Updated: 21 + Reasons Your Church Needs a Mobile App

(original article was written for YouthMinistry.com and updated here)

It’s not just teenagers who carry iPhones or iPod Touches around playing games on them. People of all ages are walking into AT&T or Verizon and trading their flip phone in for a smart phone that runs mobile apps. More specifically, they are buying either an iPhone or an Android phone. These phones are very powerful and are replacing laptops and other computers that people use on a daily basis. So how can your church or your ministry take advantage of the apps that run on these phones?

First you have to answer the question of what is a “Mobile App”?

A mobile app is a small program that sits on your mobile phone—it can be a game, information, or it can actually do something for you. These apps can be very powerful and can do some pretty incredible things. The iPhone alone has over 350,000 apps that you can download to the phone.

Here is a list of things that you can do with an app for your church or ministry:

1. It gives you another access point that your local community can access.
2. It allows you to be location sensitive. You can send messages to a certain zip code if you want.
3. It can integrate social media so that people can help spread your message across the Internet.
4. It helps you get past a Sunday or Wednesday only mentality, and let’s people interact with content on a daily basis.
5. It makes your message 1 or 2 clicks away.
6. It makes your content more convenient, and the more convenient the more it is used.
7. It makes your message more broad-reaching than just your local community.
8. It can help drive people to your church building for special events or weekend services.
9. It can make special announcements such as community wide prayer requests.
10. It can stream your message in audio or video format.
11. It makes reaching a new demographic even easier.
12. It will differentiate your vision and values from others.
13. It will create different engagement than your Web site.
14. It drives loyalty.
15. It puts your branding in front of potential guests before they walk in the door.
16. It provides a new way to collect feedback.
17. It can be a new place for people to contribute to your church or ministry.
18. It encourages people to share your message with the people around them.
19. It can reduce the cost of mailings and the frequency of mailings.
20. It can highlight new books or resources that go along with current teaching series.
21. It creates a buzz that you message is relevant in today’s culture.

update: The number one comment that has been given against having a mobile app for your church is that this can all happen with a website, mobile website, and SMS and therefore why do I need an app? There were also concerns about cost and effectiveness.  So here are some more reasons to help:

1. Native apps and Web Apps can be done for under $1000
2. Functionality and User Experience is greater in apps than mobile websites
3. Apps give your content a hub instead of fragmentation
4. Integration of mobile websites, iTunes Podcasts, and brand come together
5. Most importantly… People use apps more than they use mobile websites, websites, and SMS when access information on their phone.  Just ask my friends over at YouVersion who have a mobile website and native apps in every app store.