How to Introduce Texting to Your Congregation (Even If They're Not Big Texters)
Before a church rolls out text messaging, there's almost always someone in the room who raises the same concern.
"Our people don't really text."
It's usually followed by: "We have a lot of older members." Or: "They're just not that tech savvy." Or the version that sounds reasonable but still holds everything back: "I just don't want to make people feel left out."
It's a fair concern. And it comes from a good place. Nobody wants to invest in a communication tool and have half the congregation feel disconnected from it.
But here's what churches discover once they actually make the move: the hesitation almost never matches the reality.
The Assumption Worth Questioning
The belief that "our people don't text" is usually based on a mental picture of who texts, and who doesn't. Younger people text. Older people call. That's just how it is.
Except that's not really how it is anymore.
Texting is now the most common form of communication across virtually every age group. According to Pew Research's November 2025 Mobile Fact Sheet, 98% of Americans own a cellphone of some kind, and 91% own a smartphone. Among adults 65 and older, 95% own a cellphone and 78% own a smartphone. That last number has nearly doubled over the past decade.
More importantly: reading a text requires zero technical skill. You don't need an app. You don't need a social media account. You don't need to know how to navigate anything. A text arrives. You read it. That's it.
The bar for receiving a church text message is lower than almost any other form of digital communication. That's part of why it works.
What Churches With Older Congregations Actually Experience
Monte Moran leads communications at Bixby's First Baptist Church, a small suburban church with a congregation he describes as "mostly senior to median adults." His experience after introducing Text In Church:
"Most of our active members have joined TIC and have enjoyed receiving our communications in this medium. We regularly send texts with new blog post links, reminders of events, closings, holiday greetings, requests for volunteers, service opportunities, and bible study surveys."
A congregation that skews older. Texting working well. Those two things can coexist.
Ty Hubbard's church sees the same thing:
"We have many groups set up on the app that allows our seniors, marrieds, singles, men's ministry, and so forth to receive personal messages pertaining to classes and outings."
Seniors. In their own group. Receiving texts specific to them. Not an afterthought. A segment of the congregation that gets communication designed for their context.
And Bryan Harris summed up what many churches find after launch:
"Our church uses this for everything. It's amazing. We have seen a great response from all ages in our church."
Not some ages. All ages.
Why Texting Works Even for Non-Tech People
Here's something worth sitting with: the people in your congregation who are least comfortable with technology are often the ones who benefit most from a well-timed text.
Think about who typically gets left out of digital communication. It's the person who doesn't check email regularly. The one who isn't on Facebook. The one who misses the church app notification because they don't know how to manage notification settings. The one who sees the bulletin once and forgets to look at it again.
A text goes directly to their phone. No app. No algorithm. No competing content. It just arrives.
Linda Dew-Hiersoux described her own experience setting up TIC without a strong technology background:
"I am not tech savvy and I am able to feel confident operating our workflows. Text in Church has changed the way I track visitors and communicate with our faith community. I have peace of mind knowing that personal messages go to everyone."
That phrase is worth pausing on: peace of mind knowing personal messages go to everyone. That's what a good church texting system does. It closes the gap.
How to Introduce Texting to Your Congregation the Right Way
A poor rollout can confirm people's fears before they've even had a chance to experience the benefit. A good rollout removes friction, builds confidence, and gets people opted in naturally.
Here's what works.
Start With a Live Demonstration on Sunday
The single most effective rollout strategy is doing it in the room, together, during a service.
Erica Kerr, a Text In Church user who shared this in the Text In Church Facebook Community, described exactly how she pulled it off:
"We just started TIC and most of our members are older who aren't tech savvy. I simply walked through how to text a simple word to our number. I had everyone pull phones out. Asked them to open their text messaging app. Told them what word to type in and that's the only word to type! A few people came and asked me to just text it for them, but that was easy!"
That's the key move: everyone's phone comes out at the same time, in a low-pressure environment, with someone walking them through exactly one step. Not a tutorial. Not a handout with twelve instructions. One word. One send.
She also added a detail worth noting:
"Oh and we did a paper that explained it all again and the steps for them to take after, in case they couldn't keep up. That was a big hit."
Paper backup for the people who need it. That's not a concession. That's good communication practice.
Make It One Word, Not a Web Address
The simpler the ask, the higher the participation. A keyword like CONNECT, WELCOME, or PRAYER is infinitely easier to communicate from the stage than a URL.
"Take out your phone and text the word WELCOME to [your number]" works for every age group.
Don't Make Every Field Mandatory
Erica flagged something practical that's easy to miss:
"Don't make all fields mandatory, as some older people don't have emails and it gets stuck on that."
If someone can't complete your digital connect card because they don't have an email address, they'll stop. Build your forms with only the truly essential fields required, and make everything else optional.
Frame It Around Staying Connected, Not Technology
The way you introduce texting matters. If you stand up and say "we're rolling out a new communication platform," you'll get a mixed response. If you say "we want to make sure every person in this church hears from us and knows they matter," you'll get buy-in across every age group.
People don't need to care about the tool. They need to believe the intention behind it. Your church needs to show that you care about them and their faith journey. Your goal should be to build a relationship with them, which means you need to start or continue a conversation that is relevant and personal. That's the frame. Not "we're using technology now." But "we want to reach you where you are, and this is one way we're doing that."
Keep Your First Messages Simple and Personal
The fastest way to lose someone who was skeptical about texting is to send them something that feels like a mass announcement. The fastest way to win them over is to send something that feels like it came from a real person who knows their name.
Your first few messages to a new contact should be short, warm, and personal. Use their first name. Ask a question. Let them know who's on the other end.
Stay Consistent Without Being Overwhelming
One of the biggest fears churches have is that consistent communication will feel like harassment. Holly Howard's church had the same worry, and her congregation surprised her:
"We were terrified that people were going to feel like we were harassing them. But we were wrong. Here's what they told us: 'I have never felt so loved.' 'I love getting those texts. I wish they wouldn't stop. It's nice to be remembered.'"
The feeling your people want is the same regardless of age: to be known, noticed, and loved. A thoughtful, consistent text from their church does that. It doesn't bother people. It reminds them that someone is paying attention.
What to Do About the People Who Really Won't Text
Some people won't. That's real, and it's worth acknowledging.
The right approach isn't to force it or to abandon it. It's to use texting as one channel among several, and to segment your communication so that people who aren't opted into texting still receive communication through other means. Text In Church lets you send emails as well. More touchpoints, one platform, no extra tools to manage.
And for your longtime members who genuinely prefer a phone call, Text In Church has you covered there too. Calling is an add-on that gives your church a full cloud-based phone system, complete with a digital receptionist, voicemail transcription, and the ability for staff to make and receive church calls from their personal devices without ever sharing their personal number. It's the same relational warmth of a phone call, with the organizational structure your team actually needs.
That means whether someone prefers a text, an email, or a call, you can reach them from a single platform. No switching between tools. No dropped handoffs. Just consistent, caring communication that meets people where they are.
Technology extends reach. It doesn't replace relationship. And with texting, email, and calling working together, you'll have more ways than ever to make sure every person in your congregation feels known, noticed, and loved.
The Church That Waits Is the Church That Falls Behind
Every week that passes without a consistent communication system is another week of guests not hearing from you, members feeling disconnected, and ministry moments slipping by quietly.
The concern about older members is understandable. But the churches that have made the move report the same thing: their people surprised them.
Book a free demo and see how Text In Church can work for your congregation, whatever the age mix looks like.
