29/06/2016
The infographic reveals that many of those who download the apps are using them routinely as part of their prayer life. Use of the Daily Prayer app - shortlisted for App of the Year at the Premier Digital Awards - was up 300% in May 2016 compared to the previous year, with 12,500 monthly users - enough to fill St Paul's Cathedral five times over. App downloads now account for around one in five Church House Publishing products distributed by Anglican charity Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd under an agreement with The Archbishops' Council.
Thomas Allain-Chapman, Publishing Manager, said: "Apps like Reflections and Lectionary have moved from being novelties to being normal for our users. Their great appeal lies in allowing instant, fuss-free access to resources for prayer and Bible study worship wherever you are."
"The typical time spent on Daily Prayer is six minutes forty-two seconds. That is five times longer than the average for an app. It suggests people are engaging deeply with prayer using new technology."
The Bishop of Leicester, The Rt Rev Martyn Snow, is among those for whom the apps are already an essential part of everyday life. "I don't know what I'd do without the Lectionary app on my phone to give me all the Bible readings and prayers for each day. I use it at home, in my chapel for daily prayers and with my Staff Team at the start of meetings. It's great that these apps are so easy for people to find and use as part of their discipleship."
The CHP apps - including the new Time to Pray app for Prayer During the Day - have been developed for Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd by award-winning Brighton-based developer, Aimer Media Ltd, who have produced apps for a range of major publishers and brands. Director, Adrian Driscoll, said: "Aimer has produced over 150 apps but none has had the same level of engagement. Daily Prayer has by far the most committed users consistently ranking as the highest time spent in the app of any of our apps."
Developments for the future include Windows and Amazon Kindle versions of all apps and a desktop version of Lectionary app.
Notes
Details of the full range of Church House Publishing/Aimer Media apps for iOS and Android are available via chpublishing.co.uk/apps.
The infographic can be found online at https://www.churchofengland.org/media/2534810/infographic2_l_rgb_2x.png
Church House Publishing is the official publisher to the Archbishops' Council and the General Synod of the Church of England. Anglican charity Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd have acted as its marketing and production arm under an outsourcing agreement signed on 29 June 2009.
Thomas Allain Chapman is available for comment.