Essential Church Resources | Support Ministry Tools

Lessons.church is a completely free, open‑source curriculum platform created by ChurchApps to equip churches and ministries of all sizes with high‑quality, Bible‑based teaching resources — without cost or paywalls. Built on the conviction that limited budgets should never limit discipleship, it hosts content from multiple trusted providers, covering preschool through adult studies, with over a thousand lessons available. The platform’s Open Lesson Format standardizes curriculum delivery across devices — from TVs and mobile apps to presentation software — so teachers can focus on ministry instead of media prep. Churches can schedule lessons, access videos and leader guides instantly, and keep all age groups aligned on the same biblical themes. By removing financial barriers, Lessons.church frees up church resources for other Kingdom work, modeling a sustainable, collaborative approach to faith‑tech that prioritizes accessibility, stewardship, and theological integrity.

ShareFaith provides churches with a suite of digital tools, including website builders, media, and communication resources.

ShareFaith is created by Ministry Brands Holdings, LLC, a profit-modeled entity offering a suite of digital tools for churches, including media content, website builders, online giving, live streaming, and church management software. While the platform provides valuable resources, it operates under a subscription model with many features gated behind a paywall.

Lightstock is a subscription-based platform offering unlimited access to a vast library of faith-based stock media, including photos, 4K video clips, and design elements. Memberships are available in two tiers: Standard Membership: Provides unlimited access to photos, 4K video clips, and design elements. Enterprise Membership: Offers all the benefits of the Standard Membership, with additional features tailored for organizations. New users can start with a 14-day free trial to explore the content.

Ministry Pass is a platform that provides churches with access to sermon and media resources to support ministry activities. It offers various subscription plans that provide tools such as sermon series, graphics, videos, and sermon preparation features. Subscriptions are available on a monthly or annual basis. Users should check for potential data portability or lock-in issues before fully integrating the service.

eChurch Bulletins is a commercial platform from Faith Systems LLC that enables churches to create and share modern, mobile‑friendly digital bulletins. It offers drag‑and‑drop design tools, real‑time content updates, embedded livestreams, QR code and NFC sharing, analytics, and integration with church management and marketing systems. The service is designed to replace or supplement paper bulletins, helping congregations engage both in‑person and remote attendees. While ministry‑oriented, it operates as a for‑profit subscription product. Prior to sign up churches should concider potential data locks that will align with the SaaS model and prevent future portability.

Foster the City equips churches to support foster families through a purpose-built mobile app that streamlines care coordination, prayer requests, and team communication. Developed by a registered nonprofit, the app helps Advocates and Support Friends stay connected and respond quickly to needs—removing barriers and strengthening community. This is tech for Jesus in action: empowering the Church to say yes to more children and build lasting support systems rooted in love, prayer, and presence.

StoreHouse is a commercial church management and giving platform designed to help pastors, staff, and volunteers streamline administration, track giving, and engage their congregations. It markets itself as an all-in-one solution for reaching, connecting, and growing churches, with tools for relationship management, online giving, and community engagement. While the app is clearly tailored for ministry use, it is developed by Lyt House Studio, a profit-modeled company, and does not operate as a nonprofit ministry initiative. Some apps and tools use date locks to restrict access to features, content, or functionality after a certain time. This can create hidden barriers for users. Always check whether an app may push users toward paid upgrades or subscriptions.

Pastor Notes App is a commercial ministry tool designed to help pastors and church leaders organize sermons, share notes, and engage their congregations throughout the week. Features include sermon management, note sharing, high-quality sermon recording with timestamps, Auto-Verse completion, and tagging by preacher or theme. The app also integrates with Bible Notes App, allowing congregants to follow along in real time. While the mission emphasizes empowering churches and enhancing communication, the app is developed by Concierge Contacts Pty Ltd, a profit-modeled company, and does not operate as a nonprofit ministry initiative.

MxU is a subscription-based training platform designed to equip church worship and tech teams with video courses, coaching, and volunteer management tools. While it markets itself as a ministry resource, it operates as a commercial service with tiered pricing plans, positioning itself more as a professional training company than a nonprofit.

CareNote is a pastoral care platform designed to help churches organize, track, and deliver meaningful, measurable care. Built by pastor and developer Donnell Wyche, it transforms scattered spreadsheets and missed follow-ups into a coordinated ministry of presence and compassion. The platform supports care requests, milestone tracking, grief support, volunteer coordination, and integrations with Planning Center, Breeze, and ParishSOFT. Though deeply mission-aligned, CareNote operates as a commercial SaaS product under Digital Lighthouse Designs, LLC, making it a profit-modeled entity rather than a nonprofit using tech for Jesus. Churches considering CareNote—or any integrated SaaS product—should carefully review data portability, export options, and potential vendor lock-in. Stewardship includes ensuring that care records, volunteer data, and spiritual milestones remain accessible and transferable if the church’s needs or budget change. This applies not only to CareNote itself, but also to the platforms it connects with, such as Planning Center and Breeze, which may have their own limitations around data access and migration.