Today, we’re scratching the surface of Automated Workflows inside Text In Church. These aren’t just time-saving tools—they’re relationship-building systems that help you connect with people at the right time without lifting a finger.
🤖 What Are Automated Workflows?
Think of workflows as a series of scheduled steps (like texts, emails, or task reminders) that are triggered when someone meets a certain condition—like joining a group or having a birthday.
They help you:
Welcome first-time guests
Nurture new members
Send reminders for events
Celebrate birthdays
Follow up automatically
The best part? Once it’s set, it runs in the background—giving you more time for ministry.
🔄 Workflow Trigger Types: Know the Difference
There are five types of triggers that start your Workflow:
1. Group Join Trigger
Perfect for new guests or anyone newly added to a Group.
🔁 Only triggers for new members added after the workflow is created
Ideal for: Guest follow-up, event registrants, new volunteers
2. Calendar Date Trigger
Best for pre-established Groups when you want messages to go out on specific dates.
📆 Messages are date-based (like “5 days before” or “on this date”)
Ideal for: Sermon series reminders, seasonal campaigns
3. Person Date Trigger
Our favorite! These Workflows are triggered by a specific date in the person’s profile (e.g. birthday or baptism).
🎉 Allows for deeply personal messages
Ideal for: Birthday texts, anniversaries, follow-up prompts
4. Connect Card Trigger
These Workflows are triggered when a contact submits your Connect Card.
Can be set to trigger every time someone submits the Card.
Ideal for: Sharing resources, prompting internal follow-up
5. Keyword Trigger
These Workflows are triggered when someone texts a Keyword.
Can be set to trigger every time someone texts the Keyword
Ideal for: Confirmation messages, prayer requests
✏️ Building a Workflow (Step-by-Step)
Inside the Connect > Workflows section, click Add New and either choose a template or create one from scratch.
From there, you can add:
Text Messages
Emails
Staff Reminder Messages (to anyone in a People record)
Group Add/Remove Actions
Webhooks
Task Assignments (great for follow-up or physical mailing)
Each step has:
A delay or schedule (e.g., 3 hours after joining)
A message type
A message body (with personalization fields like {First Name})
🔄 Pro Tip: If you remove someone from a group, place that step last—they won’t receive further workflow messages once removed.
🛠 Workflow Management Tips
Here’s what else you can do:
Toggle Steps On/Off (green = active, red = skipped)
Send a Test Message
Simulate Workflow to preview how it runs
Pause or Deactivate if you need to take a break (like during vacation)
Check Reports to track who’s in progress or completed
Templates will highlight sections you need to review with a red dot (like placeholder content). Just update and toggle it green!
🎂 Real-Life Example: Birthday Workflow
Using a Person Date Trigger, you could create a birthday sequence like this:
Day of: “Happy Birthday, {First Name}! 🎉 Your church family is celebrating with you today.”
2 Days Before: Send an email reminder to a staff member to prep a physical card.
7 Days Before: Assign a task to mail the birthday card with name, address, and birthday details.
30 Days After: “How can we pray for you this month?”
180 Days After: “Happy Half-Birthday! 😊”
It’s personal, thoughtful, and completely automated.
✅ Your Action Steps
Explore the Workflow Library for templates and “easy buttons.”
Create a simple Group Join Workflow for your Leadership Team or First-Time Guests.
Add a few steps—start small!
Test and activate your workflow.
Celebrate that you’re now communicating with clarity and consistency!