The ChurchApps Podcast

Ever sent the Saturday-night "are you still good for tomorrow?" text to fifteen people? This one's for you. Micheal and Kari walk through B1's free service-planning tools — for worship teams AND children's ministry.

Schedule your team: set up each room or role as a position (two adults each in kids ministry), keep your consistent teachers with Copy from Previous, fill rotating roles like check-in with Auto Assign, and let the Validation panel confirm every spot is covered before Sunday — volunteers notified automatically. Build your run of show on the Service Order tab, and pull in songs from the built-in PraiseCharts library.

For kids ministry: connect Lessons.church and bulk-schedule your whole curriculum across Sundays in one step — it shows up on your teachers' phones to prep, and plays on the classroom TV through FreePlay. One schedule, both places.

Plus: why "we're too small for this" is exactly backwards, and how a clear schedule is a gift to your volunteers.

Try It This Week: Go to Serving → Plans and build one plan for this coming Sunday — add your teams and positions, then run Auto Assign.

Two-track guide (worship + kids), each with a video walkthrough:
- pages.churchapps.org/worship-planning-guide

More:
- support.churchapps.org
- github.com/ChurchApps

Most churches have software but an empty or messy database — and nobody wants to type everyone in by hand. So flip it: let your people register themselves. Micheal and Kari walk through "Database Day One" — building (or cleaning up) your whole church directory in a single Sunday.

Post one QR code in your building (Mobile → B1 CheckIn → Share Registration QR Code) and your congregation adds themselves and their households in about 30 seconds — no app download, accurate data straight from the source. There's also a copyable link you can text to anyone thinking about visiting.

Then a Workflow (Serving → Workflows) does the follow-up automatically: trigger on "Person Created" + "Membership Status is Visitor," flip on "only once per person," and add a Send Email action pointing to a reusable welcome Email Template. Every new visitor also lands as a card on the Workflow board your team works through — call, hello, connect. Set it up once; it runs every Sunday after that.

Plus: b1.church has a fresh new look — all six free tools in one place, with a live demo.

Try It This Week: Before you launch anything, learn Workflows — watch the 2-minute video in the Database Day One guide.

Links:
- Database Day One guide (full steps + free Canva slide templates): pages.churchapps.org/database-day-one-guide
- B1: b1.church
- support.churchapps.org
- github.com/ChurchApps

Every church on ChurchApps already has a fully branded, installable app — most just don't know it yet.

YOUR CHURCH APP IS ALREADY HERE — PWA

Every church on ChurchApps already has a Progressive Web App (PWA) — a fully branded, installable app that works like a native app on any phone.

What is a PWA?
- An app that lives on the web but installs on your phone like a regular app
- Full screen, no browser bar, push notifications — looks and feels completely native
- Fully branded: your church name, your colors, your logo — nothing that says "B1" or "ChurchApps"

Why PWA instead of a traditional app?
- Instant updates — no waiting for Apple or Google app store approval (live in minutes, not weeks)
- One codebase works on every device: iPhone, Android, desktop
- No app store fees or gatekeeping
- Shareable with just a link — no "go find us in the app store"

How to install — every church already has an install page:
- Go to your church's website URL + /mobile/install
Example: southsideonline.com/mobile/install
- Already have a custom domain set up? Just use that domain + /mobile/install
- Don't know your URL? Go to B1 Admin → Website → click the eye icon next to any published page. The URL that opens in your browser is your church's URL. Just replace the page path with /mobile/install
Example: if it shows https://churchapps.b1.church/donate → go to https://churchapps.b1.church/mobile/install
- Android: browser usually shows an automatic "Add to Home Screen" prompt — tap it
- iPhone: tap the Share icon in Safari → scroll down → "Add to Home Screen"
- Takes about 30 seconds

Still want the app store? That works too:
- Search "B1" in the App Store or Google Play
- Download the B1 app, search for your church, tap on it

PRINT DIRECTORY
- New print icon in the top-right of the People list in B1 Admin
- Opens a formatted directory in a new tab and triggers print automatically
- Grouped by household, includes photos, addresses, birthdays, anniversaries
- Active members only — Visitors and Inactive filtered out automatically
- One click

BEHIND THE SCENES
- People list pagination: large contact lists now load faster
- MCP server now available — if you know what that means, link is in the show notes

Try It This Week:
- Find your church URL: B1 Admin → Website → click the eye icon next to any published page
- Add /mobile/install to the end of that URL and open it on your phone
- Then send that link to your whole team

Resources:
- PWA install guide: support.churchapps.org/docs/b1-church/mobile/install
- Print directory walkthrough: support.churchapps.org/docs/b1-admin/people
- MCP server (for developers): support.churchapps.org/docs/b1-admin/integrations/claude
- support.churchapps.org
- github.com/ChurchApps

Two big updates in this episode — and the second one is the one your admin team has been waiting for.

INTEGRATIONS — ChurchApps Now Connects to Your Other Tools
• New Developer section in B1 Admin → Settings
• Slack & Discord webhooks (~2 min setup): real-time notifications for new guests, new people, group joins, form submissions, attendance, and calendar events
– Multiple webhooks supported — route different events to different channels
• Zapier integration: connects B1 to 7,000+ apps
– B1 Triggers: New Person, Updated Person, New Donation, New Group Member, New Form Submission
– B1 Actions: Create Person, Add Donation, Add Group Member, Find Person
– Example: new visitor form submission → auto-add to Mailchimp welcome sequence
• Google Sheets: on-demand data export for people, donations, groups, and attendance
• Pre-built connectors for: Mailchimp, Donorbox, Subsplash, Clearstream, Text In Church, Mobile Message, Checkr
• API Keys: generated in B1 Admin, scoped and revocable — full control over what each connection can access
• Connected Apps tab: see everything with access to your data in one place
• Cost: ChurchApps integrations are free; Slack/Discord/Google Sheets are free; Zapier has a free tier

BULK PEOPLE MANAGEMENT — Update Many Records at Once
• Select multiple people in the People list and apply the same change to all at once
• Bulk update: Membership Status (Visitor, Regular Attendee, Member, Staff, Inactive)
• Bulk update: Marital Status, Gender, Email Opt-Out
• Bulk Add to Group / Remove from Group
• Bulk Delete (with confirmation step)
• Use the select-all checkbox to grab your full filtered list instantly
• Where to find it: People list → search/filter → check boxes → Actions button

Try It This Week:
• Integrations: Think about the tools your church already uses — Slack, Google Sheets, Clearstream, Mailchimp, Text In Church, Subsplash, Donorbox. Check the integrations guide (link below) and connect one to B1.
• Bulk Actions: Go to your People list, filter for records that need the same update, select them all, and hit Actions. New members to update, people to add to a group, inactive records to clean up — whatever's been sitting on your list.

Want ChurchApps at your conference?
We provide full tech support + a custom B1 app for all attendees — at no cost to the conference.
Contact us: [email protected]

Resources:
• Integrations guide: https://support.churchapps.org/docs/b1-admin/integrations/
• Zapier setup: https://support.churchapps.org/docs/b1-admin/integrations/zapier
• Slack & Discord setup: https://support.churchapps.org/docs/b1-admin/integrations/slack-discord
• https://support.churchapps.org
• https://github.com/ChurchApps

Micheal sits down with Garry B Jr. at the Kentucky Worship and Technology Conference, hosted by the Southern Baptist Association. Recorded live at Kingdom Glory House, they talk about what happened at the conference, the growing FreeShow and ChurchApps community, and how free tools are changing the game for churches everywhere.

Topics covered:

- The Kentucky Worship and Technology Conference — how it came together, what churches learned, and how FreeShow was already known before anyone opened their mouth
- Garry's FreeShow workshop — attendees leaving ready to download and use it immediately, from young tech volunteers to seasoned worship leaders
- The Amazing Life / A-Play Pro partnership — supporting churches coming from ProPresenter with curriculum-integrated presentation tools, and helping fund FreeShow development
- Larry from Kingdom Glory House — discovered the conference through FreeShow Friday and connected with the team to set up his church's live stream, PTZ cameras, and OBS
- FreeShow Friday — the global community call where tech booth volunteers from Australia, New Jersey, Indonesia, Africa, and beyond share tips and solve problems together in real time
- The tech booth ministry — why the people running sound, slides, and cameras are essential to the message being heard, and why good tools make that job easier
- FreeShow vs ProPresenter vs OpenLP — how all three serve different needs, why churches can use more than one, and how FreeShow brings flexibility without the price tag
- Garry's story — from a prayer for direction in Kansas City to becoming the "FreeShow Evangelist," training churches and making videos that unlock what people didn't know the software could do
- Open source and the kingdom — developers jumping in on GitHub, partnerships that work because there's no money in the way, and the vision of sharing tools freely with the global church

Guest:
- Garry B Jr. — FreeShow evangelist, trainer, and content creator
- Website: https://www.garrybjr.com/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theGarryBjr

Conference:
- Kentucky Worship and Technology Conference: https://www.worshiptechnology.net/

Resources:
- FreeShow: https://freeshow.app
- Amazing Life: https://amazinglife.com/
- ChurchApps: https://churchapps.org
- github.com/ChurchApps

How B1 Giving Works:
- Every B1 church creates their own free Stripe account (Stripe is the current supported processor — if better options develop the integration, we'll add them)
- ChurchApps wraps around your Stripe account — providing the giving page, fund management, donor records, giving statements, and all the tools
- ChurchApps retains zero percent of donations — all money goes directly from donor to your Stripe account to your bank
- No monthly fee from ChurchApps, no transaction fee from ChurchApps

What other platforms charge (for comparison):
- Tithe.ly: 2.9% + $0.30 per card transaction, no monthly fee for giving-only plan — uses own processor, not Stripe directly
- Planning Center Giving: 2.15% + $0.30 per card, plus $15–$239/month subscription based on donation volume — uses Stripe on back end
- Rebel Give: 1.9% fee added to donor's gift (church receives 100%), plus $29–$199/month platform fee to the church
- Stripe standard: 2.9% + $0.30 per card transaction
- Sources: Tithe.ly: https://get.tithe.ly/pricing | Planning Center: https://www.planningcenter.com/pricing | Rebel Give: https://www.rebelgive.com/pricing | Stripe: https://stripe.com/pricing

Stripe Nonprofit Rate:
- Because you own your own Stripe account, you can call Stripe and ask about a nonprofit rate
- Stripe doesn't advertise a fixed nonprofit rate — every church is different — but churches have gotten rates down to around 1.9% as a 501(c)(3)
- This conversation is only possible because B1 gives you a direct Stripe account — platforms that use their own processors don't give you this option

Donor fee coverage:
- Donors can optionally choose to cover the processing fee so the church receives the full gift amount
- Completely optional — donor's choice at time of giving

Why integration matters:
- Donations through B1 giving automatically log to the donor's member record
- Year-end giving statements generated automatically
- Recurring giving tracked automatically
- No manual data entry needed — unlike PayPal or disconnected third-party tools

New: Donation element in the website editor:
- Drag a donation form onto any page in the B1 website editor
- Choose which funds appear, set a default fund, toggle one-time and/or recurring giving
- Embed giving directly on a campaign page, missions page, or your home page — no redirects, no custom code

Try It This Week:
1. Create a free Stripe account at stripe.com — select "nonprofit" as your business type
2. Connect Stripe to B1 Admin: Donations section — setup guide at support.churchapps.org
3. If you're a 501(c)(3): call Stripe and ask about a nonprofit rate — have your IRS determination letter and Stripe account ID ready
4. In your B1 website editor: add the donation element to a page, set your fund, save, and see it live

Resources:
- support.churchapps.org
- stripe.com (create account)
- Stripe nonprofit discount: https://support.stripe.com/questions/fee-discount-for-nonprofit-organizations
- github.com/ChurchApps

Three practical updates across ChurchApps — one for building your website, one for reaching your people, and one for welcoming new members.

Build It — The B1 website editor got a significant overhaul. Settings now open as side panels instead of popups so you can see your page while you edit. Drag and drop is easier with larger drop zones. Undo and redo are fully supported with Ctrl+Z and Cmd+Z, and a History button in the toolbar lets you jump back to any saved snapshot of your page. There's also a built-in help dialog right in the editor so anyone on your team can get started without hunting for documentation.

Reach Them — When you add someone to a group, serving team, or role, you now get the option to send them an invite email automatically. Your choice every time — send it or skip it. No more volunteers being added to a team and never finding out.

Welcome Them — New members now receive a six-digit verification code instead of a set-password link when creating their account. The whole process stays inside the app — no clicking a link that opens a browser, setting a password there, then going back to log in. You see the code, you type it in, you're done.

Try It This Week:
1. Open your B1 website editor, make a change, and press Ctrl+Z or Cmd+Z — then check the History button in the toolbar
2. Add someone to a group or team and watch for the invite email prompt
3. Walk through new member registration with a test account to see the verification code flow

Resources:
support.churchapps.org
support.churchapps.org/docs/b1-admin/website/page-editor
github.com/ChurchApps

Every B1 church account includes a free, full-featured website builder — no developer, no monthly platform fee, no third-party tools required. In this episode, Micheal and Kari walk through everything you need to get your church website up and running.

Topics covered: setting up your domain, building pages with sections and content elements, getting your logos right and why you need four different versions, navigation, reusable blocks, and managing your files.

A 2025 audit of 2,725 churches found only about 1 in 3 have a website that makes a good first impression. Pew Research confirms online search is one of the primary ways people find a new church. Your website is the first impression — before anyone ever walks through the door.

B1 AI Prompt Guide — download the free guide, drag it into Claude Desktop, type "I want to build my church website in B1," and Claude walks you through the whole thing. No tech skills required. Most people have a professionally styled section on their site within 10 minutes.

Download the guide: https://churchapps-podcast-rss.micheal-ab4.workers.dev/b1-guide

Want a human to help? Emily at S Five Design works specifically with churches on their B1 websites. Start with a free website evaluation, then set up a one-on-one call to get your site built right.

Free evaluation: https://go.churchapps.org/current-website-satisfaction-value-assessment
Emily's website: https://sfivedesign.com/

Resources:
support.churchapps.org
admin.b1.church
github.com/ChurchApps

Sources:
One Eighty Digital, "State of Church Websites: Insights from 2,725 Churches" (Feb 2025) — https://oneeighty.digital/2025/02/03/state-of-church-websites-insights/
Pew Research Center, "How Americans Search for a New Religious Congregation" (2016) — https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2016/08/23/1-the-search-for-a-new-congregation/

Over the past decade, private equity has quietly purchased most of the major church software platforms. This episode explains what that means for churches — and what the alternatives are.

Micheal and Kari cover what open source actually means, the private equity consolidation happening across church software, and the real risk of vendor lock-in. Companies covered include Ministry Brands (30+ brands, over 90,000 organizations), Pushpay and Church Community Builder, Tithely and Breeze, ACS Technologies, and Subsplash (sold to Roper Technologies in 2025). They also cover Gloo, which targets 245 million Americans with church-related data and cut its free tier by 95% after going public.

Honest comparison: paid software is not bad, and some platforms like Planning Center have legal protections against being sold. The concern is PE ownership and what happens when the business model shifts.

Alternatives covered: Planning Center (Ministry Centered Foundation — legally cannot be sold), Rock RMS (open source for larger churches with technical capacity), and ChurchApps (free, open source, built for churches without IT staff).

Try It This Week: Google your current church software provider plus the words "private equity" or "acquired by" and see what comes up.

Resources:
Church Software Transparency research: https://churchapps.org/church-software-transparency
Planning Center commitment: https://www.planningcenter.com/blog/2024/06/a-commitment-for-our-customers-never-being-acquired
Rock RMS: https://rockrms.com
github.com/ChurchApps

The B1 Church mobile app is completely free and fully branded with your church name, logo, and colors — no monthly fee, no per-seat pricing.

Micheal and Kari walk through everything the app includes: giving with recurring support and auto receipts, calendar, groups, member directory, kids check-in, and push notifications. Push notifications are free — send to everyone, a specific group, or your volunteers, and schedule them ahead of time.

Custom tabs let you add any web page as a tab inside your app — sermon archive, prayer requests, volunteer signup, live stream, whatever your church already uses.

Platforms that charge for comparable apps: Tithely at $89 per month for a standalone app, Pushpay and Subsplash with pricing available only by quote. B1 is free.

Try It This Week: create your free account at b1.church, upload your logo and set your color palette under Website then Appearance, add a custom tab under Mobile for something your church already uses, download the B1 Church app and search your church to walk through it as a member. If you are paying for another app — compare what you are getting versus what is already free.

Resources:
b1.church
support.churchapps.org
github.com/ChurchApps