With all the craziness of the Coronavirus going around many churches have found it wise to cancel all community gatherings. While this has been incredibly important to help “lower the curve” of the virus’s impact in our country, many people have began to feel alone and isolated due to the disbanded meetings. When you’re used to meeting with the same group of people 1-3 times a week, suddenly having no meetings feels abnormal!
With that in mind, we have compiled a list of useful applications you can use to keep your discussions and community gatherings going virtually. These tools, while very different from each other, could help unify our community while still physically remaining separated.
This list isn’t sponsored or organized in any particular order. We’re just offering some ideas for how you and your community can stay connected during this time!
#1) Zoom Meetings
Zoom Logo - available on Google Play, Apple Store, and able to be downloaded from web (most effectively used on laptop)
Zoom is a web-based video conferencing tool with a local, desktop client and a mobile app that allows users to meet online, with or without video. Zoom users can choose to record sessions, collaborate on projects, and share or annotate on one another's screens, all with one easy-to-use platform.
Main Function: Multi-Person conference calling
Can be used to: Host bible talks, discipling groups, family gatherings, and more.
Cost: FREE (with limitations); User is able to upgrade their membership to surpass the free tier limitations for $15 a month
#2) Slack
Zoom Logo - available on Google Play, Apple Store, and able to be downloaded from web
Slack is a collaboration hub that can replace email to help you and your team work together seamlessly. It's designed to support the way people naturally work together, so you can collaborate with people online as efficiently as you do face-to-face
Main Function: Private and Public Chatroom messaging within a limited group or workspace
Can be used to: Communicate via group chat; 1:1 video/audio calling; able to make separate ‘channels’ which are similar to different chat rooms in the same workspace
Cost: FREE (with limitations); User is able to upgrade their membership to surpass the free tier limitations for $7 a month
#3) Discord
Discord Logo: available on Google Play, Apple Store, and able to be downloaded from web
Discord is a free communications app, most similar to popular apps like Skype, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and TeamSpeak. It features user-friendly text, voice, and video chat in public or private servers that anyone can quickly set up for free. It is mainly used in the gaming community so that gamers can chat with each other online while each playing different games. Because of this, video streaming and group participation in live streams is a featured functionality.
Main Function: Voice, Video, and Text chat space where users can chat in separated chat-rooms or join a group voice call available to anyone on the server
Can be used to: Post prayer requests, share good news, host bible talks, watch a movie together (via livestream), or play video games together
Cost: FREE
#4) Voxer
Voxer Logo: available on Google Play, Apple Store, and able to be downloaded from web
Voxer is a free app that combines the best of voice, text, photo and video messages for a powerful and personal messaging tool. Easily and instantly communicate with friends, family or teams at work – live or later. It works over any 3G, 4G, or WIFI network in the world.
Main Function: Walkie-talkie messaging tool that uses text, voice, photo and video messages between a group to keep everyone in contact
Can be used to: Keep in communication with a group, ask how people are doing, share about concerns (basically anything you could do with a walkie talkie)
Cost: FREE
#5) WhatsApp
WhatsApp Logo: available on Google Play, Apple Store
WhatsApp is a free app for iPhones, Android smartphones, Windows Phone and Mac laptops and Windows PC. It allows you to send messages, pictures, videos and even voice recordings, as well as make voice and video calls over the internet for free, rather than using your mobile network which costs you money.
Main Function: Group messaging, Video chatting, calling and more while only using Wifi
Can be used to: Set up a bible discussion, Conference calls, Check in on friends/family; anything you would normally use Skype for, you can use this app for (and its not as glitchy)
Cost: FREE
Other Honorable Mentions
There are plenty of other apps out there that you could use to keep in contact with your family or community. Don’t forget some of these awesome applications as well:
GroupMe , Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts. Telegram, Line, Skype, etc.
The best thing you can do is identify your group’s current needs in regards to communication. Is it to have bible discussions? Meet online? Check in with each other? What are your groups digital limitations? Are people not on social media? Can you teach them how to use the app?
Once you’re able to answer these questions, you’re better able to identify which app might be best for you. If you can’t figure out how a specific app works, don’t hesitate to reach out to your nearest teenager! The odds are is that they’ve either used this app or they can figure it out. ;)