Church communication with a channel for every group
Announcements, small groups and teams in one private place.
MessagesPinnedPhotosDocsLinksVoice
October 26, 2026
Marta Lindqvist18:02
Good evening, Oak Street. We meet at Samuel and Elena's place this week.
- 👍5
Samuel Ortiz18:05
We'll make soup. Does anyone need a ride?
Tom Becker18:07
I can pick up Ruth and Hannah on my way.
- ❤️3
Elena Rossi18:10
Directions from the bus stop, in case it helps.
Voice message,0:32
Ruth Adeyemi18:12
Thank you, Tom. See you all at seven.
- 👍4
- 😄1
What is Groupanda for a church?
Groupanda, a workspace for private communities, works as a church communication app. A church group starts with an Announcements channel. The owner adds a channel for each small group and team, and members join by link or by email. Only members see the conversations, and the owner decides who posts in each channel. It's free, with no member limit.
- Free, with no time limit
- No member limit
- Web, iOS and Android
- Interface in 8 languages
What should a church look for in a communication app?
A church is many groups at once: the congregation, small groups that meet in homes, the worship team and the volunteers. A church chat app that puts everyone in one conversation buries the notices people need. When a church compares apps for church groups, four questions come back.
A separate place for each group
In Groupanda, the owner adds a channel for each small group and team, with no limit on the number of channels.
Control over who posts
In each Groupanda channel, the owner chooses who can post: the owner, the owner and admins, or everyone.
Joining by link or by email
A Groupanda group has one invite link, and the owner or an admin can also invite people by email. The owner decides whether joining is open, by invitation or after approval.
A cost that does not grow with the church
Groupanda has a free plan with no member limit and no time limit, and it charges no fee per member.
Comparing several tools? Our list of group messaging apps sets them out one by one.
How does a church use Groupanda?
One group, with a channel for each part of church life. Switch channels in the example below.
General
October 26, 2026
Grace Liu09:12
Hi everyone, I'm Grace. We moved to the neighborhood last month and I'm glad to be here.
Ben Carter09:20
Welcome, Grace! The Oak Street group is a friendly place to start.
Marta Lindqvist09:31
Welcome, @Grace Liu. The small groups are in the channel list, and #Announcements has the practical details.
- ❤️5
Grace Liu09:34
Thank you both, that helps a lot.
Announcements
October 26, 2026
Daniel Okafor08:30Pinned message
Welcome to Harbor Lane Church. This is where we post what everyone should read. We gather on Sundays at 10:00 in the main hall.
Daniel Okafor12:15
Thank you to everyone who helped move chairs on Sunday. The hall was ready in twenty minutes.
- 👍14
- ❤️6
Daniel Okafor16:40
The small groups welcome new members this month. Choose the one closest to you from the channel list.
Daniel Okafor19:05
The parking lot behind the library is open again. Please use it so the street stays clear for our neighbors.
- 👍9
Only the group owner can post in this channel.
Oak Street small group
October 26, 2026
Marta Lindqvist18:02
Good evening, Oak Street. We meet at Samuel and Elena's place this week.
- 👍5
Samuel Ortiz18:05
We'll make soup. Does anyone need a ride?
Tom Becker18:07
I can pick up Ruth and Hannah on my way.
- ❤️3
Elena Rossi18:10
Directions from the bus stop, in case it helps.
Voice message,0:32
Ruth Adeyemi18:12
Thank you, Tom. See you all at seven.
- 👍4
- 😄1
Thursday small group
October 26, 2026
Hannah Weiss14:20
Our usual room is free until nine this week.
Ben Carter14:26
Perfect, I'll bring the tea.
- 👍2
Elena Rossi14:31
And I'll bring the cake.
- 😄3
Worship team 🎶
October 26, 2026
Priya Raman17:40
The song list for Sunday is attached. We start with the quiet one.
Sunday song list.pdf86.0 KB
- 👍4
Elena Rossi17:46
Got it. I'll bring the capo and the spare cables.
Samuel Ortiz17:52
Can we run the second verse once before the service?
Priya Raman17:55
Yes. Here is how I'd like it to sound.
Voice message,0:48
- ❤️3
Ben Carter18:01
Sounds good to me. I'll set up the keyboard early.
Volunteers
October 26, 2026
Ben Carter10:02
The hall heating is fixed. Thank you to everyone who reported it.
Tom Becker10:09
Good news. I'll bring the spare chairs back from my garage this week.
Hannah Weiss10:15
Thank you, Ben. It was cold last Sunday.
Daniel Okafor10:21
Thank you all. Coffee is on me on Sunday.
- ❤️7
Prayer requests 🙏
October 26, 2026
Ruth Adeyemi20:10
A quiet request: I have an important interview on Thursday. Kind thoughts are welcome.
Grace Liu20:18
Thinking of you, Ruth. You'll do well.
Daniel Okafor20:24
We'll keep you in mind this week, Ruth. Let us know how it goes.
- ❤️8
Hannah Weiss20:40
Thank you to everyone who sent kind words after my move. The new flat is starting to feel like home.
Announcements everyone can read
Every new Groupanda group starts with an Announcements channel, where at first only the owner posts. The owner can let admins post there too. The owner and admins can pin a message, and members find it in the channel's Pinned tab. For a rehearsal or a church picnic, the owner or an admin can create an event, and members answer Going or Can't go.
MessagesPinned1PhotosDocsLinksVoice
October 26, 2026
Daniel Okafor08:30Pinned message
Welcome to Harbor Lane Church. This is where we post what everyone should read. We gather on Sundays at 10:00 in the main hall.
Daniel Okafor12:15
Thank you to everyone who helped move chairs on Sunday. The hall was ready in twenty minutes.
- 👍14
- ❤️6
Daniel Okafor16:40
The small groups welcome new members this month. Choose the one closest to you from the channel list.
Daniel Okafor19:05
The parking lot behind the library is open again. Please use it so the street stays clear for our neighbors.
- 👍9
Only the group owner can post in this channel.
Notifications
- All messagesNotify for every message
- Only @mentionsNotify only when you're mentioned
- Mute channelNo notifications
A channel for each small group and team
Each small group, the worship team and the volunteers talk in a channel of their own. Members share photos, documents up to 10 MB and voice messages up to 2 minutes, and a reply can quote the message it answers.
For more on channels, replies and search, read how Groupanda works as a group chat app.
Channels
- #General
- #Announcements1
- #Oak Street small group
- #Thursday small group2
- #Worship team 🎶4
- #Volunteers
- #Prayer requests 🙏
Group members86
Search users...
HomeChatsProfileNotificationsSettings
Owner, admins and members
A Groupanda group has one owner, admins and members. The owner can make small group leaders admins, who can mute and ban members, delete messages and see every channel. Members post where the owner allows it.
Group settingsHarbor Lane Church
Members86
Search users...
- Daniel OkaforOwner
- Marta LindqvistAdmin
- Priya RamanAdmin
- Ben CarterMember
Channels7
- GeneralWho can postEveryone can postEveryone
- AnnouncementsWho can postOnly the owner can postOwner only
- Oak Street small groupWho can postEveryone can postEveryone
- Thursday small groupWho can postEveryone can postEveryone
How do people join a church group?
The owner chooses how people join: open, by invitation through the invite link, or after approval. With approval, the owner or an admin accepts or rejects each request. Only an open group is listed in Groupanda search. Only the owner sees and copies the link, and it opens Groupanda on the web, where each member signs up with an email address and a phone number. The owner or an admin can also invite people by email, up to 200 addresses at a time.
Group settingsHarbor Lane Church
Group accessChoose how people can join.
- Open accessAnyone can find the group in search and join instantly.
- Invite-only accessNot visible in search. Users can join instantly via an invite link.
- Approval requiredNot visible in search. Invite link sends a join request that an admin must approve.
Group linkShare the group invite link
app.groupanda.com/harbor-lane-church
What does Groupanda cost a church?
A church group can stay on the free plan, with no member limit and no time limit. Creating an account or a group needs no card. Groupanda charges no monthly fee and no fee per member.
Questions churches ask
Is there a free church app for groups and teams?
Groupanda is a workspace for private communities, and it is free for every group. A church can stay on the free plan with no member limit and no time limit. Creating an account or a group needs no card, and Groupanda charges no monthly fee and no fee per member.
What is a good way to run church small groups in an app?
Give each small group its own channel in Groupanda, so its conversation stays out of the main one. The owner adds, renames, orders and removes channels. Each member chooses, per channel, whether to be notified of every message, only of mentions, or not at all. For a weekly meeting, the owner or an admin can create a recurring event. Members who answered Going get a reminder 24 hours and 1 hour before it starts.
How can church leaders share announcements with everyone?
Use the Announcements channel. Every new Groupanda group starts with one, and at the start only the owner posts in it. The owner can let admins post too. The owner and admins can pin a message, and members find it in the channel's Pinned tab.
Do church members need to install an app?
No. The Groupanda invite link opens the group on the web, and members can use the iOS and Android apps if they prefer. Every member signs up with an email address and a phone number.
Who can see what members of a church group write?
Only members of a Groupanda group see its conversations. An open group is listed in Groupanda search, and a group joined by invitation or after approval is not.
Last updated:
Give every group in your church its own channel
Create your group, post in the Announcements channel it starts with, and share the invite link with your church. No card needed to start.