ChurchLink

📌 Overview

ChurchLink is a web and mobile platform designed to help churches manage their content, events, and community interactions. The project includes a web builder that allows church staff to create and update pages, add banners, post announcements, and engage with members through an easy-to-use interface.

🎯 Features

• Simple Page Template System – Create and edit church pages using pre-designed templates.
• Headless CMS Integration – Manage content dynamically without coding.
• Event Management – Create and promote church events.
• User Roles & Permissions – Secure access control for admins, editors, and members.
• Mobile App Support – Native mobile app built with Flutter.
• Mobile Notifications – Send push notifications for announcements, events, and updates.
• Bible on Mobile – Access and read the Bible within the app (future integration).
• Announcements & Banners – Display church updates and messages.
• Donation & Payment Integration – Support for online giving via PayPal.
• Multilingual Support – Accessibility for diverse church communities.

🛠️ Tech Stack

• Frontend:

  • Flutter (Mobile App)
  • React (Web App)

• Backend: (To be determined)

• CMS: Strapi (or alternative)

• Database:

  • MongoDB (Main Database)
  • SQLite (For CMS)

• Notifications: Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM)

• Bible Integration: (To be determined)

• Hosting: Firebase / AWS

• Authentication: Firebase Auth

• Payments: PayPal

🚀 Installation

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v16+)
• Yarn or npm
• Flutter (For mobile development)
• Docker (Optional for database setup)

Steps (Just for DEMO README - NOT FINAL RELEASE)

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/YOUR_GITHUB/ChurchLink.git
   cd ChurchLink

2. Install Dependencies

yarn install

or

npm install

3. Set Up Environment Variables Create a .env file in the root directory and add the necessary environment variables:

DATABASE_URL=your_mongodb_url
CMS_DATABASE_URL=your_sqlite_url
FIREBASE_API_KEY=your_firebase_key
PAYPAL_CLIENT_ID=your_paypal_client_id

4. Run the Web Frontend (React)

cd frontend/web
yarn start

5. Run the Mobile App (Flutter)

cd frontend/app
flutter run

6. Run the CMS

cd cms
yarn develop

7. Run the Backend (If applicable in the future)

cd backend
yarn dev

8. Access the Application • Web App: http://localhost:3000 • CMS Admin: http://localhost:1337/admin • Mobile App: (Run on emulator or physical device)

🏗️ Project Structure

ChurchLink/
│── frontend/
│   └── app/            # App frontend (Flutter)
│   └── web/            # Web frontend (React)
│── backend/            # Backend (To be determined)
│── cms/                # Headless CMS (Strapi)
│── docs/               # Documentation files
│── .env                # Environment variables
│── package.json        # Dependencies and scripts
│── README.md           # Project documentation

🔔 Mobile Notifications

ChurchLink supports push notifications to keep church members informed about announcements, upcoming events, and other important updates.

• Uses Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) for push notifications.
• Admins can send notifications from the CMS.
• Users can opt-in or opt-out of notifications in their settings.

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📖 Bible on Mobile (Future Integration)

ChurchLink will support an integrated Bible feature in the future, allowing users to:

• Read the full Bible within the app.
• Search for specific verses and chapters.
• View daily scripture recommendations.

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💳 Donations & Payments

ChurchLink supports online donations through PayPal, allowing churches to accept tithes and offerings digitally.

• Integrated with PayPal API for secure transactions.
• Allows one-time or recurring donations.

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🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community! If you’d like to contribute:

1. Fork the repository and create a new branch.
2. Make your changes and ensure the project runs successfully.
3. Submit a pull request for review.

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📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License – see the LICENSE file for details.