How to schedule your emails (Your staff and volunteers don't want an email at 11pm!)

Look, the simple fact is you shouldn't be working late into the evening no matter what your role in church. But sometimes, it happens. We know that. However, when we then send that email at 11 o'clock, we put that pressure onto others.

So, almost all mail clients have a way of sorting this for us, and storing all that mail up for delivery at a more suitable hour!

Photo by Daria Obymaha on Pexels.com

We've included instructions for the two most popular email clients, Outlook and Gmail. If you want to know how, read on below.

How to Schedule Emails in Gmail: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Compose Your Email

1. Open your Gmail account and click on the "Compose" button to start a new email.
2. Enter the recipient's email address, subject, and compose your message as you normally would.

Step 2: Access the Email Scheduler

1. Once your email is ready, look for the small arrow next to the "Send" button at the bottom of the compose window.
2. Click on the arrow to reveal a drop-down menu of additional options.

Step 3: Schedule the Email

1. In the drop-down menu, you'll find the option "Schedule send." Click on it.
2. A list of suggested times for sending your email will appear, such as "Later today," "Tomorrow morning," and "Next week."
3. Alternatively, you can select "Pick date & time" to choose a specific date and time for sending your email.
4. Once you've selected your desired send time, click on it to schedule your email.

Step 4: Confirm and Schedule

1. After selecting your preferred send time, Gmail will automatically close the drop-down menu.
2. Before scheduling your email, double-check the selected date and time to ensure accuracy.
3. Once you're satisfied with the scheduling details, click on the "Schedule send" button.

Step 5: Review Scheduled Emails (Optional)

1. If you want to review or make changes to your scheduled emails, you can access them by clicking on the "Scheduled" label in the left sidebar of your Gmail inbox.
2. Here, you'll see a list of all your scheduled emails, along with their respective send times.
3. You can edit, reschedule, or cancel any scheduled email by clicking on it and selecting the appropriate option.

How To Schedule Emails in Outlook: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Compose Your Email

1. Open Outlook and click on the "New Email" button to start composing a new message.
2. Enter the recipient's email address, subject, and compose your message as you normally would.

Step 2: Access the Delay Delivery Option

1. With your email message open and ready to send, navigate to the "Options" tab in the ribbon at the top of the compose window.
2. In the "More Options" group, you'll find the "Delay Delivery" button. Click on it to access the scheduling options.

Step 3: Set the Delivery Options

1. After clicking on "Delay Delivery," a dialog box titled "Properties" will appear.
2. Check the box next to "Do not deliver before" and select the date and time you want the email to be sent.
3. Ensure that the time zone selected matches your intended recipient's time zone, especially if they are in a different location.
4. Once you've set the desired delivery time, click "Close" to return to the compose window.

Step 4: Review and Send

1. Before scheduling your email, review the message content, recipient, and scheduled delivery time to ensure accuracy.
2. Once you're satisfied, click on the "Send" button as you normally would.
3. Outlook will move the email to the Outbox folder and hold it there until the scheduled delivery time arrives.

Step 5: Confirm Scheduled Email (Optional)

1. If you want to review or make changes to your scheduled email, you can access it in the Outbox folder.
2. Simply navigate to the Outbox folder in the left sidebar of Outlook, and you'll see the scheduled email waiting to be sent.
3. You can double-click on the email to open it, make any necessary changes, and reschedule it if needed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, mastering the art of scheduling emails can revolutionize your communication strategy, particularly for church volunteers and employees striving for efficiency and mindfulness of recipients' schedules. By harnessing tools like Gmail or Outlook to schedule emails, you not only ensure timely delivery but also respect boundaries, preventing late-night receipt and fostering a healthier work-life balance. Embrace these simple yet powerful techniques to streamline your communication workflow and enhance your ministry's effectiveness. Stay organized, stay considerate, and watch your impact soar.