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TEMPLATES · EVENT EMAIL

Church event email templates.

Four emails for one event: the invitation, the reminder, the last call, and the thank-you after. Fill in the brackets and send them on the schedule below.

TWO TO THREE WEEKS BEFORE

The invitation

Early enough to get on calendars, close enough that people remember it.

Subject You’re invited: [Block Party], [Saturday, October 4]

Hi [First name], On [Saturday, October 4] we’re throwing a [Block Party] on [the front lawn]: [food trucks, games, and music from 4:00 to 7:00]. [It’s free, it’s for the whole family, and it’s a great one to bring a neighbor to.] [Date and time: Saturday, October 4, 4:00 to 7:00 PM] [Place: 221 Armour Drive, front lawn. Park in the north lot.] [Register so we know how much food to order: Registration link] Hope to see you there, [Your name]
THE WEEK OF

The reminder

Shorter than the invitation. People already know what it is.

Subject [Block Party] is Saturday

Hi [First name], Quick reminder: the [Block Party] is this [Saturday from 4:00 to 7:00] on [the front lawn]. [Bring a chair and a neighbor.] [If it rains, we’ll move into the gym.] [Haven’t registered? There’s still room: Registration link] [Your name]
THE DAY BEFORE REGISTRATION CLOSES

The last call

Only for events with a hard deadline or limited spots.

Subject Last day to register for [Fall Retreat]

Hi [First name], Registration for [Fall Retreat] closes [tomorrow at noon]. [There are 12 spots left.] [October 16 to 18 at Pine Ridge Camp. $95 covers lodging and meals, and scholarships are available: reply to this email and ask.] [Register: Registration link] [Your name]
THE MONDAY AFTER

The thank-you

Thank the people who came and the people who served. Add photos if you have them.

Subject Thank you for Saturday

Hi [First name], Thank you to everyone who came out to the [Block Party] on Saturday. [More than 300 people came, and more than half of them were our neighbors.] A special thank-you to [the 40 volunteers who set up, cooked, and cleaned up]. [Photos from the day are here: Photo link] Next up: [Worship Night, Friday, November 7]. [More soon.] [Your name]

Events, designed

The date, time, place, and button are the whole job of an event email, so they should be impossible to miss. In Butter, you can pick an event from Planning Center Registrations or Calendar and it drops into a section with the date, time, place, image, and sign-up button already filled in.

See all 21 sections or five full newsletter examples.

Fall Work Day Bring gloves. Coffee and donuts at 7:45. Saturday, Sept 12 8:00 – 11:00 AM North lot, 221 Armour Drive RSVP 221 Armour Drive
Upcoming Events SEP07Fall kickoff9:00 AM SEP12Members meeting10:00 AM SEP14Bible study11:00 AM SEP20Men’s Breakfast8:00 AM See all events

Before you send

Date and place in the subject. People skim the inbox. The subject line alone should tell them what, when, and roughly where.
One button. Register, RSVP, or Learn more. Two buttons split the click and neither gets it.
Answer the practical questions. Parking, kids, cost, what to bring, and what happens if it rains. Each unanswered one is a reply you will have to write.
Close the loop. The thank-you email is the one most churches skip, and it is the one that makes the next invitation work.

FAQs

If yours is not here, email us at support@butterhq.com.

When should a church send an event email?

The invitation two to three weeks out, a reminder the week of, and a last call the day before registration closes if there is a deadline. Then a thank-you after.

What should a church event email include?

What it is, who it is for, the date and time, the place with parking, the cost, what to bring, and one button to register or RSVP.

Can Butter pull events from Planning Center?

Yes. In the builder, pick an event from Planning Center Registrations or Calendar and it comes in with the date, time, place, image, and sign-up link. Calendar events need to be approved and visible in Church Center. The event is copied into the newsletter when you add it.

Should every event get its own email?

No. Most events belong in the weekly email. Give an event its own email when it is big, needs registration by a deadline, or is meant for people outside the church.

More templates: visitor welcome emails, announcement emails, and giving emails.

Pull your next event in from Planning Center.

Pick it in the builder and it arrives with the details filled in. Free for 14 days.

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