Episodes

  • Check-In Safety: Protecting Every Child, Every Sunday

    Check-In Safety: Protecting Every Child, Every Sunday
    Apr 10 2026
    A good check-in system isn't just about convenience — it's your first line of defense against custody disputes and the most common child safety risk in churches. Micheal and Kari share a real story from their time in children's ministry and walk through exactly how B1 Checkin protects kids with a matching security code system. In this episode: - Why consistency is everything — the system only works if everyone follows it, every time - How matching codes work: child tag + parent pickup tag must match at classroom checkout - The check-in flow: type last 4 digits of phone number → select kids → print tags - B1 Checkin: free Android app, works with Brother label printers (QL-1110NWB, QL-810W) - Recommended hardware: Samsung Galaxy Tab A8, Amazon Fire HD 10 (~$200–350 one-time) - Competing systems: KidCheck $25–60/month per device, Planning Center up to $200/month New features in B1 Checkin: - Custom background image — upload your church photo or logo to the kiosk screen (B1 Admin > Attendance > Kiosk Settings, 1920×1080) - Idle screen slideshow — display announcements between check-ins - QR code guest registration — guests scan, fill in info on their phone, then check in immediately (B1 Admin > Mobile > Check-In) Try It This Week: 1. Set up attendance groups at support.churchapps.org 2. Upload a background image: Attendance > Kiosk Settings 3. Enable QR guest registration: Mobile > Check-In 4. Download B1 Checkin on an Android tablet 5. Do a full test run — type last 4 digits, check in, print tags, verify checkout codes match Resources: - https://support.churchapps.org - https://churchapps.org/why - https://github.com/ChurchApps - https://b1.church
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    6 mins
  • Groups vs. Teams — Two Features, Two Jobs, Zero Confusion

    Groups vs. Teams — Two Features, Two Jobs, Zero Confusion
    Mar 20 2026
    Groups and Teams are two of the most confused features in ChurchApps — and Terry Byrd from the ChurchApps support team joins Micheal to clear it up once and for all. Groups = organize and communicate with people (small groups, classes, ministries). Teams = schedule volunteers for specific services (under the Serving section). Two different tools, two different sections of the app — not interchangeable. Terry explains the most common mistake churches make: trying to use Groups to manage volunteer scheduling. And he walks through exactly how the same people can be in both — a Group for communication AND a Team for scheduling. **Try It This Week:** 1. Go to Groups — identify anything that's really about scheduling, not communication 2. Go to Serving → Teams — set up one Team for a rotating volunteer ministry 3. Build a simple service plan and send one schedule notification 4. Visit [support.churchapps.org](https://support.churchapps.org) for guides, or email support@churchapps.org
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    6 mins
  • FreePlay — Every TV Is Now a Gospel Machine

    FreePlay — Every TV Is Now a Gospel Machine
    Mar 13 2026
    Micheal and Kari dive into FreePlay — the free app for Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick, and Google TV that turns any screen into a professional teaching tool for homes, classrooms, small groups, and churches of any size. What's covered: - FreePlay is NOT just for kids — works for all ages, any classroom setting - Ark Curriculum: 3 full years for preschool + 3 full years for elementary (separate programs), free from The Ark Church in Conroe, TX - For Ministry Resources: complete youth lessons (jr high & high school) with graphics ready to go - Download content during the week, play fully offline Sunday morning — no WiFi panic - B1 Admin integration: one-time QR code pairing, schedule content from B1, auto-downloads to every classroom TV - Dropbox integration: connect your paid Dropbox and play any video or image today - Open platform: any curriculum provider can integrate — contact support@churchapps.org Try It This Week: Search "FreePlay" on your Apple TV, Fire Stick, or Google TV, download it, and browse Ark Curriculum or For Ministry Resources for your age group. Setup guides at support.churchapps.org. Resources: - support.churchapps.org (click FreePlay) - lessons.church - github.com/ChurchApps
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    7 mins
  • Welcome to the ChurchApps Podcast

    Welcome to the ChurchApps Podcast
    Mar 6 2026
    Micheal and Kari introduce The ChurchApps Podcast — free software, built by the church, for the church. In this first episode they cover what ChurchApps is and why it's free, the mission rooted in Matthew 10:8, key stats (14,000+ churches, $1,500 avg annual savings), and a walkthrough of all four apps: B1 Church, Lessons.church, FreeShow, and FreePlay. Try It This Week: Visit churchapps.org, pick the app that fits your biggest need, and sign up — it takes five minutes and there's nothing to pay. Resources: - churchapps.org - churchapps.org/why - github.com/ChurchApps
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    8 mins
  • What's New in ChurchApps - Spring Update

    What's New in ChurchApps - Spring Update
    Mar 6 2026
    Micheal and Kari walk through all the new features that landed in ChurchApps this month — one of the busiest update cycles yet. Features covered: - Native event registration — toggle it on right from a calendar event, with capacity limits, family member signup, and CSV export - Self-service volunteer signup — members sign themselves up for open positions, with deadlines and admin control - Guest check-in via QR code — families scan and register on their own phone - Check-in kiosk theming and idle screen slideshow - Email templates for groups — formatted emails with merge fields, saved templates, step-by-step walkthrough - Audit log under Settings — tracks every significant action with user, timestamp, and IP - Giving dashboard KPI cards — total giving, average gift, unique donors, weekly/monthly/quarterly views - FreePlay downloads tab — manage downloaded content on your TV device before Sunday Try It This Week: Go to Groups in B1 Admin, open a group, click Email, and set up your first reusable email template. Resources: - support.churchapps.org - churchapps.org/why - github.com/ChurchApps
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    10 mins