In my last post, I briefly touched on how church mobile apps could be the successor of the out of date (and wasteful) church bulletin.  I wanted to expand on this idea because church apps can do more than just simply inform church goers about what’s going on around the church.  While reviewing current designs, I’ve seen powerful current capabilities and future potential for church apps.  Here’s the punchline for this post:

The church mobile app can redefine how your congregation interacts beyond Sunday.

Here are 7 features of mobile apps that will have your church goers engaged throughout the week:

1.  Interactive Calendar:  Calendars in church mobile apps utilize modern tools that help both potential attendees and event planners.  Users will be able to integrate with calendars built into their phones and email, allowing them to add reminders, get directions, and set their RSVP which planners will receive instantly allowing them to plan accordingly.

2.  Media:  Streaming live services and on-demand video, audio, photos, and podcasts can be accessed by thousands of smartphones anytime, anywhere.

3.  Bible App Integration:  Sermon Notes can contain links and will open up some bible apps like YouVersion and take a user right to the passage they are studying.

4.  Online Giving:  Most apps will offer a giving option that lets your app link right to your websites online donation page.  This way your users won’t have to go looking for it themselves.

5.  Notifications/Alerts:  Communicate with your congregation directly, send weather alerts, emergency notifications, and updates to important topics right to users phones, they can opt-in or out in their own settings.

6.  Customer Management System:  You won’t have to pay every time you want to make an update, most design firms offer proprietary CMS (customer management systems) which give you the keys to adding content and making incremental improvements to the user experience on your apps.  Some functions will merely take an RSS feed and will update automatically when you update the parent platform (i.e. Facebook or twitter timelines).

7.  Social Sharing:  The ability for users to share your content with their followers extends your churches reach into the community in ways you you’ve never imagined.  Social media is participation in America is growing daily.  If your church doesn’t have a web presence yet, first focus on developing profile pages on the top social networks (and please please please update your website).

Remember, the features above are just highlights of where current app design is now.  Keep in mind, church mobile apps have only been around as long as the app stores themselves have which is really 5 years or less.  We can’t even begin to imagine how this technology will evolve in the next 2,3,or even 5 years from now.  One thing for sure is, you do not want to be too far behind on this.  If your church wants to continue to stay relevant by “meeting people where they are,” well, the world is going mobile.  But don’t worry, you don’t have to go at it alone.  Take a look at what these 5 mobile app design firms have come up with and the churches that use their apps today:

1. The Church App

Operating Systems Supported: iOS, Android, Windows 8

Top Features: On-Demand Video Streaming, Audio Streaming (Podcasts), interactive calendar with location services, registration, sharing, contact information, Music Album Listening, Blogging, Social Media Integration, Custom Content Management System.

Clients Apps Highlighted: Elevation Church (Charlotte, NC), Billy Graham Evangelic Association, Mars Hill Church

2. Faith Network

Operating Systems Supported: iOS, Android, Windows 8

Top Features: Live/On Demand Video Streaming, Push Notifications/Alerts, Online Giving Integration, Google Maps, E-vites, Sharing, Dynamic Events Calendar, Social Media Integration, Content Management System

Clients Apps Highlighted: Highpoint Church, First Lavaca, Church of Grace

3.My Pocket Church

Operating Systems Supported: iOS, Android

Top Features: Push Notifications, Events Calendar, Church Contact Information, Social Media Integration and Sharing, Appointment Scheduling, Car Finder, Media Streaming, Wufoo Form Integration, YouVersion Integration, Content Management System.

Clients Apps Highlighted: Pacific Cross Roads Church, Antioch (Bend, Oregon), Crosspointe Church (Anderson, SC)

4. Church Wise Solutions

Operating Systems Supported: iOS & Android

Top Features: Push Notifications, Form Builder, Mobile Giving, Sermon Podcast, Prayer Wall, Social Media Sharing, One Touch Contact Info, Youtube & Vimeo Integration, Events Calendar, Directories, Blog Feed, GPS Location Services, Music.

Clients Apps Highlighted: Connection Pointe (Little Rock, AK), Christ Church (Fairview Heights, IL), Midland First Assembly of God  (Click links for live demos from Church Wise Solutions).

5. TWELVE

Operating Systems Supported: iOS, Android

Top Features: Live/On Demand Video Streaming, Push Notifications/Alerts, Online Giving Integration, User Registration, , Multi-level CMS (Content Management System), Blog (with comments and likes), Itinerary/Calendar,  Prayer Wall (with comments and likes), Audio Video Podcast Library.

Clients Apps Highlighted: River Church (Durham, NC), Mt. Sinai COGIC (Davenport, IA), FaithWorld (Orlando, FL)

Now that you’ve taken a look at what church apps look like today, what feature would you like to see in the next church mobile app?