Connections Course: How to Send a Mass Text Message to Your Church

Sending a mass text is one of the fastest ways to get an urgent reminder or a word of encouragement to your entire congregation. In the Church Fuel software, this process is designed to be simple and efficient.

Step 1: Select Your Recipients

First, log in to your dashboard and navigate to your contact list:

Click on Contacts in the left-hand sidebar.
Select your group: You can use a Smart List (like "All Church") or select your contacts manually.
Check the "Select All" box: Click the checkbox next to "Contact Name" at the top of the list.
Important: The system initially only selects the contacts on the current page. Look for the blue link that says "Select all [number] records" to ensure your message reaches everyone in your database.

Step 2: Open the SMS Tool

Once your contacts are selected, look for the action icons at the top of the screen:

Click the More button (usually represented by three dots or a dropdown).
Select the first option: Send SMS.

Step 3: Compose Your Message

In the SMS window, fill out the following details:

Action Name: Give this task a name (e.g., "Sunday Service Reminder" or "Weekly Encouragement"). This is for your internal records so you can find the report later.
From Phone Number: Select the dedicated phone number assigned to your Church Fuel account.
Message: Type your text here.

💡 Pro-Tip: Keep it "Short, Simple, and Sweet." Very long text messages can sometimes be rejected by carriers or split into multiple texts, which costs more credits. Also be sure to set up your wallet, so that you don't run into texting issues. You can learn about the wallet here: https://help.churchfuel.com/article/426-setting-up-your-software-wallet

Step 4: Schedule and Send

You have full control over when your message hits their phones:

Choose Delivery Type: * All at Once: Sends the message immediately.
- Scheduled Time: Perfect for Saturday evening reminders or Monday morning prayers when you’re away from your desk.
Confirm Consent: Check the box to confirm you have permission to text these contacts.
Send: Click the Send SMS button to finish.