Q: Do I have to have a Sharefaith website to have the church app?


A: Yes, our Church Mobile App is set up and designed to work directly with our Sharefaith Websites. All of the important information like blog posts, maps, sermons, etc. are all pulled directly from your Sharefaith Website. However, if you wish to just use the mobile app from the service, you can just use the website we provide to build and maintain the app.


Q: How do I build a mobile app with Sharefaith? Do I have to use Sidekick to edit the app?


A: We made it easy to build, customize and edit the church app using our award-winning Sidekick website editor. We combined the two so you can update once, publish once, and see content on your website and phone. Your church app creator allows you to see a live preview of how it will look on a phone or tablet before you publish.


Q: What can I do with the church mobile app?


A: The Sharefaith Church Mobile App is the Swiss army knife of church apps! It has awesome features such as: sermon audio and video, blogs, daily devotional, events, Sunday bulletins, newsletters, online tithing, and more! You can share, connect, and socialize through the church app, as well as provide a map and driving directions. Don't forget we also allow for push notifications, too! 


Q: How long does it take for my app to be available within The Sharefaith App?


A: Much faster than you'd likely expect! Upon publishing your mobile app within the app builder, your app will be available for selection in The Sharefaith App within the hour! It could even be ready for selection right now as you read this!



Q: How fast does it update?


A: After it's been published, any changes you make that require an update will happen according to our monthly development schedule. The good news is that your content on your app will update every hour so anytime you add a new blog post or sermon or update your Connect page on your app, you'll see that change within the hour. Push notifications are instant.


Q: How many apps can I have?


A: Each Sharefaith Complete Yearly or Complete Monthly membership can have one app per membership. If you have multiple websites with your membership, the app will be given to the first site that publishes it. 


 

Q: Can I customize my own app?


A: Yes, apart from adding your own content to the app, you will be able to upload your own icon and choose from any of the available color themes. 


Q: What devices can run my app?


A: The church app is compatible with any Apple device running iOS 7 or higher and any Android device running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher.


Q: Do you offer an iPad or tablet version of the app? 


A: The church app is universal across both smartphones and tablets and is designed to work great on both. 


Q: What’s the difference between a Newsletter Post and a Blog Post?


A: Newsletter posts are specific blog posts that will be meant for updates for your congregation, such as event announcements and reminders, as well as anything you think would be good to spread the word about for your church (other than the Gospel of course). Blog posts are more ideal for devotionals and sharing thoughts with the congregation. Each will have their own push notifications that will go out to your app users whenever new ones are added. 


Q: Does the online giving work within the app?


A: Yes and no. To clarify, in order to prevent our customers from having to pay 30% of their donations to the App Store and Google Play, we do not handle the transactions in the app. Instead, you would provide your app with a URL address to a separate giving page and the app will directly connect your users to that page. Your users will have a convenient way to donate or tithe on-the-go and you avoid large fees. It's a win-win!


Q: What is the difference between the app and the mobile site?


A: Think about Outreach, Your mobile site is a smaller scaled version of your website made specifically to be friendly to small screens, making your website easier to navigate. Each Sharefaith website comes equipped with a mobile site included at no extra cost to you. 

Now think InReach, Your Mobile App is designed to reach into your congregation, so sections like "what we believe" or "meet the pastor" are not needed. It is downloaded directly to your congregants' devices allowing you to be able to alert them through push notifications,  provide fast and easy access to sermons, news, daily devotions, encouraging words and "family" business.


Q: Can people download the sermons on their device and listen to them offline?


A: Yes, your congregation can download the sermons directly onto their device and play them without needing an internet connection. So now your congregation can listen to your sermons while on their morning jog, camping in the woods or while they enjoy a cup of coffee at the local coffee house. 


Q: Is there any fees or costs associated with the app that is not listed? 


A: Sound too good to be true? Are you looking for the catch? Well we have good news, the Sharefaith Church Mobile App is included with the Complete Yearly and Monthly memberships. No developer fees, hidden costs or catches. 


Q: What user roles can edit the app through the website? 


A: Sharefaith website Administrators are the only ones who have the ability to access the app creator on Sidekick. 


Q: Can I use my own logo for the app icon?


A: Yes, you are able to use your own logo. The app icon requirements are 1024 x 1024 pixels in dimension and the file needs to be saved as a PNG. You will also need to make an image that is 1024 x 500 pixels in dimension for the Google Play featured graphic.


Q: How do I create a logo or app icon for my app?


A: It's very easy to do. Simply use a photo editing program to make the image the right size and decorate it as you see fit. You can use Photoshop, Photopea.com, GIMP, pixlr.com, or something similar to make your images.


Q: What types of notifications can I send out and what triggers them?


A: There are four types of notifications for: sermons, newsletters, blog posts, and push notifications. Whenever you add a new sermon, newsletter, or blog post, a notification is sent to your app users as soon as the new content publishes to the app, which is within an hour from the time it's published to the website. There is a 10-minute delay before notifications are sent for blogs and newsletters, in case you need to make any last minute revisions. Push notifications are manually pushed from the App section of your website and are instant, once submitted.


Q: How often can notifications occur?


A: We will deliver push notifications of a given type as often as you make them. Please note, however, that in an effort to reduce notifications from being used to spam users, Apple limits push notifications to only being sent every 30 minutes



If you still have further questions about the Sharefaith Church Mobile App, be sure to check out our tutorial articles and feel free to contact our Customer Care team, who is available Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Central Time.