Top 10 Ways to Use the Planning Center Integration with Text In Church

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If you’re already using Planning Center to organize your church and Text In Church to communicate, you’re in a great spot. But if you’re only using Planning Center—or not fully tapping into texting—you’re missing out on a powerful duo.

The Text In Church integration and texting add-on for Planning Center makes it easy to send targeted, personal text messages based on the lists you already use to organize your church. Whether it’s a reminder to volunteers, a prayer encouragement to members, or a nudge to check out your next sermon series, the integration gives you the tools to reach the right people at the right time.

Here are 10 ways to make the most of the Planning Center + Text In Church integration, with text examples you can copy and use.

1. Send Weekly Encouragement Texts to Your Entire Church

Turn your “Everyone” list into a way to keep people inspired all week long. Schedule a weekly Monday morning encouragement or Scripture to keep people connected outside of Sunday.

Example Text:
Hope your week is off to a great start! Here’s your Monday encouragement: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” - Exodus 14:14

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2. Remind Volunteers Before They Serve

Nobody likes a no-show. With synced volunteer lists, you can send a friendly reminder the day before they serve, no manual work needed. It's a great way to increase reliability and reduce last-minute stress.

Example Text:
Hey Sam! Just a quick reminder that you’re on to serve in the kids ministry tomorrow at 10:30am. We’re so grateful for you!

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3. Re-Engage Inactive Attenders

Planning Center helps you identify people who haven’t checked in or attended in a while. Use that filtered list to send a simple text like:

Example Text:
Hey Jamie, we’ve missed seeing you lately! Is there anything we can be praying about for you this week?

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4. Follow Up with First-Time Guests

Text In Church shines at guest follow-up and Planning Center helps you know who those guests are. With synced lists, you can automatically drop guests into a workflow that sends a welcome text, provides info about the church, and invites them back.

Example Text:
Hi Lauren! Thanks for joining us at River Church yesterday. We loved having you and would love to answer any questions you have. Hope to see you again soon!

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5. Send Prayer Encouragement to Your Prayer List

If you’re tracking prayer requests in Planning Center, you can use that list to send out a midweek “We’re praying for you” text to remind people they’re not alone.

Example Text:
Just wanted to let you know we’re praying for you today. If anything’s changed or there’s a new request, feel free to reply and let us know.

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6. Promote an Upcoming Sermon Series

Have a list for your regular attenders or small group members? Send them a sneak peek or teaser text about your upcoming series. Try something like:

Example Text:
Ever wonder why God feels distant sometimes? Join us this Sunday at 10:30am for week 1 of our new series: Closer Than You Think.

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7. Remind People to Give

Sync your “active attenders” list and set up a gentle recurring reminder to give, especially during off-seasons or summer months when giving dips.

Example Text:
Hey Grace Church family! You can give online anytime at gracechurch.com/give. Your generosity fuels the mission. Thank you!

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8. Follow Up After Events

Whether it’s a men’s breakfast or a women’s retreat, Planning Center helps you organize it and Text In Church helps you follow up. Send a simple “Thanks for coming!” message and ask for feedback or invite them to the next event.

Example Text:
Thanks for coming to the Men’s Breakfast this morning! We’d love to hear what you thought. Just reply with your favorite moment or suggestion.

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9. Share Last-Minute Schedule Changes

Need to cancel youth group because of snow? Move service outside for baptisms? Send a quick text! Much better than hoping people check their email in time.

Example Text:
Heads up! Youth Group is canceled tonight due to weather. Stay safe, and we’ll see you next week!

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10. Send Devotionals to Small Groups

Create a list in Planning Center for each small group and schedule weekly devotionals, prompts, or questions. This keeps the group engaged and makes leaders’ jobs easier.

Example Text:
Hey Small Group! This week’s devotional is on trusting God during uncertainty. Read Proverbs 3:5–6 and we’ll discuss it on Thursday!

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See It in Action

You can schedule a text inside of Planning Center in less than a minute!

Why It Works

Planning Center is great at organizing your church. Text In Church is built to communicate with it. Together, they help you move from disorganized outreach to meaningful connection without exporting lists, copying numbers, or juggling platforms.

Try Text In Church for 14 Days and see how easy it is.