One of the BEST communication methods every church should be using is text messaging. Why? Because over 99% of texts are open and read. Compare that to email with just 20-40% open rates. So, what church texting services are out there?
Church texting services are a great option for churches to use in communicating with their attenders. By following major marketing trends we can see how and where people are getting their information the most and which ways they are most likely to act on. While email remains one of the top ways to reach people (in addition to social media), text messaging is a rising solution.
Here are some additional statistics that may prove that a church texting service should be part of your communication strategy.
- 60% of people surveyed said they read a marketing text within 5 minutes of receiving it.
- 33% react to CTAs in text message marketing, and 47% end up making a purchase.
- Text marketing click-through rates are finding to be 10-15% higher than email marketing.
The rise of digital marketing is quickly making it even harder to communicate with your church. I put together a list of the 5 best church test messaging solutions so you can reach them through the noise.
ClearStream
Clearstream is a solution built for churches. We currently use Clearstream at my church. With Clearstream, you can instantly communicate with members and easily follow up with first-time guests. Clearstream has all of the expected texting features, such as text-to-join keywords, guest follow-up workflows, mass texting, two-way communication, and personalized messaging. They also take things a step further for churches by offering sub-accounts for multi-campus churches or multiple ministries, 5-digit Shortcode texting and 10-digit Long codes, integrations with multiple church management software, and built-in forms to capture guest information, and that is merely scratching the surface of all that Clearstream offers within their texting software. From church plants to some of the largest churches in the U.S., thousands of churches rely on Clearstream to instantly communicate with their people and connect with first-time guests.
Clearstream works with thousands of churches worldwide and integrates with tools your church already uses, such as MailChimp, Church Community Builder, Rock RMS, Planning Center, and more.
They have a free trial and four different payment options and offer custom pricing for new church plants or any needs that don’t fit within the plans below.
| Church Plant | Small Church | Medium Church | Medium Church+ |
| $29 a month | $49 a month | $99 a month | $199 a month |
| 1250 messages | 2500 messages | 6000 messages | 12000 messages |
| 3 Keywords | 4 keywords | 5 keywords | 6 keywords |
| 1 sub-account | 2 sub-accounts | 4 sub-accounts | 8 sub-accounts |
Tithely Messaging
Tithely Messaging is one of the best solutions available for church text messaging and email newsletters. It has automated campaigns and follow-ups, 2-way messaging, and text and email blasts. Their easy-to-use dashboard allows you to send church-wide texts and emails, create lists, and have conversations.
Some of the reasons churches love using Tithely Messaging is the easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, built-in AI tools that generates content and photos for you, integrated image editor and stock photos, and a wide selection of pre-built email templates.
Unlike other texting platforms that can have complicated tiered pricing packages, Tithely Messaging has a flat monthly fee of only $19, which includes 500 text messages. From there, churches can choose to purchase additional text message bundles of 500 for only $10 per bundle.
To date, Tithely has over 30,000 churches and ministries that use their software.
Pricing: $19/mo and includes 500 SMS messages
Additional SMS messages can be purchased in bundles for $10 per 500 SMS text messages
Text in Church
Text in Church is one of the leading solutions for church texting services. Easy integrations with Planning Center, Church Community Builder, MailChimp, and Zapier make getting started a quick process.
They offer automated workflows and communication templates that make it faster and easier for you to follow up with guests. You can choose between a short-digit code phone number or a traditional 10-digit one. Keywords make opting in simple.
Text in Church offers a 14-day trial and a 100% risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee with the option to cancel at any time. There are three payment tiers depending on your needs as a church. They can also accommodate more for larger organizations, but you would need to contact them for a customized quote.
| Basic Annual | Pro Annual | Premium Annual |
| $31/mo
Paid Annually (regularly $444) |
$56/mo
Paid Annually (regularly $804) |
$81/mo
Paid Annually (regularly $1,164) |
| Unlimited contact records | Unlimited contact records | Unlimited contact records |
| 500 Texts per month | 1500 Texts per month | 2500 Texts per month |
| Unlimited Emails | Unlimited Emails | Unlimited Emails |
| Email & Chat | Email & Chat | Email, Chat & Phone support |
Mobile Text Alerts
Mobile Text Alerts is a simple yet robust solution that was initially built for a specific local church in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 2011. Over the years, they grew from the ground up and still have a special love for their root customer base: churches.
Mobile Text Alerts allows you to easily send mass texts to your members, visitors, and staff. Create groups and set up administrators at your convenience using either the mobile app or the online platform. You can upload a current list of contacts or set up integrations with your current church apps via Zapier. You can also allow your church members and staff to subscribe themselves to your texts through QR codes, text-to-join keywords, or a free customizable web form.
They offer a free 14-day trial (no credit card required) and a 30-day money-back guarantee if you decide to purchase a plan with more messages. There are various pricing options available (starting at $19 per month) to meet your church's needs. The 3 starting options include:
| Basic Annual | Starter Annual | Premium Annual |
| $19/mo
Paid Annually (regularly $300) |
$26/mo
Paid Annually (regularly $420) |
$48/mo
Paid Annually (regularly $708) |
| Unlimited contact records | Unlimited contact records | Unlimited contact records |
| 500 Texts per month | 1000 Texts per month | 2000 Texts per month |
| Unlimited Groups & Admin | Unlimited Groups & Admin | Unlimited Groups & Admin |
| Email & Chat | Email & Chat | Email, Chat & Phone support |
EZ Texting
EZ Texting is a great resource, but it can be a little complicated as it was not built specifically for church organizations. They offer integrations with Mailchimp, Zapier, Squarespace, and Salesforce.
EZ Texting might be a great solution for you if your main goal is to communicate quick updates and send reminders.
They offer a variety of pricing options from annual to monthly memberships and a custom option as well. Their payment options are robust, and every option has the potential for additional charges for overages and any keywords purchased. Below is a quick guide to their monthly options.
| Value | Essentials | Premium |
| Starting at $24 | Starting at $36 | Starting $61 |
| Includes 200 Credits / Month | Includes 200 Credits / Month | Includes 200 Credits / Month |
| 1 Number | 2 Numbers | 3 Numbers |
| Unlimited Contacts | Unlimited Contacts | Unlimited Contacts |
| Limited Access to Tools. | Access to Analytics | Full Access |
Final Thoughts
These are all great church texting service options to get started within your church. The fact is that almost everyone who walks into your church will have a phone, and almost every single one of them texts daily, even hourly.
In a time when everyone seems so connected, staying connected to our church members has never been more difficult. Text messaging may be the solution you have been looking for.
