Should Your Groups Go "Mobile"?

Ever wondered if your training, communication, and huddles should go mobile for small groups at your church? If you answered “No,” then take a look at these stats. You may be surprised by just how prevalent mobile media is becoming.

  • Smartphones are expected to increase from 23% of total phone shipments in 2010 to 45% in 2015. (Source)
  • Mobile application downloads are expected to reach nearly 48 billion in 2015. (Source)
  • The number of smartphones set to rise from today’s global estimate of 500 million handsets in use to almost two billion by 2015. (Source)
  • By 2010, 73% of total mobile cellular subscriptions were from the developing world. (Source)
  • Smartphone connections to Wi-Fi hotspots will soon overtake laptops globally. Laptops now represent less than half (48%) of the connections to hotspots; smartphones account for 36 percent and tablets 10 percent. (Source)
  • Out of 6.8 billion people on the planet, 5.1 billion of them own a cellphone. Only 4.2 billion own a toothbrush. (Source: Mobile Marketing Association Asia)
  • There are already 1.2 billion mobile Web users worldwide; Asia is the top region. (Source)
  • Four billion mobile phones are in use, 1.08 billion of which are smartphones. (Source)
  • There are more mobile phones on the planet than TVs. (Source: Jupiter)
  • There are 5.9 billion mobile subscribers worldwide. China and India account for 30% of the world’s subscriptions. (Source)
  • 9 in 10 American adults now have mobile phones, up from 7 in 10 in 2006 (+21%). 1 in 5 kids ages 6 to 11 now have a mobile phone. (Source)
  • It is predicted that mobile Internet users will outnumber desktop computer users by 2014. (Source)
  • 91% of all U.S. citizens have their mobile device within reach 24/7. (Source: Morgan Stanley)
  • On average, Americans spend 2.7 hours per day socializing on their mobile device. (Source)
  • One half of Web searches are done via a mobile device. (Source)

Question:

Does this make sense? Do you buy it? 

What are you doing to help transition communication and training to go mobile?

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stevegladen@churchleaders.com'
Steve Gladen has been on staff at Saddleback Church since 1998; he currently oversees the strategic launch and development of small groups at Saddleback as well as the staff of the Small Group Network. He has focused on small groups in several churches for almost 20 years. Steve oversees 2,500 adult small groups at Saddleback and loves seeing a big church become small through true community developed in group life. He has co-authored several books, including 250 Big Ideas for Small Groups, Building Healthy Small Groups in Your Church, Small Groups With Purpose, Leading Small Groups With Purpose, and Don't Lead Alone. Steve does consulting and seminars championing small groups and what it means to be Purpose Driven in a small-group ministry.