According to recent stats, Americans spend over 71% of their digital time on mobile devices and almost three hours a day on them.
If you are involved in a church, you probably already see technology intersecting all over the place, from Bible apps to watching live streaming, to giving online, and more. The fact is your church attendees are already heavily dependent on their mobile devices to stay connected to their most valuable information and entertainment. The question is, don’t you want your church to be just as valued as what keeps them glued to their devices?
Here are some reasons your church should consider a mobile app.
Reach People on a More Effective Platform
Facebook, emails, twitter, Instagram, snail mailings, handouts, etc., all of these are good forms of communication, but all are so easily missed or ignored altogether. Much of the news you try to deliver on these mediums never captures the short attention span of your church members. You could be reaching them on a much more effective platform: Their own mobile devices.
The smartphone the most powerful tool for communication today. It’s simple to get your message on those screens with push notifications that come with any good app platform.
More Giving Opportunities
Online giving keeps growing within the church. In fact, 39% of younger Christians claim to give once a month to a church online. If you are accepting tithes and donations, don’t you want to give your church members an opportunity to give in a way that makes them feel most comfortable?
Most Millennials don’t carry cash and checks. They enjoy the simple, digital experience of splitting bills by using apps.
When it comes to giving, people have preferences. Your church needs to make sure you meet everyone’s giving preferences or you’ll be leaving money on the table. With a mobile app, sending a push notification at the end of the year to meet the budget is one of many simple, effective ways to increase a giving opportunity.
An Easy Place to Keep Message Resources
A place where message notes, videos, and podcasts live in one convenient location and are accessible at your fingertips, 24/7.
One of the best parts about a good church app isn’t the features, though. It’s the fact that all of these features are so easily accessible by launching an app on your mobile device with the touch of a button.
Save Money
Many churches offer their weekly bulletin as a feature in their app. If that can become a habit for your church, you can end up saving hundreds and eventually thousands of dollars on wasteful printing that results in paper everywhere like dead leaves. Not to mention all the time it saves printing, folding, and handing out physical items.
How long does it take and how much does it cost to send out 200 mailings about an upcoming event? It takes only about five minutes to draft and send a push notification that can link to an event with additional details and a registration form. There are no envelopes to stuff and no postage to pay with a custom church app.
My company loves to help churches use technology, and we have a great mobile app you might consider. It’s called ChurchAppLive, for iPhone and Android. One of Jesus’ commandments was to go where people are and spread his message of love. Technology is where people are at today.