Church App Requirements Generator

Start with what members will use every week

A church app earns its place on a phone when members open it every week: to catch up on a sermon, check what’s on, register for an event or give. Start with the few features that serve those moments well, and add the rest in later releases. The generator makes the three features you rank highest must-haves, and suggests leaving the heaviest work (giving inside the app, full Bible text and in-app streaming) for later unless you rank it first.

Your church’s name and colours

The document is written in your church’s name, with your app name if it is different. If you enter brand colours, or pick them with the colour pickers, the report shows a preview of an app header and button in those colours and checks the contrast of text on your main colour against the WCAG minimum of 4.5:1 for normal text. Colours that are too light for text are suggested for backgrounds and highlights instead.

Content is the real work

Most church apps that go quiet do so because nobody owns the content. The content plan in the report lists what will be published, how often, and who is responsible, based on who you say will update the app. Decide early whether content needs approval and which languages you will publish in.

Bible translations and licences

Bible translations have their own licences. The King James Version is in the public domain in most countries, but in the United Kingdom it is under Crown rights. The World English Bible is in the public domain, and its name may be used only for faithful copies. The NIV, NKJV and ESV publishers allow quotations of up to 500 verses under their conditions, and anything more needs permission or a licence. For a Ghanaian-language Bible, ask the publisher named in that Bible.

Giving, privacy and store rules

Apple and Google both publish rules that affect church apps:

• Giving: Apple’s App Review Guidelines limit collecting money for charities and fundraisers inside an iPhone app to approved nonprofits; others must collect funds outside the app. Google Play’s billing system must not be used for tax-exempt donations.
• Privacy: both stores need a privacy policy and privacy disclosures (Apple’s app privacy details and Google Play’s Data safety form).
• Accounts: if members can create accounts, they must be able to delete them in the app, and Google Play also needs a web link for deletion requests.
• Publishing: Apple rejects template-based apps unless the provider of the content submits them, so publish from the church’s own developer accounts.

Launch steps

The report lists the launch steps for the stores you choose: enrolling as an organisation (Apple’s Developer Program and a Google Play organisation account both need a D-U-N-S Number), the store listing, review and a soft launch. Make a QR code for your service slides and notices with the QR code generator.

Next steps

Estimate the cost of your scope with the mobile app cost estimator, or compare an app with a progressive web app. To see where an app fits among your church’s other priorities, take the church digital transformation assessment. When you’re ready, our mobile app development team can build it.