Magic Link Login for Members

This guide is written for church admins to share with their congregation -- or to read yourself so you can answer questions when members get confused. It explains how members sign in to the Member Portal at /c/your-slug/portal/login.

If you're a staff member or admin, you sign in differently -- at the top-level /login URL with email and password. This page is about the member-facing login flow.

What's a Magic Link?

A magic link is a one-tap login link delivered by email. There's no password to remember, no account to create. The member enters their email, clicks the link in their inbox, and they're signed in to your church's portal.

Why we built it this way:

• No password fatigue. Members already forget passwords for a dozen services. We don't add another one.
• No support burden on staff. When a member gets locked out, they just request a new link -- they don't email the office.
• Works on any device. Phone, tablet, work computer. Click the link, you're in.

For members who do want a password, we also offer a password fallback (see below).

The Member Login Flow

Step 1: Member visits the portal

Members go to:

timelychurch.com/c/your-slug/portal/login

(If your church has set up a Custom Domain, this becomes something like portal.yourchurch.com/login.)

Step 2: They enter their email

They type the email address that's on file with your church and click Send Magic Link.

If their email is not in your church's people directory, they get a generic "if you're registered, you'll receive a link" message. (We do this on purpose -- to prevent strangers from probing whether a particular person attends your church.)

Step 3: They check their email

Within a minute or two, they receive a TimelyChurch login email with a tap-to-sign-in button. The link is unique to them and to this login attempt.

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The link:

• Is valid for a short window (typically 30 minutes -- enough for a slow inbox).
• Can only be used once.
• Logs them in only to your church's portal, not to any other church's portal.

Step 4: They click the link

The link opens in their browser, signs them in, and lands them on the Member Portal Dashboard for your church. They can now:

• View their profile and update contact info.
• Give online (if your church accepts donations).
• Check their family's check-in history.
• See their volunteer schedule.
• Read announcements and respond to forms.
• Chat in their groups.

If they don't already have a User account in the system, TimelyChurch creates one automatically the first time they click a magic link. Their email is marked verified (clicking the link proves they own it). This is called Self-Claim -- it means an imported member can go from "name in your spreadsheet" to "fully active portal user" with one click.

Password Fallback

Some members prefer to log in with a password (for example, sharing a household device, or using the portal multiple times a day). The portal login page has a "Use password instead" toggle:

1. They click "Sign in with password".
2. They enter email + password.
3. If they don't have a password yet, they can use "Forgot password?" to set one -- the reset link is sent to their email.

Tip: Magic link is still our recommended path. Password is provided as a convenience, not a requirement.

Self-Registration (Visitor Sign-Up)

Members who aren't already in your directory can register themselves:

1. They go to /c/your-slug/portal/login.
2. They click "Don't have an account? Sign up".
3. They enter first name, last name, email, and (optionally) phone.
4. TimelyChurch creates a new Person record in your directory marked as a visitor, then sends them a magic link.
5. They click the link and land in the portal.

This is a low-friction way for first-time visitors to join your portal -- they don't wait for staff to add them, and you get a fresh visitor record automatically.

Tip: Visitors who self-register will appear in your Need Attention queue on the dashboard so a staff member can review and follow up.

What to Tell Your Congregation

When you announce the portal, the message can be as simple as this:

Hey, [Church Name] now has a member portal! Visit timelychurch.com/c/[your-slug]/portal/login (bookmark it!), enter your email, and click the login link we send you. No password needed. Use the portal to give online, see your family's check-in records, chat with your group, and update your contact info.

Things to include in your announcement:

• The portal URL (or your custom domain).
• "No password needed -- we email you a one-tap link."
• "Use the email address you've shared with the church before."
• "If you've never attended before, click 'Sign up' to register yourself."

Troubleshooting (for Admins)

A member says they didn't receive the magic link email.

1. Check that their email is correctly recorded on their Person record.
2. Ask them to check spam/junk -- the email is sent from our domain.
3. Have them try once more. Each request generates a fresh link.
4. If nothing arrives, check Settings → Communications for delivery logs. If our system shows it as sent, the issue is on the receiving side.

A member says the link says "expired" or "already used." Magic links expire quickly and are single-use by design. Have them request a new one -- it takes 10 seconds.

A member is in another church's portal by accident. Each magic link is tied to a single church. If they're trying to access your church but ended up on another church's portal, double-check that they're using your church's URL (/c/your-slug/...).

A member wants to "log out everywhere." The Sign Out link in their portal account menu clears their session. Magic links that have already been used can't be reused, so old links don't reactivate after sign-out.

A member's email changed. Update it on their Person record in your directory. Magic links sent to the old email will fail; new links go to the new address.

Two-Factor Authentication

If a member has enabled two-factor authentication (2FA) on their account, after clicking the magic link they'll be prompted for their 2FA code before being signed in. Magic link does not bypass 2FA -- it's still required for the second factor. (2FA is opt-in; most members won't have it enabled unless they specifically turn it on.)

Related Articles

• Welcome to TimelyChurch
• Quick Start Checklist
• Custom Domain Walkthrough
• Inviting Team Members (for staff/admin invites, which work differently)