SocialGlow

SocialGlow is a community and course app built for churches. It puts sermons, small groups, devotionals, prayer threads and courses into one mobile app that the homepage describes as ad-free and distraction-free, with the aim of keeping a congregation connected between Sundays. Churches use it to run Bible studies, discipleship courses, prayer groups and ministry teams in private groups, and to keep members talking to each other during the week. The site invites churches to "Join over 10,000 churches", and the company behind it is Burada, Inc., which trades as SocialGlow.com.

Groups for every ministry

Everything in SocialGlow is organized into groups, and churches can create as many as they need. The homepage names Bible studies, prayer circles, ministry teams, Men's Ministry, a New Believers Class and the whole church as examples, each with its own place to share content, encouragement and conversation. Setting up a group takes a few clicks, according to the company's blog: you add a description and a cover photo, switch on the gamification settings you want and choose how members receive notifications. Course material can be built separately and assigned to a group when it is ready, so members can start talking before the content is finished.

Each group comes with a group chat that is created automatically, and members also have one-on-one direct chat. Voice notes let a leader or member record a message instead of typing it, and chat pins keep the most important conversations at the top. Members have profiles with a picture, can comment on posts and save them as favorites, and can share links and files inside group rooms.

Reach without an algorithm

SocialGlow's central promise for churches is reach. The homepage calls it "100% Reach. No Algorithm Required": every message, post or prayer request is delivered with push notifications, SMS and email, so members do not miss announcements the way they can in a social media feed. Members see the latest posts from all their groups in one feed under a single login and move between groups without leaving the app. The company has also introduced email inside SocialGlow, according to a recent post on its blog.

Courses and discipleship content

The course side is meant for discipleship rather than for selling courses to strangers. Churches can create unlimited courses, and the blog lists Bible studies, discipleship pathways, volunteer training and leadership development tracks as uses. Courses are built from videos and modules with progress tracking, so leaders can see who is completing lessons and help others stay on track. Video can be uploaded to SocialGlow's secure video hosting or embedded from YouTube, Wistia and other services.

Scheduling is a large part of the appeal. Leaders can schedule devotionals, video messages, lessons and prompts in advance, and church-friendly templates let them launch recurring challenges or seasonal courses quickly. The homepage stresses that the app is "Built for Pastors. Not Programmers", with drag-and-drop content tools and no tech team required. Members open courses, devotionals and trainings from their phones; Austin Holt, founder of Conscious Christian Marriage, describes couples listening to a training "like a podcast" over Bluetooth while driving.

Gamification

Gamification is SocialGlow's main engagement tool. Churches award points for reading devotionals, joining prayer challenges and taking part in small groups, and points add up to levels and a leaderboard. The company's blog explains that gamification is switched on per group with a toggle, that points can be given for completing tasks, interactions and course progress, and that leaders can also award points by hand or let members redeem them for one-on-one sessions, merchandise or other rewards. Because the system records each member's interactions, it doubles as the main way leaders track engagement.

Holt credits it with a visible change in his program: "We used to have a lot of shadow engagement… now people are liking posts, commenting, showing up. We love the gamification feature... it gets people of all ages excited." The company also offers a free guide, 5 Ways Gamification Can 10X Your Church Engagement.

Events, live streaming and giving

The feature menu covers events and live streaming alongside the community, so a church can run gatherings and broadcasts from the same app its members already use. Church giving and payments are built in as well, and the homepage lists 0% platform fees on donations. An integrations and admin tools section rounds out the product, and the homepage says churches can integrate their top apps.

Getting started, pricing and support

A church can start free with no credit card required, and the homepage promises full access for your church and a platform that scales as the church grows. Plan prices sit on a separate pricing page. Churches that want a walkthrough can book a free 15-minute demo or a free strategy call. Support is described as 24/7 and ministry-friendly, there is an FAQ, and an affiliate program is available. Leaders can join SocialGlow's own community mastermind in the app with the invite code SOCIALGLOW.

What users say

The homepage testimonials come from faith-based programs and community leaders. Holt says engagement "has gone way up" because members are no longer limited to desktop and can use the program from their phones. Katie Potts, an operations specialist at ProGrace, says "On SocialGlow, we've gone from next to nothing, to everybody talking about us all the time!" Christopher Stubbs of Men of the Wolf Pack, who says he has worked in the industry for more than 17 years, rates it above every other platform he has come across and says it solves "all the problems that we've had with communities on social media."

Who it suits

SocialGlow suits churches and ministries that want members engaged during the week through small groups, prayer, devotionals and Bible study courses, and that would rather keep that activity in a private app than in a public social network. It fits a pastor without technical staff, thanks to templates, scheduling and drag-and-drop tools, and a church with many ministries, since groups are unlimited. Faith-based programs such as marriage courses and men's groups use it too, as the testimonials show. The caveat is that the experience centers on the mobile app and its notifications, so it works best for a congregation willing to install and use an app.