Getting started · 3 min read
Join your ministry or accept an invitation
Use the right account, understand approval steps, and check where your request stands.
For everyone
These steps use the Beacon website unless the iPhone app is mentioned.
In this guide
If someone sent you an invitation
Open the invitation and check the ministry and invited email before continuing. A volunteer invitation shows what you have been invited to join.
If the invitation is connected to an existing Beacon account, choose Sign in to accept. After signing in, accept the invitation. If you are already signed in to that account, the button says Accept invitation.
For a new volunteer account, follow the invitation’s password and verification steps. If Beacon says you are signed in to a different account, use Log out and continue before proceeding.
If you arrived through training or a volunteer opportunity
Sign in or choose Create an account on the activity page. The new-account form verifies your phone, then asks for your email and password. Follow the password requirement printed on that form.
Next, review the membership choices. If you are not yet a member of the organization, submitting your activity request also asks a leader to add you. A group may be required for that activity, or joining it may be optional; the page explains which applies.
Submit the request after reviewing those choices. Creating the account alone does not send it.
Read the confirmation and any waiting steps
The confirmation separates your activity, organization membership, and group membership. One may be approved while another is still waiting. Use Check status to see the current state.
A pending volunteer request does not reserve a spot. For training, a leader confirms attendance separately from your check-in. If your request already appears as pending, you do not need to submit it again.
Sponsor and sponsee profiles have their own intake and review process. Claiming one of those profiles is different from accepting a volunteer invitation.
If the link or request will not go through
An invitation may have expired, been replaced, or been revoked. Ask the person who invited you for a new link. Include the email address you intend to use so they can check it against the invitation.
If an activity page cannot confirm whether your request was saved, use Check whether my request was saved before trying again. If the activity has changed, review the updated details when prompted.
Need a little more help?
Contact the team and tell us where you got stuck.