NEWS PROVIDED BY
YouVersion
July 28, 2022

OKLAHOMA CITY, July 28, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- More people are embracing a blend of digital and in-person experiences in their faith journey, which means church leaders need new ways to gauge and encourage spiritual engagement. As modern life and ministry intersect, YouVersion, the creator of the world's most downloaded Bible app, is rolling out two new features built specifically with churches in mind: Church Profile and Insights. The new YouVersion for Churches tools will help church leaders meet the specific needs of their congregation.

"In this hybrid church environment, it can be challenging for pastors to know what their congregations need and whether their attenders are spiritually engaged when they aren't physically present," said Bobby Gruenewald, YouVersion Founder and CEO. "We're excited to offer pastors the first-ever bird's-eye view into what digital spiritual engagement looks like for their congregation as they lead their church in both digital and physical spaces."

With Insights, church leaders will gain access to search trends, most highlighted verses, top books of the Bible, and other data that points to people's felt needs. They will be able to explore global trends and see how people in their area are engaging with Scripture. Additionally, pastors will be able to see aggregated, anonymous data for people who choose to connect with their church in the app. This big-picture information can then be used to inform future sermons or ministry direction.

With Church Profile, church leaders can create their own space inside YouVersion as a way to connect with people and encourage them to engage in Scripture throughout the week. The feature makes a church discoverable to their attenders and anyone in the YouVersion Community who is searching for a church. Once a person taps "Set As My Church," they'll see key information, including address, service times, and a church description, and receive notifications as updates happen. Additionally, to encourage the entire church to engage in Scripture outside of church services, pastors and church leaders can choose to feature one of the 25,000 Bible Plans available in the app on their Church Profile.

"We're building tools to help churches connect and minister to their attenders like never before," said Gruenewald. "Imagine how much more effectively we could pastor our attenders if we knew the content they were collectively searching for and what they were struggling with on any given week. We're excited to see how these tools unlock ministry opportunities for churches around the world."

YouVersion for Churches will showcase these new features during a special event Tuesday, August 16 at 1pm EDT. Church leaders and pastors can sign up to attend the online event at youversion.church/specialevent.

"We believe the future of the global church is bright because it's full of people who are passionate about reaching people for Christ and building His Church," said Gruenewald. "We're honored to play a part in how God is moving by providing free resources that we believe will be game-changing for the global Church."

About YouVersion for Churches
In 2021, YouVersion for Churches launched with the goal of helping churches build community through digital and in-person experiences. As part of YouVersion, the ministry provides church leaders and pastors with free tools and resources, including Church Online Platform. For more information about YouVersion for Churches, visit youversion.church.

About YouVersion
Created by Life.Church, YouVersion designs biblically centered experiences that encourage and challenge people to seek God throughout each day. YouVersion offers a free Bible experience in more than 1,850 languages with an app that has been installed on more than 525 million unique devices. Bible App for Kids, which was developed in partnership with OneHope in 2013, helps children engage with the stories of the Bible through interactive animations and fun activities. It has been installed on more than 85 million unique devices. For more information about YouVersion, visit youversion.com.

SOURCE YouVersion

CONTACT: Rachel Feuerborn, rachel.feuerborn@life.church