StudyChurch

The challenge

StudyChurch helps small groups grow in discipleship and fellowship through meaningful conversations around the Word of God. Leaders write lessons, and members share answers and discuss them together in a distraction-free space.

The original StudyChurch ran on BuddyPress with custom-built modules. It was a solid proof of concept, but it became limiting as users expected more. Submitting answers and responses was slow, which undermined trust. The theme and modules felt clunky and outdated. And there was no easy way to add features or expand to native apps, so the road to growth wasn't clear. Those problems made it harder to attract and keep groups, so re-engineering the platform became essential.

What we built

We rebuilt StudyChurch from the ground up, separating the interface from the functionality behind it. The interface was rebuilt in VueJS on top of a new REST API, so the app responds immediately when people take action, and that responsiveness builds confidence. The same API opens the door to future native mobile and desktop apps.

We kept WordPress at the core for user management, authentication, and custom post types, so admins still manage users and content from a familiar dashboard. We also moved the platform to LiquidWeb for much faster response times, with NewRelic monitoring that gives us real insight for ongoing optimization.

• API-driven Vue front end — fast, responsive interaction.
• REST API rewrite enabling future native apps.
• Private groups with discussions, assignments, and studies.
• Simple group management for leaders, plus an organization dashboard to oversee many groups at once.
• Study builder via custom post types; automatic assignment-deadline notifications.
• Subscription-gated premium content (Restrict Content Pro).