If you’ve been in ministry for any length of time, you’ve probably gotten the calls and texts: “Did you hear? Another tool just got acquired.” It’s been happening for years, and it keeps coming up in conversations with church leaders.

I get it. I was leading a church technology team when the platforms we relied on were bought out. Sometimes that meant better resources. At other times, it meant decisions that made our work harder—or just felt off-mission. Either way, it had an impact.

It’s not just one company. Ministry Brands set the pace years ago. Gloo has been building fast. Subsplash’s recent acquisition didn’t surprise me. It’s part of a clear trend. 

The church tech space is changing. 

Responses vary, like Planning Center earlier this year releasing a statement that they won’t sell. In the early days of Life.Church, we often quoted Andy Stanley, “date the model, marry the mission,” and the mission of the local church remains focused and unchanged.  

Here’s the thing: every single person I’ve met at those companies has been thoughtful, kind, and sincerely wants to serve the Church. Most of us have been in situations where decisions are made above us, and we keep doing our best to serve people well. I respect that. I’ve lived it.

My hope is that every platform — no matter who owns it — stays focused on helping churches lead people to Jesus. When you look at church technology through that kind of lens, it’s easy to see that we need more tools built for ministry, not fewer.

That’s why, at Apollos, We’re Taking a Different Path. 

Apollos exists to serve the Church because we’re born out of the Church.

Technology Built from Inside the Church

Most of our team has served on staff at churches. We’ve sat in your seat. 

We’ve wrestled with the challenge of how to disciple people beyond Sunday. We’ve been frustrated with the limitations of outdated tools that prioritize staff wants over spiritual growth.

That’s why we created Apollos. We’re on a mission to empower spiritual growth, not just staff solutions – and we’re doing that through building community.

We believe that the most meaningful digital tools are engagement platforms that:

• Help someone take the next step in their faith.

• Equip people to serve their community.

• Empower individuals and groups to deepen their relationship with God and others. 

Ultimately, our goal is to create life-changing community for people everywhere at all times – not just on Sunday.

Our Technology Is Working …Because You’re Leading

Technology doesn’t work in a vacuum. It needs more than an operator, too. For church technology, in particular, to have impact, it requires human initiative and intention.

That’s the heart and soul behind every app, website, and TV app we make. It’s the felt needs, Godly vision, and intentional application of our church technology that gives it the power to impact the world.

We’re grateful to walk alongside churches in active ministry to make this happen. That’s why we loved working with Seacoast Church to transform their website into an effective tool to serve their multisite ministry network across North and South Carolina. We enjoyed watching CedarCreek Church use the Apollos App to both engage with people and spark spiritual development and church-wide growth in northwest Ohio. We got excited with Journey Church as they used our technology to scale their vision in Orlando. 

These churches are doing incredible work, and we’ve been honored to help support their vision. We’ve brought a new degree of technological intuition and data-informed action to their initiatives that are deeply integrated with their ministry goals. 

From easy mobile engagement to smooth TV app content to simply equipping teams with better data, these stories are a glimpse of what’s possible with bespoke church technology. They’re the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what churches can do when they have tools built for them.

A Different Future Is Possible

We don’t believe churches should have to choose between tools built with excellence and tools built with heart. You need both to operate in your mission. 

We’re committed to building them. 

If you’ve been wrestling with the why and are ready to explore something different, something built from inside the church, let’s get in touch. We want to partner with you in your mission to reach the world with the Good News that we all have in common.