Download the Ember Church & Subsplash Tap: From missed connections to instant engagement
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At Ember Church in Bellevue, WA, building authentic community isn’t just a value—it’s essential. But even in one of the most tech-forward cities in the country, their team found themselves facing familiar challenges: low engagement, missed follow-ups, and outdated tools that weren’t serving their people.
The team at Subsplash sat down with their Lead Pastor Dr. Jeff Thorp and Executive Pastor Micah Lorenz to learn more about the barriers they encountered and the solution that changed everything.
“The hardest part was always the follow-up. How do you get somebody who's interested?” Pastor Micah explained.
Like many churches, Ember tried using tools like QR codes to help new guests connect digitally. But instead of creating ease, they added friction.
“We tried QR codes, but nobody wants to be the person who pulls out their phone in the middle of a service to scan,” Micah explained. “As popular as QR codes are nowadays, pulling one out 'outed' you as the one who was new; it 'outed' you as the one who needed to connect, so people were really resistant.”
Paper connection cards weren’t any better. The experience simply didn’t match the expectations of their cultural context.
“Being in Bellevue, it is so important that we contextualize and speak the language of the culture,” said Lead Pastor, Dr. Jeff Thorp. “Our church is made up of many different cultures, with lots of young people from Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. When we came in, there wasn't a lot of technology; many things were dormant, and there was no process to connect.”
That disconnect prompted Ember’s leadership to seek out a solution that could meet people where they are—digitally, instantly, and without friction. That’s when they found Subsplash Tap.
“We've learned with Subsplash Tap that convenience is key,” said Pastor Jeff. “If things are too complex, most people will just move past them. Subsplash Tap has been so convenient because, just as it sounds, you tap your phone, it brings up a website, and we can put everything we need on there.”
Now, with Tap Discs installed throughout the church, Ember has a direct and simple way to guide people to the next step—whether it's filling out a connection form, signing up for an event, or giving online.
“We can move people to a connect form, to tithes and offerings, to events, to download our app, or to sign up for our lunch,” Dr. Thorp said. “There are endless possibilities with having it all in one form. It just moves everybody in the same direction.”
This shift wasn’t just intuitive—it was strategic. Ember quickly saw results in the form of increased engagement, easier follow-up, and a more connected community.
Pastor Micah shared his first-hand perspective,“Adding Subsplash has been really helpful; it's made a big difference, and we're really grateful. It's helping people get connected to the church in a really straightforward, meaningful way.”
Even more, Tap aligns with Ember’s heart for innovation and mission.
“One of our values is innovation,” Pastor Jeff shared. “I really believe the message of Jesus never changes, but our methods should. We knew we needed a platform that moves people through one streamlined process, and that's why we moved forward with Subsplash. You can do a ton of different things that have really served us well.”
For Ember Church, this isn’t just about new tech. It’s about being faithful to serving the people God has called them to reach.
“What excites me about Ember Church are the endless possibilities of where God has us placed strategically,” said Dr. Thorp. “I really believe that through technology, we have a powerful opportunity to reach the globe from right here in Bellevue. That's what excites my heart; that's what fills my heart. God has us here for a reason, and I'm honored to be a part of that.”
Subsplash Tap makes it effortless for people to take action—connect, give, register, or learn more—in seconds, not minutes. Whether you're welcoming first-time guests or equipping long-time members, Tap makes it simple to take action.
Click here to learn more about Subsplash Tap or [.blog-contact-cta]schedule a no-obligation demo today![.blog-contact-cta]
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