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 messages to the right people at the right time. All Text In Church plans include unlimited Groups.
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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 Tags, select any Tags to apply to this Group.
Click Next Step to continue.
On the next page, configure the optional connection settings:
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 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 when done.
Click Save and Close to save all Group settings.
How to Edit a Group
In the Groups section, click the three dots next to the Group you want to edit and select Edit.
Update the name, description, or any other settings. Click the blue Next button to access 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 settings 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) 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 copy and share.
How to Organize Groups into Folders
Folders help you keep your Groups organized when managing a large number of them. A Group can only be in one folder at a time, but you can move it between folders at any time.
To add a Group to a folder:
Go to the Groups tab.
Click the three dots to the right of the Group.
Select Move To and choose the folder your Group should be in.
Click Save.
To remove a Group from a folder:
Click the three dots next to the Group.
Select Move To, then click Remove from Folder.
Click Save.
To move a Group to a different folder, use the same Move To option and select the new folder.
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.
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.
Groups on the Mobile App
Groups can be created and accessed on the mobile app as well as the desktop. Tap the Groups tab in the app to get started.
Tap the bubble with a plus icon in the bottom right corner to create a new Group and add details like the Group name, description, and Tags. After creating your Group, tap on it to open the Group summary. Navigate to other sections like Members or Workflows using the tabs at the top of the Group page.
Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the Group to Edit, Delete, or Add Members.
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 all required fields, use a two-Group setup:
Create two Groups. Group A is linked to your Keyword and receives contacts 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 from being sent. If you are seeing duplicates, check for duplicate contact records in your People section. Contact support@textinchurch.com if the issue continues.
Is there a limit to how many Groups I can create?
No. All Text In Church plans include unlimited Groups. If you cannot create a new Group, check your User permissions and confirm no existing Group shares the same name.
Can a Group be in more than one folder?
No. A Group can only be in one folder at a time. To move it to a different folder, click the three dots next to the Group, select Move To, and choose the new folder.
