Churches Can’t Ignore the Mobile Opportunity

Churches Can’t Ignore the Mobile Opportunity

March 3, 2014 by

Let’s face it: the church has a bad reputation for aversion to the “new,” especially when it comes to technology. Even at the inception of the printing press, church authorities banned the Bible from being printed in any language other than Latin! We should all be grateful someone eventually talked some sense into the Pope.

Like the printing press revolutionized communication in the Middle Ages, mobile technology has transformed the way people find information today. Mobile usage has officially surpassed the desktop and is continuing to climb in prominence. In 2012, the number of smartphones sold surpassed babies born. Since then, mobile sales have only increased—so much so that mobile phones now outnumber people on earth! The lingua franca of the world is changing, and many churches are either struggling to learn it or covering their ears completely.

However, the statistics supporting the massive move to mobile are almost as plentiful as Abraham’s descendants.

Think about this:

  • According to Forbes, “87% of connected devices sales by 2017 will be tablets and smartphones.”
  • The average person checks his or her phone 150 times a day. That’s once every 6.5 minutes!
  • Flurry states that Americans are spending 2 hours and 7 minutes per day using apps.

If the world’s “native tongue” has changed to push notifications and tweets rather than letters and phone calls, why are almost 70% of churches not properly using technology to connect and engage with their attendees? Seeing a smartphone in church used to mean someone was not engaged in the service. Apps such as the YouVersion Bible app have flipped that stigma on its head, as over 74% of churchgoers now read the Bible electronically. We live in an age where using various tech tools is not only expected, but encouraged.

Thankfully, mobile doesn’t have to be a foreign language. Once you get down to the basics, even the not-so-tech-savvy among us can learn what it means to “go mobile.” In this four-part series, we will equip you with the tools you need to make informed decisions about mobile technology for your church.

Over the next several weeks, we will…

  • Compare mobile sites to mobile apps
  • Unpack the benefits of a mobile strategy in relation to a budget
  • Propose questions to consider before ultimately making a decision to move forward with mobile

Learning something new doesn’t have to be intimidating, and thankfully, mobile is much more practical for churches today than Latin.

Editor’s Note: Talking about mobile technology for the church can be both exciting and frustrating. Exciting because of the immense opportunity, but frustrating because so many churches just aren’t there yet. Bluebridge ChurchApps can help. We’re partnering with them to share some mobile insights, and if you decide to work with Bluebridge, we get a referral fee. You can take a leap forward with mobile technology and help us continue to help churches communicate better. Get started by connecting with Bluebridge ChurchApps.

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Photo by Yutaka Tsutano
Post By:

Santiago Jaramillo


Santiago Jaramillo is the CEO of Bluebridge Digital (parent company to Bluebridge ChurchApps), a mobile app company that helps organizations like churches engage through compelling mobile apps. Santiago was named to Inc. magazine’s prestigious “30 Under 30 World’s Coolest Entrepreneurs” list in 2013.
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4 Responses to “Churches Can’t Ignore the Mobile Opportunity”

  • Eric Dye
    March 7, 2014

    So true! The time for churches to go mobile is NOW. :)


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  • Amy Anderson
    March 7, 2014

    Our pastor is wanting to add an additional printed piece to our contemporary service (sermon notes) and I am looking for alternative ways of doing this. We have used QR codes to provide supplemental content in the past, but not everyone has or wants a QR reader and I want to provide another option. I am considering trying to find a way to use SMS, but haven’t quite found the right solution. I want for people to be able to text “march9” and receive the sermon notes for March 9 without signing up for a text list that will continue sending them stuff. Have you ever tried anything like this?


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    • Trae Bailey
      March 9, 2014

      Hey Amy,

      Thanks for commenting. My name is Trae, and I work with Santiago in helping churches with mobile. It sounds like your pastor is wanting to engage with folks in the contemporary service through sermon notes. That’s great! I know that taking notes during the lesson helps me focus, and my wife is a big note taker! ( :

      I love that you are exploring ways to meet people on their mobile device too. If you are interested, I would like to learn more about your situation and see if there is any way I can help find a solution that makes sense. Send me an email (trae@bluebridgedigital.com) and we can figure out a time that works well to chat.

      In the mean time, check out how Trinity Wesleyan is sharing their sermon notes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trinity-church-indy/id739573979?mt=8

      All the best,

      Trae


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    • Joel
      March 13, 2014

      Amy,

      We are a text company. Built for the church. If a person opts in it creates a list. Whatever you do with that list is entirely up to you. Food for thought why not send them an encouraging note in the middle of the week or a video from pastor or staff. Just a thought. If you can contact me at Joel@blit.com


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