COVID-19 has been tough on religious institutions. Congregations thrive on events and in-person meetings, where they can come together to celebrate something they believe in. Without these regular occasions, you and your congregants may feel a little lost. Enter business texting solutions.
Business texting solutions provide easy-to-use online messaging apps. Your team can use a business SMS platform to receive, send, and organize congregant texts. Texts are a sure-fire way to reach your congregation. After all, they have a 98% open rate.
These platforms also accept messages from messaging apps, like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. If your congregants use any type of messaging platform, you’ve got them covered.
So how can you use these business texting solutions and messaging channels to connect with congregants? Let’s dive in.
Provide Regular Updates
Your team probably sends a lot of information through flyers or emails. But flyers aren’t as effective when congregants aren’t coming to services often, and emails are easily overlooked. Texts are a great way to keep your congregants up to date on your institution’s updates. As we mentioned earlier, people open 98% of their texts, so it’s likely they’ll read your message.
You can use business texting solutions to send updates on:
- Opening dates
- Safety regulations
- Online services
- Community service opportunities or capabilities
Sending this content through SMS increases the chances that congregants will read and respond to your most critical communications. Plus, you can allow people interested in joining your congregation to sign up for your SMS services, too. They can start participating in online services, priming them to join in person once the pandemic is over.
Send Words of Hope
Congregants may feel a little down if they can’t make it in for a service or event. Sending regular words of hope and encouragement may help.
Business texting solutions empower you to send these texts quickly. You simply select a list of relevant students, create or select a template, and leave room for custom fields. Then, you press send. The platform will automatically insert congregants’ personal information into outgoing texts, making congregants feel as though each text was sent individually.
A template may look like these examples:
Hi, {{congregant name}}, we hope your brother is feeling better. We’re all sending him prayers for a fast recovery.
Hello, {{congregant name}}, this quarantine sure is making us miss our choir members! Chin up, and we look forward to seeing you during our monthly Zoom check-in this Friday.
This special touch will make congregants feel as close to your institution as ever.
Announce Special Dates
When you aren’t face-to-face with congregants, it can be hard to announce special dates. Sending these announcements via email is a common substitute, but it doesn’t have a personal touch. Texts, on the other hand, are a personal channel used between congregants and their families.
Your team can add emojis and GIFs for extra impact, depending on the content. A sample message might look like this:
Hi {{congregant name}}, great news — the Smiths had a baby girl today! Her name is Ammabell. Head to our Facebook Page for pictures! 👶
Send reminders about birthdays, births, funerals, and other meaningful events through SMS to keep your congregation on top of all of the most important occasions.
Check in with Special Needs Congregants
Even if you’re dropping off meals or groceries to your elderly congregants, they’re still probably not getting the extended company they rely on. If they can text, this is a great way to ensure they feel the love of your congregation from afar.
Your team can use business texting solutions to:
- Check in regarding needs for groceries, medicines, or other items
- Have one-on-one chats
- Connect with congregants’ family members
Checking in by text is a convenient way to ensure all of your congregants are hanging in while they wait for your special needs services to resume as per usual.
Offer a Prayer Hotline
Your congregants still need prayers, even if they’re not asking for them face-to-face. Offer a prayer hotline (or a general hotline) for congregants to send in their requests. This is an easy way to reassure congregants from afar.
Be sure to publicize this prayer hotline on your:
- Website
- Social media pages
- Other congregation communications
Your team can even offer this service to people outside your congregation, encouraging them to join in when your services resume in-person.
Want to learn more about business texting solutions? Check out our blog.
