The Ascended Masters, Sananda, and the Archangels are here for everyone. They hear every thought that you direct to them and they will act on your request for help and communication in whatever way is possible and appropriate for you. Everyone is unique, and their experience of the ascension and work with their guides will be as uniquely their own as any of their 3D experiences are now. You don't need to channel to meditate or work with your higher self and guides. There are also many ways that you can communicate with them aside from channeling.
Examples are through dreams or getting inspirations or intuitions.
You can also ask them to help you with a problem or a goal and they will do what they can to help you. As for this time really being the time of the Second Coming, I can only tell you about my own experiences with Sananda. When we first started working with our guides we went to a spiritual group where a woman was channeling. She kept talking about this man named Sananda who is the overseer of the Ashtar Command and the head of the ascension project. But she kept talking about him like everyone should know who he was.