church app

The hugely popular YouVersion Bible app was created to put the Bible in everyone’s hands via their smartphones and handheld devices. Today, the app has multiple features that make engaging and interacting with church members during services easy and fun. This free app is the #1 downloaded Bible app online and has been installed on over 300 million devices. People love it and use it daily because it easily keeps the Bible in the palm of their hands, is available in thousands of languages, and offers many valuable ways to connect with the Word of God on a daily basis.

Mobile technology has revolutionized how we do everything these days, even ministry. Administrative tasks and the management of personnel that were once arduous and labor-intensive are now quick, easy and accessible from anywhere at any time.

I have to admit, buying a smartphone is not what I call fun. If you have piles of cash hanging around, perhaps you enjoy this process, but for the rest of us, figuring out what device to invest in is well, not a walk in the park. If you have a large mobile carrier such as AT&T, Verizon, or some other big name carrier that charges a few dollars shy of a mortgage payment for phone service, you might be able to get the latest and greatest phone, or amortize it over several years so that you aren't really aware of how much it's costing you. Once you know what plan, you can take a look at the battery life, operating system, storage size, and other features that help define your smartphone experience. 

It’s common knowledge that smartphone ownership and mobile internet usage are skyrocketing globally. It’s also common knowledge that, on average, people attend church less frequently and that people tend to write very few checks or carry much cash.

If your church doesn’t already have a mobile app, you’ve probably heard about them. Perhaps you’ve started looking into app providers and are lost in the sea of options. While it’s wonderful to have several providers to choose from, it’s easy to wonder how to choose which one is best for your church.

Capterra is a very useful software review site that has beefed up their church management software (ChMS) review listings, articles, and helps for churches over the past few years. Companies do pay to be listed on this site, like many other review sites, however, users are free to post reviews and comments. Some church software companies have over a hundred user reviews, making it very helpful for churches to take a peek into how the software is valued by its customers.

How many languages do you speak? Just one? Two maybe? Statistically speaking, only about ¼ of Americans can hold a decent conversation in a second language. In building apps for churches, I've seen hundreds of churches adopt new and emerging technology, which is not an easy thing to do. It’s a big leap for most churches too; moving their primary source of digital interaction to an app. But there’s a powerful language connected to an app most churches don’t speak, or understand. That is the language of Push notifications.

It has been just about a month, and the fervor of Pokemon Go seems to have not slowed down any. And it is pretty easy to see why: nostalgia, marketing, mobiles, and a healthy dose of a summertime. A captive audience has made this the app of the season. As with most trends, churches have found themselves in the crosshairs. However, churches are finding Pokemon Go opening former discussions about using tools and behaviors in the Christian space which had been designed for secular perspectives. Is there a perspective where Pokemon Go passes the muster as church-aiding technology?