There’s an App for Church for
nearly everything under the sun. As the famous slogan says, “There’s an app for
that,” but what about for your church? Has your church joined the mobile
revolution? While a mobile app cannot replace a solid mobile-responsive portal,
there are some benefits to having one.
The Cool
Factor
Let’s just get this one out
of the mode. Though it certainly should not be the main reason your church
invests money in a mobile app, this exists. There is just something cool about
saying, “Our church has an app.” When marketed correctly, this can be a very
valuable tool for evangelism.
Push
Notifications
Imagine being able to contact not only church members, but
others who are on the fringe about your church. They may just be checking
things out and are not ready to commit or sign up for a mailing list, but they
will likely download your app. Many Church Apps companies
will include the ability to send push notifications within the app. This gives
you the ability to contact all of your app holders. This can even save you
money on purchasing an additional text message service, which usually comes
with a monthly subscription fee.
Native
Audio and Video Players Church apps
There is a broad range
among app developers on this, but when done well, the native players within an
app create a great user experience. This is especially useful for reaching
folks who cannot attend service for health or work reasons, but still want to
stay connected. It’s also great for reaching those that are curious about
whether they will be comfortable at your church services.
Accessibility
There are three things that
most people never leave their home without their wallet, keys and their phone.
Some believe that the day is coming when these will all be one device and all
signs are currently pointing to that device being your phone. Why not put your
content and communication on a device people are already using multiple hours a
day?
Increased
Giving
In today’s world, fewer and fewer people actually carry cash.
Debit/credit cards account for a major proportion of spending and non-profit
giving. Having your online giving available as a part of the Church App experience
can have a significant impact on your total donations. This isn’t some
dishonest mind game; this is just making a way for people to give that
genuinely want to, but did not think to bring The Church app Cost to
the service. Or maybe they were out of town that week and were not able to put
a donation in the offering plate. Allowing people to give via your mobile app,
while also engaging with the content of your church, is a surefire way to
increase your mobile (and total) donations.
As the world continues to move away from desktop computers and landlines
to a more mobile culture, churches that adapt accordingly will be better
equipped to reach future generations. Having a mobile app is certainly a piece
that you will want to consider. Many companies now offer mobile apps at very
affordable prices, so even smaller churches might be in a position to afford
one.
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