From a small CRM idea in 2013 to a complete church management platform built for how small churches actually work. Here's how we got here.
Paul Natekin started building a simple CRM for small churches — a bootstrapped project born out of watching real congregations drown in spreadsheets. Little did he know, this would grow into something much bigger.
Fun Fact: The first version was built from a corner booth at a local coffee shop. Practically lived there!
We noticed our own churches struggling with the same problems - messy spreadsheets, communication chaos, and volunteer burnout. The idea for church software was born.
Fun Fact: Paul served in children's ministry. He knew the check-in chaos firsthand!
Our first church signed up - a small congregation of 75 members. They're still with us today! We learned more from them in 3 months than any business book could teach.
Fun Fact: Our first feature request? "Can you make the buttons bigger? Pastor Mike can't see them." Done!
Churches started telling other churches. We grew entirely through word of mouth - no advertising needed. Turns out, when you solve real problems, people talk!
Fun Fact: 80% of our early growth came from pastor recommendations at denominational meetings.
We added check-in systems, volunteer scheduling, giving tools, and communication features. Everything a small church needs, nothing they don't.
Fun Fact: We said "no" to 47 feature requests that year. Staying simple is harder than adding complexity!
When churches went online overnight, we were there. We helped congregations stay connected when they couldn't meet in person.
Fun Fact: We made our entire platform free for 6 months. Churches needed help, not invoices.
Churches came back stronger, and so did we. We rebuilt our platform from the ground up, expanded our features, and never lost sight of our mission.
Milestone: A complete platform rebuild — faster, more reliable, and built for the next decade of ministry.
We rebranded to TimelyChurch - a name that reflects our belief that the right tools at the right time can transform ministry. New name, same heart.
Fun Fact: We went through 127 name ideas before landing on TimelyChurch. (Some were... not great.)
Still focused on small congregations. Still building tools that just work. And we're just getting started.
What's Next: More features, same simplicity. More churches, same personal touch.
Churches shouldn't need a tech degree to manage their congregation. That was true in 2013, and it's still true today.
Our founding principle, still going strong
13 years later, these truths haven't changed
You're not a "small account" - you're the reason we exist. Every single feature is built with small and growing churches in mind.
If software needs a training course, it's too complicated. Good tools should just make sense the moment you use them.
Ministry budgets are tight. That's why we offer a Free Forever tier and pricing that respects what churches can actually afford.
Technology isn't the goal - serving people is. Every hour we save you is an hour you can pour into your community.
A decade+ of helping churches thrive
We believe in church planters. That's why we offer our Pro Plan free for 6 months, then 50% off months 7–18.
Save over $1,500 across your first 18 months — because every dollar counts when you're starting something new.
Questions? Ideas? Just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you.
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