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 self-service.
Why Let Members Edit Their Own Profiles?
Members know their own contact details, so letting them edit their own records keeps the directory current. It also saves staff time, lets each member choose what fellow members see, and keeps directories up to date for small-group connections.
What Members Can Edit by Default
When a member signs in to the portal and opens My Account (the Profile tab), they can update:
Personal Information
- First Name and Last Name
- Email: A change is not saved straight away. TimelyChurch sends a confirmation link to the new address, and the address changes once the member clicks it. The old address gets a notice about the change.
- Phone (mobile)
- Marital Status
The Birth Date field is shown but read only: "Only church staff can add or change a birth date."
Address
- Street, City, State, ZIP
Profile Photo
- Tap the camera button on the photo to upload a new one (standard image files such as JPEG, PNG, GIF, or WebP)
Directory Privacy
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 me in directory | The whole record. If off, the member does not appear in the directory at all. |
| Show email | Email address |
| Show phone | Phone number |
| Show city | Their city |
Staff can set the full set of directory toggles (including Show photo, Show birthday, Show anniversary, and the separate Show on public website opt-in) from the Directory Privacy section of the person's profile in the admin portal. See Person Profile Overview.
Other fields on a person's record (such as birth date, anniversary, middle name, prefix and suffix, gender, secondary email, home and work phones, and the second address line) are updated by staff.
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
Which custom fields members see depends on two settings on each field (set in Church Setting → Fields, on the field's Edit button):
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Show on Profile | Makes the field visible on the member's portal profile |
| Member Editable | Lets the member change the value (without this, the field shows as (view only)) |
Leave Show on Profile off for anything members should not see, such as background-check status, pastoral notes, or membership process flags. See Custom Fields.
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 Staff-Only Custom Fields
| Field | Why Members Should NOT See or 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 address.
- They open My Account (the Profile tab) from their account menu.
- They update any of the fields above.
- For each privacy toggle, they choose what fellow members can see.
- An "Unsaved changes" bar appears. They click Save Changes.
- Changes go live immediately (except an email change, which waits for the confirmation link). Staff see the new values the next time they open the person record.
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 audit log.
- Departure Details (Date Left, Reason, Notes): Staff-only, recorded in the audit log.
- Active / Inactive flag: Staff-only.
- Birth Date and Anniversary: Staff-only.
- Joining another family: Members use the Family Join Request flow; see Family Join Requests.
- Custom fields that are not Member Editable (and they cannot see fields where Show on Profile is off).
- People outside their family: Members edit their own record. A head of household, spouse, or other adult in a family can also update the other family members' information from My Family, but nobody can edit people outside their own family.
(Members can change Show me in directory. It's their privacy choice.)
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: "The member directory is turned off by default for privacy, so members don't appear in (or see) any directory until your church asks support to enable it. If/when it's turned on, your name, photo, and basic contact info appear by default. 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."
Related Articles
- Person Profile Overview
- Custom Fields
- Family Join Requests
- Adding People
- How Long Does the Profile Update Link Stay Active?
Verified against TimelyChurch 8.205.308 on 2026-10-23.