We don't too often think of technological development
in the realm of religion, a word that calls to mind
community gatherings and places of worship that long
predate modern technology. But the fact of the matter
is, when it comes to SMS technology, everyone is finding
ways to advance the things that are important to them,
and religion makes no exception. By embracing text messaging,
some religions and religious organizations have found
ways to make practice more convenient and accessible
to all.
One church in Illinois is notably using text messaging
to resolve a problem. St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic
Church, located in Crystal Lake near Chicago, has noticed
a sharp increase in the number of attendants only during
major Christian holidays, and hopes to retain those
who come only on days like Christmas and Easter. The
church has adopted texting as a means of encouraging
these followers to come to other services.
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church is using a subscription
service to improve retention rates; at the end of major
holiday services, the Reverend encourages attendants
to text "Saint Thomas" to a certain number, giving them
the option to sign up for updates from the church by
text, email, or phone call. The church hopes that these
text message updates pique the interest of attendants
and inspire them to visit the church more often.
Churches are also using text messaging not only to
widen their reach, but to make sure church remains accessible
for regular followers when attending church is not always
possible. Several churches are introducing "text a prayer"
options, allowing people to text a cause, wish, or prayer
to their church that will then be prayed for during
the daily prayer. This new implementation of SMS makes
religion more accessible and convenient for people with
busy lives, giving them a means to contribute remotely
to the daily prayer, and offers a way for regular church-goers
to stay connected if something comes up and they need
to do things like travel, work extra hours, or stay
with a sick relative during church time.
Texting is also making remote access to worship possible
in a big way for Judaism. An old and significant Jewish
tradition entails placing a note with a prayer or request
in Jerusalem's Western Wall, yet it is a tradition impossible
or rarely possible for those living far from the city,
or across seas. The solution to this problem came in
the form of texting: a service called SMS2Wall now allows
those who cannot place notes in the Wall to text in
their prayer or request, which will then be placed in
the Wall. SMS2Wall is a welcome, more convenient makeover
of older services that allow people to send prayers
via email, which a Rabbi would then print and place
in the Wall.
Another way SMS is being used to a similar end is by
letting followers receive prayers rather than send them.
Daily prayer subscription services that allow followers
of a religion to receive a text message each day featuring
a new prayer are emerging. These daily prayer text services
take advantage of the power of texting to make religious
practice more accessible and convenient for busy followers
on the go, and can expand followers' religious horizons
by introducing them to new prayers and ideas while sparing
them the work of it.
Text messaging has also been used to keep Christians
updated on important news. In 2013, briefly before the
appointment of Pope Francis, a service called PopeAlarm
garnered more than 35,000 subscribers. PopeAlarm, created
by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS)
gives subscribers the option to receive either a text
or an email as soon as a new Pope is elected. FOCUS
uses SMS to update followers as rapidly as possible,
and to expand and speed up the broader reach of major
news.
Turns out, texting and religious practice work quite
well together, and will surely expand their relationship
as we become more and more high-tech as a society. The
possibilities with SMS seem just about endless.
About the Author -
Sharon Housley is the VP of Marketing for NotePage,
Inc. a software company for communication software solutions.
http://www.notepage.net
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