Schedule Your Team from Telegram

You can schedule your volunteers right from Telegram. No need to open the website. Ask someone to serve, check who said yes, and fill open spots — all from your phone, in a private chat with your church's bot.

This guide shows you how. (Looking to create the event itself from Telegram? See Schedule an Event from Telegram.)

Before You Start

Check these two things first:

1. Your church has connected Telegram. An admin does this once, in Settings → Integrations → Telegram.
2. You have linked your own account. Go to Portal → Profile → Telegram to get your church's bot link. Open the link and send /start to the bot. You only do this once.

If both are done, you are ready. Open a private chat with your church's bot and try the commands below.

Who Can Use These Commands

• Team leaders and co-leaders — you see the teams you lead.
• Church admins — you see every team in the church.

If you are not a leader, co-leader, or admin of any team, these commands will not show you anything.

/schedule_people — Fill an Upcoming Event

This is the main command. Use it to fill positions for a specific event.

1. In your chat with the bot, type /schedule_people.
2. The bot shows your upcoming events for the next 2 weeks. Pick one.
3. The bot shows every serving position for that event, like "Greeter: 1 of 2 filled." You also see who is already assigned.
4. Tap Fill: [position name] for the spot you want to fill.
5. The bot shows people who can serve in that spot. Tap a name to invite them.
6. If more than 6 people are eligible, tap ➡️ N more people to see more.
7. Tap ⬅️ All events any time to go back and pick a different event.

That's it. The person gets invited right away.

/openslots — See Every Open Spot at Once

Don't want to pick an event first? This command jumps straight to the problem spots.

1. Type /openslots.
2. The bot lists every unfilled position across all your teams, for the next 2 weeks.
3. Each one has a Fill button. Tap it, then tap a name to invite that person.

This is the fastest way to see where you still need people.

/myteam — Check Your Roster

Use this to see where things stand for your upcoming events.

1. Type /myteam.
2. The bot shows your roster: who is Confirmed, Pending, or Declined.
3. Next to anyone Pending, tap Nudge to remind them.
4. Next to any open spot, tap Fill to invite someone.

/nudge — Remind People Who Haven't Answered

Some people forget to respond. This command finds them for you.

1. Type /nudge.
2. The bot lists everyone with a pending invitation — they haven't said yes or no yet.
3. Tap Nudge all to re-send their invitation with one tap.

What Your Volunteer Sees

When you invite someone, they get a Telegram message right away, with three buttons:

• ✅ Yes
• ❌ No
• 💤 Snooze

If they tap ❌ No:

• If the team has auto-fill turned on, the system automatically invites the next suggested person for you.
• If not, the system creates a substitute request so you know to find someone else.

Everything you do in Telegram shows up on the website's Schedule Grid right away — and the other way around too. You can start on Telegram and finish on the website, or the reverse.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't I see any teams? You need to be a team leader, co-leader, or church admin to use these commands. If you think this is a mistake, ask your church admin to check your role.

Why is a person not showing up in the list? This usually means one of three things:

• They are not an active member of that team.
• The position needs a specific assignment (a "fixed position"), and they don't hold it.
• They are already assigned somewhere else for that event.

Why is the bot not responding to me? Make sure your church has connected Telegram in Settings → Integrations → Telegram, and that you have linked your own account by sending /start to the bot. You can find the link in Portal → Profile → Telegram.

Can I use this in my own language? Yes. The bot works in English, Spanish, Russian, and Portuguese. It replies in whatever language is set for your account.