Using Plans with Friends in Your Church

Scripture was never meant to be read alone. As a pastor, you want your church doing more than individual Bible reading—you want them growing together, encouraging each other, and going deeper in community. That's why we have Plans with Friends in the Bible App. 

When you start a Plan with Friends, you’re not just reading Scripture—you’re diving into God’s Word with the people in your life, sharing what you’re learning, and growing together.

Plans with Friends are a great way for small groups to stay engaged in Scripture and with each other throughout the week. Group leaders can easily see who is consistently completing each day’s reading, and who is falling behind. This gives them a great opportunity to care for people well, check in, and provide support when it matters most. And, in the Talk It Over section, people can easily share their thoughts or questions.

You may be wondering, how can I use Plans with Friends in my church? Here are a few ways to get started: 

• Take the first step with a staff devotional. Completing a Plan with Friends as a staff team helps strengthen you spiritually and models what you’d like your church to do.
• Choose a Featured Plan related to your sermon series. Having every small group start the same Plan and referencing it on Sunday mornings helps your entire church stay on the same page.
• Create new believer discipleship groups. Pair 2-3 new believers with a mentor and have them complete a Plan with Friends that helps them understand the basics of Scripture and the Gospel.

Discovery Church in Orlando, Florida has this to say about Plans with Friends: 

“We found that Plans with Friends requires some training. People need to understand how to invite friends, how the reflection feature works, and why it’s worth the effort. Our tip: be the first friend. Start a Plan and invite others—don’t wait for them to figure it out.”

And, once people have experienced Plans with Friends, it tends to spread on its own. Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma says this: 

“Plans with Friends is something people pick up on their own once they see others doing it. We didn’t have to push it hard—it spread naturally through our community.”

Help your church grow closer to God and each other by encouraging them to start a Plan with Friends today.

Questions? Check out our Help Docs to learn how to use Plans with Friends.