Proposed Launch Plan

Bringing the JH Church App to Life

A phased roadmap from concept to congregation-wide launch at The Altar Concert — built with every department's voice in the room.

Target Launch
June 21, 2026
Launch Event
The Altar Concert
Build Duration
12 Weeks
Year 1 Support
Fully Covered
The Vision

JH Church App isn't just a tool — it's a digital extension of the church family. A single place where members connect, grow, serve, and stay informed. Our goal is to launch it at The Altar Concert at the end of June 2026, giving us a powerful moment to introduce the app to the entire congregation and beyond.

Why Now?

The congregation is growing. Communication across ministries is fragmented. The Altar Concert provides a high-visibility moment to launch — with maximum excitement and adoption.

Built Together

Every department — from worship to children's ministry to hospitality — will have a seat at the table through structured focus groups. This app belongs to the whole church.

Year 1: On Us

The first 12 months of development, hosting, maintenance, and support are fully covered by Kadem Tech. The church can focus on adoption, not invoices.

12-Week Roadmap to Launch

A structured sprint from discovery to the stage at The Altar. Each phase builds on the last, with church leadership involved at every checkpoint.

Phase 1 — Discovery & Consultation
📅 March 30 – April 12, 2026 (Weeks 1–2)
Listen, Learn, Align
Understand the real needs of each department. Gather input from church leadership, ministry heads, and key volunteers through structured focus groups. Define the app's priorities based on what matters most to the congregation.
Kick-off meeting with Pastor and leadership team
Schedule and run 6–8 department focus groups (see below)
Distribute digital survey to wider congregation for input
Compile findings into a prioritised feature list
Present discovery report to Pastor for sign-off
Phase 2 — Design & Prototyping
📅 April 13 – April 26, 2026 (Weeks 3–4)
Shape the Experience
Transform the discovery findings into a tangible design. Create interactive prototypes that leadership can click through and give feedback on before any code is written.
Design the complete UI/UX across all features
Build interactive clickable prototype for review
Integrate JH Church branding, logo, and colour palette
Review session with Pastor and 2–3 ministry leads
Refine designs based on feedback — final sign-off
Phase 3 — Core Build
📅 April 27 – May 24, 2026 (Weeks 5–8)
Build, Integrate, Test
The main development sprint. We build the app feature by feature, integrating real church data, setting up the backend, and delivering working builds every week for the church to preview.
Set up hosting, database, authentication, and admin panel
Build all core features: sermons, events, giving, prayer, groups, chat
Integrate kids check-in, volunteer management, attendance
Build forms & surveys, member directory, notifications
Weekly demo to church project lead — feedback loop
Content migration: upload existing sermons, events, member data
Phase 4 — Beta Testing & Refinement
📅 May 25 – June 14, 2026 (Weeks 9–11)
Real People, Real Feedback
Roll out the app to a select group of 50–100 beta testers across all departments. Gather real-world feedback, fix bugs, polish the experience, and train the team who will manage the app day-to-day.
Invite beta testers from each ministry (mix of ages and tech comfort)
Structured feedback collection via in-app forms
Bug fixing, performance optimisation, accessibility review
Train church admin team and content managers
Prepare launch materials: announcement slides, social graphics, QR codes
Rehearse onboarding flow for new users
Phase 5 — Launch at The Altar Concert
📅 June 15 – June 28, 2026 (Week 12)
Go Live — The Big Moment
The app goes live to the entire congregation, timed to The Altar Concert at the end of June. QR codes on screens, a live demo from the stage, and welcome team members helping people download and sign up on the spot.
Final production deployment and security review
Display QR codes on all screens during The Altar Concert
Pastor announces the app from the stage — live demo moment
Welcome team assists with downloads and onboarding
Social media push with download links and feature highlights
Monitor real-time analytics — first 48-hour support window
Celebrate! 🎉
Consultation
Department Focus Groups

Every ministry gets a voice. These 45-minute sessions ensure the app serves real needs — not assumptions. Each group will review relevant features, share pain points, and shape priorities.

Worship & Media Team
How should sermons be organised? What media formats matter most? How can the app support the worship experience?
45 min·Week 1·6–8 attendees
Children's & Youth Ministry
Kids check-in safety requirements, youth engagement features, parent communication needs, age-appropriate content.
45 min·Week 1·5–7 attendees
Welcome & Ushering Team
First-time visitor experience, newcomer onboarding flow, attendance check-in process, follow-up workflows.
45 min·Week 1·5–6 attendees
Finance & Giving Team
Online giving setup, Gift Aid integration, giving statements, building fund tracking, financial reporting needs.
45 min·Week 2·3–5 attendees
Small Groups & Discipleship
Group sign-up flow, leader tools, communication within groups, resource sharing, new believer pathways.
45 min·Week 2·6–8 attendees
Prayer & Pastoral Care
Prayer request submission, anonymity controls, pastoral follow-up tracking, prayer chain management.
45 min·Week 2·4–6 attendees
Hospitality & Events
Event creation workflow, RSVP management, catering numbers, volunteer scheduling for events.
45 min·Week 2·4–6 attendees
Church Administration
Admin panel needs, reporting dashboards, member management, communication tools, data privacy and GDPR compliance.
45 min·Week 2·3–4 attendees
💡
Congregation-Wide Survey
In addition to focus groups, a short digital survey will be shared with the wider congregation via WhatsApp, email, and Sunday service announcements. This ensures every member has the opportunity to share what matters most to them — not just leadership.
Post-Launch: The First 90 Days

Launching is just the beginning. Here's how we'll ensure strong adoption and continuous improvement in the critical first three months.

Month 1: Adopt

Drive downloads through Sunday announcements, social media, small group leaders, and WhatsApp. Welcome team assists with sign-ups. Track adoption metrics weekly. Quick-fix any issues surfaced by the congregation.

Month 2: Engage

Push engagement features: daily devotionals, prayer wall participation, small group sign-ups, event RSVPs. Introduce "App Champion" volunteers in each ministry to encourage usage. First feedback review session.

Month 3: Optimise

Analyse usage data. What's working? What's underused? Release the first feature update based on real congregation feedback. Plan the Q3/Q4 feature roadmap with church leadership.

Operations & Investment

Roles, Costs & Ongoing Support

What it takes to build, launch, and sustain the JH Church App — including who's needed, what it costs, and what's covered in Year 1.

Year 1 Cost to Church
£0
Covered By
Kadem Tech
Year 2+ Estimate
£150–250/mo
Church Team
Roles Needed from the Church

These are the people within JH Church who will champion the app's success. Kadem Tech handles all technical work — these roles focus on content, adoption, and pastoral oversight.

👑
App Project Lead
1 Person · Appointed by Pastor
The single point of contact between the church and Kadem Tech. Attends weekly check-ins, reviews builds, coordinates focus groups, and makes decisions on behalf of leadership. Ideally someone from the admin or media team.
📝
Content Manager(s)
1–2 People · Ongoing
Responsible for uploading sermon recaps, creating events, posting announcements, writing devotionals, and managing forms/surveys. Should be comfortable with basic web tools. Training provided.
📢
App Champions
4–6 Volunteers · One per major ministry
Enthusiastic members placed in key ministries (youth, women, men, welcome, worship, hospitality) who promote the app, help others sign up, collect feedback, and model active usage.
🔒
Data & Safeguarding Lead
1 Person · Existing Role
Ensures member data is handled in compliance with GDPR and church safeguarding policies. Reviews privacy settings, kids check-in protocols, and data retention policies. Likely an existing trustee or admin lead.
⏱️
Time Commitment
The App Project Lead should expect 2–3 hours per week during the build phase (Weeks 1–12), reducing to 1 hour per week post-launch. Content Managers will need 1–2 hours per week ongoing. App Champions need only 15–30 minutes per week to encourage adoption in their ministry.
Kadem Tech
Roles Provided by the Kadem Tech

All technical roles are covered by Kadem Tech at no cost to the church for the first 12 months.

Lead Developer

Full-stack development, architecture, deployment, and ongoing maintenance.

UI/UX Designer

Interface design, prototyping, user experience flows, branding integration.

Project Manager

Timeline management, church liaison, sprint planning, quality assurance.

Support Engineer

Post-launch bug fixes, monitoring, security patches, performance tuning.

Investment
Cost Breakdown

Full transparency on what the app costs to build and run. Year 1 is fully covered by Kadem Tech as a gift to the church. From Year 2, the church covers only hosting and third-party service costs.

Year 1
Fully covered by Kadem Tech
✓ £0 to Church
ItemValueStatus
App Design & Development£8,000–12,000Covered
Hosting & Infrastructure£600–1,200/yrCovered
Domain & SSL Certificate£40–80/yrCovered
Payment Gateway Setup (Giving)£0 (Stripe free setup)Covered
Email/Push Notification Service£200–600/yrCovered
Maintenance & Bug Fixes£2,400–4,800/yrCovered
Training & Onboarding SupportIncludedCovered
Year 2 Onwards
Estimated ongoing costs for the church
ItemMonthlyAnnual
Hosting & Infrastructure£50–100£600–1,200
Domain & SSL Renewal£40–80
Email/Push Notifications£15–50£200–600
Stripe Processing Fees1.4% + 20pPer transaction
Optional: Maintenance Retainer£100–200£1,200–2,400
Estimated Total£150–250/mo
💳
Payment Processing Note
Stripe charges 1.4% + 20p per UK card transaction. This is industry standard and significantly lower than most church giving platforms (which charge 2.5–3%). Gift Aid declarations can also be collected digitally through the app, maximising the value of every gift.
Additional Considerations

Important items to plan for beyond the build itself.

🔐 Data Protection & GDPR

The app will handle personal data (names, emails, phone numbers, giving history, children's info). A GDPR-compliant privacy policy, data processing agreement, and cookie consent must be in place before launch. Kadem Tech will provide templates and guidance.

👶 Safeguarding & DBS

The kids check-in module handles sensitive child data. Access must be restricted to DBS-checked volunteers. Security codes, guardian verification, and allergy alerts are built in — but the church must ensure its safeguarding policy covers digital check-in.

📱 App Distribution

The app launches as a responsive web app (works on any phone/tablet/desktop via browser). A future Phase 2 could wrap this into native iOS/Android apps for App Store distribution. The web-first approach means zero download friction at launch.

📊 Analytics & Reporting

Built-in analytics will track: active users, sermon views, event RSVPs, giving trends, prayer engagement, and volunteer participation. Monthly reports can be generated for the leadership team. All data is anonymised where appropriate.

🌐 Accessibility

The app will meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards: keyboard navigation, screen reader support, sufficient colour contrast, and scalable text. The gospel is for everyone — so is the app.

🔄 Future Roadmap (Post-Launch)

Potential Phase 2 features include: livestream integration, podcast feed, multi-language support, giving campaigns with progress trackers, small group curriculum tools, and native mobile apps. Priorities will be set based on congregation feedback.

🤝 Intellectual Property

The JH Church App will be owned by JH Church. Kadem Tech retains no ownership of the app, its data, or its content. Full source code and credentials will be handed over at the end of Year 1, ensuring the church is never locked in.

📋 Change Management

Introducing a new tool to a large congregation requires intentional communication. We recommend a 3-week announcement runway before launch: Week 1 (teaser), Week 2 (feature reveal), Week 3 (how-to guide). All materials provided.

Risk Management
Risks & Mitigation

Every project carries risk. Here's what we've identified and how we'll address each one proactively.

Low Adoption After Launch

Risk: Members don't download or use the app regularly after the initial excitement fades.

Mitigation: App Champions in every ministry, weekly Sunday mentions, exclusive app-only content (e.g. sermon notes, early event access), and a 3-month adoption campaign with progress tracking.

Content Goes Stale

Risk: Events, sermons, or announcements aren't updated regularly, making the app feel abandoned.

Mitigation: Dedicated Content Manager role with a weekly content calendar. Automated reminders. Sermon uploads tied to the existing media workflow so it's not extra work.

Scope Creep During Build

Risk: Departments request features that push the timeline past the June deadline.

Mitigation: Strict MVP scope locked after Phase 1. Any additional requests go into a Phase 2 backlog. The App Project Lead has authority to say "great idea — let's add it after launch."

Data Privacy Concerns

Risk: Members are uncomfortable with their personal data being stored digitally.

Mitigation: Clear privacy policy communicated before launch. Privacy controls within the app (members choose what's visible). GDPR compliance built in from day one. Transparent data handling statement from the pulpit.

Measuring Success
Key Success Metrics

How we'll know the app is working. These targets are for the first 6 months post-launch and will be reviewed quarterly with church leadership.

60%
Adoption Rate
Of active members registered within 3 months
40%
Weekly Active Users
Of registered members using the app each week
80%
Event RSVP Rate
Of events receiving RSVPs through the app
25%
Digital Giving
Of total tithes/offerings via the app by Month 6
📈
Quarterly Reviews
Kadem Tech will provide a quarterly analytics report for the first 12 months, covering user growth, feature usage, sermon engagement, giving trends, and recommendations for improvement. These will be presented to the Pastor and App Project Lead.
Launch Marketing
Communication & Marketing Plan

A structured 5-week communication runway to build anticipation and ensure maximum adoption at launch.

Week 8 (May 18)
Teaser — "Something New is Coming"
Build curiosity without revealing details. Countdown graphic on church screens. Social media post with JH Church branding and "Coming Soon." Pastor drops a brief mention during announcements.
Week 9 (May 25)
Reveal — "Introducing the JH Church App"
Sunday service announcement with a 60-second promo video or slide deck showing the app in action. Social media feature reveal posts throughout the week. WhatsApp broadcast to all members.
Weeks 10–11 (June 1–14)
Beta Buzz — "Help Us Test It"
Invite beta testers publicly — "Be one of the first 100 to try the new app." Share testimonials from beta testers during services. Small group leaders encourage their members to join the beta.
Week 12 (June 21–28)
Launch Week — The Altar Concert
QR codes on every screen. Welcome team with tablets for assisted sign-up. Pastor live demo from the stage. "Download now" cards on every seat. Social media blitz with feature highlights daily. Launch day email to full mailing list.
Weeks 13–16 (July)
Sustain — "Have You Tried This Yet?"
Weekly feature spotlight during announcements ("Did you know you can submit prayer requests from the app?"). App Champions personally walk people through sign-up after services. Monthly "app tip" in the church newsletter.
Training
Training & Handover Plan

Kadem Tech will provide comprehensive training to ensure the church team is fully confident managing the app independently.

Session 1: Admin Training
Week 10 · 90 minutes · In person or Zoom

How to use the admin panel: create events, upload sermons, manage members, post announcements, view analytics. Hands-on walkthrough with the Content Manager(s) and App Project Lead.

Session 2: Ministry Leader Briefing
Week 11 · 60 minutes · Group session

Overview for all ministry leaders: how their department uses the app, managing volunteer teams, small group tools, kids check-in procedures, and how to encourage adoption in their teams.

Session 3: App Champion Orientation
Week 11 · 45 minutes · Casual format

Equip App Champions with talking points, demo scripts, FAQ answers, and a simple guide for helping members sign up on the spot. Includes printed QR code cards they can carry.

📚
Documentation & Support
Kadem Tech will provide a written Admin Guide, a Member FAQ document, and short video walkthroughs for common tasks. During Year 1, the church also has access to priority email and WhatsApp support from the Kadem Tech team for any technical issues.
Ready to Move Forward?

The next step is a 30-minute kick-off call with the Pastor and leadership team to align on the vision, confirm the timeline, and appoint the App Project Lead.

Schedule Kick-Off Call
Download This Plan (PDF)