How Springs Church Prioritized Connection In Their Congregation

Summary

Springs Church made a bold move to prioritize connection in their congregation. Instead of preaching from the pulpit, they turned their typical Sunday morning services into a Connection Sunday. During those two services, church leaders helped their congregation connect with each other and the church by walking through all the features of their new custom church app.

From group sign-ups to sermon notes to giving options, Springs Church members discovered how their app could keep them connected to their community. The app also empowered members to volunteer and get involved in connection groups, making it easy for them to contribute to the church’s mission in a meaningful way. By leveraging a custom church app, Springs Church has created a culture of connection and engagement that goes beyond Sunday services and is truly transforming the lives of its members.

Challenges

Springs Church was facing a common problem that many churches experience – disconnection from their congregation. They recognized that many people leave the church because they don’t feel connected. So Springs Church wanted to create an engaged community and empower its members with easy access to involvement regardless of age or tech-savvy skills.

They were searching for something that would make it easy for members to stay connected to the church, deepen their faith through additional resources, and simplify giving with just a click on their app.

Pushpay

Springs Church staff decided to move into the digital age and solve the problem of disconnection with a custom church app from Pushpay. The app opened up the door to convenient connection and communication with members, and they dedicated an entire Sunday to celebrate its launch. On Connection Sunday, Springs Church walked their congregation through the church app’s features, including sign-ups for groups and events, access to sermons, and giving options, including the ability to set up recurring giving.

Even without prior experience, Ashley Moore, Springs Church’s Executive Administrative Assistant, created the custom app with the clear instructions from Pushpay. Ashley updates the app weekly with the latest announcements and sermon notes. She says, “Pushpay makes  it very simple. It’s very user-friendly. And now everything you need to know about everything, even getting in touch with our pastors or staff, is right there on the app.”

Now, after Connection Sunday and the launch of their church app, Springs Church prioritizes community engagement by devoting time during each service for meaningful connection and ministry opportunities. Karen Woodyard, Deacon Ministry Director, said, “There was a QR code up on the screen, and Pastor Michael said, ‘Okay, I want everybody to give to this orphanage in Haiti.’ Everybody lifts up their phone, takes a picture of the QR code, and within 10 seconds, donations just started piling in. The app made it so much easier.”

They’ve created a more connected community and increased engagement within their congregation. Karen said, “We’ve finally made it super easy to connect. For many people who get disgruntled with the church, it’s usually because they didn’t feel connected. And I really feel that Pushpay gave us that edge to where people now can really feel connected because everything’s right there, right in front of them with the church app.”

Results

By addressing the common problem of disconnection head-on, Springs Church increased member involvement and encouraged deeper connections between congregation members. Ashley shared, “The app has just become the way that everybody finds the information that they need in the church.” Connection Sunday may have only lasted one day, but the feeling of connection is still strong, with a congregation fully engaged and involved in the church’s activities.

With the help of Pushpay’s app, Springs Church put the power of the community in the palms of their member’s hands. Now their ministry sees greater participation and involvement and a stronger, more connected congregation.