Messaging

Faith Sync provides real-time messaging features to help your church community stay connected. This guide covers group chats, messages, and polls, all managed from the Messaging section.

Group Chats

Group chats are communication channels where members can share messages, images, and participate in polls.

Viewing Group Chats

Navigate to Messaging > Group Chats to see all group chats.

The list shows:

• Name - The chat channel name
• Description - Brief description of the chat's purpose
• Member Count - Number of participants
• Message Count - Total messages in the chat
• Created - When the chat was created

Creating a Group Chat

1. Click Add Group Chat in the top right
2. Fill in the fields:

Field	Description	Required
Name	The chat channel name (e.g., "Youth Group", "Worship Team")	Yes
Description	Brief description of the chat's purpose	No
Image	Channel avatar/icon	No
Is Active	Whether members can see and use this chat	Yes
Members	App users who can participate in this chat	No

Adding Members to Group Chats

There are several ways to add members to a group chat:

1. Individual Selection - Select specific app users from the Members dropdown
2. All Church Members - Leave members empty to make it available to all church members

Group Chat Features

Members can use the following features within group chats:

• Text Messages - Send and receive text messages in real-time
• Images - Share photos and images
• User Avatars - Profile photos appear next to messages
• Reactions - React to messages with emojis
• Replies - Reply to specific messages in a thread
• Pinned Messages - Pin important messages for easy reference
• Starred Messages - Star messages for personal bookmarking
• Polls - Create quick polls within the chat
• View Profiles - Tap a user's avatar to view their profile

Messages

View and manage all messages across group chats.

Viewing Messages

Navigate to Messaging > Messages to see all messages.

Each message shows:

• Content - The message text or media description
• Sender - Who sent the message
• Group Chat - Which chat it was sent in
• Sent At - When the message was sent
• Reactions - Any emoji reactions on the message

Message Moderation

As an admin, you can:

• View Messages - See all messages across all group chats
• Delete Messages - Remove inappropriate or unwanted messages
• Filter by Chat - View messages from a specific group chat
• Search - Search for messages by content or sender

Polls

Create quick polls within group chats to gather opinions and feedback.

Viewing Polls

Navigate to Messaging > Polls to see all polls.

Each poll shows:

• Question - The poll question
• Group Chat - Which chat the poll is in
• Options - Available answer choices
• Votes - Current vote counts
• Created By - Who created the poll

How Polls Work

Polls in Faith Sync are created by members within group chats:

1. Members create polls directly in the mobile app within a group chat
2. Other members can vote on the poll options
3. Results are visible to all chat participants
4. Admins can view and manage all polls from the admin console

Poll Features

• Multiple Options - Polls can have multiple answer choices
• Real-time Results - Vote counts update in real-time
• Anonymous Voting - Members can see results but not who voted for what

Push Notifications for Messages

Members receive push notifications for new messages in their group chats.

Notification Settings

• Notifications must be enabled in your Push Notification Configuration
• Members can mute specific chats in the app
• Members control their device notification settings

Use Cases

Common use cases for group chats:

Chat Name	Purpose
General Announcements	Church-wide communication for all members
Youth Group	Communication for youth ministry participants
Worship Team	Coordination for musicians and singers
Prayer Requests	Sharing and responding to prayer needs
Small Group Leaders	Coordination among small group leaders
Volunteer Coordination	Scheduling and communication for volunteers
Bible Study	Discussion for Bible study participants
Parents Group	Communication for parents of children's ministry

Best Practices

Creating Chats

• Clear Naming - Use descriptive names that indicate the chat's purpose
• Focused Groups - Create separate chats for different ministries/purposes
• Add Descriptions - Help members understand what the chat is for

Managing Chats

• Regular Review - Periodically review active chats and membership
• Archive Inactive - Deactivate chats that are no longer needed
• Update Members - Keep membership lists current

Community Guidelines

• Set Expectations - Communicate acceptable use in chat descriptions
• Monitor Activity - Review messages periodically for inappropriate content
• Address Issues - Handle problems promptly and privately

Troubleshooting

Group chat not appearing for members

1. Check that Is Active is enabled in the Group Chats page
2. Verify the member is added to the chat's member list
3. Check that the messaging feature is enabled for your subscription plan
4. Have the member refresh the app

Messages not sending

1. Verify the member has an active internet connection
2. Check that the group chat is still active
3. Have the member try logging out and back in

Push notifications not working for messages

1. Verify push notifications are enabled for your church
2. Check that the member hasn't muted the chat in the app
3. Verify the member has notifications enabled on their device