Groups are the foundation of how Text In Church organizes communication. Each Group holds a list of contacts and can be linked to a Keyword, a Connect Card, and an Automated Workflow.
Whether you manage a small team or a large congregation, Groups let you segment your contacts and send targeted, relevant messages without needing to text everyone at once.
All Text In Church plans include unlimited Groups, so you can create as many as your church needs.
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Before You Get Started
Only Admins and Users with access to All Groups and View, Modify, and Delete permissions can create new Groups. If you need access, contact your account Admin to update your permissions under Settings > Users.
How to Create a Group in Text In Church
Log in to Text In Church and click Groups in the main menu.
Click Add New in the top right corner.
Enter a Group Name and an optional description. These are for internal use only and will not be visible to Group members.
Under Assign Users, select which Account Users should have access to this Group. Admins always have access to all Groups. Note: User assignments cannot be changed from the Group details page after the Group is created. To update them, go to Settings > Users, click the three dots next to the User, and choose Manage Permissions.
Click Next Step to continue.
On the next page, you can link a Connect Card and set up confirmation and staff notification messages:
Under Link My Connect Card to Group, connect an existing Connect Card to this Group.
Under Send Confirmation Text Message, set up an automatic SMS reply sent when someone completes the Connect Card.
Under Send Staff Notifications, configure a text or email alert sent to a User when someone completes the Connect Card.
In the final section, configure a Keyword and its automated reply. This lets contacts join the Group by texting a specific word to your Text In Church number. Click Save at the bottom when done.
Click Save and Close to save all your Group settings.
How to Edit a Group in Text In Church
Go to the Groups section, click the three dots next to the Group you want to edit, and select Edit.
On the Group Details page, update the name, description, or any other settings. Click the blue Next button to access the Keyword, Automated Reply, Staff Notifications, and Confirmation Text settings.
Click Save and Close when done.
How to Duplicate a Group
Duplicating a Group copies its settings and Automated Workflows but does not copy its members into the new Group.
In the Groups section, click the three dots next to the Group you want to duplicate.
Select Duplicate from the dropdown.
How to Delete and Restore a Group
Deleting a Group does not remove its members from the People section. You can restore a deleted Group at any time.
In the Groups section, click the three dots next to the Group you want to delete and choose Delete.
To restore a deleted Group, open the Groups section and click View Deleted Groups at the top.
Select the Group you want to restore, then click Restore in the top right corner. The Group will reappear in your Groups list with all its features intact.
How to Share a Group
Sharing a Group gives another Text In Church user a unique link to import the Group. Only the Keyword, Connect Card, and Automated Workflow(s) associated with the Group are shared. Members are not included.
In the Groups section, click the three dots next to the Group you want to share.
Select Share from the menu. A unique Group link will be generated for you to share.
Viewing Group Message History
The Message History tab shows all stand-alone messages sent to a Group. Messages sent through Automated Workflows are not shown here.
Click the Groups tab and select a Group by clicking its name.
Click the Message History tab on the Group overview page.
Here you can see the message title, type (SMS or email), and delivery date. Click the eye icon to the right of the delivery date to preview the message.
Ensuring Contacts Are Only Added After Completing a Connect Card
To prevent contacts from being added to your main Group until they fully complete a Connect Card with required fields, use a two-Group setup:
Create two Groups:
Group A is linked to your Keyword. Contacts are added here when they text the Keyword.
Group B is your main Group, linked to the Connect Card.
Link the Connect Card to add contacts to Group B only after they successfully complete and submit the form. This filters out incomplete submissions and ensures only valid contacts are added to your main Group.
FAQs
If I send a message to multiple Groups and a contact is in both, will they receive duplicate messages?
No. Text In Church recognizes when a contact is in multiple Groups and prevents duplicate messages. If you see duplicates being sent, check for duplicate contact records. Contact support@textinchurch.com if the issue continues.
Is there a limit to how many Groups I can create?
No, there is no limit to the number of Groups in your account. If you are unable to create a new Group, check your user permissions and confirm that no existing Group shares the same name.
Have questions or need help? Email support@textinchurch.com or chat with us from the Resources tab in your account.
