North Pacific Union is excited to announce a strategic partnership with Vobo, a community engagement-driven digital solutions provider, to launch the Adventist Community mobile app.
This innovative and customized platform is designed to strengthen connections among congregations, schools and conferences throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond through a system of interconnected apps. Users can download one instance of the app and load connected app instances from their church, school, conference and/or union.
“We believe that improving engagement is one of the most important things we can do in society,” said Jerry Knight, Vobo CEO. “We all need a genuine sense of community. We truly hope Vobo will offer a platform of greater good for the Adventist community.”
The Adventist Community app serves as a centralized hub for members to access the latest news, ministry resources, messaging groups, media libraries and announcements from local churches, educational institutions and the Northwest Gleaner magazine.
By integrating these resources, the app aims to streamline communication and support the shared mission of evangelism, education, discipleship and community building. Users can interact with highlighted information and ask questions within private or public forum groups.
“It’s essential in our digital age that we provide our members with tools that facilitate connection and engagement,” said Loren Bordeaux, NPUC information technology director. “Our collaboration with Vobo has resulted in an app that not only meets these needs, but also reflects our commitment to embracing technology in service of our faith.”
Vobo’s expertise in developing user-centric applications has been instrumental in bringing this vision to life. App administrators will encounter an easy-to-use system of creating links, managing folders and facilitating forum groups to integrate existing web and digital content while introducing conversational interactions.
Vobo initially pre-populates an independent app for every church and school in the northwest ministry territory and then provides training sessions to show how these apps can be managed and customized going forward.
“One of our top criteria when exploring partnership opportunities was finding a system that would be easy to use and manage — for both our members and our app team leaders,” said Heidi Baumgartner, NPUC communication director and Gleaner editor. “Vobo delivered a solution that’s intuitive, accessible and designed with our mission in mind.”
As an “owned” media space, it allows ministries to go beyond content sharing, such as what’s typically done on a website or social channel, to create more opportunities for connection. By engaging people online in meaningful ways, the Vobo platform helps pave the way for deeper relationships and real-life community where discipleship and belonging can truly take root.
The partnership includes an exclusive monthly pricing package provided by Vobo, making the app more accessible to Adventist churches and schools across the Northwest. Special consideration has been made for small churches; those that meet specific membership criteria may qualify for additional discount options.
“Through a special partnership with NPUC, Vobo is offering their cutting-edge service at an 85% discount with a 100% satisfaction guarantee,” Bordeaux noted. The monthly fee is $29.99 a month, after the first two free months.
The Adventist Community app is now available for download on both Android and iOS devices. Conference apps for Washington, Oregon, Upper Columbia and Idaho are ready to load, as well as the Northwest Adventists app.
Your local pre-created church and school base app is ready to begin a partnership with your customized content. Churches and schools in the Pacific Northwest can expect to hear from a Vobo representative soon for next steps in app development.
For more information about the Adventist Community app and to get started with your own user or app administrator experience, please visit vobo.com/sda.
