5 Ways Churches Can Use Group Text Messaging
Group text messaging for churches can be a very effective tool for Pastors and Ministry leaders to reach and engage their congregation. Many churches use email, social media, printed newsletters and video, but only with SMS can they be fairly certain their message will be read. If you are a church leader, here is a sample of 5 ways you can use SMS:
1. Keep your congregation informed
A church’s congregation is a family, and like any family it requires communication to function optimally. As technology evolves over time, SMS has become one of the most efficient ways for pastors and church administrators to communicate with their congregation. They can send out church-wide alerts about events and scheduling, services, cancellations, room changes, and anything else they need to communicate. Mobile messages reach people quicker than email and snail mail, which is why many churches use group text messaging as the main form of communication between the church and its congregation.
2. Communicate with different groups within the congregation
Churches have a wide range of groups within it that all have the same greater goal in mind, but function differently. For example, some have a youth ministry, a group of volunteers, administrative staff, teachers, students, parents, pastors, etc. Many churches use SMS to reach all of these groups individually. TextMarks, for example, allows you to create multiple keywords, one for each group or ministry , and still have them be part of one master parent group. This way, you can send out alerts about upcoming volunteer events to just the volunteers, for example, while also sending out a congregation-wide message to everyone.
3. Get people involved in Community Service
One of the wonders of being part of a congregation is coming together to help those in need. Churches often use group text message for charity or community service to elicit social response from their fellow church-goers. This could mean sending out alerts letting people know about clothing and food drives after a natural disaster, or getting the word out about an upcoming blood drive. SMS is amongst the quickest and most efficient ways to let people know about the next community event.
4. Request donations
Churches very often receive donations from their members and supporters, and SMS is a great way to simply inform those who wish to donate exactly where they can do so. You can configure your keyword such that when someone texts in a keyword to an easy to remember short code like 81411, they receive back a clickable URL that can take them straight to the church’s donation page. With SMS, no time is wasted and helping your church thrive is just a click away!
5. Send out motivational and inspirational quotes
The daily grind can be stressful, and sometimes all it takes are some kind words and inspiration to keep us going. Many churches use SMS to send out Bible verses or other meaningful quotes on a regular or even daily basis to their subscribers. It’s unexpected and pleasant surprises like these that help people keep their faith and their strength through the day.
How does your church use SMS? Let us know in the comment section below.
Interested in learning more about text messaging for Churches? Call us at 800-696-1393 or email tmsales@textmarks.com.
