Communication for Leaders
Whether you lead a serving team or a group, Connect App gives you the same ways to reach the people you lead.
The tools work the same way for a serving team and for a group, so once you learn one you can use the other. Team leaders and group leaders both have options the people they lead don't — starting a group-wide chat and sending inbox messages.
Where to Start
Your starting point depends on what you lead:
- To communicate with a serving team, go to the Volunteers section, then open your team.
- To communicate with a group, go to the Groups section, then open your group.
From either page, click Send Communication to see your options.
What You Can Send
- An inbox message — Reaches people by email, and by text if they've opted in. Connect App delivers it using each person's own communication preferences.
- A text message — Send a short one-way text to the people on your roster or participant list.
- A newsfeed post — Write a post or share a photo. In a group, you can also create an event.
- A chat session — Start an interactive conversation when you need a quick answer.
Each person chooses a preferred notification setting for your group or team, and Connect App delivers your communication based on that preference, no matter which tool you pick.
Enabling Communication
An administrator or user with permission enables the overall communication settings for all groups within a ministry area. Within those settings, you decide which tools to make available to your members. If you don't see messaging options at all, contact your administrator.
To choose which team and scheduling notifications you receive, see Customize Team Notifications.
Members Without Logins
Someone on your roster may not have a Connect App login. They still receive communication:
- Newsfeed — They get email notifications when someone creates a post, shares a photo, or makes an event, and can reply through that email. They aren't notified about replies.
- Chat — They receive no chat notifications, and you can't send them a chat invite.
- Inbox messaging — They get email for the original message, and for replies when replies are set to the entire group or team. They can reply to both by email.
Reading and Managing Your Own Messages
Reading posts, replying, and managing your own inbox work the same for everyone, so those steps are written once for all members. As a leader, you follow the same instructions: