Email Reminders Tutorials
Creating a Contact List
Your Contact List in SancytuarySync is a Google Sheet that lists the first name, last name, and email addresses for your congregants. This is used by SanctuarySync to automatically convert recipient names to the correct email. Follow the directions below to have SanctuarySync create a Contact List for you.
Let SanctuarySync Create your Contact List for You
Open SancturaySync
Open the Email Reminder tool
Under the 'Contact List Settings' section, select Show more
Select the Create a New Contact Sheet button
Creating an Email Template
A Email Template is an email serves as a base for automatic emails created with the SancturarySync Email Reminders tool. To create a new SanctuarySync Email Template:
Compose a New Email that Includes Merge Fields
Open Gmail
Select Compose to start a new email
Write the routine email that you would typically send, but replace the parts of the email that change from week to week with merge fields.
To create a merge field, simply choose a unique label (completely up to you) and surround it with double curly brackets. For example:
{{Hospitality Lead}}
{{Sermon Theme}}
Make sure to add these merge fields to one of your Planning Sheets (if not already on one).
When the email is finished, send it to yourself.
Apply the 'SanctuarySync Template' Label to the Email
Once your email is drafted and sent to yourself, it's time to apply the SanctuarySync Template label to the message. This label lets SanctuarySync know you want to use this email within the Email Reminder tool. To apply the label:
Open your Gmail inbox and select the email you just made
While viewing the message, select the label icon
Select SanctuarySync Template from the list that pops up
Select Apply
In the Email Build Menu, under the 'Email Template' section, select 'Refresh Email Template List' to see your new email appear
Creating a Planning Sheet
Planning Sheets in SanctuarySync are Google Sheets built to store details for upcoming services or emails. They can be created automatically with the SanctuarySync tool following the directions below.
If instead, you would like to create an entirely custom Planning Sheet, you can do so by creating a Google Sheet where:
The first row must contain dates and
The first column contains merge field labels.
For a Planning Sheet to work with a particular Bulletin or Email Template, the merge field labels in the first column of the Planning Sheet must match the merge field labels found on the Bulletin or Email Template exactly.
Did you know you can create multiple Planning Sheets?! Want to keep your volunteer schedule separate from your liturgy plans? No problem, you can create a Planning Sheet for each to keep your church organized, just make sure each merge field label is only listed on one Planning Sheet.
Let SanctuarySync Create a Planning Sheet for You
Open SanctuarySync
On the new email builder menu, Under the 'Primary Planning Sheet' section, select Manage Planning Sheets
With the 'Bulletin Template' dropdown found in the 'Add a Planning Sheet/Option 1:' section select either...
A Bulletin Template that you would like this Planning Sheet to be built to match
None: This creates a blank Planning Sheet for you
Select Create Sheet
Creating a New Auto Email Reminder
Each auto email reminder you build in SanctuarySync will be created routinely for you. In the instructions below you'll learn how to set who, when, and how these emails are created.
Recipients
To add a recipient to an auto email, you can enter an email, full name, or merge field in the recipients text box. To add multiple recipients, separate each email, name, or merge field (you can always mix and match) with a comma. A few things to note:
If you specify a recipient by full name, make sure that person is listed on your contact sheet with an email so SanctuarySync can get them added to the email correctly.
If you specify a recipient by merge field, the information in that cell can be either an email, full name, or list of either/both (separated by commas). The same rule for full names applies: they must be on your contact list for it to work.
Email Subject
Use whatever you would like. Feel free to even include a merge field if you are getting fancy.
Email Template
This is the base for the emails SanctuarySync will create for you. Learn how to create an Email Template here. If you recently created an Email Template and you do not see it in the new email build menu, close SanctuarySync and re-open the menu.
Controlling When Emails Will be Generated:
Two pieces of information are used to control when these automatic emails will be generated: A Planning Sheet and the Email Timing Setting.
Primary Planning Sheet: What days need emails written about them?
An email will be written in regards to each date listed in the top row of the Planning Sheet you designate as the email's Primary Planning Sheet. Emails written regarding a specific date will use information from your planning sheets associated with that date to fill in the merge fields in your Email Template. Please note: an email written in regards to a date will not necessarily be generated on that date. You can setup the emails to be generated before, on, or after the actual dates listed in your Planning Sheet by adjusting the Email Timing setting.
Email Timing Setting: Chose to have your emails send before, on, or after, the dates listed on your Primary Planning Sheet.
The Email Timing Setting allows you to send an email about a specific day before, on, or after that day. Note on Email Time: Emails will be created within an hour of the time you set.
Email Timing Examples:
If every Wednesday you want to send an email to the volunteers that are helping with worship the upcoming Sunday:
Primary Planning Sheet: These emails are written regarding Sundays. This means you would want to use a Planning Sheet where the first row is a list of Sundays. For example, you could probably use the same planning sheet you use to plan worship as the Primary Planning Sheet for this email.
Email Timing: 4 days before
If you want to send an email to committee members the day after each committee meeting
Primary Planning Sheet: These emails are written regarding committee meetings. You would want to use a Planning Sheet where the first row is a list of meeting dates for that committee.
Email Timing: 1 day after
Choose whether to have the email send automatically
Emails can be set to send automatically as soon as they are created, they can be set to be saved as a draft for you to send when you are ready, or there is a middle-ground option where your auto emails can be set to send automatically if there are no errors otherwise the email will be saved as a draft - allowing you an opportunity to correct the email before it is sent. Possible errors that would trigger this switch include:
SanctuarySync is unable to find an email for a recipient
SanctuarySync is unable to find a merge field that you used in your Email Template on any of your designated Planning Sheets
A field that was used in the email was blank on your Planning Sheet
Select Build
Your new auto email reminder is ready! To see when it is set to send next, use the View Upcoming Emails on Calendar button found on the Email Reminder tool main menu.
