Recurring Unavailability

The Recurring Patterns feature on the Serving Availability page lets you block a repeating pattern of dates with one click instead of marking each date individually. This is useful when you have a standing conflict that repeats every week, every other week, or on a specific Sunday of the month.

Recurring patterns work alongside one-off unavailable dates -- you can use both at the same time.

When to Use Recurring Patterns

Use a recurring pattern when:

• You have a standing conflict that will repeat for the foreseeable future (such as a recurring work shift or a bi-weekly co-parenting weekend).
• You want coordinators to automatically skip you on those dates without you having to remember to update your availability each month.

Use a one-off unavailable date instead when:

• You only need to block a single date or short range (such as a vacation).
• The conflict is temporary and not part of a repeating schedule.

Available Patterns

Adding a Recurring Pattern

1. In the portal sidebar, open My Schedule.
2. Click the Scheduling preferences button to open the Serving Availability page.
3. Scroll to the Recurring Patterns panel.
4. Click Add Pattern.
5. In Add Recurring Pattern, choose a pattern from the Pattern dropdown.
6. Optionally add a short Reason (optional) (for example, "Work schedule" or "Co-parenting weekend"). The reason is shown next to the pattern so coordinators have context.
7. Click Add Pattern.

The pattern is active right away: TimelyChurch blocks the matching dates for the next three months immediately, and keeps topping them up every week.

How Recurring Patterns Interact with Regular Unavailability

A recurring pattern works by adding ordinary blocked dates to your Upcoming Unavailable Dates list for the next three months, and topping them up every week:

• A date is unavailable whether you blocked it yourself or a pattern blocked it.
• You do not need to mirror your recurring pattern as individual dates -- the pattern alone is enough.
• Adding a one-off unavailable date that already falls inside a recurring pattern is harmless.
• There is no per-date override. If you remove one date that a pattern blocked, the weekly top-up adds it back. To serve on a date your pattern blocks, remove the pattern (and add it back afterwards), then remove that date.

Removing a Recurring Pattern

If your standing conflict ends or your schedule changes:

1. Go to the Recurring Patterns panel on the Serving Availability page.
2. Find the pattern you want to remove.
3. Click the X (remove) button on the right side of that pattern.
4. Confirm "Remove this recurring pattern?".

Once removed, the pattern stops adding new dates. Dates it already blocked stay in your Upcoming Unavailable Dates list -- remove any you want to free up there (or tap them in My Schedule → Availability). One-off unavailable dates you added separately are unaffected.

Scope

• A recurring pattern applies to all serving teams you belong to, just like one-off unavailable dates.
• The pattern is tied to your membership in a serving team. If you are removed from all serving teams, the pattern stops adding dates.
• Coordinators see the blocked dates when planning the schedule, so they will not assign you on them.

Best Practices

• Set patterns once, early. As soon as you know about a standing conflict, add the pattern -- it saves you from blocking individual dates each month.
• Add a reason. A short reason helps coordinators understand the conflict at a glance.
• Review patterns periodically. When your life schedule changes (new job, new season of life), revisit your patterns to make sure they still apply.
• Combine with one-off dates. Recurring patterns cover the predictable conflicts; use individual unavailable dates for vacations and one-time events.