Complete Guide: Onboarding Your Parish to Simbahan in Under One Hour

Getting your parish onto Simbahan is genuinely simple. This guide walks you through every step, from the moment you decide to register to the moment your first announcement reaches every parishioner's phone.

Before you begin, you will need: - Your parish's full name and address - Your diocese name - Your parish GCash number (for the donation feature) - 30–60 minutes of uninterrupted time

Step 1: Register Your Parish (15 minutes)

Go to simbahan.app/for-churches and click "Onboard Your Parish Free." Fill in your parish details: name, address, diocese, and the name of the parish priest. You will also create your admin account with your email and a password.

Once submitted, your parish page (yourparish.simbahan.app) will be live within 24 hours. You will receive a confirmation email with your dashboard login.

Step 2: Configure Your Dashboard (20 minutes)

Log into your admin dashboard. The first three things to set up are:

1. **Mass Schedule** — Enter all your regular Masses with day, time, and presider name. Add your confession schedule. This is the most-used feature by parishioners, so get it right.

2. **First Announcement** — Write a welcome announcement: "Welcome to Simbahan! Download the app and join our parish to receive updates, Mass schedules, and daily readings." This will be the first thing members see.

3. **GCash QR Code** — Upload your parish GCash QR code. Create your first donation fund — perhaps "Parish Operations" or "Church Maintenance" — with a brief description.

Step 3: Invite Your Parishioners (ongoing)

After Sunday Mass, make an announcement: "We are now on Simbahan. Download the free app, search for [Your Parish Name], and request to join. You will receive daily readings, Mass schedules, and parish announcements directly on your phone."

Share the app download link in your Sunday bulletin, your parish Facebook page, and your parish WhatsApp groups.

Step 4: Approve Join Requests

As members download the app and request to join, you will see their requests in your dashboard. You can approve them individually or in bulk. During the first week, check your dashboard daily to approve new members promptly.

You are live.

From this point, Simbahan runs largely on its own. The daily readings update automatically. The liturgical calendar is pre-loaded. Your only ongoing task is posting announcements and events — which takes about 30 minutes per week.

Welcome to Simbahan. Your parish community is now connected.