We replaced Text In Church and Gloo with an AI text line
We've used both Gloo and Text In Church. They're the two names most pastors know for church texting. We switched to an AI phone and text line built on Bland. For our church, it costs less and works better. Here's what changed and what we'd tell another pastor.
What we needed
Most texts and calls are the same few questions: what time is church, is there something for my kids, where do I park, what's coming up. First-time guests would send "hello" and then wait. We wanted those people to get a warm, accurate answer right away, and we wanted staff to know about it on Monday.
What we use now
- A church number from Bland, which costs us about $30 a month.
- A one-page FAQ in our own words. The line answers only from it.
- Planning Center, read-only, through its MCP connector. It's used to suggest a likely caller in the staff summary.
- One staff owner who reads the summaries.
Why it works better for us
- It answers the question. Instead of an inbox someone has to watch, people get an answer from the FAQ when they ask.
- It handles calls too. The same FAQ covers calls and texts.
- It hands off to people. Small-group interest goes to the staff member who leads groups. Anything pastoral or urgent goes straight to a person.
- Staff get a summary. Every conversation gets a short note, and first-time guests are flagged for follow-up.
What it costs
For us, the Bland number is about $30 a month, and that's less than we were paying before. I'm not quoting Gloo or Text In Church prices here because their plans change. Check their current pricing for your church's size.
What I'd be careful about
- Bulk texting the whole congregation is a different job. Think about whether you need that before you switch.
- The FAQ is everything. If it's vague, the answers will be too.
- Test it with staff for a week before you publish the number.
- Never let it guess. If it doesn't know, it should hand off to a person.
Set it up yourself
The full setup, guardrails, and a free Grok Bot template are in the church phone and text line blueprint.
Questions pastors ask
- Is this a direct replacement for Text In Church or Gloo?
- It replaced them for us. It's built around answering questions and handing off to people. If you rely on bulk texting or other features, check that before you switch.
- How much does it cost?
- Our Bland number costs about $30 a month. Your costs depend on your setup.
- Will it say something wrong to a guest?
- It only answers from the FAQ you approve and hands anything else to a person. Test it with staff first.
- Does it need Planning Center?
- No, but we connect it read-only so staff summaries can include a likely caller match.