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Think about how many text messages you receive in a day. Texting habits vary from person to person, but it’s fair to say that most people send and receive way more text messages than phone calls. In fact, even the busiest business person probably texts as much as they email on any given day.
Text messaging is one of the most popular forms of communication today with more than 23 billion SMS messages sent every day—and it’s no wonder why. It’s convenient, and it’s generally safe and free of the spam, phishing, and other security risks that come with email.
The messages we receive pop up right on the home screen of our mobile phones. We don’t have to wonder which account the message was sent to or whether or not it accidentally ended up in a spam folder.
We spend more time on our mobile devices today than we do talking with others face-to-face. The people in our contact list are the most basic form of a "social media friends list" that we have.
Here’s a question for you if you’re a pastor or church leader: Have you ever considered how your church could use text messages to inform your church and broader community about special events, prayer requests, or even other, more urgent messages?
You should consider it! Personal texts and mass texting services can be an incredible tool for the local church, especially when we consider how unreliable and inconsistent social media and email can often be.
Let’s take a look at some best practices as well as 25 church text message templates you can use to quickly communicate important messages with people in your church and broader community.
If your church is interested in using text messaging as a means of keeping in contact with church members and your community, you would be wise to consider some best practices of texting as an organization. After all, texting a large group of people requires a different strategy than sending a text message to one person.
Let’s review a few best practices:
Keep it short. It isn’t going to be helpful or effective for a church leader to send a text message paragraphs long explaining every detail of an upcoming event. Few recipients will read a long text like that. Keep texts to just one or two sentences if possible.
Only text when necessary. No one likes getting spammed by a dozen text messages from the same person, and the same principle applies to messages from your church. Send texts about important announcements, upcoming events, or other timely matters. Don’t send texts just to send texts.
Be strategic & specific. Send text messages to specific groups of people within your church, and try to avoid sending messages to the entire church contact list. Ideally, your church management software integrates with your text messaging service to make it easier to message multiple contact lists of people based on who they are and how they participate in your church.
Personalize your messages. When sending your texts, use a person’s first name in your greeting. Some mass text messaging services, like Subsplash SMS text messaging, allow you to insert dynamic variables, such as a person’s first or last name, so that it automatically appears in your message. This makes your messages more personal and meaningful.
Include hyperlinks. Did you know that you can include a hyperlink in your text messages that will send people to a specific page on your website or mobile app? This can be extremely helpful for getting people to sign up for upcoming events, encouraging donations, and sharing details about special church services during holidays.
Here are 25 church text message templates to streamline your communication with your community. They are broken up into five main categories:
“Hello [First Name], we're so glad you joined us for worship at [Church Name] this past Sunday! If you have any questions or want to know more about our community, please feel free to reach out. Have a blessed week! 🙏”
“Hi [First Name], thank you for visiting [Church Name]! Our pastor would love to meet you and answer any questions you might have. Let us know if you’re free for an introduction this week. God bless! 😊”
“Hey [First Name], it was a joy seeing you at [Church Name] on Sunday! How did you find the service? We hope you'll join us again soon. If interested, we also have small groups and Bible studies you can join. Just respond to this text if you have questions. Blessings! 📖”
“Hope you're doing well, [First Name]! We’re thrilled you chose to worship with us this weekend. Anything specific you'd like to know or discuss about [Church Name]? Just ask! Have a wonderful day! 🌟”
“Hi [First Name], it's a privilege to have you with us at [Church Name]! If you have any prayer requests or need spiritual support, our pastoral team is here for you. Please don't hesitate to reach out. Have a great day! 🙏❤️”
General prayer request
"[First Name], your church family at [Church Name] is here to lift you up in prayer. Do you have any specific prayer requests or concerns on your heart? Feel free to share, and our church community will be praying for you. 🙏❤️"
Health & healing
“Happy [Day of the Week], [First Name]! We're praying for your health and healing. Please let us know how we can pray specifically for your physical or emotional well-being. Your church family cares about you! 🙏”
Family & relationships
“Hey [First Name], it’s your friends at [Church Name]! Family and relationships can bring both joy and challenges. If you'd like prayer support for any family or relationship matters, please share your requests. We're here for you. 🙏”
Spiritual growth
“Your spiritual journey matters to us, [First Name]. If you have any prayer requests related to your faith or personal growth, let us know. Let's grow together in Christ. 🙏”
Local & global concerns
“As a church, we believe in making a positive impact in our community and the world. Do you have any concerns or causes you'd like us to pray for collectively? Please share & we'll pray to see change. 🙏”
“[First Name], mark your calendars! 🗓️ Our annual Fall Festival 🍁 is coming up on [Date]. We'll have food, games, and a message of hope. Bring your friends and family for a day of fellowship and fun! God bless!”
“We’re excited to share that our next Baptism Sunday is on [Date]! If you're interested in taking this important step in your faith journey, please reply to this message or contact [Pastor/Ministry Leader]. Blessings!”
“Hey [First Name], don't forget: Our missions team is hosting a fundraising dinner this [Day] at [Time]. 🌍 Come enjoy good food for a great cause! RSVP by replying to this text. See you there!”
“[First Name], our Women's Ministry is launching a new Bible study series starting [Date]! 📖 Come dig deep into the Word with us. Reply here or sign up online. In Christ's love!”
“Are you ready to praise and worship? 🎶 Our Youth Night of Worship is happening this [Day] at [Time]. It's a time for our young people to connect and grow in faith. Invite your friends—everyone's welcome!”
“We hope last week's message on [Sermon Title] encouraged you. 🙏 This coming Sunday, we'll explore [Sermon Title]. Don't miss this sermon! Blessings.”
“Hi [First Name], how has the recent series on [Sermon Topic] been speaking to you? 🍇 This Sunday, we're diving into [Sermon Topic]. Can't wait to see you there and grow together!”
“Remember last Sunday's sermon on [Sermon Title]'? 🙏 We encourage you to keep practicing what we learned! Up next, we're talking about [Sermon Topic]. Come join us!”
“Greetings [First Name], we hope you found encouragement in Pastor [Name]'s message on [Sermon Title]. 🛡️ This week, we'll look at how to [Sermon Topic]. Invite a friend who needs to hear this!”
“Did last week's message, [Sermon Title] give you some food for thought? 🌱 This Sunday, we're focusing on [Sermon Title]. It's a story of grace and redemption you won't want to miss!”
“[First Name], remember that God is your strength and refuge. 'The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.' (Psalm 18:2) 🙏 Have a blessed and peaceful day!”
“[First Name], as you go through your week, don't forget the power of faith! 'For we live by faith, not by sight.' (2 Corinthians 5:7) 🙌 May your faith guide you in every situation. God bless!"
“In times of worry, let's find peace in God's word: 'Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.' (Philippians 4:6) 🌿 May His peace fill your heart today!”
“[First Name], remember that you are never alone: 'Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.' (Joshua 1:9) 🦁 Take courage, for God is with you!”
“As you step into the challenges and opportunities of the day, know that God's love surrounds you: 'For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons... can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' (Romans 8:38-39) ❤️ May you feel His love today!”
Regardless of what kinds of text messages you plan to send to your church contact list, make sure you have a strategy and the right tools in place. If you don’t, things could get out of hand quickly—the people on your church contact list may become annoyed and block or ignore your texts.
There are two primary ways that churches send text messages to their congregants—through their personal devices or through a church text messaging service. Let’s review those options:
Some pastors and leaders just send group texts from their personal smartphones. This is not ideal for a whole host of reasons. It bogs down church leaders with tons of church-related texts on their personal devices. It makes it nearly impossible to track who has responded and who hasn’t.
Another consideration is that most carriers limit the size of group texts. Worse yet, adding a new person to a group text can be a clunky experience as leaders have to create new groups. This makes it difficult to track previous conversations. These annoyances compound and quickly make this option nearly impossible.
A much better option for church leaders is to use church texting services. These services allow bulk texts to be sent to groups without bogging down a pastor or church leader’s phone. It is far easier to manage access and track responses through a church texting service, as well as allowing more transparency to what messages have been sent or received.
Likewise, team leaders can easily add new contacts, associate them with specific groups, send group or individual messages, and track responses.
Subsplash takes it a step further by consolidating your mass church texting service, bulk emails, as well as group chats. All of these tools are integrated with their church management software, helping church leaders interface with congregants’ data, allowing you to send, manage, and track multiple forms of communication.
If you’d like more information on how your church can better communicate by using Subsplash,[.blog-contact-cta] schedule your free demo today! [.blog-contact-cta]
