Text messaging is hot in churches right now. 

Texting is not a fad. Your users have their phones in their hands constantly. They think about touching their phones every sixteen seconds. Honestly, they can't keep their phones out of their hands ... and neither can you. So why not leverage that knowledge and reach your audience where they are at: on their cell phones.

I run text campaigns for churches and businesses all the time. It's one of the easiest ways to get passive engagement AND active engagement. For churches, it's a simple way to get your people to stay pulsed into the Bible and into the arc of the stories you are shaping from weekend to weekend. When used correctly, you can keep people focused on the main thing, knowing they are waking into your weekend ready and willing to go deeper.

But really, it's all about engagement. 

What if I told you that there was a way to engage your entire audience with a low-cost solution, that guarantees a near 99% open rate and a 45% engagement rate? Would you want in on something like this? Of course you would.

I am not selling a product; just pitching a solution: text messaging. Whether it's BLIT (mass broadcast communication) or Text In Church (user to user communication), starting a text message ministry for your church will keep your message in the hands of your audience every single day, week, or month, however you see to manage it.

If I was a pastor looking to engage with my audience via text messaging, I would do it specifically for daily devotionals. 

• Your audience wants to take their next right step personally
• Your audience is not always familiar with how to study scripture
• Your audience wants to engage with the church in a simple way
• Your audience will read and discuss your text messages
• Your audience will engage with embedded content

When I work with churches on setting up daily devotional content, I use a basic framework online so their leadership can always know the why, what, and how to lead well through the ministry. Doing so keeps everyone pulsed into the main thing and allows the freedom to personalize content to their specific style. It also lends itself to the highest engagement rates six months down the road.

Here is the framework I share with them and encourage them to build on the backend of their website for those who are sharing.

• Introduction statement about our "why"
• Video explaining how to lead a daily devotional (embedded link)
• The devotional teaching model (consistent each devotion)
• Helpful tips to reach and engage your audience
• Schedule your time (online calendar)
• Submit your draft (email submission)