Church Email Subject Lines That Increase Opens (With Patterns You Can Reuse)

6 min read

Your open rate is decided in 5 words or less.

If they don't open, nothing else matters. Your beautifully designed email, your carefully written content, your event that needs sign-ups—all of it invisible.

The subject line earns the open. That's its only job.

Here's what works, what doesn't, and patterns you can reuse every week.

What Actually Works

Specificity

Generic subject lines get generic results.

Weak: "March Newsletter"

Better: "This Saturday: Men's Breakfast at 8am"

Weak: "Upcoming Events"

Better: "Easter services—4 times, 2 locations"

The specific subject line tells readers something they didn't know. The generic one tells them nothing new.

Questions

Questions create a curiosity gap that gets answered by opening.

"Joining us Sunday?" "Did you see this?" "Have you signed up yet?"

Questions work because they imply a personal connection. They feel like a conversation, not a broadcast.

Don't overuse them—one question subject line per month is plenty. But when you need a lift, questions deliver.

Numbers

Numbers are concrete. They stand out in a sea of text.

"3 things happening this week" "2 spots left for the retreat" "1 week until Easter"

Numbers also set expectations. "3 things" tells me this is a quick read. I know what I'm getting.

Names

Personal names increase opens—both the sender's name and the recipient's.

"From Pastor Mike" (when the email is genuinely from the pastor) "Sarah, don't miss this Sunday" (if your tool supports personalization)

The sender name matters as much as the subject line. "First Community Church" works fine, but "Pastor Mike | First Community Church" can lift opens further.

Urgency (When Real)

Urgency works when it's genuine. It backfires when it's manufactured.

"Last day to register" (if it actually is) "This week only" (if it's true) "Tomorrow: VBS starts" (real reminder)

Fake urgency—"Don't miss out!!!!"—erodes trust fast. People learn to ignore your subject lines.

Benefit

What's in it for them? Lead with the answer.

"Free dinner this Wednesday" "Your kids will love this summer" "A weekend to reset"

Benefit-driven subject lines answer the "why should I open this?" question upfront.

What Doesn't Work

Generic Labels

"Weekly Update." "March Newsletter." "Announcements."

These tell people nothing new. There's no reason to open right now versus never. They signal "nothing urgent here."

If you must send a regular newsletter, give each one a subject line about its content, not its category.

Clickbait

"You won't believe what's happening Sunday!"

"SHOCKING announcement inside"

This works once. Then people feel tricked and stop opening your emails entirely.

Church communication is built on trust. Clickbait trades short-term opens for long-term credibility.

ALL CAPS and Excessive Punctuation

"BIG NEWS!!!!"

"DON'T MISS THIS!!!!"

All caps looks like yelling. Multiple exclamation points look desperate. Both trigger spam filters more often too.

One exclamation point, max. No all caps in subject lines.

Too Long

Subject lines get cut off around 35-40 characters on mobile. If your key info is at the end, it's invisible.

Too long: "You're invited to join us for a special community service project this Saturday morning at 9am"

Right length: "Saturday: Community service at 9am"

Front-load the important stuff. Assume everything after character 35 might not be seen.

Inside Jokes

"The thing we talked about" (what thing?)

"Get ready for NLT!" (what's NLT?)

Subject lines should be clear to someone who wasn't in the room for the planning meeting.

Patterns You Can Reuse

Here are formats that work consistently. Rotate through them to keep your emails fresh.

The Event Pattern

[Day]: [Event name] or [Event name] — [Day at Time]

"Saturday: Men's Breakfast at 8am"

"Women's Retreat — April 12-14"

"This Sunday: New series starts"

Simple. Tells them what and when. Works for any event.

The Question Pattern

[Question]?

"Joining us Sunday?"

"Coming to the picnic?"

"Have you registered yet?"

Creates curiosity and implies personal invitation.

The List Pattern

[Number] [things] this week

"3 things happening this week"

"2 ways to get connected"

"5 groups with open spots"

Sets expectations for a quick, scannable read.

The Pastoral Pattern

A note from [Name]

"A note from Pastor Mike"

"A word from Pastor Sarah"

Signals personal message, not promotional content. Use sparingly—it loses power if overused.

The Reminder Pattern

[Event] is [timeframe]

"VBS registration closes tomorrow"

"Easter is this Sunday"

"Small groups start next week"

Pure utility. Tells them exactly what they need to know.

The Curiosity Pattern

[Incomplete statement]...

"Something new is coming..."

"This Sunday, we're doing something different..."

"We've been praying about this..."

Creates curiosity gap. Use very sparingly—once a quarter at most.

Subject Line Rotation

Using the same pattern every week gets stale. Rotate formats to keep readers engaged.

Week 1: Event pattern — "This Sunday: Unshakeable series starts"

Week 2: List pattern — "3 things happening this week"

Week 3: Question pattern — "Have you found a small group?"

Week 4: Pastoral pattern — "A note from Pastor Mike"

Track which patterns perform best for your audience and lean into those, but don't abandon variety.

The Preview Text Bonus

Most email clients show preview text (or preheader text) right after the subject line.

Subject: This Sunday: New series starts

Preview: Plus: small groups launching and a note from Pastor Mike

Use preview text to:

Complete the thought from the subject line
Add a secondary hook
Create additional curiosity

Don't leave it blank—email clients will pull the first text from your email, which is often "View in browser" or navigation links. That's wasted space.

Keep preview text to 40-90 characters.

Testing Subject Lines

If your email tool allows A/B testing, use it.

How it works:

Create two subject lines
Send each to 20% of your list
Wait 2-4 hours
The winner goes to the remaining 60%

Even informal testing helps. Try different patterns for a few months and track open rates. You'll learn what resonates with your congregation.

Keep a simple log:

Date	Subject Line	Open Rate	Notes
3/1	This Saturday: Men's Breakfast	43%	Event pattern, strong
3/8	Weekly Update	28%	Generic, weak
3/15	A note from Pastor Mike	51%	Best performer

Over time, patterns emerge.

The Quick Checklist

Before you hit send, check:

□ Is it specific? Not generic or vague. □ Is it short enough? 35-40 characters for mobile safety. □ Does it tell them something? News, event, benefit—not just a label. □ Is it honest? No clickbait or fake urgency. □ Did you set preview text? Don't waste those extra characters. □ Does it match the email? Subject line should deliver on its promise.

Sample Subject Lines by Situation

Weekly newsletter:

"This week at [Church Name]"
"3 things happening this week"
"Sunday preview + a note from Pastor"

Event promotion:

"VBS registration is open"
"Women's Retreat — spots filling up"
"Easter services: times + locations"

Reminder:

"Tomorrow: Men's Breakfast at 8am"
"Registration closes Friday"
"See you Sunday"

Pastoral note:

"A note from Pastor Mike"
"Something I've been thinking about"
"Grateful for you"

Time-sensitive:

"Tonight: Midweek Prayer at 7pm"
"Last day to register"
"Update: Service time change"

Your subject line is five words or fewer. Make them count.

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