Ways To Encourage Your Pastor To Go Mobile

Whether you're just an attendee or a staff member, it can be challenging to push for new ideas and initiatives at your church when time and resources are limited. And let's face it, change is scary!

While churches are increasingly embracing technology and influential church leaders are inviting pastors to consider how they can utilize technology to reach their congregation, it can still take some convincing for church leaders to get on board with the switch from more traditional methods, to adopting newer ones. 

To help you out, we've put together a list of a few tips on how to convince your pastor that it's time to go mobile!

Show them the facts

With 2.2 million mobile device users globally, developing a mobile app strategy is the most effective way to reach people with the good news of the Gospel. Not only that, but mobile users spend nearly 3 hours every day on their smartphones, and a staggering 89% of time spent by users on mobile is in an app. 

These numbers speak loud and clear: if you want to reach people, the best way to do it is on their mobile devices. With all of the great content your church creates, developing a mobile strategy will get your sermons, music, and blog posts in the hands of more people.

Share the benefits

We like to talk about five main benefits of creating a customized mobile app:

• Deeper engagement from your community with content that is easy to add in the Subsplash Dashboard
• Enhanced presence by having your app available in every app store, and on all devices
• Saved time and resources by providing a quick, secure mobile giving solution with Subsplash Giving
• Simplify your process by housing all of your content in the Subsplash Dashboard, and tracking your analytics in one place
• Showcase your brand by presenting your media in a beautifully designed app and unparalleled mobile experience.

We have some other tips for you that will involve your active participation in setting up an app for your church or ministry. Stay tuned for part two of this series!

See Your Message Go Further

We know that church members, and society at large, are trying to navigate a fast-paced culture and highly-connected society. For many churches and ministries, staying relevant and reaching their community where they are at requires them to deliver content and connect with church-goers in a quick and holistic way.

We had a chance to chat with Steven Records at James River Church about how they are reaching people with the message of the Gospel through their app, and it was exciting to learn about the unique ways their church is connecting with their congregation.

TCA: What goals are you aiming to accomplish with your app?

JRC: James River Church is using the app to get people connected to the church by being an agent of growth for our Life Groups and a tool for leaders to access discussion questions for their group.

Through the app, we wanted to reach more people than ever through our sermon content. With the messages feature and push notifications, we are able to get the message out there further and faster than ever.

TCA: How has your app added value to James River Church?

JRC: This app has helped James River Church expand the reach of our online messages. The Church App has also given the congregation access to other resources, such as weekly sermon notes and Life Group discussion questions.

The app improves our ability to communicate with our church by having a platform that allows information to be shared rapidly.

TCA: What results have you seen through the app? (Downloads, increased engagement, etc.)

JRC: We have had tens of thousands download the app, and we have seen nearly half a million impressions this year through the church app.

TCA: Any other comments on the app, Subsplash Platform, and how you’re using it to engage your audience?

JRC: The push notification feature the Church App provides has been one of our favorite features on the app. It allows us to quickly communicate with our users about the messages we post every week and can be useful for important updates about schedule changes or upcoming events. The Church App is making it easier than ever to grow our audience and to communicate with our church directly on the devices they use every day.

We love hearing how God is using The Church App to reach people for the Gospel. Download the James River Church App and let us know how we can help you get started on an app for your church!

Engage your Community this Fall

When church attendance declines during the summer months because of heavy travel, churches implement different strategies to keep their congregations connected. Having a strategy in place can help keep communities engaged and connected to the life of the church.

Something that is equally, if not more important, is having a plan in place for when attendance starts to rise again in the fall. As new people come through your church doors, and members return, there are new opportunities to help people feel connected and engaged right away.

“Going mobile” with your communication strategy can add numerous benefits to your church, and creating a mobile app can help you can engage your community in new ways. As attendance rises and people want more information about your church, here are some features you could include in your app to help people feel connected before they even set foot in the sanctuary:

1. Include an “Information” or “About Us” tab to help people learn about you before they even attend a service

2. Help your congregation track along with the week’s events with a “Weekly Bulletin” feature

3. Let people familiarize themselves with your church’s team by including a “Staff Directory” feature

4. Make sure newcomers can quickly and easily get to your church with a “Maps” feature

These are just a few of the many customization options with the Subsplash Platform. Upload all of your media that your members may have missed over the summer. Include a blog so that you can communicate with your community regularly even if they have missed a couple of services.

With technology changing the cultural landscape, meeting your community where they're at involves providing them with the digital resources needed for your church to stay relevant and engage audiences where they are spending most of their time.

Are you wanting to take your church’s communication strategy to the next level? Get in touch with us! We’d love to chat about your needs and how you can engage more people this fall.