Like many of you, I have been using the computer more and more since we have been online entirely since March 2020. As I have been leading our teams and some staff, we use several apps and tools more than others. As a result, I thought it might help to share some of the apps and tools I use almost daily.
FREE APPS, TOOLS AND SYSTEMS
Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. We use these as ways to communicate with our congregation and with the community at large. On Facebook, we’re developing groups for each primary ministry (men, women, couples, singles, youth, etc.) to help us stay connected, share links and documents.
Evernote. I use this to keep all of my meeting notes in one place, and sharing documents and pictures is easy here.
Church Metrics. We used this to track and trace all of our ministry areas before COVID-19 and even more now since we’re using more avenues to reach out to people.
YouVersion. We use this to share reading plans with the congregation and read the Bible together.
Church Online Platform. We use this to stream our weekly service and engage those watching via our website.
iMovie. This came free with the software for my Mac. I use it to edit the majority of videos I post, from weekly student lessons to my Ministry Pivot podcast and more.
Signup Genius. We use this to organize leaders at some of our outreach sites to ensure that they serve where needed.
Givelify. We use this as a giving tool that connects our members with the church.
PAID APPS, TOOLS AND SYSTEMS
Slack. We use this for some of our ministry teams to communicate with them about projects and documents.
Pro Presenter. We use this as we record and stream our services.
Planning Center. We use this to organize leaders when we do in-person worship services, and we use it for the order and elements of worship.
Fellowship One. We use this church management system to connect all of the people and follow-up with discipleship details.
Gravity Forms. We use these forms to connect with our people. We have records for every event and decision on our website. It allows us to send those completed forms to specific people on the team so they can follow-up.
Text-em-all. We use this software to send out weekly robocalls from our pastor as he prays for the members and gives them a weekly Word of encouragement.
Subsplash. This company powers our app and connects to our church website.
Boomerang. I love this email client; it allows me to organize my emails significantly and send emails to people when I want them to go out. It reminds me that if someone hasn’t replied to an email that I need an answer to by a specific date and works with my calendar. It’s a win.
Dropbox. I use this to organize all of my videos and to allow others to upload videos and files I might need on my system.
Zoom. We all know what this is for sure now!
Shopify. I use this site to create our Kingdom Apparel store and my After The Music Stops Bookstore. If you have something to sell and need an easy way to do it, Shopify doesn’t cost much and is very useful.
Those are the main ones. I have a few others, but I am in these weekly; what are you using weekly? What would you add to the list?