Streamline Your Workflow with These Simple Email Hacks

In a world brimming with technological innovations, some tools prove their enduring value time and again, and few are more valuable than email. Despite the rise of platforms like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and WhatsApp, email remains a steadfast communication tool across workplaces.

The Power of Email

In churches worldwide, email is vital for connecting with members, coordinating volunteers, and maintaining partnerships. For some, managing email is straightforward: a quick delete, a brief read-and-reply, and done. For others, email can be a chore. Yet, email is essential for connecting with volunteers, parishioners, and fellow staff, which means inboxes fill up rapidly and require structured management.  

In and amongst the stream of data flowing into our inboxes, there are obviously messages we want to see—a daily Bible verse, special sales at our favorite store, a deal on candles for the church sanctuary. However, anywhere we spend our time is an area to be monetized and a space for generating revenue. Therefore, our emails get bought and sold, passed around in databases, and collected. It is no surprise when things show up in our inboxes and make us ask ourselves, “How did that get there?” or “When did I sign up for that?”  

This post offers step-by-step instructions to implement powerful sorting features in just a few minutes. Tools like Filters and Rules will help you clear the clutter, leaving only the essential emails that allow you to start your day focused on ministry rather than battling inbox noise. 

Before digging too deep into the weeds, I would like to clarify a few terms. Understanding the distinction between email providers and email clients will be useful for this post. Your email provider is the company service that provides the necessary infrastructure to collect and route email to your inbox. You then have an app or website where you go to open, read, and manage your email—we usually call this an inbox, but its broader and more encompassing term is email client.  

• Email Provider: The service enabling you to send and receive emails (e.g., Google, Microsoft, iCloud). 

• Email Client: The interface where you manage your emails (e.g., Gmail app, Outlook, Apple Mail). 

There is a good reason we are focusing on Google, Apple, and Microsoft. Not only do these products provide powerful, easy-to-use features to streamline inbox management, but they are also prolific in workspaces globally. These platforms are user-friendly and affordable, making them accessible to churches of all sizes. Whether for personal or professional use, most church workers likely use one of these platforms. 

Practical Examples of Filters/Rules 

So, what are Filters and Rules? Filters or Rules are action and reaction commands that automatically sort and perform tasks on your inbox so you don’t have to. Apple Mail and Outlook calls them "Rules," while Gmail calls them "Filters." Here are some practical examples: 

• Move all emails from “newsletter@churchdomain.org” to the Church Newsletters folder.

• Label emails from the worship committee with a color or tag for easy identification and move them to the Worship Planning folder. 

• Automatically move all solicitation emails from target.com into a retail or Target folder. 

• Automatically star and/or mark as important all emails from your pastor(s).  

Investing time to set up Filters or Rules will give you more time to focus on essential work. Whether sorting emails from a specific sender or organizing important messages, these automation tools can enhance productivity. 

The Basics of Email Structure 

Filters and Rules can be customized based on different email components. To set up them up effectively, it's helpful to understand the core components of an email that clients use for sorting:  

• Send Date: When the email was sent 

• Subject Line: A brief summary of the email content 

• From: The sender's email address 

• To: The recipient's email address(es) 

• CC (Carbon Copy): Individuals copied for awareness but not as the primary audience 

• BCC (Blind Carbon Copy): Individuals copied without the primary recipients knowing 

• Domain: The part of an email address after the “@” symbol (e.g., “gmail.com,” “churchdomain.org”) 

Using the terms above, a user can build Filters and Rules that operate on a criteria/action model by selecting one of these components from a list or dropdown and then applying the actions to be taken if the email meets those requirements. Let's look at a few examples below.

Example 1: Organizing Important Emails 

Let's say you want to organize all emails from a school principal and apply skip, move, and mark actions. Here is a quick layout of what that might look like: 

• Criteria: All emails from “principal@schooldomain.org” 

• Actions: Skip the inbox. Move to a folder labeled “Principal.” Mark as read.  

This rule moves emails from a specific sender into a designated folder, bypassing the main inbox. It declutters the inbox while keeping important messages accessible in a folder, where a simple search brings up relevant information when needed. 

Example 2: Volunteer Coordination

Another example would be to try and enhance transparency for volunteer communication by making sure everyone is in the loop and that emails get to the right people quickly. In this case, instead of using From as the criteria, use To followed by the actions of Label, Forward, and Mark.  

Look at how to structure this Filter/Rule below to improve communication: 

• Criteria: All emails sent to “volunteers@churchdomain.org

• Actions: Apply a "Volunteers" label. Forward a copy to a designated team member. Mark with a star for visibility.

If you coordinate volunteers, filtering emails sent to a shared address ensures that you and your team members remain updated. This helps streamline communication and prevents important messages from being missed. 

Implementation 

The true advantage of Filters and Rules lies in their adaptability. They can streamline your workflow by automating the organization of newsletters, event registrations, and volunteer communications. The sky is the limit! Now, let’s quickly look at some simple step-by-step instructions on how to implement these time-saving practices into your daily workflow. Please note that while most of us consume email on our phones, some of these Filters and Rules can only be implemented using a desktop or laptop. That isn’t to say they don’t work on mobile devices. You will see the immediate impact of these tools in your inbox wherever you use it (mobile, tablet, laptop, or desktop), but they must be set up on a PC or Mac computer.  

How to Set Up Filters and Rules 

Apple Mail on Mac (Rules): 

1. Open Mail and go to Mail > Settings > Rules. 
2. Click Add Rule. 
3. Name the rule and set the criteria (e.g., “From” contains “worshipcommittee@churchdomain.org”). 
4. Choose actions such as “Move Message to mailbox” or “Apply color label.” 
5. Click OK and apply the rule to existing messages if needed. 

 Gmail (Filters): 

1. Click the settings gear icon and choose “See all settings.” 
2. Go to the “Filters and Blocked Addresses” tab. 
3. Select “Create a new filter.” 
4. Enter criteria (e.g., email address, subject line). 
5. Choose actions (e.g., skip the inbox, apply a label). 
6. Click “Create filter.” 

Outlook (Rules): 

1. Click File > Manage Rules & Alerts. 
2. Choose New Rule.
3. Select a template or start from a blank rule. 
4. Define the conditions and actions. 
5. Complete and save the rule setup. 

Automating email management is not just about decluttering; it’s about reclaiming valuable time and mental energy. Implementing a strategic set of filters and rules can make a significant difference in productivity, allowing church workers to focus on their ministry and service. Take a moment to set up a few rules today and enjoy the benefits of a more organized inbox! 

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