Whether you're a solo pastor juggling a hundred roles or part of a multi-campus comms team, knowing how to navigate your Text In Church inbox effectively can save time and prevent messages from falling through the cracks.
Here’s a quick guide to help you master your TIC inbox like a pro.
1. Choose Your View: All Inboxes or One Line at a Time
At the top of your inbox, you’ll see a dropdown menu where you can choose to view a specific phone line (like your Pastor’s Line or Youth Line), or view All Inboxes. You can also "favorite" a line that you use most often, so it appears by default.
Pro Tip: Use “All Inboxes” if you're managing multiple ministry lines and want to see everything in one place.
2. Understand the Inbox Tabs
Just below the dropdown, you'll find several key tabs:
Inbox: Where new and unread messages land.
Pending: Where scheduled messages live.
Sent: Review past messages and confirm delivery.
Archived: Clean up your inbox by moving messages here when you're done.
Each tab plays a role in keeping your communication clear and clutter-free.
3. Take Action: Read, Archive, or Reply
Unread messages stay bold until someone replies or manually marks them as read. You have a few simple actions:
Mark as Read or Unread
Archive the message when it's handled
Reply to keep the conversation going
Reminder: Leaving a message unread can be a strategic move—it signals to your team that the issue still requires attention.
4. Use Bulk Actions to Save Time
Need to clean up in a hurry? Use the checkboxes to select multiple messages at once. From there, you can archive or mark all as read with a single click.
Important Note: If you archive from "All Inboxes," it closes the conversation in every line the person messaged from. To archive only one thread, switch to the specific inbox first.
5. Archive with Intention
You can archive a single message using the three-dot menu, or bulk archive multiple messages at once. Just be aware that if a message comes in through multiple numbers (like your prayer and pastor lines), archiving from "All Inboxes" will remove it everywhere.
6. Search and Stay Organized
If you have a large number of messages, the search function helps you quickly find conversations. Whether you’re looking up a name, keyword, or specific detail, this tool is a time-saver.
Final Thoughts
Inbox management might not be the flashiest part of ministry—but it’s one of the most powerful.
With a little intentionality, your Text In Church inbox can become a tool that helps people feel known, noticed, and loved… and that’s what it’s all about.
📱 Want more tips like this? Dive into our free training resources and see how your team can streamline follow-up without dropping the ball.