ArticleHow to Build a Friendly Church with Church App?

Building a friendly church with church applications - The church is God's house that is strengthened by the strengths of faith, we who believe will want unity, namely dynamic unity, with the meaning that even though we are different, we are still one faith. However, with this clear goal, it does not mean that the goal has been well realised, but still presents a question that needs to be answered and solved. How can the church strengthen or unite the strengths of faith and then realise them?

The Church application is a digital media that can be a bridge for the church to strengthen the faith strengths of the congregation and realise all church activities. There are several ways to get it, including:

First, Open Mind Against Church Applications

Life in the era of technological society really requires flexibility of adaptation, willingness to learn and continue to learn without stopping until you become skilled and familiar with all kinds of the latest devices. Especially those who according to Prensky are categorised as digital immigrants, namely “those of us who were not born into the digital world but have, at some later point in our lives, become fascinated by and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology.” This generation often finds itself bombarded by various kinds of information through various types of new technology. Instead of getting comfortable with it all thinking that he is learning to be “multitasking”. The more a digital immigrant enters digital life through multimedia, multi messaging and so on, he is actually experiencing multi confusion. This is because at the same time it is actually being drawn to various levels of digital technology advancement.

Likewise, pastors, administrators and congregations need to pay attention to the importance of knowing, learning and starting to adapt and how to take advantage of the latest digital media that is specifically for the church, namely church applications. The church application is set as a special bridge that is complete and very relevant for pastors, administrators and congregations in carrying out all church activities. Starting from congregational data collection, communication, discussion, information sharing, collaboration and so on.

It is very important for the church to take advantage of the relevant technological resources provided and take on the role of capable stewards for the sake of carrying out the preaching of the great commission in the digital age. This statement also fits in with Stedzer's "Digital Ecclesiology" understanding of the "Technological Unification of the church". An integration of technology with the church, meaning that technology is a challenge as well as a very big opportunity, where every individual congregation or minister of the word needs to take advantage of relevant technology to enable the implementation of the church's mission.

Second, Fight for the Unity of the Church With Church Applications

The speed of the continuous spread of the influence of the internet and the advancement of modern information-communication technology will certainly greatly affect how people come into contact with religion, understanding and theological practice. With this, "Digital Ecclesiology" is very relevant to be used as a basis for thinking and acting in balancing the flow of technological developments. So through the church application, the church can be helped especially in building and fighting for the church's mission and here are some of the benefits:

• First, Technology Enables Communication: Through church software or applications, or church blogs, the church can easily establish a direct communication with the congregation throughout the day and even week. This is where church software technology can allow congregations to easily have direct communication on a wider and clearer scale.
• Second, Technology Enables Community: With church software, it allows churches to achieve greater community bonds that do not require physical proximity. In the real world, people can sit next to each other in church from week to week and sometimes don't even talk to each other. But now with relevant digital media or through the small group feature in the church application, congregations can interact with each other and can also pray together. Accepted or not, that the church application is a relevant place for the younger generation to interact easily and quickly or as a new place of communication that may be judged to cross the standard of fairness for past generations, but whatever the reason this community for young people is now starting and will continue to grow and this is should be a serious concern for the digital church embryo.
• Third, Technology Enables Discipleship: Using church apps enables communication and discipleship. Digital churches can create and have a special application where congregations can freely access such as outline sermons, Bible study materials, discussion of current issues to become media for weekly ecclesiastical announcements, through their respective smart devices. Church software enables congregation members to improve the quality of their discipleship experience in church. Of course all of this is just a means to improve the quality and accessibility of discipleship today. However, this is not the main concern, but the main reason is about the intricacies of digital media that are important to use to enable church vocations and the context of theology in this era of digital technology.

Third, make the church consistent with the church application

The church of this century does face many unique challenges, including how to communicate, disseminate information and build new relationships. But in essence important questions cannot be changed and even have to be interpreted and mediated with the latest digital technology. How can we as disciples of Christ continue to love God and others? How do we serve the poor and marginalised? As well as how to build a community with trusted people and strengthen our bonds as the body of Christ, and share the gospel in today's digital technology era. It can be seen that along with the development of information technology, digital media has become an important part of being able to even try to answer various church challenges in the present or future.

Like the church application is present as one of the church management software that can help answer these challenges or questions by providing relevant features to realise all church activities and make it easier for pastors, administrators and congregations in the organisation.