SMS Messaging

Quick Summary: Send instant text messages to individuals or groups for time-sensitive updates and urgent communications.

Overview

When something can't wait for email—a weather cancellation, last-minute schedule change, urgent prayer request, or time-sensitive reminder—SMS messaging gets your message in front of people instantly. With 98% open rates (most within 3 minutes), text messaging is the most direct communication channel available.

Relius makes church texting simple and compliant. Send to individuals with a few taps, broadcast to entire groups, save templates for recurring messages, and manage opt-ins/opt-outs automatically. Whether you're texting one person or one thousand, it takes the same amount of effort.

Unlike email, texts are brief, personal, and expected to be read immediately. Use SMS strategically for high-priority communication, and your congregation will come to trust and appreciate these messages rather than tune them out.

Key Concepts

SMS: Short Message Service—standard text messages up to 160 characters
MMS: Multimedia Messaging Service—texts with images, longer messages (up to 1600 chars)
Opt-In: Explicit consent from a member to receive text messages
Opt-Out: When someone texts STOP to unsubscribe from messages
Broadcast: Sending the same message to multiple recipients at once
Two-Way Messaging: Recipients can reply, creating a conversation thread
Template: Pre-written message you can reuse (e.g., "Service canceled due to weather")

Getting Started

Step 1: Set Up Your SMS Provider

Relius uses Twilio for SMS delivery. Navigate to Settings → Communications → SMS and connect your Twilio account. If you don't have one, Relius will guide you through creating one and purchasing a phone number (usually $1/month + per-message costs).

Your SMS sender will show as this phone number. Pick a local number or toll-free number—local feels more personal, toll-free is better for high-volume sending.

Step 2: Collect Opt-Ins

Important: You cannot text people without their explicit consent. Under TCPA law, you need clear, affirmative opt-in before sending promotional or informational texts.

Ways to collect opt-ins:

Member Signup Forms: Include an "I agree to receive text messages" checkbox during registration
Connection Cards: Add a "Mobile Number (for text updates)" field with consent language
Text-to-Join: Display "Text JOIN to (555) 123-4567" on screens or bulletin—auto-adds them
Manual Entry: When entering phone numbers, check the "SMS consent" box in their profile

Relius tracks consent status automatically. Only members marked as opted-in will appear in your SMS recipient lists.

Step 3: Send Your First Message

Go to Communications → SMS → New Message. Choose your recipients (individual, group, or custom filter), type your message, and hit send. That's it.

For your first message, send to staff only as a test: "Testing our new church text system! Reply YES if you received this." Confirm delivery and two-way replies work before going wider.

Step 4: Create Templates for Common Messages

Save time by creating templates:

"Reminder: [Event] is tonight at [Time]. See you there!"
"Service canceled due to weather. Join us online at [Link]"
"Urgent prayer request for [Name]. Please lift them up today."
"Hi [First Name], we missed you Sunday! Hope you're doing well."

Use merge tags like [First Name], [Event], [Time] to personalize without rewriting each time.

Features

Individual Messaging

Text one person at a time for personal follow-up:

Thank a first-time guest for visiting
Check in with someone who's been absent
Confirm a pastoral care appointment
Answer a question about an event

Messages appear as a conversation thread, just like texting a friend. Recipients can reply, and you'll see their response in the Relius inbox under Communications → SMS → Conversations.

Bulk Messaging (Broadcasts)

Send the same message to many people at once:

Everyone: All opted-in members (use sparingly!)
Specific Group: Text your youth group, worship team, or small group leaders
Custom Filter: Target by age, attendance, location, or custom tags

Broadcasts send as individual messages—recipients don't see each other's numbers (not a group chat). Each person can reply privately, and you'll see all responses in your inbox.

SMS Templates

Pre-write messages for recurring scenarios:

Event Reminder: "[Event] starts in 1 hour! See you soon."
Weather Cancellation: "All services canceled today due to [Reason]. Stay safe!"
Volunteer Shift Reminder: "You're serving as [Role] this Sunday at [Time]. Thank you!"
Prayer Chain Alert: "New prayer request: [Details]. Praying with you."
Weekly Reminder: "Service tomorrow at 10 AM. Bring a friend!"

Templates save keystrokes and ensure consistent messaging. Edit placeholders when sending, or use merge tags for automatic personalization.

Opt-In and Opt-Out Management

Relius handles compliance automatically:

Auto-Opt-Out: When someone texts STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, or QUIT, they're immediately removed from future messages
Confirmation Reply: They receive "You have been unsubscribed. Reply START to re-subscribe."
Opt-Out List: View everyone who has opted out under Settings → SMS → Opt-Outs
Re-Opt-In: If someone texts START, they're automatically added back

Every SMS includes a footer (required by law): "Reply STOP to unsubscribe." This is added automatically— you don't need to type it.

Manual Opt-Out: You can also manually opt someone out from their member profile if they request it in person or via email.

Scheduling

Compose a message now, send it later:

Write Saturday evening, schedule for Sunday morning 8 AM
Queue event reminders 24 hours and 1 hour before start time
Send volunteer shifts on Friday for the upcoming weekend

Scheduled messages appear under SMS → Scheduled where you can edit or cancel before send time.

Two-Way Conversations

Unlike email, SMS is conversational. When people reply:

Responses appear in your SMS Inbox
Click to view the full conversation thread
Reply directly from Relius—it sends from your church number
Assign conversations to staff members for follow-up

This is powerful for prayer requests, pastoral care, and volunteer coordination. Someone texts "Can't make my shift Sunday," you reply "No problem! I'll find coverage. Thanks for letting me know."

Advanced: Automated Workflows

Trigger SMS automatically based on events:

First-Time Guest: 1 hour after check-in, send "Thanks for visiting today! Hope to see you again."
Birthday: Send "Happy birthday, [Name]! 🎉 We're celebrating you today." at 9 AM on their birthday
Volunteer Reminder: Text scheduled volunteers 24 hours before their shift
Event RSVP Confirmation: When someone registers, send "You're registered for [Event]! See you there."
Absence Follow-Up: If someone misses 3 consecutive Sundays, text "We've missed you! Everything okay?"

Set up workflows under Communications → Automation → SMS Workflows. Define triggers, delays, and message content. Relius handles the rest.

Advanced: Keyword Auto-Responses

Let people text keywords to get automatic information:

TIMES → "Service times: Saturday 5 PM, Sunday 8 & 10 AM"
DIRECTIONS → "123 Main St, Springfield. [Google Maps link]"
PRAYER → "Reply with your prayer request and our team will pray for you."
GIVE → "Give online: [link to giving page]"

Set up keywords under SMS → Keywords. When someone texts a keyword, they get an instant response—no staff intervention needed. Great for info displayed on screens or bulletins.

Advanced: MMS (Images & Long Messages)

Need more than 160 characters or want to include an image? Use MMS:

Send event flyers, service graphics, or photos
Include QR codes for quick check-in or registration
Send longer messages (up to 1600 characters) that auto-split

MMS costs slightly more per message (~$0.02-$0.03 vs $0.01 for SMS) but delivers a richer experience. To send MMS, simply attach an image or write beyond 160 characters—Relius handles the rest.

Note: Not all carriers support MMS. If delivery fails, Relius falls back to SMS with a link to view the image online.

Best Practices for Church Texting

Keep it short: Aim for under 160 characters. If it's longer, consider email instead.
Respect the medium: SMS is for urgent, time-sensitive info—not lengthy newsletters
Frequency matters: Max 1-2 texts per week. More feels spammy and drives opt-outs.
Timing is everything: Avoid late nights (after 9 PM) or early mornings (before 8 AM)
Clear call-to-action: "RSVP here: [link]" or "Reply YES to confirm"
Be conversational: Write like you're texting a friend, not drafting a press release
Include your church name: "Grace Church: Service canceled today due to weather"
Links matter: Use link shorteners (Relius does this automatically) so URLs don't eat your character count
Test before broadcast: Send to staff first to catch typos or broken links
Monitor replies: Check your SMS inbox daily—people expect quick responses to texts

Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: Weather Cancellation

Ice storm hits Saturday night. At 6 AM Sunday, Pastor Mike sends: "Hope Church: All services canceled today due to icy roads. Join us online at hopechurch.org/live. Stay safe!" 847 members receive it within 3 minutes. Zero confused families show up to locked doors.

Scenario 2: Event Reminder Sequence

Men's Retreat is Friday-Sunday. On Wednesday, text registrants: "Men's Retreat starts Friday 6 PM! Packing list: [link]" On Friday at 3 PM: "Heading to the retreat? Gates open at 5:30. See you soon!" On Sunday after checkout: "Thanks for an amazing weekend! Share photos in our Facebook group: [link]"

Scenario 3: Prayer Chain

A member's daughter is in the hospital. Pastor activates the prayer team via SMS: "Urgent: Sarah's daughter Emma in ER with appendicitis. Surgery scheduled for 2 PM. Please pray." 24 prayer warriors receive it instantly and start praying. Later: "Update: Surgery successful. Emma is recovering well. Thank you for your prayers!" Response rate: 100%.

Scenario 4: Volunteer Coordination

Sunday morning greeter calls in sick. Children's director texts the backup list at 7:30 AM: "Hi [Name], can you fill in as greeter this morning at 9:45? Reply YES if available." First person to respond gets a confirmation text, others get "We're all set—thanks for being willing!" Shift filled in 4 minutes.

Common Questions

Q: How much does SMS cost?

A: Pricing varies by provider and country. In the US, expect $0.01-$0.015 per SMS, $0.02-$0.03 per MMS. A 1000-person broadcast costs $10-$15. Relius shows estimated cost before you send. You can set monthly spending limits to control costs.

Q: Can recipients reply to broadcast messages?

A: Yes! Each person can reply privately. You'll see all responses in your SMS inbox. This is different from a group chat—recipients only see the original message and their own reply, not others' responses.

Q: What if someone doesn't have a mobile number in their profile?

A: They won't receive the SMS. Relius shows you the deliverable count before sending. UsePeople → Directory → Filter → Missing Mobile Number to identify gaps and collect numbers.

Q: How do I handle someone who opted out but wants back in?

A: They can text START to your church number to auto-resubscribe. Or you can manually re-enable SMS in their member profile under Contact Preferences → SMS → Opted In.

Q: Can I schedule recurring messages, like weekly reminders?

A: Yes! Under SMS → Recurring Messages, create a template and set frequency (e.g., "Every Saturday 8 PM: Reminder—service tomorrow at 10 AM"). Relius sends automatically until you pause or delete it.

Q: Is there a character limit for SMS?

A: Standard SMS is 160 characters. Beyond that, messages auto-split into multiple texts or convert to MMS (costs slightly more). Relius shows a character counter as you type and warns if you exceed 160.