Admin Hub · team chat
Where our team talks, all in one place.
Mattermost is how our staff, ministry leaders and volunteers keep in touch day to day. No more lost texts and long email chains. This page takes about ten minutes, and you can do it step by step.
https://team.calvarystar.org
Open Mattermost ↗︎
The big idea
Think of it like a building.
Three words are all you need to know. Everything else is just typing and tapping.
The building
A team is a whole building with its own list of people. We have two: Calvary Chapel Star for ministries and volunteers, and Staff & Elders, which is invite-only.
A room
Each channel is one room in the building, with one topic: Worship, Parking, Prayer Ministry. You only walk into the rooms that are yours.
A whisper
A private chat between you and one person, or a small group. Nobody else can see it.
Get started
Five steps. That’s it.
You only do these once.
Open your invite email
Look for a message from Calvary Chapel Star with the subject “…invited you to join Calvary Chapel Star Team.” Click Join now.
Can’t find it? Check your spam or junk folder, then ask your ministry leader to send it again. Invites expire after 2 days.Make your login
Pick a username (your first name is perfect) and a password you’ll remember. A password manager is a good idea.
Put Mattermost on your phone and computer
Get the free Mattermost app for your phone and for your computer: mattermost.com/apps. You can also just use it in your web browser.
When the app asks for the server address, type exactly this:
https://team.calvarystar.org
Name it anything. If it asks for a display name, “Calvary Chapel Star” works well.Find your rooms
On the left you’ll see Channels. Click the + next to it, then Browse channels, and join the ones for your ministry. See the list further down this page.
Say hello
Go to Town Square and type a quick hello, like “Hi everyone, glad to be here.” That’s it, you’re in.
Everyday things
How to do the common stuff.
Send a message
Click the box at the bottom, type, and press Enter. For a new line, press Shift + Enter.
Get someone’s attention
Type @ and their name, like @kevinle. They get a notification. Use @channel only when everyone truly needs to see it.
Reply in a thread
Hover over a message and click the little reply arrow. The answers stay tucked under that message so the channel stays tidy.
Message one person
Click the + next to Direct Messages, pick a name, and chat privately.
Share a photo or file
Click the paperclip in the message box, or just drag the file in.
React with an emoji
Hover over a message and click the smiley. A thumbs-up is a great way to say “got it.”
Find an old message
Use the Search box at the top. To jump to a room fast, press Ctrl + K (⌘ + K on a Mac) and type its name.
Keep favorites on top
Click the star next to a channel’s name and it moves to the top of your list.
Don’t get overwhelmed
Choose when it buzzes.
You don’t need to see every message. Set it up once and Mattermost stays calm.
Notifications
Click the gear at the top right, then Notifications. We suggest choosing “Mentions, direct messages” for both desktop and mobile. Then you’re only alerted when someone is talking to you.
Quiet a busy channel
Click the channel’s name at the top, then Mute channel. You can still read it any time, it just won’t buzz you.
Take a break
Click your picture at the top right and choose Do Not Disturb when you need a quiet evening.
Where do I belong?
Our rooms.
You don’t need all of these. Join the ones for your ministry. If a room is private (dark label below), you won’t see it until a leader adds you, which is on purpose, so sensitive topics stay safe.
Calvary Chapel Star
Ministries and volunteers
Everyone
- Town Square
- Off-Topic
Kids & youth
- Children’s Ministry
- Jr High
- High School
- Young Adults
Worship & media
- Worship
- Media Team
- Design Team
- Web Team
Welcome & hospitality
- Welcome & Greeters
- Ushers
- Hospitality
- Parking
- Bookstore
Safety
- Security
- First Responders (Medical)
Set up & logistics
- Set Up & Tear Down
- Trailer
Care & outreach
- Care
- Prayer Ministry
- Love Life
- Meal Train
- Real Impact
Groups
- Home Group Facilitators
Staff & Elders
For staff and elders only. You’ll only see this if you’ve been invited.
- Town Square
- Off-Topic
- Staff
- Elders
- Leadership Decisions
Not sure where to start?
Ask your ministry leader which rooms you should join. If they add you, the rooms simply show up in your list.
House rules
Four simple ones.
- Be kind and assume the best. Text can sound sharper than we mean it. When in doubt, pick up the phone.
- Keep private things private. Prayer requests and personal details stay in the room where they were shared. Don’t repeat them elsewhere.
- Use the right room. Parking questions go in Parking. It keeps everyone’s list clean.
- Urgent? Call, don’t chat. Mattermost is not for emergencies or last-minute changes. For anything that can’t wait, call the church office at (208) 329-5144.
Stuck?
Just ask.
Nobody expects you to figure it out alone. Message @kevinle in Mattermost, or ask your ministry leader to walk you through it.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”Galatians 6:2