event from the Events module.
2. Families check in using the kiosk (phone lookup, name search, or QR code scan) or an admin checks them in from the admin dashboard.
3. Security codes are generated automatically. Labels can be printed on the spot.
4. During the event, the admin dashboard shows a live roster grouped by classroom, with real-time stats.
5. At pickup, the parent presents the security code. For a child, the system verifies the code and requires you to choose an authorized pickup person from the family's list before the Confirm Check Out button is enabled. Admins can override the pickup authorization when needed, or use the quick checkout option.
6. After the event, the session report provides a full attendance summary with breakdowns by class, hour, children vs. adults, and first-time visitors.

Requirements

• The Check-In module must be enabled on your church's subscription plan.
• For best results, set up your People directory and Groups/Classes before using check-in. This ensures families are linked, children have birthdate and allergy information, and class enrollments auto-populate at the kiosk.

Tip: Pre-check-in from the member portal dramatically speeds up Sunday morning lines. Encourage families to pre-register from their phones before leaving home.