What’s the one thing most, if not all, of your members always have with them? That’s right – their smartphone. If you want your church members to stay involved even after they’ve left Sunday service, it’s time to start recommending some church apps to make life easier for your members.
By recommending church apps to your members, you’ll keep them engaged with their faith throughout the week. From socializing to delving deeper into God’s word, these six apps are designed to create a more engaged community, even when your members can’t make it to church that week.
First, we’ll explore everything you need to know about using apps to connect with your church members. We’ll look into why that matters and why we suggest using them in the first place. Then, we’ll get into our list of the top 6 church apps to make life easier for your church members.
Ready to learn more? Let’s jump in.
Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Table of contents
Church Apps?
Before we get into our list of the best church apps for your members, let’s explore the world of church apps. Some of you may be confused by even the mention of the term “church apps”. What is the point of a church mobile app? What might something like that even do? Let’s answer all those questions and more.
Embracing Technology
In today’s fast-paced world, technology is everywhere, making our lives easier and more connected. For churches, staying in touch with members and reaching out to new ones has always been important, but now, it’s crucial to keep up with the times.
According to Zippia, there are 6.82 billion smartphone users in the world as of 2023, and this number has only increased by every passing year.
As people become more reliant on their smartphones and digital platforms, churches must adapt by using tools like church apps. These apps allow churches to connect with their members in a way that’s relevant and accessible, ensuring that the church remains a central part of their lives.
Church app providers offer various features that help churches stay current and engaged with their community. From sending out reminders about upcoming events to enabling online giving, these apps make it easier for churches to communicate and for members to stay involved. As society becomes more digitally oriented, churches need to recognize the importance of matching technology with their mission, making the use of church apps a natural and necessary step forward.
The Evolution of Christian Apps
The journey of Christian apps has been quite remarkable. When the very first church app was introduced, it was seen as a novel way to bring technology into the spiritual lives of churchgoers. These early apps were simple, often focusing on basic functionalities like sharing sermon notes or providing a church calendar. However, as technology advanced, so did the capabilities of church mobile apps.
Today, church app providers offer a wide range of features that cater to the needs of modern congregations. These include online giving options, push notifications for important announcements, and detailed information about upcoming events. Some apps also help you to study the Bible, teach the Word to young kids, or remember to pray. The evolution of these apps reflects the changing needs of churches and their members.
No longer just a convenience, church apps have become an essential tool for fostering a stronger sense of community and involvement. By embracing these advancements, churches can provide a more enriching and connected experience for their members.
Keeping Members Engaged Throughout the Week
One of the biggest benefits of using a church app is the ability to keep members engaged beyond the Sunday service. With one or more mobile apps, Christians can continue to explore their faith journey outside of Sunday services. They can access Bible study tools, helpful videos, sermons, podcasts, prayer rooms, and more. This constant connection helps to keep the church at the forefront of members’ minds, encouraging them to stay involved throughout the week.
Church mobile apps also make it easier for members to access resources at their convenience. Whether it’s listening to a sermon they missed, signing up for a volunteer opportunity, or checking the schedule of upcoming events, everything is just a tap away.
This level of accessibility fosters a deeper connection between the church and its members, making them feel more included and valued. By using a church app, churches can create a continuous loop of engagement that strengthens the community and supports spiritual growth all week long.
Top 6 Church Apps for Your Members
Now you know everything you need to know about church apps! Let’s now take a look at our list of the top 6 church apps for your members. As church leaders, you should encourage your members to get some or all of these apps to help them in their journey with God beyond what you can provide during services.
1. The Olive Tree Bible App
Many of your members may not even carry a physical Bible with them anymore. With numerous options to choose from, it’s important to choose the right app for their needs. They already have a personal favorite, but The Olive Tree Bible App is more than just the Bible in an app. It’s also a powerful study guide and allows users to create bookmarks, highlight passages and easily look up more information.
2. K-Love
Inspiring contemporary Christian music is sometimes the perfect way to listen to God’s word while your members are out and about. K-Love is well-known for its great music, but the K-Love app provides online listening along with a community of other users to engage with. It’s not just a music community, but a way for others to discuss their faith and inspire others.
3. Not Just Words
When members need to quickly look up a verse, it’s sometimes hard to remember exactly where to look. Maybe they remember a few words or a phrase, but nothing else. Not Just Words serves as a search engine to help users find exactly what they’re looking for quickly. All it takes is a few words or a reference to find the right verse or verses.
4. Superbook Kids Bible App
Kids get bored easily and the Bible isn’t exactly easy to read, especially for children. This is where the Superbook Kids Bible App helps. It’s one of the best church apps for parents. When kids have questions, the interactive app helps them find answers that they can understand. They can read stories, play games and learn more about their faith in a way that’s more engaging to them.
As a church leader, you could even suggest different games or subjects for kids to look at within the app so they feel more engaged during the service.
5. PrayerMate
If members have prayer requests, it can sometimes be hard to keep track of everyone. PrayerMate helps your church family remember who needs their prayers. They can also use it to make notes of anything they want to pray for. Members can also subscribe to content to view prayer diaries and publications from well-known organizations and even local churches. You’re welcome to add your own church’s RSS feed.
6. Daily Bible Inspirations
While many church apps focus on helping users read the Bible, sometimes your members just need a quick dose of inspiration. Daily Bible Inspirations provides a daily passage to help members connect with their faith every single day. Every passage comes complete with links to share the passage on social media, by email or text. This means they could be spreading the word in just a few taps. Users can set a custom schedule for receiving new passages.
Bonus: Amazon Kindle
While Amazon Kindle isn’t exactly a faith-based app, it is one of the more useful church apps. Your church family can keep a collection of books to inspire them and further study their faith. Many ebooks are free, making it a cheap and easy way to have books on the go. Your members don’t need a Kindle either. The app is available for iOS and Android devices too.
Custom Church Apps
And there you have our list of the top 6 best apps for your church members! However, there is one other kind of app useful for your members we have yet to dive into: a custom church app. In this section, we’ll explore what that is and why your church may want to give it a look.
What’s a Custom Church App?
A custom church app is a personalized mobile application designed specifically for a church’s unique needs. Unlike standard church apps, a custom church app allows a church to include features that best serve its congregation, making it a powerful tool for engagement.
For instance, it can offer interactive sermon notes, where members can follow along during the sermon and add their thoughts or questions. Another popular feature is a prayer wall, where members can share prayer requests and offer support to one another, fostering a stronger sense of community.
This app is specific to your church and your church alone. It is entirely managed and updated by your team, not some big organization you are unconnected to. Essentially, it acts as the ultimate hub for your church community.
Custom App Benefits
The benefits of a custom church app are significant. It allows churches to tailor the app’s content and features to their congregation’s preferences, making it more relevant and engaging. The interactive sermon notes help members stay connected during services, while the prayer wall encourages ongoing communication and support throughout the week.
Additionally, having a custom app can make the church stand out, offering a unique experience that reflects its values and mission.
Custom App Challenges
However, creating and maintaining a custom church app can be challenging. Developing an app from scratch requires time, resources, and technical expertise. Churches need to work closely with developers to ensure the app meets their needs, which can be a complex and lengthy process.
Once the app is launched, ongoing maintenance is necessary to keep it updated and running smoothly. Below, we have a video that goes into the reasons why you may not want a custom app, depending on the size and skill of your church.
Engaging Members with Church Apps
Help your members get more from their phones. Tell them about church apps that make their lives a little easier when it comes to their faith. With hectic schedules, they’ll appreciate learning about simple ways to connect to their own faith and community throughout the week.
We hope this article was helpful for you and your church community! We pray an increase in engagement over the course of the week, and that your members are able to deepen their relationship with the Lord even outside of services!
Don’t limit engagement to apps alone. Find out how a church website keeps church members connecting 24/7 and even brings in new members.
More Resources on Church Apps
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