For the past several months (that have actually felt several like years) most of the world has isolated themselves in their homes during the COVID19 pandemic, eliminating some of the traditional forms of communicating and staying connected to the church. But a global medical crisis did not stop people from wanting to connect; the method of communication changed; it became normal to connect through video conferencing, email, and text messaging.
There has been a massive uptick in the number of churches streaming services online (not to mention the number of people attending service in their pajamas!) and small groups gathering in Zoom rooms. Due to the instantaneous nature of text messaging, there’s also been a significant increase in the number of text messages churches are sending in an effort to stay connected. Here are some of the great ways we’ve seen our church partners use texting to keep people connected with their ministry and each other:
Tip #1: Live Service Reminders
Pro tip: sending a quick reminder text an hour before your Sunday morning service will increase your viewership and engagement. Let people know what to expect during the live service and send a link directly to the stream. Receiving a direct reminder is a helpful and practical way for people to stay connected with your church anytime, but especially during a season when life seems a little less organized and structured.
Tip #2: Important Updates & Service Notes
Communicating quickly and effectively is half the battle! Getting information directly to people instantaneously is always helpful and people will find it reassuring to read important updates and see sermon notes before a message.
Tip #3: Daily Bible Readings
Remind people to hit the pause button once a day and spend time with God. Having a daily Bible reading or devotional program sent directly to each person’s phone can help remind them to spend time in God’s Word each day. Reading God’s promises daily will help promote spiritual growth and maturity.
Tip #4: Prayer Requests
Lift them up! Provide a quick and simple way for people to send a prayer request to the church at any time of the day or night. Help your pastors and team stay connected when connection matters most.
Tip #5: Mobile offerings and donations
If you are gathering in-person or virtually, you can receive contactless mobile donations quickly and safely via text messaging to help keep the church budget on track. Donors are able to send money from their phones with a one-time or repeat donation at any time.
Tip #6: Mobilize Volunteers
Since 98% of text messages are opened, sending out messages to mobilize your volunteers when a need arises or to remind them of an upcoming event up is a great way to keep all parties in the communication loop—even in real-time as the situation unfolds.
Tip #7: Provide Support
Stay reachable and offer support when needed. Even if you can’t visit them while in the hospital or in their homes you can still safely stay connected with one-on-one text conversations with your members and visitors while still having accountability and protecting your personal phone number.
If you need a solution for your church’s text messaging needs, MojoTxt – owned and operated by a service production nerd and former church administrator – offers a platform with interactive tools all in one location. With a free 30-day trial you can see for yourself all the benefits text messaging has to offer to churches.
COVID-19 may have changed the way we do a lot of things but it has not changed the need to connect with others. Nor did the global pandemic change the need for the church to stay connected to people. Happy Connecting!
