Reformed Church of Hasselt
"The app has value, especially with a view to the future of the church"
Janique van Herk and Jos Zomer explain how the Reformed Church in Hasselt uses their own church app in the community.
Reading time: 6 minutes - Published: 2Dec 7, 2021 - Text: Joanne Wienen
Janique van Herk (19) and Jos Zomer (43) are, together with three others, responsible for managing the Kerkplein app of the Hervormde Gemeente Hasselt. How do the different generations view the use of the app?
Janique: "Onze gemeente is vrij traditioneel. De app was een experiment: zou dit ook voor ons kunnen werken? Inmiddels zijn we een jaar verder en wordt de app steeds actiever gebruikt. Er worden nieuwtjes gedeeld. Er verschijnen aankondigen en meldingen. Elke week wordt het wekelijkse rooster van de oppasdienst gedeeld en na de dienst wordt geplaatst aan welk werkje de kinderen hebben gewerkt. Ook zijn er groepen die specifiek samenhangen met een bepaalde tijd, zoals de adventsperiode, en wordt er momenteel veel gepost over actie waarbij gemeenteleden een tas met zoete lekkernijen kunnen bestellen, waarvan de opbrengsten naar een goed doel gaan."
The app makes you realize more often, even outside of regular contact moments, that you together is part of the local authority.
Jos: "A large part of the congregation uses the app, but there are also enough people who do not use it. Some because they simply do not have much use for a smartphone. Others do not want even more stimuli from that thing and still others think that there should be more real contact instead of digital. They prefer to keep everything the same. Is that bad? I do not think so. But certainly with a view to the future of the church, the app has value. The younger generation communicates digitally. Although I should not exaggerate too much; there are also enough older people who see technology as an opportunity. They form an important group of users within our app."
Janique: "Our app is called Kerkplein - because we really see it as a means of communication. I live in The Hague, the city where I study, during the week and am only in Hasselt on the weekends. For me, the app is also a way to stay informed about community life without being physically present. I don't post much in the app myself, but I like to read along. Actually, exactly the same way I use my other social media channels."
Jos: "In the beginning we noticed that people still had to get used to it a bit. Sometimes nothing happened the whole week. People now know where to find the app. The collection function is used a lot. Handy for those people who never have change in their pockets, but still want to contribute. And also for the churchwardens, by the way, because there are fewer and fewer places in the area where you can easily deposit change. But people also share other things more and more often: from charity campaigns to a nice experience and from YouTube videos to a beautiful song by Sela. The app makes you realize more often, even outside of regular contact moments, that you are part of the congregation together."
Want to know more about the Reformed Church in Hasselt? Check out their website www.hervormdhasselt.nl
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