Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about PastorApp, answered. Can't find what you're looking for? Check the Quick Start Guide or the Administration docs for more detail.
What is PastorApp?
PastorApp is a modern, mobile-friendly web application that gives your church staff a better way to interact with MinistryPlatform data. It provides personalized dashboards, calendar views, contact management, group tools, a communications hub, and private notes — all accessible from any device.
Do I need MinistryPlatform to use PastorApp?
Yes. PastorApp is built specifically for churches that use MinistryPlatform as their church management system. It connects to your MP instance via OAuth and the MP REST API. All church data (contacts, events, groups, etc.) lives in MinistryPlatform — PastorApp provides a modern interface for accessing it.
What data does PastorApp store?
PastorApp stores only app-level configuration data — tenant settings, branding preferences, saved dashboard layouts, custom queries, and user preferences. All church data (contacts, events, groups, donations) remains in your MinistryPlatform instance and is accessed in real time through the MP API.
How do users sign in?
Users sign in with their existing MinistryPlatform credentials via Single Sign-On (SSO). PastorApp uses OIDC/OAuth 2.0 — no separate accounts are created. When you click "Sign in with MinistryPlatform," you're redirected to your MP sign-in page, then back to PastorApp once authenticated.
Is my data secure?
Yes. Each church gets its own isolated tenant with separate OAuth credentials and data scoping. Session tokens are JWT-based and automatically refreshed. Tenant credentials (Client ID, Client Secret) are stored securely on the server and are never exposed to the browser or end users.
Can I control who has access?
Absolutely. Administrators configure which MinistryPlatform security roles are allowed to access PastorApp. Only users whose MP account has one of those roles (or the Administrators role) can sign in. You can add or remove roles at any time from the admin settings.
Can I share dashboards with other staff?
Yes. PastorApp includes a sharing feature that lets you generate a time-limited sharing code for your dashboard or saved queries. Share the code with a colleague and they can redeem it to add the same layout or query to their account. Sharing codes expire after 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days depending on the option you choose.
Does PastorApp work on mobile?
Yes. PastorApp is a Progressive Web App (PWA) that works in any modern browser. You can install it on your phone or tablet for a native-like experience — complete with pull-to-refresh, home screen icon, and responsive design that adapts to any screen size. No app store download is required.
Can each church have its own branding?
Yes. Each tenant can configure its own logo, brand color, color palette, and theme style. PastorApp can auto-generate a full light and dark color scheme from a single brand color, or administrators can manually customize every color token for complete control.
What is the Communications Hub?
The Communications Hub lets you send emails and text messages to contacts and group members directly from PastorApp. It supports sending SMS through MinistryPlatform's texting platform or through your device's native messaging app. PastorApp automatically checks for communication opt-outs before sending.
Does PastorApp support both Catholic and Protestant churches?
Yes. When a tenant is configured as Catholic, PastorApp adjusts terminology throughout the interface — for example, using "parish" instead of "church" and showing sacrament-specific milestones on contact profiles. This setting is configured during initial tenant setup.
What happens if my MinistryPlatform instance goes down?
If your MP instance is temporarily unavailable, PastorApp will not be able to load church data (contacts, events, groups). You'll see error messages on affected widgets and pages. PastorApp itself will remain accessible, but data that comes from MP will be unavailable until your instance is back online. Cached data may still display briefly.
Can I use PastorApp on multiple devices?
Yes. Since PastorApp is a web application, you can sign in from any device with a modern browser. Your dashboard layouts, preferences, and notes are tied to your MinistryPlatform account and available on every device you sign in from.
How do I reset the app or clear the cache?
If PastorApp isn't reflecting recent changes from MinistryPlatform, administrators can clear the tenant cache from Admin > Settings. For individual users, you can also reset the PWA from your user settings to clear locally cached data and service worker state.
Who manages the PastorApp admin settings?
Any user with the Administrators security role in MinistryPlatform automatically has access to PastorApp's admin panel. This includes tenant settings, branding, role configuration, and the query and component builders.
What browsers are supported?
PastorApp supports all modern browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. It also works as an installable PWA on iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS.
How do I get started?
Contact the PastorApp team to provision your tenant. You'll need your MinistryPlatform base URL and OAuth credentials (Client ID and Client Secret). Once configured, your team can sign in immediately at your dedicated subdomain.