Some research suggests we see as many 5,000 ads per day, while other studies say the number is closer to 300-500. The reality is that we see and hear so many messages that we don’t even pay attention or are aware of them.
Compare that to the number of daily reminders of our life of faith and what that number might be. Is there anything we hear outside of Sunday morning or the programs and small groups we participate in at our congregations? Whatever number you arrive at, it pales in comparison to the residue of our brand-driven culture.
Smartphones are an opportunity for the church to have a daily presence in people’s lives. In North America, it is thought that smartphones represent 70 percent of the cell phones in service, with younger demographics having even higher percentages. When it comes to available apps, there are approximately 1,300,000+ for Apple devices and 1,374,500+ Android apps – and growing daily.
What would it mean for your synod or congregation to have a smartphone app as a daily hub of faith? How might that help people grow in their discipleship and stewardship?
It turns out that creating apps is almost as simple as drag and drop using websites like como.com. For about $500 you can easily create an app that will connect people to your calendar of events, sermons, Facebook page, online giving and volunteering. How about giving your members a connection to an online Bible tool? Likewise the ELCA offers RSS feeds that will supply your app with daily Bible passages and, coming soon, weekly snippets on living generously and caring for creation.
To download and see free working examples, go to the Google play or iTunes app stores and search for “Southeast Michigan Synod” or “Holy Cross Lutheran Church” (Libertyville, Ill.). If you would like help to consider these possibilities or for more information, please contact us at stewardship@elca.org.
