how mobile apps are helping churches grow
TRANSCRIPT
Technology in church is nothing new. It was there when the overhead projec-
tor gave everyone the hymn words, and is now there in smart tech and sound
equipment. It makes sense that mobile apps, the technology of today, are
brought on board by churches too. Given that weekend worship attendance
is dropping year on year, something definitely has to change if churches are
to survive the seismic change of culture since the dawn of the mobile age.
• Fear of Change: Churches tend to be reac-tors, rather than proactive leaders. Much of this fear stems from a concern that tech will come at the expense of real relationships, a key purpose of the church.
• Engaging Millennials and Younger Au-
diences: The millennial generation have shorter attention spans and a more cynical approach to life due to the proliferation of information at their fingertips than the gen-erations before. Churches need to be capa-ble of addressing this if they want to thrive.
• Communication: Congregations need com-municating with and in the current land-scape they are used to having instant com-munications to their palm, not just a Sunday morning pew sheet.
• Lack of Time: The leaders of churches typi-cally lack time with great demands for their
Churches and Mobile Apps The Problems
limited schedule. They need to be able to disseminate information about events and news all in one place.
• Church Resources: Need to be accessi-ble in ways that truly reach where they are needed.
• Building Community: Building the commu-nity beyond the four walls of the church is as much a part of its mission now as it al-ways has been. Reaching the community can be even harder now fewer Americans go to regular services.
• Budget Constraints: Churches are often facing budget constraints, and need to demonstrate accountability for their spend-ing.
• Exclusivity is Up: No longer can you stand out from the church-crowd for having the best sermons or the most insightful worship music. Everyone now has access to ser-mons online 24/7 from around the globe.
• Mobile App Functionality for Churches: The beauty of church apps today is that they can be designed to serve the exact func-tions churches require. Therefore, church apps can contain features such as Prayer Request forms, Bible Study content, down-loadable worship music, small group mate-rial, or more. Church apps can be used to build community, serve, extend a church’s mission, train leaders, care for the needy and more.
• Mobile Promote Real Relationships: Com-bating probably one of many people’s pri-mary concerns is the reality that far from distancing people, technology can have a powerful effect on bringing people togeth-er that wouldn’t otherwise come together. Church apps enable community and real-life relationships without ‘demanding proximi-ty’. You can get to know and meet people within a church app in a way that facilitates true relationship offline.
• Church Apps Remove Compartmental-
ization: It’s easy to be a ‘Sunday Christian’ when all that’s required of you is a few hours of your time once a week. For Chris-tianity to be relevant to people’s lives out-side of a weekly service, the church needs to meet people where they spend most of their week: with a smartphone in their hand.
Overcoming the Problems Mobile App Solutions
• Boost Biblical Literacy: Given 82 percent of Americans think “God helps those who help themselves,” is a Bible verse. 12 per-cent think Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife. 50 percent of graduating high school students think Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife” there is a huge amount of im-provement to be made (Source). Church apps bring the Bible, and study of it, to a convenient and accessible location. 74% of church members read the Bible electroni-cally, so it makes sense to be a vessel for that.
• Church Apps Empower Change: Change isn’t always a bad thing! Henry Ford said: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses!” Change within the church must keep pace with the change happening outside their walls, and church apps are the current reality.
• Make Yourselves Accountable: Credibility comes from accountability: if you can show truth in your service then you gain credibili-ty. The millennial generation don’t just ‘take your word for it’, instead you’re likely going to find them Googling the facts spoken in a sermon (Source). If those sermons were available via chuch app, complete with ref-erences, credibility is gained.
• Take the Church to the Community: Tak-ing the church to the community and the non-churchgoers of today means getting
in to people’s palms. Mobile apps, along with church websites, are likely to be the very first point of contact for potential new churchgoers. It’s a powerful way to connect with the unchurched.
• Communication and Fundraising Made
Easy: Church apps make communication with your congregation so much easier than traditional methods including event booking and notifications, as well as enabling fund-raising. Donations can be made via church app and don’t need to wait until the collec-tion bowl does its rounds.
Education and Mobile Apps: The Success Stories
Sherwood Oaks Christian Church
Sherwood Oaks Christian Church in Indianapolis has developed a mobile app which can be used for sermon podcasts, event administration, disseminating church news and also has a vast and in depth contact directory. It is a first port of call for both congregation members and the non-churchgoers in the community.
Mars Hill Church
Whilst the Sherwood Oaks app is aimed predominantly at the existing congregation, the purpose of the Mars Hill Church mobile app is to enable the church to connect in a real and meaningful way with people in the local community who may not otherwise hear the gospel. Via the chuch app, sermons are available in both video and audio format and there is a major focus on worship with streaming live in real-time.
The Mobile Industry Benefiting Churches
The modern church needs to keep pace with change, and that means being part of the ‘smart’ generation and getting into people’s palms instantly and when they are needed, not in a few hours on a Sunday. Mobile apps make it possible to draw together the community and congregation and provide a service and deliver a mission that extends far beyond the four church walls. Mobile app functionality can be tailored to the specific needs of each individual church allowing for differences along the way. With the right development, church
mobile apps can become a powerful tool for the modern church.
Church AppsMade by
St. Stephen Catholic Community - Old Hickory, TN
New Jerusalem Church
I.U.I.C. Christ Journey
Harborside Church
The St. Stephen Catholic
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Church application for
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