„"That sounds far too complicated for me," I thought when I first heard about the possibility of creating our own app for our church. But I wanted to at least give it a try – after all, I had nothing to lose.
So I opened the page communiapp.de/testapp And it surprised me. The first step was incredibly easy: a few clicks, a name for the app – that was actually the biggest challenge – and it was online. My own app, in less than five minutes, and even the logo and colors already matched the website.
Here's a tip: if you open the app in a browser, you can add it directly to your home screen. From then on, it works just like a regular app.
Of course, I immediately wanted to try out how posting in the app works. I created an entry for a shared lunch after the church service next Sunday. The idea was simple, but I wanted to see how the app would work in practice. Then I sent the entry, along with a link to the app, to a few friends and church members – via WhatsApp and email.
And lo and behold, the first users signed up. Even faster than I had expected. Everyone who signed up could then share the link with others. And that's how it all took off. I created more posts: an invitation to weekly exercise, a call for a short walk – it worked every time. When I realized how well the app was received, I sought support. I specifically approached people in our community who were already well-connected and active. Their contributions helped to breathe even more life into the app.
A little trick also helped me: I linked the app to our website so that information from there automatically appeared in the app as well. This was not only practical, but also made the app look professional.
One Sunday, I took the next step. I showed our small app project to a member of the church leadership. He was immediately interested and invited me to present the app at the next meeting. Luckily, I had already received an email with a short presentation from Communi – all the important information was readily available, including pricing and even a discount code that allowed the church to get started risk-free.
In the weeks that followed, I encouraged more and more people to actively use the app. I explained why it's worthwhile to create posts directly in the app: it's the best way to reach many people quickly and easily, and at the same time, a place where interested people feel welcome. Over time, we increasingly shifted our communication to the app.
Conclusion: After three months of having our own community app
Sure, in the beginning we shared important information through other channels as well, but gradually the app became the central hub. And today? The app practically runs itself. The content comes primarily from people in the community, and new people join every day. It's a wonderful feeling to see how this small idea has grown into something big – and how much it enriches our community.
