5 church email templates you can use today

September 22, 2023

Churches today have a much larger variety of communication channels to choose from compared to just a few years ago. For example, they can instantly connect with their people through text messages, social media, push notifications, group messaging apps, websites, as well as traditional printed letters or phone calls. 

Church emails are still a must-have tool for church communication because they offer a direct and personal connection with individuals or the entire church. Emails also allow churches to share important information like church bulletins or newsletters, inspire spiritual growth with Bible verses and devotionals, and foster a sense of community with prayer requests and upcoming events

If you’re a church leader, you probably don’t have time to create engaging email subject lines and content for each email you send. Using a church email template will ensure your emails are more interesting, easier to create, and streamline the writing process. 

In this article you’ll find five popular church email templates that you can use right away, as well as some best practices for using these templates or creating your own. Let’s dive right in!

Tips using a church email template

Receiving emails full of spelling errors, broken links, and irregular formatting is never pleasant. To effectively use a church email template, follow these important steps in order to make your emails well received and successful. 

Make them visually appealing: Add visually appealing elements such as images, banners, or your church's logo to make the email more engaging and recognizable for your readers. Ensure that the design aligns with your church's branding for consistency. If you’re looking for free, customizable email design templates websites, you can try out sites like Canva or Postermywall

Use clear formatting: Use a clean and organized layout with readable fonts and appropriate font sizes. Adding headers, bullet points, and spacing helps make the content easy to skim and digest.

Ensure mobile-friendly design: Many people access their emails on their smartphones, so ensure that your templates are mobile responsive and display correctly on various screen sizes.

Make it personal: Whenever possible, personalize your emails by addressing recipients by their names. You can add their names in the greetings or even the email subject lines. Most church email platforms allow you to insert dynamic fields into your templates that insert the person’s name from a list or church database.

Include relevant links: Rather than stuff tons of information into your emails, you can easily include hyperlinks to take your readers to your website, event registrations, and your online donations page. By sending your readers to these pages, you allow them to choose what info they dive into and encourage further engagement.

Go beyond church email for communication

Add an unsubscribe option: In today’s user-privacy-focused world, it’s important to include a clear option for recipients to unsubscribe from your emails. Not only does this demonstrate respect for their preferences, it also ensures compliance with email regulations.

Provide contact information: It’s amazing how many church emails don’t contain any contact information. Be sure to include contact details for the church office or relevant staff members, so recipients can reach out and connect.

Proofread & test: Have you ever sent an email and then realized that you misspelled some words or forgot to include something important? Before sending, test your email templates for any broken links, formatting issues, and spelling/grammar errors. Send test emails to yourself or a team member to review.

Be consistent: People enjoy knowing that they’re going to hear from your church on a regular basis, however people may tune out if you email too often.Maintain a consistent schedule for sending emails, whether it's weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. This consistency helps establish expectations and keeps your congregation engaged.

Know your engagement metrics: It can be frustrating to put a lot of work into your emails and not know how they’re performing. Fortunately, you can easily monitor the performance of your emails by tracking metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and response rates. You can use these insights to refine your email strategy over time. 

By making sure each of these steps are taken for your church email templates, you can enhance the overall effectiveness of your communication and strengthen your connection with your congregation.

5 engaging & effective church email templates 

So, what are the essential components of a good church email template? Each template should include:

  • A clear & attention-catching subject line
  • A personalized & engaging introduction
  • Important details & information
  • A call to action that the readers can take
  • A warm closing from the sender

With this in mind, let’s take a look at five church email templates for popular subjects that pastors often share via email:

#1. Upcoming events & announcements

Subject Line: “Exciting News and Upcoming Events at [Church Name]”

Hello [First Name],

As you know, we’ve got a lot of things going on at church right now. We're thrilled to share some exciting updates and upcoming events happening in our church community!

[List the details of your upcoming events, dates, and important details.]

So, mark your calendars, and let's come together to celebrate and grow in faith.

Blessings & joy in Christ, 

[Pastor/Sender’s Name]

#2. Prayer requests & updates

Subject Line: “Update: Prayer Requests & Community Support”

Dear [First Name],

Prayer is an important focus of our church family, and we’re here to support you in prayer as well. I want to invite you to join us as we lift each other up in prayer and support one another.

Here are some of the prayer requests that we’ve received this week. [Share prayer requests, updates on community needs, and ways to provide support.] 

We’ve also seen God answer many of our prayers recently. [Share praise reports and stories of answered prayers.]

Please take a moment to pray for those in need and consider how you can contribute to our community's well-being.

In unity through prayer, 

[Pastor/Sender’s Name]

#3. Volunteer opportunities & ministry involvement

Subject Line: “[First Name], Get Involved & Make a Difference!”

Hello [First Name],

As you know, our church has made a big impact on our community by changing lives through the good news of Jesus. Your involvement can make our church stronger and even more impactful. That’s why I want to share some volunteer opportunities and ministries you can be part of.

Our main volunteer needs right now include… [Highlight specific volunteer roles, ministry descriptions, and how congregants can get involved.]

Please pray about where God would have you serve, sign up for a ministry or volunteer role today, and be a blessing to others!

Thank you for your willingness to serve, 

[Pastor/Sender’s Name]

#4. Weekly sermon highlights

Subject Line: “Sneak Peak at This Week's Sermon Highlights”

Hello [First Name],

We hope you had a blessed week! As we prepare for Sunday worship, we'd like to share a sneak peek of this week's sermon.

This week we’ll be introducing…[Brief summary of sermon topic and key points.]

Join us this Sunday to dive deeper into this message and worship together.

In His love and grace,

[Pastor/Sender’s Name]

#5. A word of encouragement

Subject Line: “A Message of Encouragement: Finding Hope Amidst Challenges”

Dear [First Name],

In times of uncertainty and challenges, our faith can serve as a source of strength and hope. Today, we want to share a message of encouragement to help you navigate life's difficulties.

We understand that life presents each of us with trials and tribulations—whether it's personal struggles, health issues, or broader societal challenges. As a church, we aim to provide you with biblical wisdom and practical insights on how to find hope and comfort in the middle of these trials.

As you pray this week, please reflect on these scriptures. [Share scriptures that offer comfort and guidance.]

We’ve seen God’s goodness and faithfulness in answering our prayers. [Share personal stories of triumph over adversity from our church community.]

[Highlight upcoming sermons, events, or support groups related to this theme.]

As you read through this message, take a moment to reflect on how you can apply these principles to your own life. Reach out to a fellow church member who might need encouragement, and join us at our upcoming events to deepen your faith and connection with our church community.

In the enduring hope of Christ,

[Pastor/Sender’s Name]

Make your church’s emails even more impactful

These templates are just a few examples of how you can maintain a personal touch while conveying important information. We encourage you to adapt and customize them to suit your church's unique needs and communication style.

Subsplash makes sending your church emails simple. With our Mailouts tool, you can send emails to  individuals, the whole church, or people who are part of specific small groups, volunteers, or ministry teams. Better yet, Mailouts is connected to Subsplash Events and People & Groups database, streamlining your email and church member management process.

To discover how Mailouts can save you time and simplify your communication, [.blog-contact-cta] schedule your free demo today![.blog-contact-cta]

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Author

Jeff Harvey, Guest Author
www.subsplash.com

Jeff lives in Austin, TX and is a husband, father, and bonsai enthusiast. He’s served churches for over 20 years as a pastor, teacher, and missionary. He also holds a MBA from George Fox University and is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish.

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