Earlier this month, the GodTools app celebrated its tenth anniversary. In the ten years since the app launched, it has reached millions, blessing so many across the world.
GodTools is an app that helps Christians engage anyone in conversation about Jesus by providing tools that clearly communicate how someone begins and grows a relationship with God. It is an app that is used by Christians every day to share their faith, helping people walk through a Gospel conversation using one of the many available tools, such as the Knowing God Personally tract and the Teach Me To Share training.
Ten years ago, GodTools was only available in one language and wasn’t widely used. Under the leadership of Product Manager Ann Cochrum, GodTools now has ten tools in 90+ languages. The app has been opened four million times by one million people in 225 countries around the globe.
That includes some countries where there are no known missionaries because the countries are deemed unsafe for missionary activity, reaffirming our belief that with digital missions, there are no more “closed countries.” “The way I see GodTools being used all over the world, including some of the hardest places for missionaries to reach, never ceases to amaze me, “Ann says.
You can read some exciting stories from GodTools users here.
The COVID pivot
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, everything changed. Though GodTools was initially made for in-person ministry, being such an effective tool for having Gospel conversations, we featured it in our Ministry From a Distance webinars and Digital Outreach workshop, knowing that users would have to adapt the app from its originally designed use-case.
With more people sharing from a distance, Ann and her team saw a need to pivot and make it easier for people to use the tool remotely. “We just released a new feature allowing you to share your screen with someone else remotely, so distance is no longer a barrier to sharing the Gospel with someone you care about,” Ann says. You can access the screen sharing feature by pressing the share icon inside any tool.
The future of GodTools
GodTools has been shown to be one of the most effective tools in digital missions, in large part due to its adaptability. Different cultures think of the Gospel in different ways, so in an honor-shame culture, you can use the Honor Restored tool, whereas if you’re sharing with someone in a highly spiritual culture, you might want to use the Power Over Fear tool. Each tool is available in many languages.
Ann says that the future of GodTools will be an app with even more content and a better user experience. “We’re working to deliver more dynamic ways to learn so people who have never shared their faith before can know how to do that with confidence. We want GodTools to help people feel like taking steps to be a witness for Christ is doable,” she says.
If you have never used GodTools, we encourage you to download it and give it a try. Go through some tools and get comfortable with it, then pray about with whom you can share. You can also watch our workshop on “How to Have a Conversation About Jesus Using the GodTools App.” See if taking steps for Christ seems doable. If not, let us know what improvements would help. “We are praising God for these ten years and for every life that’s been touched through GodTools,” Ann says.