Questions about church email

Communications is Trellis's church email. You write an email in your church's name and send it to a list of your people: everyone with an email, the group leaders, everyone who serves, or a list you make. Replies come back into Trellis, unsubscribes are handled for you, and you can send from your own domain when you want to. Trellis doesn't send text messages yet. The answers below cover who can send, lists, replies, unsubscribes and limits.

Who can send email to a list?

Admins, staff and anyone with the Communications role, once Communications is on. Group leaders can email the groups they lead, but not church-wide lists. See Write and send an email.

Do we need our own email domain before we can send?

No. Until you add one, Trellis sends in the church's name from an address it shares with every church, and replies still come back to you. Your own domain is on request, for $5 a month (nothing extra on Pioneer pricing or for partner churches), whenever you want one. See Send from your church's own domain.

Can I schedule an email to go out later?

Not yet. A message goes when you press Send to. You can write it ahead of time; it waits as a draft on Messages until you send it.

Can Trellis send text messages?

Not yet. Trellis sends email only. On a phone, Text on a person's page opens your own messages app, and visitor message templates can be written as texts to send that way.

Does someone added to a group this week get my email to "everyone in a group"?

Yes, if it's a Smart list. Trellis works out who's on a smart list each time you send. A Hand-picked list stays as you made it. See Choose who gets an email.

Why does Reaches show fewer people than are on the list?

Some people on it can't be emailed: they have no real email address, unsubscribed, or their address bounced before. They're skipped when you send. Open a sent message to see who was skipped and why.

How do I see an email before everyone gets it?

The preview beside the message shows it as it will arrive. To see it in a real inbox, press Send a test. Leave the address blank and it goes to your sign-in email.

Where do replies go?

To Communications, then Replies, filed under the email they answer. A copy also goes to the sender's usual reply address. See Replies to church email.

Someone asked to stop getting our emails. What do I do?

They can use the link at the bottom of any church email. If they asked you instead, open their page in People: under Details, next to Church email, press Stop. If they unsubscribed by mistake, staff can press Add back on their page in People. See Unsubscribes, bounces and pauses.

Will people who unsubscribed still get serving reminders?

Yes. Unsubscribing stops emails to lists, leaders' group emails and the Monday check-on email. Reminders, receipts, sign-up confirmations, invitations and a note written to them alone still reach them.

Why is our church-wide email paused?

Too many of the church's emails bounced or were marked as spam in the last 30 days. Admins get an email saying which. Reply to it, or write to support@trellischurch.app, and Trellis will help clean up the list and switch it back on. See Unsubscribes, bounces and pauses.

Is there a limit on how many emails we can send?

Your plan covers a number of emails each month, and it grows with the number of people you can email. If a send would go over, Trellis tells you first and asks before adding to the bill. See Unsubscribes, bounces and pauses and the Pricing page.

Do reminders and receipts count toward our emails for the month?

No. Only emails to lists and leaders' group emails count. Notes to one person, reminders, invitations and receipts never do.

Can Silas write our church emails?

Not yet. Silas can draft visitor message templates when he's on. See Email templates.

Why didn't my email send from the practice church?

The practice church never emails anyone. In your own church, the same steps send for real.

Still stuck? Ask Silas