Ever wondered if your training, communication, and huddles should go mobile for small groups at your church?
If you answered “No,” then take a look at these stats. You may be surprised by just how prevalent mobile media is becoming.
Mobile stats
- Smartphones are expected to increase from 23% of total phone shipments in 2010 to 45% in 2015. (Source)
- Mobile application downloads are expected to reach nearly 48 billion in 2015. (Source)
- The number of smartphones set to rise from today’s global estimate of 500 million handsets in use, to almost two billion by 2015. (Source)
- By 2010, 73% of total mobile cellular subscriptions were from the developing world. (Source)
- Smartphone connections to Wi-Fi hotspots will soon overtake laptops globally. Laptops now represent less than half (48%) of the connections to hotspots, smartphones account for 36 percent and tablets 10 percent. (Source)
- Out of 6.8 billion people on the planet, 5.1 billion of them own a cell phone. Only 4.2 billion own a toothbrush. (Source: Mobile Marketing Association Asia)
- There are already 1.2 billion mobile web users worldwide; Asia is the top region. (Source)
- Four billion mobile phones are in use, 1.08 billion of which are smartphones. (Source)
- There are more mobile phones on the planet than TVs. (Source: Jupiter)
- There are 5.9 billion mobile subscribers worldwide. China and India account for 30% of the world’s subscriptions. (Source)
- 9 in 10 American adults now have mobile phones, up from 7 in 10 in 2006 (+21%). 1 in 5 kids ages 6 to 11 now have a mobile phone. (Source)
- It is predicted that mobile internet users will outnumber desktop computer users by 2014. (Source)
- 91% of all U.S. citizens have their mobile device within reach 24/7. (Source: Morgan Stanley)
- On average, Americans spend 2.7 hours per day socializing on their mobile device. (Source)
- One half of web searches are done via a mobile device. (Source)
Question:
Does this make sense? Do you buy it?
What are you doing to help transition communication and training to go mobile?
Steve Gladen is the Pastor of Small Group Community at Saddleback Church. His latest book, Small Groups with Purpose: How to Create Healthy Communities, was published earlier this year.
Small Group Network 
I agree wholeheartedly. People are constantly connected with their Smartphones, and it’s increasingly difficult to block out times for groups to meet. We’re looking at launching a series of small groups that will have their content time done via video chats, then let the groups schedule their fellowship and service times separately. I would like to hear from others who may be doing something similar, especially what video chat/conference service you have found the most helpful.
Hey Scott,
I know some people are using Google Plus for chatting. The good thing about that is that the video feed highlights the person that’s talking. So it’s an easy way to communicate. Have you used Google Plus?
No, but I’ll give it a look today. Thanks for the input. I’ll post back with my thoughts and some initial results.
Our group has a private Facebook page that they can access anywhere anytime. We love it as it allows us to compile the prayer requests and praises reports from our meetings to be posted right after the meeting. Also, it allows immediate prayers requests to be sent ASAP. We create our fellowship and serving events on it, etc… It’s PERFECT.
I like it, Julie. Great idea!
Steve-
In response to groups going ‘mobile’, I have found mobile interactions invaluable to bridge an organized/structured Huddle on the Discipleship continuum to the organic/spontaneous Life-on-Life relationships. Out of these mobile interactions, real conversations have developed as we connect to Christ and one another. We are forming a Band of Brothers