Reach Your Congregation Instantly:
Relational Texting for Modern Ministries

Yes! Inside Settings > Phone Numbers, you have two straightforward options: (1) Pick a new dedicated local number in your area code in seconds and set up call forwarding so calls to your main office line ring seamlessly, or (2) Port your existing mobile or texting number over from providers like Clearstream, Text In Church, or Flocknote via standard carrier transfer. Your current service continues working while the transfer is processed.

Not at all! You can use Outreach ONE 100% as a dedicated, standalone church texting platform without touching your existing website or church database (like Planning Center, Breeze, or CCB).

You simply export your contact lists as a CSV spreadsheet from your existing system, upload them into Outreach ONE in under 2 minutes, and start texting. You can put your texting keyword and Scan-to-Text QR codes on your Sunday slides and bulletins immediately.

Whenever you are ready in the future to build a custom church website, create digital connection cards, or send mass emails, all of those tools are already included in your Outreach ONE Premium membership at $0 extra software cost.

Migrating your congregation is fast and simple using Contacts > Import Contacts. Just export a standard CSV spreadsheet from your current texting platform or church directory, then upload it into Outreach ONE. You can easily map columns (First Name, Last Name, Mobile Phone, Email) and assign custom group tags or Smart Lists (e.g., Members, First-Time Guests, Youth Parents, Volunteers) so your lists are ready to text in minutes.

Because 2-way texting features are built into Outreach ONE Premium with no expensive monthly software add-on fees, messaging usage is billed on a transparent pay-as-you-go basis directly from your prepaid digital wallet:

• SMS (Text & Media Messages): $0.0166 per segment (Billed per carrier segment, not per individual character count)
  • Standard Text Segment: 160 characters = 1 segment.
  • The "Emoji Tax": Emojis, symbols, or special formatting drop your limit to 70 characters.
  • MMS (Photos/Media): Photos typically cost ~3 segments.
• Number Validity Check: $0.0180 per validation (Optional setting — disabled by default)
• Phone Calls: Outbound: $0.0280 / min • Inbound: $0.0170 / min
• How Auto-Recharge Works: If your wallet balance falls below $0.00, the system automatically tops it up by charging your card $10.00 (or your chosen custom amount).

For a complete overview of email, call, and optional carrier add-on fees, view our full Usage Rates & Billing Guide.

Because you only pay small carrier fees ($0.0166 per text segment) rather than an expensive standalone monthly software subscription, your real-world usage cost is surprisingly low:

Compare this to dedicated church texting platforms that charge a fixed $79 to $149+ every single month regardless of whether you send 10 texts or 1,000.

Most standalone church texting platforms charge fixed monthly software subscriptions between $50 and $150+ every month ($600–$1,800/year)—even during slower summer months. Because 2-way texting is integrated directly into your Outreach ONE Premium subscription, you eliminate those separate software subscriptions and only pay for the message segments your church actually sends via your digital wallet, saving $600 to $1,200+ every year.

Yes, absolutely. While Outreach ONE has deep, powerful capabilities under the hood, everyday texting is as simple as sending a regular text on your smartphone.

• Simple Free Mobile App: Ministry leaders and volunteers can download the free mobile app on iPhone or Android to reply to messages, view member notes, and make calls in one tap with zero technical training.
• No-Code Ask AI Assistant: You don't need technical skills to build multi-week guest follow-up sequences. Just type what you want in plain English (e.g., "When a visitor texts CONNECT, send an auto-reply, wait 2 days to check in, and wait 1 week to invite them to coffee") and Ask AI builds the entire workflow automatically.
• Done-For-You Setup Option: If you prefer zero tech hassle, our team can handle your complete phone number setup, carrier verification, and contact import for you with our optional $197 Onboarding Setup Service.

Yes. When pastors, ministry directors, or volunteers use the free Outreach ONE Mobile App (available for iOS and Android) or web Conversations Inbox, all outbound texts and replies appear from your church's official verified phone number. Staff personal mobile numbers remain 100% private and protected.

Yes! Custom keywords and automated follow-ups are built directly inside Automation Workflows (Automation > Workflows) in Outreach ONE.

You simply create a workflow triggered by an incoming text keyword (e.g., CONNECT, PRAYER, YOUTH, GIVING, or VBS). The workflow can instantly text back your digital connection card link (built in Sites > Forms), tag the visitor in your contact database, alert a pastor, and schedule personalized follow-up texts over the following 30 days.

Yes! You can generate Scan-to-Text QR Codes for your banners, postcards, Sunday screen slides, welcome bulletins, and seatback cards. When guests scan the code with their smartphone camera, it automatically opens their text message app with your church's phone number and the keyword (e.g., CONNECT) already filled in. They simply tap "Send" to instantly receive your digital connection card link and start the hospitality follow-up drip—eliminating typos and manual dialing.

Yes. Federal carrier regulations (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) require all organizations—including churches and nonprofits—to have a dedicated local phone number and complete official carrier verification (A2P 10DLC brand registration) using their church Tax ID (EIN) before sending outbound broadcast text messages.

This mandatory verification confirms your church is a trusted organization, prevents carrier blocking, and guarantees high deliverability for welcome alerts, prayer requests, and nursery texts. Outreach ONE makes this process straightforward with a guided step-by-step wizard inside Settings > Phone Numbers > Trust Center:

• Secure 2FA Protection: Because carrier registration involves verifying official church leadership identification, Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is enabled on your account first to safeguard sensitive data.
• Fast Turnaround: Once submitted through our portal, mobile carriers typically review and approve church registrations within 24 to 48 hours (and up to 1 week if manual carrier verification is requested).

Outbound calls can be registered directly inside Settings > Phone Numbers > Trust Center with three major carrier verification and reputation protocols:

• CNAM (Caller Name Registration): Displays your official church name (e.g., "Grace Community Church") on outbound caller ID screens instead of an unknown number, improving answer rates.
• SHAKEN/STIR: An industry-standard cryptographic protocol mandated by carriers to authenticate caller ID, verifying that your call is legitimate and hasn't been spoofed.
• Voice Integrity: Registers your phone numbers with major mobile networks (like T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T) to protect their reputation and prevent "Spam Likely" warnings.

To comply with carrier regulations, automated texts sent from software platforms require clear sender identification and opt-out instructions. The system handles this automatically inside Settings > Phone Numbers by appending your church's Sender ID and an opt-out message (such as "Reply STOP to stop") to outgoing texts. You can customize this wording and enable periodic opt-out reminders to keep communications smooth, compliant, and uncluttered.

Yes! Outreach ONE includes Ask AI built directly into your inbox, broadcast composer, and workflow builders to eliminate writer's block and tedious setup:

• Chat-to-Build Workflows: Type what you want to automate in natural language (e.g., "Follow up with first-time guests over 3 weeks") and Ask AI builds the complete trigger, timer schedule, and messages for you.
• 1-Click Broadcast Drafting: Ask AI to draft weather delay alerts, volunteer reminders, or giving updates tailored to your church's warm pastoral tone.
• Smart Conversation Replies: Receive instant draft suggestions to answer website questions and guest inquiries with one click, while retaining 100% pastoral control to edit before sending.

Yes! Outreach ONE includes built-in Interactive Voice Response (IVR) smart call trees directly within your workflow builder. You can upload custom audio greetings (e.g., "Press 1 for Pastoral Care, Press 2 for Youth & Family Ministries, Press 3 for Office Hours & Directions") and automatically forward calls to specific staff or volunteer cell phones without revealing personal numbers. This allows churches to eliminate separate monthly phone software subscriptions like Grasshopper while keeping all call history and recordings centralized in the church timeline.

Yes! You can create unlimited Custom Contact Fields (checkboxes, dropdowns, text fields) and Custom Objects inside your dashboard. This allows your team to link children to parent profiles, log emergency contact details, track specific allergies (like peanut or gluten sensitivities) for children's check-in, and organize members by age or department (Youth, Young Adults, Seniors) for hyper-targeted broadcast messaging.

Yes! In the bottom-right corner of your Outreach ONE dashboard, you have 24/7 access to our support widget. You can ask quick questions to our AI assistant or simply type Agent to connect directly with a live support specialist. You can also schedule a 1-on-1 live screen-share video appointment where our team can hop on, walk through your dashboard, and help you configure phone numbers, workflows, or contact imports.