A little care with your texting keeps your messages welcome, your members happy, and your delivery rates high. Here's how to text responsibly.
Get and respect consent
Only text people who expect to hear from you. Members add their phone numbers when they join your church or fill out a form — treat that as permission for church communication, not marketing.
Tell people what to expect. When you collect a number, let members know you may text them updates and reminders.
Handle opt-outs
Some members will reply asking to stop receiving texts (often by replying "STOP"). When that happens:
Note the request and honor it promptly.
Remove that member's phone number from texts, or simply leave them out of future SMS recipient lists.
💡 Tip: Keep a simple internal note on members who've asked to opt out so different leaders don't accidentally text them again.
⚠️ Note: Carriers may also block your number from reaching anyone who has texted STOP, regardless of your own list — another reason to honor opt-outs right away.
Improve deliverability
Activate SMS. Verified (A2P-registered) accounts get prioritized by carriers and are far less likely to be filtered.
Keep messages short and clear. Stay within the 160-character limit and get to the point.
Identify your church. Especially for the first message in a while, include your church name so recipients recognize who's texting.
Avoid spammy patterns. Skip ALL CAPS, excessive links, and "click here now" urgency — these can trip carrier spam filters.
Text at reasonable hours. Sending late at night invites opt-outs and complaints, which hurt your sender reputation.
Send to good numbers. Mistyped or landline numbers waste credits and can lower your delivery rate. Keep member contact details up to date.
Be a good neighbor
Text with purpose. Reserve SMS for timely, high-value messages — event reminders, urgent updates, last-minute changes. Use email or announcements for longer or less urgent news.
Don't over-message. Frequent texts are the fastest way to drive opt-outs.
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