5 Ways Church Texting Can Power Your Community Outreach and Help Families This Holiday Season
3 min
The holidays are full of opportunity—and need. For pastors, that means organizing food drives, collecting donations, and coordinating volunteers, often all at once. It’s rewarding work, but it can get overwhelming fast. You want to meet every need, but there’s only so much time and energy in a day.
Texting is fast, personal, and nearly universal—almost everyone reads a text within minutes. And because it’s conversational, it helps your church connect with people who might never open an email or check social media. With one simple tool, your church can communicate clearly, mobilize volunteers, and connect with families who need support — all in real time.
Here are five ways church texting can power your community outreach and help families this holiday season.
Mobilize Volunteers to Serve the Community
Managing volunteers can feel like its own full-time job. Between scheduling, reminders, and last-minute changes, communication gaps can easily lead to no-shows and burnout.
Texting makes it simple to keep everyone on the same page. Create a keyword like SERVE or VOLUNTEER so people can text in to join your team, then use automated reminders to keep them engaged.
Example text:
“Hey Sarah! Thanks for signing up to serve this Friday at 4 PM. We can’t wait to make a difference together!”
With one quick text, you can confirm volunteers, answer questions, and build excitement. When communication is easy, community engagement thrives — and your volunteers feel seen and supported.
Pro tip: Create a Group of your volunteers so you can easily send out text blasts to them in the future.
Promote Your Holiday Drive and Rally the Church Family
Announcements get buried during busy seasons. Texting helps you cut through the noise and remind your church family exactly how they can contribute to your community outreach efforts.
Use mass texts to share weekly donation goals, collection drop-off times, or special events. Keep it personal and encouraging.
Example text:
“This week we’re collecting canned veggies and pasta for our holiday food drive. Drop off your donations in the lobby through Sunday!”
Adding a short photo or video can make participation feel even more personal. More people get involved—and more families receive the help they need—when you go that extra mile.
Reach Beyond Your Walls and Engage the Wider Community
Your mission doesn’t stop at your congregation. The holidays are one of the best times to connect with your broader community: people who may never step inside your church but still need support.
With church texting, you can make it easy for anyone in your city to find help. Create a simple keyword like FOODHELP or COMMUNITYCARE that you can share on flyers, posters, or social media.
Example text for outreach cards:
“Need help this holiday season? Text FOODHELP to 94000 for local meal pick-up info.”
Partner with schools, local nonprofits, or community centers to spread the word. This kind of community engagement makes your church more accessible, visible, and prepared to help families right where they are.
Pro tip: You can use Gloo Workflows to easily create a keyword and automated text response.
Share Impact Stories That Inspire and Encourage
Your people want to know their generosity makes a difference—and sharing impact in real time keeps that excitement alive.
Use church texting to send short updates and stories that celebrate what God is doing through your outreach.
Example text:
“You did it! Because of your generosity, 112 families received full Thanksgiving meals this week. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus.”
Photos or short clips (shared with permission) can take these updates even further. When people see the fruit of their giving, they stay emotionally invested in your community outreach ministry—and that momentum carries into future outreach events.
Follow Up and Build Long-Term Relationships
True ministry doesn’t end when the event does. After the meals are delivered and the gifts are wrapped, there’s still a story unfolding—and texting can help you stay part of it.
Send short encouragement messages or devotionals to families you’ve helped. Invite them to Christmas Eve services or small groups.
Example text:
“We’re praying for you this Christmas season. You’re always welcome at [Church Name] — we’d love to see you Sunday!”
With each simple follow-up, you’re turning one-time outreach into ongoing relationships: the heart of community engagement and discipleship.
Pro tip: Use Gloo Broadcasts to easily connect with the people you met during this holiday season.
The Transformation: From Coordination to Connection
Without a clear system, the season can feel chaotic and draining. But with a few well-timed messages, your outreach becomes simple, joyful, and deeply relational. Imagine your volunteers energized, your congregation unified, and your community cared for. With just a few messages, your community outreach can multiply its impact and help families in meaningful, lasting ways.
When communication is simple, ministry becomes personal again. You’re not just running a food drive—you’re leading your church to love people like Jesus did: personally, consistently, and without barriers.
Start Your Holiday Outreach Texting Plan Today
Ready to simplify your outreach and serve more families this holiday season?
With free church texting tools from Gloo, you can set up volunteer reminders, donation updates, and outreach workflows — all in one place.
Make this your church’s most impactful—and least stressful—holiday season yet.
