Messages
Messages are an incredibly powerful aspect of MinistryPlatform. Working with messages is similar to working with emails or text messages in any other program. But MinistryPlatform messages connect to your database, which all of your users can access. And because ministry is collaborative, MinistryPlatform keeps a log of all messages any user sends to any contact.
- Messages are related to emails and texts, but messages themselves are not emails or texts. Messages store in MinistryPlatform, and you can use them to send emails and texts.
- Contacts with email addresses receive a copy of the message delivered to their email address.
- MinistryPlatform doesn't store replies. When a contact replies to an email, the reply goes to the email address of the Platform user who sent the message. When a contact replies to a text message, Twilio logs the reply.
- If a message cannot send because a contact doesn't have an email address, this is recorded under . If a process automatically generated the message, the system assigns a user task to find an alternate way to deliver that message.
Sending Messages
You can send emails and text messages using the New Message Tool. The system removes duplicate messages before sending. Be aware of your message size so you can send messages more efficiently. Once you send, each contact receives a unique message and can't see other recipients' names. If a selected contact doesn't have an email address or phone number, MinistryPlatform alerts you.
Sending a bulk email? Be sure to include an opt-out footer so people can choose to not receive bulk emails. You may even include a link to the My Household widget in your opt-out footer so people can update their communication preferences for emails and texts.
- Set a gatekeeper so that only your Communications team can send bulk (over 200) emails. This way, you can control the selections and set of criteria used for each bulk message.
- Use publications for each of your congregations/parishes. This keeps those lists specific to each congregation or parish and allows your users to update their subscriptions online at any time.
- Processes: Process steps can send messages.
- Notifications: Notifications are the automated messages that MinistryPlatform sends on a daily basis.
You can also send messages to a selection of contacts for a publication, like a church newsletter or prayer updates.
Viewing Messages
To view sent messages, the message author can go to , and select the Sent view.
The recipient receives the message in the inbox of their email account listed on their Contact record. Additionally, recipients who have access to MinistryPlatform can go to , and select the My Inbox view to see the message.
API
If you have custom development that uses our API, you can create and queue emails and texts!
- /communications – Creates new communication then immediately renders and schedules it for delivery based on recipient Contact IDs.
- /messages – Creates emails from the provided information and immediately schedules for delivery based on recipient email addresses.
- /texts – Creates text messages from the provided information and immediately schedules for delivery based on recipient phone numbers.
Set CommunicationType to the ID value of Communication Type Record SMS Text.
Using our API, you get an increased 256-character limit! But beware, you'll have less control over segments with this option. If supported by individual carriers, messages exceeding 160 characters reassemble as a single message.