When the team at New Hope Baptist Church in Pascoag, Rhode Island contacted us, their request was clear: keep the congregation better connected, especially those who could not always attend in person.
What began as a conversation about watching sermons became a full iOS app that puts everything members need in one place.
Understanding the Needs
New Hope is a warm, active congregation in a small Rhode Island town. They already livestreamed Sunday worship on YouTube and Facebook, posted events on their website, and supported missionaries around the world. Members still had to jump between platforms to stay engaged.
Their goals were straightforward:
- Sermons on demand: past and live services in one place
- Upcoming events: a calendar that did not require visiting the website
- Online giving: a simple mobile path to donate
- Prayer requests: a private line to the prayer team
- Connection: missionaries, Bible reading, and church information in a single app
No fluff. No paywalls. Just a clean, useful tool that matches the character of the church.
What We Built
Home Screen
A hero photo of the church building sits at the top with the next Sunday service time displayed prominently. Four quick-action buttons (Watch, Events, Give, and Prayer) put the most-used features one tap away. A “Next Service” card automatically calculates the upcoming Sunday. During service hours a live red LIVE NOW banner appears and links straight to the stream.
Sermon Library
The Watch tab connects directly to the church’s existing YouTube channel. The latest uploads appear automatically, with the most recent sermon featured in a full-thumbnail card and a “Watch on YouTube” button. Pull-to-refresh keeps the library current.
Events Calendar
The Events tab pulls live data from the church’s WordPress calendar. A full month grid shows colored category dots on days with events. Tapping a day filters the list; tapping an event opens a detail sheet with description, time, location, and a link to the website. Everything stays in sync with newhoperi.org. No double entry.
Online Giving
Three clear options: online via PayPal (one tap to the secure donation page), in person on Sunday morning, or by mail. A short FAQ answers the most common questions about tax deductibility, security, and recurring gifts.
Prayer Requests
Users can submit a request with their name and email, or choose anonymous mode. Submissions go directly to the prayer team through a secure form. After sending, a confirmation screen displays Philippians 4:6.
Bible, Missionaries & Church Info
- Read the Bible: NIV, KJV, and ESV available in-app
- Missionaries: profiles and photos of the 10+ missionaries the church supports worldwide
- News & Updates: the church blog via WordPress RSS
- About & Contact: history, leadership, and contact details
Push Notifications
Optional weekly reminders for Sunday Morning Worship (10:30 AM) and Wednesday Bible Study (6:00 PM). Users choose the lead time: at service time or 5, 10, 15, or 30 minutes before. All handled on-device with proper iOS permission flows.
Tech Stack
Built entirely in SwiftUI for iOS 17+. Native async/await handles every network call. No third-party networking libraries. Data sources:
- YouTube Data API for sermons
- WordPress REST API (My Calendar) for events
- WordPress RSS for the blog
- Formspree for prayer requests
- PayPal for giving
The result is a lightweight, fast app with no external SDKs and no monthly subscription fees for the church.
The Result
New Hope Baptist Church now has a polished iOS app their members can use to watch sermons, check the calendar, give from their phone, and stay connected with missionaries around the world. It launched with all core features working and has been well received. The app is simple, purposeful, and built around the people it serves.
Looking for a straightforward church or non-profit app? We build clean, focused mobile apps without the enterprise price tag. Sermon library, event calendar, online giving, prayer requests: whatever you need, and nothing you don’t.
Contact us for a cost-effective quote.