Telegram — Messages and Two-Tap Actions
TimelyChurch connects to Telegram so your church can reach people where they already are. Once your church links its Telegram bot, you can broadcast updates to a group or channel, send certain notices privately, and — for members who connect their own Telegram — turn everyday tasks into a single tap right inside a chat: confirm a serving slot, RSVP to a meeting, approve a booking, and more.
This article is the big-picture guide to what Telegram does and what your members can do with it. For the admin setup steps (connecting the bot, registering chats, broadcast types), see the Telegram section of Integrations.
What Telegram Can Do
Broadcast to your group or channel (admin-controlled, opt-in per type):
- Announcements, a weekly events digest, new-sermon alerts, Sunday service reminders, birthday and anniversary shout-outs, prayer requests, and a daily verse.
Reach individuals privately (members who have connected their own Telegram):
- Announcements as a DM — target a group so only its connected members get the private copy, not just the public post.
- Volunteer serving requests — arrive as a DM with Yes / Not this time / Remind me in 24h buttons. The answer flows straight back into TimelyChurch — no login needed. (These are the same invites you send from the Schedule Grid and the event Serving tab.)
- Group meeting RSVP — meeting reminders come with Going / Maybe / Can't make it, and the leader sees the reply instantly. See Group Meetings & Attendance.
- Booking approvals — room and resource requests arrive with Approve and Decline buttons, and only the right approvers are asked.
- New-message nudge — get pinged when someone messages you, with a link straight to the thread.
- Giving heads-up — if a recurring gift fails, the giver gets a private, secure nudge to update their card. Amounts are never shown in chat.
Connecting Your Own Telegram (Members)
Members link Telegram from their portal to receive private messages and use the two-tap actions:
- Open the Member Portal and go to your Profile tab.
- Expand the Connected accounts section and click Connect Telegram. This opens Telegram and starts a chat with your church's bot.
- Tap Start in the chat to finish linking. (A copy/paste backup code is provided in case the button doesn't open Telegram.)
See Managing Your Profile for the full walkthrough.
Note: A bot can only message someone who has first started a chat with it — that's why linking requires pressing Start. We never see your phone number.
Choosing What Reaches You
Telegram messages are opt-in. Pick exactly which notices come to your Telegram under Profile → Telegram (or your notification preferences). You can connect for volunteer requests only, add meeting RSVPs and booking approvals, or turn any of them off — it's your choice.
For Admins
- See who's connected — a Linked members list under Settings → Integrations → Telegram shows which members can receive direct messages.
- Who gets booking approvals — only the configured approvers for that room/resource are messaged, not everyone.
- Setup, chats, and broadcasts — covered in full in Integrations.
Privacy
- The bot can only DM people who have connected and pressed Start — no unsolicited messages.
- TimelyChurch never sees a member's phone number.
- Giving notices never show dollar amounts in chat — just a secure link to update a card.
- A member can disconnect Telegram any time from their Profile, and an admin can disconnect the whole integration from Settings → Integrations.
Related Articles
- Integrations — admin setup: connect the bot, register chats, broadcast types.
- Managing Your Profile — how a member connects Telegram.
- Notification Preferences — choosing what reaches you.
- Schedule Grid and Event Volunteer Scheduling — where volunteer DMs come from.
- Group Meetings & Attendance — meeting RSVP buttons.