Valley Ranch Baptist Church in Coppell participated in a robust campaign to love its neighbors and pray for them while using the BLESS app, a digital tool engaging communities in prayer and gospel sharing.
The campaign, “Love Where You Live,” took place in February and produced measurable results.
“In our churchwide kickoff, we walked together through the steps of downloading the app and getting started on it,” Amy Wilkins, associate pastor, said. “By the end of the month, we had over 1,500 prayers that people prayed, by name, for their neighbors.”
Wilkins shared a story from a member who experienced results from using the BLESS app:
“There are three Christian women in our neighborhood who have agreed to pray with me daily for our neighbors, for connection, and that ‘no one feels lonely or isolated.’ We have been checking in with one another and asking how God can use us,” one member said.
“Our hope is that this would not be just a one-month emphasis but a culture shift, where our people can see themselves as everyday chaplains in the neighborhoods where God has placed them,” Wilkins said.
About the BLESS app
Julio Guarneri, Texas Baptists executive director, encouraged Texas Baptists during the 2025 annual meeting to use the newly purchased BLESS app to pray for one another, the church, and the community.
“What if members of Texas Baptists churches would pray for their neighbors by name during 2026? We could potentially pray for every single person in Texas and in the communities beyond Texas where there are affiliated churches,” Guarneri said.
Texas Baptists announced it had purchased a subscription to the BLESS app to initiate engagement in prayer.
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Churches who sign up for the BLESS app will receive a free one-year subscription, and members will receive 50 names of neighbors based on their home address and prayer prompts for neighbors in the area.
The acronym BLESS stands for begin with prayer, listen, eat, serve, and share your story, according to the app’s official webpage, Bless Every Home.
“We used the BLESS acronym to help people find ways to engage with their neighbors, serve them, and share their story with them. There was a calendar of daily activities for people to build habits and rhythms over time,” Wilkins continued.
Since the launch of the BLESS app, 53 Texas Baptists churches have downloaded the app and participated in adopting 646,833 homes in prayer. According to the Texas Baptists BLESS app page, 48,813 prayers have been made.
To use the app, pastors and church leaders can create an account for their churches. Individuals who are members of churches without an account may sign up, as well.
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