Managing Your Profile

Your profile is your personal information page within the Member Portal. You can update your contact details, upload a photo, manage your privacy settings, and change your password -- all in one place.

Accessing Your Profile

1. Log in to the Member Portal.
2. From your dashboard, tap your profile picture/initials in the welcome banner, or click the My Profile card. This opens your My Account area.

Your account is organized into tabs across the top of the page:

• Profile -- Your personal information, photo, password, and security settings (this article).
• Family -- Your household and family members.
• Privacy -- Download a copy of your data or request account deletion.
• Activity -- Your recent activity and attendance.

This article covers the Profile tab.

Editing Personal Information

The Profile tab is organized into expandable sections (accordions). Click a section header to open or close it.

Personal Information

This section is open by default and includes:

• First Name (required)
• Last Name (required)
• Email (required) -- This is your primary contact email and login email.
• Phone -- Your mobile phone number.
• Birth Date -- Your date of birth.
• Marital Status -- Choose from Single, Married, Divorced, or Widowed.
• Anniversary -- This field appears when you select "Married" as your marital status.

To edit any field, simply update the value and click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

Address

Expand the Address section to update:

• Street -- Your street address.
• City
• State
• ZIP / Postal Code

Uploading or Changing Your Photo

Your profile photo appears at the top of the profile page and is visible in the church directory (if you opt in).

1. Click the small camera icon on your current photo or initials.
2. Select an image file from your device.
3. The photo will upload and you will see a preview.
4. Click Save Changes to finalize the update.

To remove your photo, look for the option to delete the current avatar. Your initials will display instead.

Tip: For best results, use a square photo with a clear view of your face. Common image formats (such as JPEG, PNG, and GIF) are accepted.

Privacy Settings (Directory Privacy)

You have full control over what information other church members can see about you in the church directory. Expand the Directory Privacy section to manage these toggles:

• Show me in directory -- Turn this off to hide your profile entirely from the member directory.
• Show email -- Controls whether your email address is visible to other members.
• Show phone -- Controls whether your phone number is visible to other members.
• Show city -- Controls whether your city/address area is visible to other members.

Each setting is a simple on/off toggle. Changes take effect immediately after you save.

Tip: Even if you hide yourself from the directory, church administrators can still see your information in their management tools. These privacy settings only affect what other members can see.

Custom Fields

Your church may have set up additional profile fields specific to their needs (for example, a T-shirt size, dietary restrictions, or spiritual gifts assessment). If custom fields are available:

• They appear as additional sections on your profile page, grouped by category.
• Fields marked as editable can be updated by you directly.
• Fields marked as read-only are shown for your reference but can only be changed by a church administrator.

Changing Your Password

If your account has a password set (team members or those who registered with a password):

1. Scroll to or expand the Security or Password section on your profile page.
2. Enter your Current Password.
3. Enter your New Password and confirm it.
4. Click Update Password.

Passwords must be at least 8 characters long.

Setting a Password for the First Time

If you have been signing in using magic links and would like to set a password:

1. On the profile page, look for the password section.
2. Since you do not have a current password, you will only need to enter and confirm your New Password.
3. Click Set Password.

Once set, you can use either the magic link or your email/password combination to sign in.

Notification Preferences

Every member can control how the church reaches you. Expand the Notification Preferences section on your profile to update these settings.

General preferences (all members)

• Email notifications -- Receive event reminders, announcement digests, message alerts, and prayer wall updates by email.
• Group notifications -- Get notified about meetings, announcements, and prayer requests from groups you belong to.
• Direct message alerts -- Be emailed when another member sends you a portal message.

For team members and volunteers

If you are on a serving team, additional toggles appear:

• Schedule reminders -- Receive email reminders before your scheduled shifts.
• Sub request alerts -- Get notified when someone on your team needs a substitute.
• Lesson approval notifications -- Be notified when a lesson you submitted is approved.
• Reminder timing -- Choose how many days before a shift you want to be reminded (1-7 days).

Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page to apply.

Connecting Telegram

If your church uses the TimelyChurch Telegram bot, the Profile tab includes a Connected accounts section where you can link your Telegram account. Once linked, you can receive private reminders -- such as volunteer serving requests with Yes / No / Snooze buttons -- as direct messages from your church's bot.

1. Expand the Connected accounts section on your Profile tab.
2. Click Connect Telegram. This opens Telegram and starts a chat with your church's bot.
3. Tap Start in the chat to finish linking.

Note: If your church has not set up Telegram yet, this section will let you know -- you will be able to link once they enable it. We never see your phone number.

Once linked, you can:

• See your linked status -- The section shows which bot you are connected to and when you linked.
• Control your digest privacy -- Turn on Share my birthday & anniversary in Telegram digests if you want your name to appear in your church's daily birthday and anniversary posts. This is off by default.
• Unlink at any time -- Click Unlink to stop receiving messages from the church bot.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication adds a second layer of security to your account. Once enabled, signing in requires both your password (or magic link) and a 6-digit code from an authenticator app on your phone.

What you will need

• A smartphone with an authenticator app installed. Free options include:
  • Google Authenticator (iOS / Android)
  • Microsoft Authenticator (iOS / Android)
  • Authy (iOS / Android / desktop)
  • 1Password or another password manager that supports TOTP codes

Enabling 2FA

1. Open your Profile tab.
2. Expand the Two-Factor Authentication section.
3. Click Enable Two-Factor Authentication.
4. A QR code will appear on screen along with a text setup key.
5. Open your authenticator app and tap the option to add a new account. Scan the QR code with your phone's camera (or paste the setup key if you cannot scan).
6. Your authenticator app will start showing a 6-digit code that refreshes every 30 seconds.
7. Type the current 6-digit code into the Confirm Code field on the portal.
8. Click Confirm.

You will see a confirmation that 2FA is now active.

Saving your recovery codes

Right after you enable 2FA, the portal will show a list of one-time recovery codes. These let you sign in if you lose your phone.

1. Copy the codes and store them somewhere safe (a password manager or a printed copy in a secure place).
2. Each code works once. After you use one, it is removed from your list.
3. If you run low or suspect they have been seen by someone else, click Regenerate Recovery Codes to replace the entire list with a new set.

Important: Treat recovery codes like passwords. Anyone who has them can bypass 2FA on your account.

Signing in with 2FA enabled

1. Sign in with your email and password (or magic link) as usual.
2. The portal will redirect you to a Two-Factor Challenge page.
3. Open your authenticator app and enter the current 6-digit code.
4. Click Verify to finish signing in.

If you cannot access your authenticator app, click the Use a recovery code link on the challenge page and enter one of your saved recovery codes instead.

Disabling 2FA

1. Open your Profile tab and expand Two-Factor Authentication.
2. Click Disable Two-Factor Authentication.
3. Confirm when prompted.

You can re-enable 2FA at any time. When you do, you will be issued a fresh QR code and a new set of recovery codes.

Certifications (Team Members)

Team members may see a Certifications section where you can:

• Add a certification -- Upload documentation for background checks, training certificates, or other credentials. Select the certification type, dates, and optionally attach a file.
• View existing certifications -- See the status of your submitted certifications (pending review, approved, or expired).
• Delete a certification -- Remove a certification you previously submitted.

Note: Certifications you submit are marked as "pending" until a church administrator reviews and approves them.

Consent Management

Your church may require consent for certain data handling practices (such as photo usage permissions or communication preferences). If enabled, you will see a Consent section where you can review and update your consent choices.

Privacy & My Data

The Privacy tab in your account is a self-service area for managing the personal data your church holds about you.

• Download my data -- Request an export of your profile, giving history, submissions, and other personal data. When it is ready you will get a secure download link (valid for 15 minutes, single-use). You can request one export per hour.
• Request account deletion -- Ask to permanently anonymize your personal data. Deletion takes effect after a 30-day grace period, during which the request can be confirmed via a link sent to you.

To reach it, open your account and click the Privacy tab.

Saving Your Changes

After making edits to any section, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save Changes button. You will see a confirmation message when your profile has been updated successfully.