3 Reasons Our Apps are Easy to Launch & Maintain

It might feel intimidating to start the process of building an app for your organization. We have worked hard to make our Platform as user-friendly and intuitive as possible, but anytime you are familiarizing yourself with a new project and new technology, there's always a learning curve.

We want to ease your worries about building a customized app, because the rewards (increased engagement, donations, and reach just to name a few) are absolutely worth the effort. Here are the main reasons why you can expect a smooth and simple process when setting up an app with us.

Smooth Kick-Off Process

Our Platform Specialists will immediately be in touch once you become a client. You'll receive an email to schedule a kick-off call with a mobile expert and an open invitation from that point forward to reach out to our Platform Specialist Team with any questions or concerns about setup, maintenance, or tech support.  

Materials to Get You Started

Included with all app packages are a a few helpful materials to get you started. A "Get Your App Live" checklist, launch kit, app promotion slide to display at church or on social media, and Subsplash Giving promotion video are all included to help you feel confident in the process of getting your app or giving live! Our Platform Specialist team wants to set you up for success not only in building your app, but in helping people know about it!

Platform Specialists and Client Relations Managers to Help You Along the Way

Did you know if you work with us there is a dedicated group of people whose main job is to help you with your app?! The success of your app is a team effort and we want you to thrive. From implementation and tech support, to an ongoing account manager who’s with you every step of the way, we love serving you! 

To experience the unparalleled customer service that our team can offer, get in touch with us today! 

4 Ways to Ramp Up for Fall with Your App

It's that time of year when people are returning from vacation and settling back into routine. Fall is the beginning of a busy time for many churches as the pews start to fill out again and your staff is likely ramping up for a new sermon series, getting people connected, and even gearing up for the holidays.

Your app can help you feel more prepared for this busy time. Here are a few ideas...

Refine your home tab

Your app is a great tool to use for first impressions. Some people might come across your app before ever setting foot in your church building. Creating a comprehensive home tab is a great way to give a good first impression for visitors. Building out or refining your home tab is also a helpful way to get your existing members excited to get back to church if they've been out during the summer months.

Put a connect card in your app

The fall is a great time for people to get connected. Whether someone is looking for a community group or wanting to serve, giving your church attendees an easy way to get plugged in is a great way to help them in the process. 

Remind your community about giving in your app

Regardless of when you added giving to your app, your community might need a refresher of all of the benefits of giving inside the app. The fall is a great time to introduce something new that will enhance their Sunday morning experience. You might want to discuss recurring giving, text-to-give, or any of the other great features of Subsplash Giving. It might even help you make up for any dip in giving you experienced during the summer months.

Using a great promotional tool like this video we created for our clients can help!  

Create fresh content for your congregation to engage with

Starting a new blog series or creating new artwork for your new sermon series might just be the push your community needs to start engaging with your church's app. Giving your congregation a little nudge towards enjoying all of the benefits of your church app might require some fresh content. 

As always, we are here to help with setting up any of these features and we've got even more ways to engage your community this fall if you're interested!

Get in touch with us if you want to get started on your customized app for you church or ministry! 

Reaching Millennials for Jesus (Part 2)

After taking a closer look at who millennials are and what their impact is on society in part 1 of this series, we are going to explore some specific ways to reach them in your context. 

1. Ask questions

Despite popular belief, millennials are able to hold a conversation with people face to face! Thankfully, learning from millennials doesn't require you to make any significant changes. By asking younger people in your congregation some simple questions, you might learn a lot!

Some questions to ask might be...

• What are your daily mobile habits? How often and when are you using your mobile phone?
• What are your favorite apps?
• How do you keep up with your news and information?
• If you were trying to communicate with our church, what do you think would grab people's attention?

2. Get millennials to volunteer at your church

Looping young people into different service teams at your church can be a big benefit to you and to them. This will provide a direct line of communication between leadership and the younger people at your church, and it will give you some insight into their daily mobile habits, not to mention give them the opportunity to share any ideas or contribute any important information to you about what their needs are as members of your community.

3. Don't change your message, but the way it's communicated

We absolutely need churches to continue to preach the Gospel message, regardless of how different groups receive it, but it is important to evaluate the tools you are using to do that. What's out of date? Is everything user-friendly? Are the people in your community having a poor experience with the technology you use on a Sunday and throughout the week?

4. Help millennials feel like they are part of the mission/story

One important distinction when it comes to millennials is that they love to be a part of the story that organizations and brands are telling. This is why brands like TOMs and others like it have been successful in marketing to millennials.

As you seek to encourage millennials to be involved with your church, tell the story of the Gospel in a compelling way and try to communicate that they are very much a part of it. Not only that, but communicate the mission of your church in your specific context often, and invite them to be on mission with you.

5. Use your app

Customized apps make communication simple. And with simplicity, ease, and intuitiveness being a huge draw for millennials when it comes to engaging with content, using your app to reach millennials (or building one if you don't have one yet) will make a huge impression when trying to reach this audience.

Have more questions about reaching millennials? One of our mobile consultants put on an awesome webinar that explores these topics ever more. Check it out!

If you have any questions get in touch with us about creating your mobile app! 

Reaching Millennials for Jesus

What is a millennial?

The term "millennial" refers to the generation born between 1982 and 2004. This group of young people is the first to be born in a dominantly digital world, so it's no surprise they are usually associated with knowing and loving technology. 

There are more than 76 million millennials in the US alone, and millennials make up the most diverse and largest generation in history. What an incredible opportunity for the Church to engage such an influential group!

How are churches blocked in reaching millennials?

Most millennials are used to immediate and convenient access to almost everything. The Church has a unique opportunity to use the channels that are most likely to reach them, namely platforms that they interact with all the time like social media and apps, in an effort to engage them.

When churches don't take millennials preferences and tendencies into consideration, they struggle to engage with them in meaningful ways. By being slow to adopt new technology and methods of communication, the church is less effective in reaching this generation. Millennials have grown up with smartphones, so a customized app is the most effective way to reach them.

What can you do?

There are some very practical things you can do to take steps towards meaningful interactions with millennials. Here are 5 ways that we will unpack in part 2 of this series! 

1. Ask questions

2. Get millennials to volunteer at your church

3. Don't change your message, but the way it's communicated

4. Help millennials feel like they are part of the mission/story

5. Use your app

Get in touch with us to learn more! 

Announcing: Subsplash Giving with GrowCurve

So what is GrowCurve? We are offering an incredible new feature that allows us to provide the lowest processing rates in the industry so that you can keep more of your donations and potentially save thousands of dollars every year. You never have to negotiate again. And don't worry–we still don't charge a monthly fee.

Did you know that we built the first mobile optimized giving page for a church in 2009? After launching Subsplash Giving, we kept coming back to what matters most: fueling the mission of the Church by increasing your giving and keeping the donations where they count. We decided we’re not ok with the industry standard, we’re not here to maximize our margins and profit off of the church – being privately owned and operated by a Christian family means we can give it all back to you. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.

If you want to learn more about GrowCurve and how Subsplash Giving can benefit you, get in touch with us!