Hey friends,
Let’s talk about something that feels… outdated.
But might not be.
Remember when church apps were all the rage?
In the late 2010s, everybody wanted one.
Custom home screens. Embedded sermons. A Bible reading plan or two.
But most of the time… no one used them.
By the early 2020s, most churches either phased them out or let them sit dormant.
And I get it—people weren’t opening them.
They didn’t offer enough value to justify another download.
We moved on.
But now, in 2026… I’m starting to feel a shift.
And it’s not just nostalgia.
Why Church Apps Might Be Coming Back
Because communication is harder than ever.
Let’s be honest—reaching your church has become a full-time job.
Social media? Feels like shouting into the void.
Even your own followers don’t see half your posts.
Text messaging? Effective, but expensive.
Email? Still valuable (I mean, you’re reading this right now),
but easy to overlook in a cluttered inbox.
In-service announcements? Time is limited, and most churches
are trying to make Sundays more about presence than promotion.
So what do you do when your core people—the ones already committed to your church—feel out of the loop?
You give them a tool that’s built for them.
The Role of Church Apps in 2026
Here’s what’s changed:
Apps like Church Center and Subsplash aren’t just media players anymore.
They’ve become functional hubs for your core church community.
We’re talking:
✅ Viewing the weekly message
✅ Checking group messages
✅ Managing your family profile
✅ Seeing when you’re scheduled to serve
✅ Giving + viewing past donations
✅ Registering for upcoming events
That’s more than just “announcements.”
That’s real-life integration for people who are already part of your church.
And if you position it that way—as a digital home base for your people—I think you’ll find it works.
Not as a flashy growth tool.
But as a high-value internal tool.
But… Not for Everyone
Here’s where it gets tricky:
Don’t push apps on new people.
They’re not there yet.
They need your website. A face-to-face conversation.
A clear next step, not a download button.
Church apps only work when people feel like they belong—
and now they want to stay in rhythm.
So focus your app adoption on your committed core:
Small group members
Parents
Volunteers
Regular attenders
Let them be your beta testers.
Build a rhythm.
And grow adoption slowly and sustainably from there.
My Take?
Church apps aren’t for every church.
And not every church is ready.
But I think we might’ve ditched them too early.
In a world where attention is harder to earn,
ownership—over your data, messaging, and experience—matters more than ever.
Prediction?
Church apps are about to have their quiet comeback.
Not flashy. Not forced. But functional.
Not to replace your website.
But maybe… to replace how your core people use it.
Let me know—
Are you using a church app right now?
Has it worked for your team? Would love to hear what you’ve tried.
More soon,
—George