Public and Member Event Registration
This article describes how members and non-members register for events from the user-facing parts of TimelyChurch -- the public events page and the member portal. For administrator-side registration management (capacity, waitlist, marking attendance), see Event Registration.
Two Registration Surfaces
| Surface | Audience | Login required? |
|---|---|---|
| Public Events Page | Anyone (visitors, members) | No |
| Member Portal | Authenticated members of your church | Yes |
Both surfaces share the same registration information. A registration submitted from either surface ends up in the same registration list visible to admins.
1. Public Events Page
Visitors discover and register for events through your church's public site without needing an account.
Browse Public Events
The public events page lists every event with Is Public = on and Is Active = on, sorted by start date.
View a Single Event
The detail page shows event title, description, date and time, location, room, hosting group, and -- when registration is enabled -- the registration form.
Register as a Guest
If a visitor does not have a member account, they can register as a guest by providing:
- Name (required)
- Email (required, used for confirmation)
- Guest Count (optional, 0-10 additional guests)
A new registration is created and an RSVP confirmation email goes out.
Note: Guest registrations are not linked to a person record in your church directory. To convert a guest into a tracked member, an admin can manually link the registration to a new or existing person.
2. Member Portal Registration
Logged-in members get a richer experience: their registration is automatically linked to their person record and they can cancel any time.
Browse Portal Events
Members see all upcoming public events plus any private events they have been invited to.
View a Portal Event
Same content as the public detail page but with the member's existing registration status pre-filled (e.g., "You're registered" or "Cancel my registration").
Register
Optional form fields:
| Field | Validation |
|---|---|
| Guest count | Integer, 0-10 |
| Notes | Up to 500 characters (e.g., dietary needs, accessibility requests) |
The system prevents two people from claiming the last spot at the same time when capacity is tight. If the event is already full at that moment, the member sees: "This event is now full. You may join the waitlist."
Cancel Registration
Cancelling triggers automatic waitlist promotion: the next person on the waitlist (if any) is notified and given 48 hours to claim the spot.
Rate Limiting
Public-facing forms that submit data are automatically rate-limited to prevent abuse and spam. If legitimate users are being blocked, contact TimelyChurch support so the limits can be reviewed for your church.
Email Reminders and Deep Links
When a registered attendee is emailed a reminder about an event tomorrow (see Reminders and Notifications), the email includes a link back to the event detail page on the public events page. This means:
- The attendee can click the link without logging in.
- They can see the latest event details (in case anything has changed since registration).
- They can cancel their registration if they need to (they will be redirected to log in to the portal first).
Registration Conditions
A registration form is only shown when all of the following are true on the event:
- Registration feature is enabled.
- Is Active is on.
- The event start date is in the future.
- The registration deadline (if set) has not passed.
- There are spots remaining (or the event has a waitlist enabled).
If any condition fails, the form is hidden or replaced with a message such as "Registration has closed" or "This event is full."