Portal Self-Service
Members of your church can sign in to the member portal and update their own information -- profile photo, contact details, address, custom fields, and what they show in the church-facing directory. This article explains what members can edit, how staff control which fields are member-editable, and how to set up a clean self-service experience.
Why Let Members Edit Their Own Profiles?
- Cleaner data -- The person who knows the right phone number is the person who owns it.
- Less staff overhead -- Staff stop being the bottleneck for trivial updates.
- Privacy control -- Each member decides what fellow church members see in the directory.
- Engagement -- Up-to-date member directories make small-group connections easier.
What Members Can Edit by Default
When a member signs in to their profile in the portal, they can update:
Personal Information
- Prefix, First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Suffix, Nickname
- Gender (Male or Female -- the only values currently supported)
- Birthdate
- Marital Status
- Anniversary Date
Contact Information
- Primary Email and Secondary Email
- Mobile, Home, and Work phone numbers (with optional extension)
Address
- Address Line 1 and Line 2
- City, State, Postal Code, Country
Profile Photo
- Upload a new photo (max 5 MB; JPEG, PNG, GIF, or WebP)
- Remove an existing photo
Directory Privacy Toggles
These control what shows up to other members in the church-facing directory. They never affect what staff can see in the admin portal.
| Toggle | What It Hides When Off |
|---|---|
| Show in Directory | The whole record. If off, the member does not appear in the directory at all. |
| Show Email | Email addresses |
| Show Phone | Phone numbers |
| Show Address | Street address |
| Show Photo | Profile photo |
| Show Birthday | Birthday (still visible to staff) |
| Show Anniversary | Anniversary date |
Tip: Encourage your members to review these toggles when they first sign in. Privacy expectations vary, and giving each person control reduces the chance of an awkward "why is my address public?" conversation later.
Custom Fields and Member Editing
Custom fields default to staff-only. To let members edit a custom field through the portal, set both of these flags on the field (in Settings -> Custom Fields):
| Flag | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Show on Profile | Makes the field visible on the member's portal profile |
| Allow Member Edit | Lets the member change the value (without this, the field is read-only to them) |
If a custom field is marked Internal Only, members cannot see or edit it under any circumstance -- this is the right setting for things like background-check status, pastoral notes, or membership process flags.
Common Member-Editable Custom Fields
| Field | Why It's Good for Member Edit |
|---|---|
| T-shirt size | Members know it; staff don't |
| Dietary restrictions | Members update as their needs change |
| Spiritual gifts (multi-select) | Members reflect on their own gifting |
| Ministry interests | Members opt into what they want to serve in |
| Emergency contact | Member knows who to list |
Common Internal-Only Custom Fields
| Field | Why Members Should NOT Edit |
|---|---|
| Background check completed | Risk of fraud; staff verifies |
| Membership process step | Staff drives the workflow |
| Pastoral care flags | Sensitive |
| Discipline history | Sensitive, audit-controlled |
Walkthrough: A Member Updating Their Profile
- Member signs in to the portal at your church's portal URL.
- They click My Profile in the navigation.
- They see their current information at a glance.
- They click Edit Profile.
- They update any of the fields above.
- For each privacy toggle, they choose what fellow members can see.
- They click Save.
- Changes go live immediately. Staff see the new values the next time they open the person record. (Membership Status changes are audit-logged; everyday contact-info changes are not.)
What Members CANNOT Edit
To keep the system safe, members cannot change the following from the portal:
- Membership Status -- Staff control this and changes are recorded in the SOC 2 audit log.
- Membership End Date / Reason / Notes -- Lifecycle fields tied to audit logging.
- Active / Inactive flag -- Staff-only.
- Show in Directory -- Wait, members CAN change this one (it's their privacy choice).
- Family memberships -- Members must use the Family Join Request flow; see Family Join Requests.
- Internal-only custom fields.
- Any other person's profile -- Members can only edit their own record.
Setting Expectations with Members
When you launch the member portal (or refresh communication around it), let members know:
- What they can do -- "Update your info, change your photo, control what others see."
- What stays staff-managed -- "If your membership status, family, or pastoral records need to change, contact the office."
- The privacy default -- "By default, your name, photo, and basic contact info appear in the church directory. Use the toggles to hide anything you don't want shared."
- Where to go for help -- "If you can't edit a field, it might be staff-only. Email or call the office and we'll handle it."