WHY DOES MY CHURCH NEED A TEXT BLAST SERVICE?
By the Church Base Team ┃Read time: 4 minutes
With all the communication tools available to ministries, it’s hard to know which to choose, when to use it, and how to maximize its effect. While we think every communication tool (website, app, email, push notifications, etc.) has a place in a church’s communication strategy, we want to focus this blog on why your church needs a text blast service.
An SMS service, or text blast, can be a helpful resource for building community in your church or ministry. Research shows that:
- 98% of people open text messages.
- 80% of people in North America use text messaging.
- Texting is the favorite method of communicating for teens, followed up by in-person, social media, and video chatting.
- Due to Covid, 61% of people say they’ve increased the amount of time they are texting.
In this blog, we’ll show you why you should have a text blast or SMS service, and how to use it for maximum effectiveness. With a text blast service, you can:
1. Greet newcomers
Visiting a new church can be a daunting process. The weekend service ends, and your newcomer files out into the foyer, wondering: “What’s next?” Should they sign up for a group, submit a prayer request, or attend an event?
With an automated text blast, you can help reduce first-time visitor nervousness. After a newcomer fills out their contact form (either a paper card or through your church website/app), you can offer a warm welcome and some suggested “Next Steps.”
While many churches host an in-person newcomer meet-and-greet (which is wonderful!), some visitors may choose to slip out at the end of service, missing the chance to connect. With a text blast service, you can ensure they don’t feel overlooked or forgotten.
2. Announce items and upcoming events
The weekend service is a lively hub of conversations, worship, connections, sermon, and more! So, it’s no surprise that some important announcements can be forgotten or overlooked.
With a text blast service, you can find a more opportune time in the week to send out an announcement. By texting a midweek announcement, you know that it won’t get lost in the weekend shuffle.
3. Send out encouragements
Churchgoers leave the weekend service filled with hope, peace, and love. But come midweek, a little encouragement may be just what they need. Whether it’s a prayer, a Bible verse, or a thought from your morning devotional, use a text blast to share an encouragement that will help strengthen and support your congregants. They will appreciate your continued care throughout the week.
4. Follow up the sermon
Did your weekend sermon have a final reflection point? Did you call people to a specific task or challenge? Whatever the final point of your sermon, the impact of your message doesn’t have to end there. A text blast during the week can remind congregants to apply the weekend message throughout their workweek. The Good News is something we live out every day, and a helpful text can keep that in the forefront of believers’ minds and hearts.
5. Offer volunteer opportunities
Churches thrive through the unique gifts and skills that volunteers bring to their church community. But connecting the right volunteers to the right opportunities can be a challenge for many pastors.
A text blast can alert church members to each volunteer opportunity, so they never miss the chance to find the perfect fit for their passions. You never know who has always wanted to be a weekend camera operator, build sets for VBS, or cook meals for the elderly. Sending out a text is a useful way to make sure everyone hears about every role and need.
6. Remind your online audience that service is beginning
With our changing times, more people have discovered church through online services. You can livestream now on your website, app, or on social media, opening up an entirely new audience.
But for many viewers, time can slip away unnoticed, especially on the weekends. A text blast fifteen minutes before the weekend service begins can gently remind your online audience to prepare for worship. They can wrap up whatever their doing and get online in time for the opening song.
Get a FREE text blast service
With all the great reasons to use a text blast service, the next question is: what’s the easiest/most affordable way to set up a text blast for our church or ministry?
Church Base offers a FREE one-year trial of our entire software platform…including an SMS/text blast service! You can start sending text blasts today for free (standard messaging rates apply).