7 Church Texting Statistics You Can't Overlook
In this age of rapid technological advancement, letters have been ditched in favor of emails, landlines have been upgraded to fancy smartphones, and texting has taken over as the ultimate way to chat.
Think about it: are you more likely to read a text message or an email?
Obviously a text message!
Here are 7 Church Texting Statistics You Can't Overlook as a 21st-century church leader.
1. 23 Billion Text Messages Are Sent Worldwide Each Day
According to Intradyn, Mobile phone users in the U.S. alone sent 2 trillion messages in 2021, which breaks down to 6 billion messages per day, and 227 million messages per hour. Though there are no definitive global figures, some sources claim that 23 billion text messages are sent worldwide each day.
With billions of messages being sent daily, churches need to get in the mix. Texting provides an easy avenue of communication to connect you with your members between Sundays.
How would mass texting help my ministry? Check out our article "Should I Text My Church?" to learn more!
2. Americans Check Their Smartphones On Average 47 Times Daily
Have you ever considered how often you look at your phone throughout the day? According to Reach Right, on average it's probably somewhere between 47 to 86 times daily, depending on the age group you fall in.
The younger generations are checking their smartphone at least 86 times daily. That's a lot of screen time!
Shouldn't your church be one of the things they connect with throughout the week when they do?
3. 80% of Consumers Report Texting as Their Primary Mobile Activity
Are you surprised when your smartphone notifies you with yet another notification of the HOURS of screen time you put in that week?
A few hours of music/podcasts (51%), another scrolling through social media platforms (68%), maybe you checked your email box a few times (58%), but the big one is always text messaging.
According to Simple Texting, 80% of consumers report texting as their primary mobile activity. If your church isn't texting yet, you're missing opportunities to check in, reach more people, and build deeper relationships throughout the week.
4. Text Messages Boast a 98% Open Rate and 45% Response Rate
We've talked about a lot of texting statistics already, but this one has to make you ponder just how effective text messaging is today. According to Christianity Today, 98% of text messages are opened (so probably read) and 45% (just under half) initiate a response.
Think about how many days it takes to read one email, let alone respond promptly. Churches are letting valuable announcements, news of upcoming events, and prayer requests fall through the cracks; switching to texting ensures an acknowledgment and warrants an even quicker response.
Check out our article "The Key To Church Text Message Success: Opt-In" to learn more about how you can get your member response rate up!
5. Two-Thirds of Americans Aged 50-64 Send or Receive Text Messages
As expected, texting is most popular among the youngest voters. Among 18-29-year-olds, a full 95% use texting, and that figure only drops slightly to 91% for 30-49. However, you don't have to be proficient in emojis and text in all lowercase letters (Gen Z) to enjoy the benefits of texting! According to Stones Phones statistics, two-thirds of Americans aged 50-64 send or receive text messages, and about one-quarter of those over 65 use texting.
Don't buy into the age-old myth that the older generation doesn't respond to text messages; statistics show otherwise. When older members receive text messages, they're even more likely to respond than the younger generation.
Check out our article, "Gen Z and Religion" and learn more insight about how the modern church can reach Gen Z in 2024!
6. 67% of Churches in the U.S. Use Texting to Communicate with Their Members
According to a recent survey by The Barna Group, 67% of churches in the United States use texting to communicate with their members. In addition, 91% of pastors report using their personal cell phones for ministry-related communication.
Your congregants are already on their phones. Texting gives you a window into the lives of your members during the week.
Members appreciate texts from their church as long as they follow a few guidelines:
- Get permission: Only text people who have opted in and are willing to receive text messages
- Be clear about opt-outs: Always include an easy way for people to unsubscribe from your texts
- Respect frequency preferences: Develop a communication plan; don’t text too often
7. A Simple Text Reminder Can Recover One-third of Abandoned Carts
Companies are finding that texting increases sales and builds brand loyalty. Though this statistic is not necessarily a church statistic, I think it's very applicable. According to Christianity Today, a simple text reminder recovers over one-third of abandoned carts from a commercial standpoint.
My question is from a church standpoint, how many abandoned seats can a text message recover?
Texting: A Ministry Game Changer?
The stats I shared above are just a few reasons why churches should leverage text messaging for their ministry. It's a convenient, quick, and effective way to communicate with both your members and guests.
You can utilize text messaging to do things like:
Follow Up with First-Time Guests
This is a great way to make first-time guests feel welcome back! Sending a quick follow-up text could be the difference between seeing them again the following week.
Church Announcements/Schedule Volunteers
Do you have any summer event registrations coming up? Or maybe you need more volunteers for the toddlers class? Sending a quick announcement or even your church's weekly newsletter can keep your members in the loop.
Prayer Requests/Prayer Chains
You can probably relate to the stress of trying to pray for all of the prayer requests during Wednesday night service... but what if you could be praying for those things throughout the week? You can create a prayer chain via different text messaging group chats and your members can send our prayer requests and praises throughout the week.
Stay Connected with Members
Sending messages to your congregation just to check in and see how their week is going can go a long way. Quickly and easily create group text messages and have your leaders follow up with them on a weekly basis.
Pro Tip: With ChurchTrac you can send automated messages when a new name is added to your database, a new tag is assigned to a member, and so much more!
Church Texting FAQs
Is mass texting effective?
Mass texting is great for its convenience and timely delivery to your members and guests
What are the statistics of people texting?
Mobile phone users (in the US alone) send 6 billion messages per day and 227 million messages per hour
What percentage of text messages are opened?
97% open rate, with 90% of messages read within 3 minutes. Compared to email's 20-30% open rates, SMS is an effective way to get your message seen
What percentage of people respond to text messages?
Texts have a 45% average response rate
Who uses text messaging the most?
18-29-year-olds, a full 95% use texting, and that figure only drops slightly to 91% for 30-49
Don't Overlook the Power of a Text Message
Whether you're trying to send church announcements or get more signups for your church events, these texting stats show that SMS is the best way to get the message out to your congregation.