A lot of people are texting. That makes sense since texting is the fastest opened, most read, and most responded to form of communication today. In this article, we are going to show you why this was important for Merlin Cochran (our case study below). In other words, by all means text, but don’t forget the calls.
What does this mean for calls?
Deadcellzones.com maps mobile reception problem areas. Statistics on their website show that on average, a US cell phone user makes/receives 8 calls each day. In other words, 300 million US cell phone users are making 2.4 billion calls daily.
So, despite texting being the preferred method of communication, LOTS of people are still calling, including the rising number of calls via voice over internet protocol (VOIP) calls.
Why calls and not text?
Personal preference
Some generations just feel more comfortable calling in general. It could also be a matter of personal preference no matter to which generation someone belongs.
Natural and other disasters
During Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas, my church received calls for donations, calls for help, and calls for support.
In fact, one of the churches that needed a place called us to see if they could rent some space. We were happy to be able to help them during their six-month need. At the end, they gave us a donation, which was actually a blessing to our very stretched budget.
Individual crises
People in times of personal distress often prefer calling. That’s why there are suicide hotlines, for example, with people manning the phones and answering calls.
Many people in times of need will reach out to churches via a call rather than a text.
So, contrary to popular opinion, calling is not dead.
Many people still want to do voice, whether via landline or cell phone.
Hence, despite the fact that texting and emailing is going to be critical, your church must have an option for phone calls and voice messages.
You want a system that allows you to operate and manage your calls from anywhere, giving you location flexibility. It should also include options such as voice-to-text transcription, call forwarding to wherever you are, and the ability to handle multiple phone lines.
How many phones do you (and your church staff) use?
There are a great number of churches who don’t have the staff to man their phone lines. At times, it’s one person doing everything. In cases like these, you might miss important opportunities to connect with your community or receive important information.
One interesting use of a Church Communication System like PastorsLine is you can use the same number to roll out a text strategy, receive and make calls, and/ or send voice broadcasts. Add in the voice forwarding features, and you can have one number to manage incoming calls and get voicemails. If you have multiple lines, especially the traditional lines without a cloud option, you can have those forward to your PastorsLine number which can also forward to your cell.
Imagine turning your stationary phones into a virtual phone powerhouse without the complications. This would allow you to be both productive and effective.
Let’s take a look at how one ministry made this virtual phone powerhouse happen with PastorsLine.
Merlin Cochran (Journey with Jesus Ministry) was in this same situation about three years ago: “Three years ago or more, I received an email from you [PastorsLine]. And in January I came to my church office and there were 300 unanswered messages on my phone to the church. I needed a way to organize future connections, so I searched my email and found the [PastorsLine] website. (I keep everything.) The signup process was amazingly easy. I now forward my phone to PastorsLine and forward it to my cell phone from 8-5. Easy.”
Just to recap…
Merlin forwards all his church phone lines to PastorsLine to receive the calls with an option to also forward them to his cell, so he can answer them there. If he can’t answer on his cell, PastorsLine handles the call. In addition to improved call coverage, all his messages are in the same place, so fewer get ‘lost’.
Churches with campuses
Does your church have more than one campus? If so, you are probably dealing with several voicemail boxes that continually need checking.
PastorsLine is built to handle campuses. The system receives all the messages automatically, so you only have to check in one place.
Time to get your church phone calls and voice messages better organized into a virtual phone powerhouse, right?
Right, take me to the free, $0 for 30 days trial.
Not yet, but I’d like to know more about texting in churches.
About the author
Jason Alexis
Jason Alexis is the creator of PastorsLine and co-author of the RethinkMinistry book. His experience as a former engineer has informed his scientific, data-driven approach, as he creates digital strategies and tools for churches. Jason is also the communication director at his church and a stay-at-home dad who homeschools his two boys. He enjoys tennis meetups and weekend biking with his wife and kids.
