Bulk SMS · Churches
Bulk SMS for Churches in Kenya
Send Sunday service reminders, harambee appeals, prayer requests, and group updates to the whole congregation — with your church name as the sender. Reach every member, not just the ones in the WhatsApp group.
+254 111 336 506 · hello@xyratechnology.co.ke · same-business-day account setup
What churches send
Built for the way Kenyan churches actually communicate with the congregation
Sunday service & midweek reminders
Send a Saturday-evening SMS reminding the congregation of Sunday service time, theme, or special speaker. Reach members who aren't in the WhatsApp group or active on social media.
Harambee, building fund & tithe appeals
Reach every member of the congregation with the harambee date, Paybill number, and progress updates. SMS open rates are far higher than email or social posts.
Prayer requests, hospital visits & bereavements
Mobilise the prayer chain or pastoral care team in seconds when an urgent need arises. Send condolences and funeral arrangement details to the whole church.
Cell groups, youth, women's & men's fellowship
Send group-specific updates — only the youth, only the women's fellowship, or only the Karen cell group — without spamming the whole congregation.
Why churches choose Xyra
Built for Kenyan churches, not a global SaaS dashboard
Branded sender ID
Members see your church name as the sender (e.g. REDEEMED, ACK, AIC) — important for trust, especially with fundraising and pastoral messages. Sender ID registration is included.
Per-church negotiated rate
New church accounts typically start around KES 0.60 per SMS and drop to KES 0.40–0.50 as congregation size or campaign volume grows.
M-Pesa Paybill top-ups
Top up the SMS wallet via M-Pesa Paybill or bank transfer. VAT-compliant receipts are issued automatically — clean for your finance committee.
Group segmentation
Upload separate lists for youth, women's fellowship, men's chama, cell groups, choir, ushers, and elders. Send to one group, several, or all.
Delivery reports
Know exactly who received your message — useful when reconciling who attended a meeting or contributed to a harambee.
Local support
Talk to a Nairobi-based account manager on WhatsApp the same business day. We understand Kenyan church operations.
Cost
What it costs a Kenyan church
Xyra Bulk SMS uses per-account pricing. New church accounts typically start around KES 0.60 per SMS and the rate is adjusted down to KES 0.40–0.50 as your congregation or campaign volume grows.
| Scenario | Members | Per SMS | Cost per send |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small church, Sunday reminder | 300 | KES 0.60 | KES 180 |
| Mid-size church, harambee appeal | 1,500 | KES 0.55 | KES 825 |
| Mega church, conference invite | 8,000 | KES 0.50 | KES 4,000 |
Indicative rates for messages of ~1 GSM-7 segment. Messages over 160 characters or with accented/emoji content are billed per 2 segments. Talk to us for an exact quote.
Getting started
From first message to first Sunday SMS — usually the same day
- 1
WhatsApp or email us
Tell us your church name, congregation size, and what you want to send (service reminders, harambee, prayer chains). We quote a per-SMS rate on the spot.
- 2
We provision your account
We create your dashboard login and start the sender ID registration with the carriers (2–5 business days).
- 3
Top up via M-Pesa Paybill
Load any amount as SMS credits. VAT-compliant receipt issued automatically — clean for the finance committee.
- 4
Upload groups & send
Upload your congregation list and any sub-group lists (youth, fellowship, cells), choose your audience, and send.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions from churches
How much does it cost to send bulk SMS from a church in Kenya?+
Xyra Bulk SMS uses per-account pricing. New church accounts typically start at around KES 0.60 per SMS and the rate drops to KES 0.40–0.50 as your monthly volume grows. A church of 1,500 members sending one Sunday reminder spends under KES 900.
Can the SMS show our church name as the sender?+
Yes. We register an alphanumeric sender ID with the Kenyan carriers on your behalf (up to 11 characters, e.g. REDEEMED, ACK, AIC, or your shortened church name). Registration takes 2–5 business days and is included with your account.
Can we send only to specific groups, like the youth or women's fellowship?+
Yes. Upload separate contact lists per group and send a campaign to whichever group(s) you choose. You can also tag individual contacts (e.g. choir, ushers, elders) and send to a specific tag.
Will the SMS work on basic feature phones?+
Yes. SMS is delivered as a normal text message to any mobile phone on Safaricom, Airtel, or Telkom Kenya. No app, no internet, no smartphone required on the member's side. This is why SMS still beats WhatsApp groups for whole-congregation reach.
How do we pay for SMS credits?+
Top up the SMS wallet via M-Pesa Paybill or bank transfer. VAT-compliant receipts are issued automatically for every top-up — easy for your treasurer to record.
Is there a monthly subscription?+
No. There is no monthly platform fee, no minimum commitment, and no per-user/per-account charge. You pay only for the SMS you send.
Can we send messages in Swahili?+
Yes. Plain Swahili in standard letters sends as normal SMS. Note that Swahili with accents (e.g. ñ, accented vowels) forces Unicode encoding and is billed per 70 characters instead of 160 — so it's usually best to keep messages in unaccented Swahili or English.
Ready to reach the whole congregation?
Tell us your congregation size and what you want to send, and we'll quote a per-SMS rate and set up your church account the same business day.