TECHNOLOGY FOR CHANGE

Texting to High Heaven?

Dennis McCafferty | Date: 06-14-10 | Comments

Superstar minister Rick Warren's church is among the many making liberal use of texting these days.

"Hi God. How RU 2day?"

OK, it hasn't come to this�yet. But the ubiquitous act of texting has emerged as a prime tool for churches when it comes to needs such as improving communications with congregations and recruiting new members. New York-based Ez Texting has specialized in this customer niche and now works with more than 1,000 churches to enhance texting capability and expand uses of the technology.

While it's unclear whether this trend has resulted in a closer connection to a higher power, ministers at churches are convinced of its effectiveness in communicating with attendees. It also expands the potential for the "cyber-church" dynamic, in which religious organizations reach audiences beyond their geographic territory via the Web.

One of Ez Texting's more high-profile customers is Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of the largest churches in the nation. (Superstar minister Rick Warren is the founder.) The church selected Ez Texting's group-text messaging platform and then connected its entire membership database to the Ez Texting SMS gateway. This large-scale connection uses application programming interface (API), which allows the church's computer system to interact with the Ez Texting messaging system for seamless, automated communications. When parents attend services, they get alerts when a situation comes up involving one of their children attending a program outside the main church. This replaced an older, more antiquated pager system. Saddleback also sends daily Bible verse messages via text.

During major services, such as those for Christmas and Easter, Saddleback integrates text messaging within the program. The most recent Easter service, for example, was held at Angel Stadium in Anaheim and broadcast on XM/Sirius satellite radio, as well as via a Webcast. Those attending in virtual fashion were encouraged to text Saddleback to 313131 to interact when a trivia contest was featured. The church has also used the texting connection to send information to interested audiences about its history and mission, and for message-building and recruitment purposes.

Other churches have tapped into texting for similar needs:
- Third Reform Church in Pella, Iowa, uses texting to reach out to youth ministry members. Using Ez Texting over the past year, Third Reform Church has seen a significant jump in special-event attendance due to their last minute SMS announcements, as about 80 percent of students have opted in to receive these alerts. Parents have also signed up to keep track of their children's church schedule.
- In Dallas, Lake Point Church uses texting to promote what it calls a "skateboarding outreach ministry," blasting out reminders of upcoming events and posting prayer requests. About 350 young people receive these texts, often during their school lunch breaks.