Features Overview

PastorApp gives your church staff a modern, mobile-friendly interface for the MinistryPlatform data they use every day. Here's a closer look at what's available.

Customizable Dashboards

Dashboards are the home base for every PastorApp user. Each person gets their own personalized dashboard that they can configure with the widgets most relevant to their role.

Widget Types

  • Stat widgets — Display key metrics and KPIs at a glance, such as attendance counts, giving totals, or active group counts.
  • Table widgets — Show tabular data with sorting and filtering, like upcoming events, recent registrations, or follow-up lists.
  • Template widgets — Render custom layouts using Handlebars templates, giving you full control over how data is presented.

How It Works

Widgets are powered by saved queries that pull live data from MinistryPlatform. Administrators can build reusable components in the Component Builder, then add them to any dashboard. Users can also rearrange their dashboard layout with drag-and-drop.

Dashboards can be shared with other staff members using time-limited sharing codes, making it easy to distribute a useful layout across your team.

Calendar & Events

The calendar view pulls events directly from MinistryPlatform and displays them in a clean, scrollable interface. You can:

  • Browse events by date range
  • View event details including location, description, and ministry area
  • See participant lists for each event
  • Filter events by congregation or program

The calendar is designed for quick reference — tap any event to see its full details and who's participating.

Contacts & Members

The contact system provides fast, searchable access to your entire MinistryPlatform contact database.

Contact Search

Search contacts by name with real-time typeahead. PastorApp also keeps track of your recently viewed contacts for quick access.

Contact Profiles

Each contact profile includes:

  • Personal details — Name, contact information, address, and household members
  • Contact logs — View the interaction history for any contact, including notes from pastoral visits, phone calls, and meetings
  • Milestones — Track important life events and sacraments
  • Family view — See all members of a household together
  • AI summary— When AI features are enabled, get an AI-generated overview of a contact's engagement and history

Communication

From any contact profile, you can quickly send an SMS or email, view their communication preferences, and check opt-out status.

Groups

View group details and rosters pulled from MinistryPlatform. For each group, you can see:

  • Group name, type, ministry, and description
  • Meeting schedule and location
  • Active members with their roles and start dates
  • Former members and their participation history

Navigate seamlessly between groups and individual contact profiles to get the full picture of member engagement.

Communications Hub

The Communications Hub lets you send targeted messages to your congregation directly from PastorApp.

Messaging Options

  • Email — Compose and send emails to individual contacts or groups
  • SMS— Send text messages via the MinistryPlatform texting platform or through your device's native messaging app

Recipient Management

Search for recipients by name, select from group member lists, or choose individual contacts. PastorApp automatically checks for communication opt-outs before sending, so you never message someone who has asked not to be contacted.

AI Message Drafting

When AI features are enabled, you can use AI to help draft and refine messages. Describe what you want to say, and PastorApp will generate a starting draft that you can edit before sending.

My Notes

My Notes is a private note-taking system for each PastorApp user. Notes are linked to specific contacts and are only visible to the person who created them.

  • Create notes attached to any contact in your MP database
  • Search across all your notes by keyword
  • Edit or delete notes at any time
  • Notes are private — other staff members cannot see your notes

This is useful for pastors and staff who want to keep personal records of conversations, prayer requests, or follow-up reminders without adding them to the shared MP contact log.

AI-Powered Tools

PastorApp includes optional AI features that can be enabled or disabled per tenant by an administrator. When enabled, AI tools appear throughout the app:

  • Contact summaries— Get an AI-generated overview of a contact's engagement, group participation, and recent activity
  • Message drafting — Generate email and SMS drafts based on a description of what you want to communicate

AI features are powered by OpenAI and can be turned off entirely if your church prefers not to use them.

Mobile-First PWA

PastorApp is built as a Progressive Web App (PWA), which means it works in any modern browser and can be installed on your phone or tablet for a native-like experience.

  • Install on any device — Add PastorApp to your home screen on iOS, Android, or desktop
  • Pull-to-refresh — Swipe down to refresh data on mobile, just like a native app
  • Responsive design — The interface adapts to any screen size, from phones to desktops
  • Fast and lightweight — No app store download required

In-App Feedback

PastorApp includes a built-in feedback system. Tap the help button to report a bug, suggest an improvement, or request a feature. Feedback is sent directly to the development team and can include a screenshot for context.