<\/p>\n
As tech continues to evolve, so do the ways churches connect with people. Take 2020, for example. The shutdown happened fast, and pastors needed an instant way to communicate with their churches. While Facebook and emails were helpful, notifications were still missed. This is why texting started to shine. It provided a way for members to stay updated multiple times a day as churches navigated complex guidelines and schedule changes.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n So, in light of that, we figured it was time to talk about church communication strategies that are simple and <\/span>actually<\/span><\/i> work in almost every scenario.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n People tend to camp in two extremes when it comes to receiving information: overwhelmed with too much or left in the dark completely.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s why texting helps:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1. Texting is native on every phone. No apps. No downloads. No pages to follow.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2. Texting is immediate.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3. Texting is <\/span>NOT<\/b> email.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4. Texting is convenient. You can communicate whenever and wherever.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5. Texting is two-way. People can respond immediately, and it\u2019s less likely to be rerouted or disregarded. Unless someone gets friendly with the \u201cblock\u201d option, then we can\u2019t help there.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 6. Texting has the best engagement rates. Social media has an average rate of 2%. Email has a rate of 25%. Texting is a whopping 97% and rising.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 7. Texting is concise. It provides a way for people to consume and digest all the content they need without having to refer back to it later.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n We do what we do really well\u2013build powerful communication software for the church. We are painstakingly thorough, 100% transparent, developed on and around customer feedback, and extremely affordable. And, just to tug on your heartstrings a little, we\u2019re a team of ministry volunteers and church planters who have a passion for the local church.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n While we have a fully-featured platform, there are a few worth highlighting here:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever seen \u201cText JOIN to 97000,\u201d the word <\/span>join<\/b> is a <\/span>keyword<\/span><\/a>. When someone texts a keyword to your church number, they\u2019re automatically added to your texting list and receive an auto-response.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Keywords can trigger <\/span>automated workflows<\/span><\/a>, or you can tie an automated workflow to a list of people. Workflows let you schedule a series of texts, send menu options for people to choose from, route people to different workflows or accounts, and push information to your Church Management System (ChMS).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Polls<\/span><\/a> make it easy to survey your church, ask a question, or receive feedback all via text. People can text in their response and you can display live results on screen as they come in<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Subaccounts<\/span><\/a> let you organize ministries or campuses into separate texting accounts under your main account, but still under one monthly plan. Each subaccount comes with its own <\/span>lists<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>integrations<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>keywords<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>users<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>local 10-digit number<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>inbox<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n You can include videos of general church announcements, links to upcoming event registrations, or anything else. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Collect their info and push it to your ChMS, schedule a series of texts, and send helpful church resources.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n You can embed links, send forms and reading materials, provide virtual serving opportunities through registration signups, and connect people with similar life stages.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Keep all prayer requests in one place so your team can monitor and pray.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Use texting polls as a way to elicit feedback about budget issues, future missions projects, or carpet colors.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\nWhy texting?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Why Clearstream?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Text-To-Join Keywords <\/b><\/h3>\n
Automated Workflows <\/b><\/h3>\n
Live Polls <\/b><\/h3>\n
Subaccounts <\/b><\/h3>\n
What are some texting strategies your church can adopt?<\/b><\/h2>\n
1. Schedule texts that touch base with people at least once a week.<\/strong> <\/span><\/h3>\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\n2. Create a guest keyword and trigger a first-time guest follow-up series.<\/strong> <\/span><\/h3>\n
3. Send devotionals or Bible reading plans with links to helpful resources.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Use automated texting workflows to send people through discipleship courses.<\/strong> <\/span><\/h3>\n
5. Devote a number to prayer-only conversations.<\/strong> <\/span><\/h3>\n
6. Invite members to participate in church voting.<\/strong> <\/span><\/h3>\n
7. Send weekly sermon notes and \u201cThings You Missed\u201d highlights to your church attendees list.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
What are churches saying about texting?<\/b><\/h2>\n