Having someone's mobile number is not permission to text them. Before One Church Software sends a text to a number, that number must have opted in to receive messages from your church. This is a requirement from the mobile carriers, and it is the single most common reason a church reaches fewer people than it expected.
Numbers without consent are removed from a send quietly. Nothing errors, nothing is charged, and no warning appears — the message goes to fewer people.
Tip: If you selected 400 people and the message went to 137, consent is almost always the reason. Some of those 400 have no mobile number on file, some share a number with a family member, and the rest have not opted in.
The six ways someone opts in
Each route records how the person agreed, which appears in the Consent Source column on the Text Opt Ins screen.
Your public opt-in page - The person enters their number, accepts the disclosures and submits. One Church Software records the date, their IP address and browser, then texts a welcome message confirming the subscription. Recorded as Opt-In Form.
Texting JOIN, then CONFIRM - Texting JOIN on its own grants nothing. It triggers an invitation asking the person to reply CONFIRM, and only that reply records consent. This is a true double opt-in and the strongest evidence you can hold. Recorded as Texted JOIN and Confirmed.
Texting START or UNSTOP - An immediate opt-in, and the only thing that clears a previous opt-out. Recorded as Texted START.
Answering the opt-in question on one of your forms - Any form that collects a phone number can ask the consent question alongside it. The person answers in their own words on your form. Recorded as Set On Profile.
Adding numbers as an admin - Staff add numbers on the Text Opt Ins screen using Opt In Numbers, or use the Opt in action on a row. Recorded as Added By Admin.
Marking a person opted in - Staff turn on Opt in for text messages? on the person's record. Recorded as Set On Profile.
Warning: The last two routes put your church on the hook. When staff mark someone as opted in, your church is asserting that you have permission from that person, obtained somewhere outside One Church Software — a paper connection card or a sign-up sheet, for example. Keep that evidence. Do not bulk opt in your whole directory to make a send go through.
What does not count as consent
Having the person's mobile number on their record.
The person being a member, a volunteer or on staff.
The person filling in a form, registering for an event or giving online — unless that form carried the opt-in question and they answered Yes.
The person texting your church about something.
The 24-hour reply window
When someone texts your church, you can answer them for the next 24 hours even if they have never opted in. Replying to someone who contacted you is not an unsolicited message, and the carriers recognize that.
That window does not subscribe them. Once it closes, the number goes back to being unreachable for announcements until they opt in properly. This is why you can reply to someone on Monday and find that same person missing from Thursday's message.
How someone opts out
Anyone can stop messages at any time by texting STOP, END, QUIT, STOPALL, CANCEL or UNSUBSCRIBE to your messaging number. They receive one final confirmation text, which the carriers require, and then nothing further.
An opt-out lasts until the person reverses it. If they text your church again next month about something unrelated, they stay opted out.
Opt-outs you can reverse, and ones you cannot
Two consent sources are permanent as far as your church is concerned:
Texted STOP - The person revoked consent themselves by texting a stop keyword.
Blocked At Carrier - The person blocked your number with their mobile carrier instead of texting STOP. The failed delivery tells One Church Software, and the opt-out is recorded for you.
On those two, every church-side route is refused: the Opt in action, Opt In Numbers, marking the person opted in on their record, and submitting their number through your public opt-in page. The rows cannot be deleted either. The One Church Software support team cannot lift the block on your behalf, because overriding an opt-out is exactly what the carriers audit for and it puts your number's approval at risk.
The only way back in is for the person to text START, UNSTOP, or JOIN followed by CONFIRM to your messaging number, from that phone.
Every other opt-out is yours to undo — for example, if a staff member marked someone as opted out by mistake, or the person answered No to the opt-in question on a form. Use the Opt in action described in How do I manage text message opt ins?
Where to see how each person agreed
Go to Messaging Center > Delivery & Subscribers > Text Opt Ins. Every number carries a Status of Subscribed or Opted Out, and a Consent Source recording how it reached that state. The Consent Source column is hidden by default — turn it on from Columns.
Opt-In Form - Submitted your public opt-in page.
Texted JOIN and Confirmed - Completed the double opt-in.
Texted START - Texted START or UNSTOP.
Added By Admin - Staff added the number on the Text Opt Ins screen.
Set On Profile - Staff marked the person opted in from their record, or the person answered Yes to the opt-in question on a form. The column does not distinguish the two.
Existing Mobile On File - The number was already on file before consent tracking began.
Texted STOP - The person revoked consent by texting a stop keyword. You cannot reverse this one.
Blocked At Carrier - The person blocked your number at their carrier. Equally permanent.
This column is your audit trail. It answers "how did this person agree?" for every number, which is what a carrier will ask for if your messaging is ever reviewed.