Communications

Quick Summary: Keep your congregation connected with email campaigns, SMS messaging, and announcements across multiple channels.

Overview

Effective communication is the heartbeat of a healthy church. Whether you're sending weekly newsletters, last-minute service cancellations, prayer chain updates, or event reminders, Relius provides multiple channels to reach your people where they are.

The Communications suite gives you professional tools to craft beautiful emails, send timely text messages, and broadcast announcements that appear in your church app, on digital screens, and in member inboxes—all from one central hub.

From planned campaigns to urgent updates, you'll have the flexibility to communicate thoughtfully and the speed to respond when it matters most. Track engagement, manage preferences, and ensure your message reaches the right people at the right time.

Communication Channels

📧 Email Campaigns

Design beautiful emails with templates, schedule sends, track opens and clicks, and run A/B tests to improve engagement.

Learn about Email →

💬 SMS Messaging

Send instant text messages to individuals or groups. Perfect for time-sensitive updates like weather cancellations or prayer requests.

Learn about SMS →

📢 Announcements

Broadcast announcements across multiple channels—mobile app, email, and screens—all from one place. Schedule and target specific groups.

Learn about Announcements →

Key Features

Multi-Channel Delivery: Reach people via email, SMS, app notifications, and digital screens
Audience Segmentation: Target specific groups, teams, age ranges, or custom filters
Template Library: Pre-built templates for newsletters, event invites, and announcements
Scheduling: Plan messages in advance or send immediately
Analytics: Track delivery, opens, clicks, and engagement
Compliance: Automatic opt-out management and consent tracking
Personalization: Use merge tags for names, groups, and custom fields
Message History: Access complete archive of all communications

Common Use Cases

Weekly Newsletter

Send a Sunday morning email with sermon notes, upcoming events, volunteer needs, and community updates. Schedule it Saturday evening to arrive in inboxes before people wake up.

Weather Cancellation

Ice storm rolling in Sunday morning? Send an SMS blast at 6 AM announcing service cancellation, plus a simultaneous app notification and email. Reach everyone within minutes.

Event Reminder Sequence

For your annual church picnic, send a save-the-date email 3 weeks out, a registration reminder 1 week before, and an SMS with parking details the morning of the event.

Prayer Chain

When a member requests urgent prayer, text your prayer team instantly with details, then follow up with an email update when there's news to share.

Volunteer Recruitment

Email your youth group about VBS volunteer opportunities, include sign-up links, track who opens and clicks, then send personalized follow-ups to those who showed interest.

Getting Started

Step 1: Set Up Your Communication Preferences

Navigate to Settings → Communications and configure your sender email, SMS provider (Twilio), and default reply-to addresses. Add your church logo and brand colors for email templates.

Step 2: Build Your Audience

Before sending, ensure member records have up-to-date email addresses and phone numbers. CheckPeople → Directory and look for missing contact info. Import or update as needed.

Step 3: Choose Your Channel

Pick the right tool for your message:

Email: Longer messages, newsletters, event details, rich formatting
SMS: Urgent updates, quick reminders, time-sensitive alerts (160 characters)
Announcements: Multi-channel broadcasts for important church-wide news

Step 4: Create Your First Message

Start with a simple welcome email to new members or a test SMS to staff. Use templates to get familiar with the interface, then customize from there.

Best Practices

Don't over-communicate: One weekly email + urgent SMS only. Respect people's inboxes.
Segment wisely: Parents don't need youth group texts; seniors may prefer email over SMS
Test before you send: Always send test messages to staff first, especially for large campaigns
Mobile-first: 70% of emails are read on phones—keep it short and scannable
Clear call-to-action: One primary action per message (RSVP, donate, sign up)
Timing matters: Avoid late-night messages; Sunday morning is high-engagement
Honor opt-outs immediately: When someone unsubscribes, respect it. It's the law.
Personalize when possible: "Hi Sarah" beats "Dear Member"

Compliance & Permissions

Relius automatically handles CAN-SPAM (email) and TCPA (SMS) compliance. Every email includes an unsubscribe link, and SMS recipients can text STOP to opt out. You can view and manage consent preferences under each member's profile.

Important: Only send SMS to people who have explicitly opted in. Pre-checked boxes during signup don't count—require active consent for text messaging.

Message History

Access your complete communication archive under Communications → History. Filter by channel, date, sender, or audience. Review past messages, check delivery rates, and duplicate successful campaigns.

Common Questions

Q: Can I schedule messages in advance?

A: Yes! All channels support scheduling. Compose your message, choose a send date/time, and Relius will deliver it automatically. Perfect for planning ahead during vacation or busy seasons.

Q: How much does SMS cost?

A: SMS pricing varies by provider (typically $0.01-$0.02 per message). Relius uses Twilio for reliable delivery. You can set monthly spending limits to control costs.

Q: Can I target specific age groups or teams?

A: Absolutely. Use audience filters to target by age, groups, teams, attendance history, giving status, or any custom field you've created. Send relevant messages to the right people.

Q: What if someone doesn't want to receive texts but still wants email?

A: Communication preferences are managed per channel. Someone can opt out of SMS while staying subscribed to email, or vice versa. Check their profile under People → [Member] → Preferences.

Q: Can volunteers send messages or only admins?

A: You control permissions by role. Group leaders can message their groups, team leaders their teams, but church-wide broadcasts require specific permissions. Configure under Settings → Roles.