Best Church Apps for Your Ministry

The ministry has had to evolve alongside technology, and nowhere is this more apparent than the multitude of church apps available for smart devices. Pastors and other leaders can use these apps to plan services, schedule events, collect tithes and much more. There are an overwhelming number of apps available, but the following 10 might be the most useful. 

1. Planning Center Online (PCO)

Any list of the best church apps should start out strong, and Planning Center Online (PCO) certainly accomplishes this feat. It may be the most commonly used app among ministry leaders, and this is owed to the variety of tools it offers. Pastors can schedule volunteers, plan events and services, share music and more.

The PCO app accomplishes many of the tasks performed by the most popular tools for pastors, and even though it’s a web-based app, it works with both Android and iOS devices. This online resource has also begun offering tools that handle small group life, camp registrations, room scheduling and many other tasks you’d hope for among the best church apps. 

2. ZOOM Cloud Meetings

When the COVID-19 pandemic began making its way through America, ZOOM Cloud Meetings became overwhelmingly popular. In fact, the video conferencing tool had gained 13 million users by February 2020. While this resource wasn’t created specifically to serve churches, it has certainly proven to be invaluable to pastors and other ministry leaders. 

ZOOM is available on both Android and iOS platforms, so you’ll be able to hold meetings with parishioners, other church leaders, and anyone else you could imagine regardless of their specific device. You can also access the tool via desktop and use it for chatting and phone calls, so this is undoubtedly one of the best church apps available. 

While Zoom may not be appropriate for hosting services, the tools at DonorWerx can help you improve communication and engagement with your flock. Schedule a Discovery Call today to learn how. 

3. Logos

Few people realize just how difficult it can be to plan a new sermon for every service held during the week. Hours are often spent poring over the Bible to create lessons and interconnect stories from separate parts of God’s Word. The Logos Bible app takes this essential process and simplifies it for church leaders. 

Within the app, you can compare different translations, take notes and share them with others, create a reading plan, and even scan verses from physical media to open on your smart device. The intuitive interface also goes a long way in making this a great church app, and whether you’re engaged in personal study or answering questions in small groups, it has you covered. 

4. Hootsuite

An effective social media strategy for churches is essential for maintaining the health of the ministry. People expect to find everything on Facebook and other social platforms, and with many people opting out of in-person services, it’s one of the few ways to keep parishioners engaged. Hootsuite is a powerful tool to help in this endeavor. 

Many people use this church app – which is another tool not specifically created for the church – simply to schedule their social media posts. The ability to schedule out a week of content in advance would be enough to justify this app’s use, but you can also monitor activity, view analytics, interact with followers and advertise using this resource. 

5. Canva

Social media allows you to share ministry news, live sermons, virtual tithing pages, videos of projects in process, and anything else you could imagine. If this is all you’re posting, though, platform algorithms could minimize the amount of engagement you receive. You should also post shareable images, and Canva can help you greatly in this area. 

You’ve seen scripture quotes shared on beautiful backgrounds, but you may have worried that you simply didn’t have the graphic design chops to create such an image yourself. This is where Canva comes in. As a church app, you can make gorgeous graphics even with zero experience in design. You can also use the tool to create amazing slides to use in your sermons. 

6. Blue Letter Bible

One of the best tools a pastor can have for in-depth study is the Blue Letter Bible app. In addition to resources that allow tagging your favorite verses and highlighting portions of scripture, you’ll also have access to dictionaries, interlinear tools, text commentaries, word searches, and 15 different translations of the Good Book.

One of the most standout features of this excellent church app, though, is the availability of Greek and Hebrew lexicon tools. This allows you to look at the literal original meaning of certain words in the Bible. When this is combined with parallel translation views and the variety of other tools available, this is one app that ministry leaders cannot forego. 

7. SecureGive

People are increasingly using their mobile devices to perform tasks that once had to be done in-person, and this just as true in the world of tithing and donations. This is what makes the SecureGive tool one of the best church apps to have in your digital resource kit. It empowers your congregation to give at any time, and they can even set up recurring tithes. 

While the world of tithes was already trending towards digital giving, the harsh reality check of COVID-19 showed just how essential these tools are. For churches to survive coronavirus, offering virtual tithing is an absolute necessity. In-person services simply aren’t an option for many, and in the absence of a collection plate, a smartphone and SecureGive will do the trick. 

If your ministry is finding it hard to maintain giving levels, reach out to us at DonorWerx today. In addition to SecureGive, we offer tools to engage your congregation and increase overall giving. 

8. Spotify

While it certainly wasn’t created as a church app, Spotify could be one of the most useful tools available to ministry leaders. If you’re not already using it, take the time to download the free music resource. You can create playlists with your favorite songs of worship, or you could choose a preexisting station to take your services to a new spiritual level. 

9. Text in Church

While the name Text in Church may seem straightforward, this church app does so much more than send texts. It allows you to integrate other powerful tools – such as MailChimp and Planning Center – in order to handle all communication with your congregation. You can even import CSV files to bring your entire email list into the app. 

10. Google Docs

If you’re looking for simplicity in planning your sermons, Google Docs is where you’ll find it. This is an online version of Microsoft Word. Sure, it lacks some of the more complex features. Fortunately, it really has all you’ll need to take notes and plan a service. It’s the tools that many people overlook, however, that make this one of the best church apps available. 

In addition to typical word processing features, Google Docs also allows you to voice type. You’ll also find templates to create bulletins, have access to revision history, and even work offline. You can also give access to other individuals and tag them in comments. This makes it a great collaboration tool as well. 

Using Church Apps for a Better Ministry

It matters not whether your ministry focuses on old-time teachings or a new age philosophy. Either way it’s imperative that you utilize the tools God provides. We’re at a point where fewer people are attending in-person services and the future is anything but certain. By utilizing these useful church apps, you can simplify your work and make your ministry run more smoothly. 

If you’re wondering how your church can better communicate with parishioners while streamlining your processes, contact us at DonorWerx today. Our donor specialists can help you bring your congregation into the 21st century. And that’s in more ways than just a great church app! Schedule a Discovery Call today!