Should my church have an app?

There’s no right or wrong answer here, but here are some initial thoughts to get you thinking.

Not every church needs a mobile app and churches of a certain size may find that this tool solves a communication issue — but only if the issue is identified before the solution is.

Identify the problem and then work on the solution.

Bespoke apps can be very costly, while off-the-shelf apps can limit what you want to achieve. Be sure that an app actually solves your problem rather than just appeasing the tech-hungry in your church.

Broadly speaking, this is an internal (those associated with your church) tool, with the potential to reach an external audience, so centred-set language and use are important as it’s available to a broader audience.

Apps can be a hybrid communications solution ‒ up to a point ‒ and can include podcasts, updates, small-group information, articles, methods for giving and a full diary. The nature of evolving smartphone technology and regularly updated phone software makes the maintenance of these a murky area for anyone who isn’t involved in this world and it can become costly.

One possible solution is to explore an off-the-shelf option, that is, to use a specialist firm whose experts have created ways you can build your own app while they take care of the technical side. Unless there are levels of automation within your app, it can become ‘one more thing’ to maintain, which you may not appreciate further down the track. So ensure you have the capacity to take this on before promising it to the church.

Pros: relevant to a digital-first culture;
Cons: time, cost and skill can be a barrier for many churches; an app relies on someone in your church installing and checking it.

Before investing in any app, ask these questions:

• What problem does an app solve?
• What communications problem are you trying to solve in your church?
• Can an app solve the problem you have?
• Who is the app for?
• Do they want an app?
• Have you done a church survey on Comms attitudes? Has it shown an app would be useful?
• Does the app do something that MyChurchSuite can’t do?
• How much will it cost to develop?
• How much will it cost to maintain (time and money)?

An app can be a ‘sexy’ addition to your church shop window, so make sure you’re getting one for the right reasons and are satisfied that an app serves a purpose in your church based on the above answers, rather than purely anecdotal ear-bending from the more technologically minded in your church.

After this, begin the process of working out how to use an app to serve your church well. All church comms tools should sit alongside each other well, each serving a purpose and meeting a need, so ensure you’re convinced before investing time and money into a new tool.