Group Chat

TimelyChurch includes a built-in messaging feature for groups, allowing members to communicate in real time without leaving the platform. This article covers how to enable, use, and manage group chat.

Enabling Group Chat

Group chat is disabled by default. To enable it:

1. Open the group detail page.
2. Leaders or admins will see a Disable Chat / Enable Chat toggle in the chat panel header.
3. Click Enable Chat to activate the feature.

When chat is first enabled, TimelyChurch automatically creates a conversation and adds all current active members as participants.

Note: Group chat is available for all four group types — Private Groups, Public Groups, Teams, and Classes. The system does not restrict chat by type; the only gate is whether chat has been enabled on the group itself. The Chat tab appears in the group detail page only when chat has been enabled.

Using Group Chat

Accessing the Chat

1. Open the group detail page.
2. Click the Chat tab in the tab bar.
3. The chat interface loads with the most recent 100 messages.

Sending Messages

1. Type your message in the text field at the bottom of the chat panel.
2. Press Enter or click the send button.
3. Your message appears instantly in the conversation with a timestamp.

Messages are limited to 5,000 characters each.

Viewing Messages

• Your messages appear on the right side of the chat in an indigo/blue bubble.
• Other members' messages appear on the left side in a gray bubble, with the sender's name displayed above the message.
• Each message shows the sender's initials in a circular avatar and the time it was sent.

Real-Time Updates

The chat uses a polling mechanism that checks for new messages every 3 seconds. You do not need to refresh the page to see new messages from other members.

Who Can Access the Chat

• Only active group members can view and send messages.
• Admins who have the Groups module permission can also access the chat.
• Non-members who visit the group page will see a message indicating that group membership is required to access the chat.

Member Sync

Group chat participants are automatically managed:

• When a new member is added to the group, they are added to the chat conversation.
• When a member is removed from the group, they are removed from the chat conversation.
• You can manually sync participants by using the sync functionality, which compares active group members against the current chat participant list and adds or removes users as needed.

Disabling Group Chat

To disable chat:

1. Open the group detail page.
2. In the chat panel header, click Disable Chat.

When chat is disabled:

• The Chat tab is hidden from the group detail page.
• The chat conversation and its message history are preserved. If chat is re-enabled later, the previous messages will still be available.
• Members will see a "Chat Disabled" placeholder if they navigate to the chat area directly.

Things to Know

• Group chat messages are stored as part of the church's messaging system, using the same conversations and messages used elsewhere in TimelyChurch.
• Each group is linked to a single conversation, so a group can have only one active conversation.
• When a group is duplicated, the chat conversation is not copied to the new group.
• Chat is read-only for users who are not active members. There is no guest access to group chats.

Tip: Group chat works best for quick coordination and fellowship. For longer discussions or formal announcements, consider using the Email feature on the group detail page instead.