What can I do in the Church Tab in Hallow?

The Church Tab in the Hallow mobile app allows you to connect with friends, create groups, share prayer requests, and participate in prayer challenges.

Some features are available to all Hallow users, while parish-specific features require your church or parish to have an active partnership with Hallow.

This guide explains how to access the Church Tab, which features you can use, and what happens if your parish is not yet a Hallow partner.

Where can I find the Church Tab?

Open the Hallow mobile app and tap Church at the bottom of your screen, immediately to the left of the Me tab.

Can I use the Church Tab if my parish is not a Hallow partner?

Yes! You can still use several features of the Church Tab even if your parish has not partnered with Hallow.

You can:

Connect with friends who use Hallow.
Create and join personal groups.
Send messages to friends and members of your groups.
Share prayer requests with friends.
Participate in general Hallow community challenges.

However, you cannot join an active parish community or participate in parish-specific activities until your parish establishes a formal partnership with Hallow.

Which Church Tab features require a parish partnership?

Your parish must have an active partnership with Hallow before you can access its community features.

Once your parish is partnered and its community is active, you can:

Join your parish community to connect with other parishioners.
Share prayer requests with your parish community and pray for intentions shared by others.
Participate in parish group chats and connect with other members.
Join parish-specific prayer challenges and share reflections with your community.
View parish community activity, including introductions and posts from other members.

These features are not available through a parish page that is still waitlisted.

Why does my parish say "Waitlisted" in Hallow?

If your parish appears as Waitlisted, it means the parish has not yet established the partnership required to activate its community features in Hallow.

Hallow requires pastoral approval through a formal parish partnership before activating a parish community.

While your parish is waitlisted:

You cannot join its active parish community.
Parish-specific community features are unavailable.
You can continue using other available Hallow features, including personal groups and connections with friends.

Being waitlisted does not mean your Hallow account or app is experiencing a technical issue.

To learn more, see:

How can my parish partner with Hallow?

How do I join my parish community in Hallow?

If your parish has an active partnership with Hallow, you can find and join its community through the Church Tab.

Once you join, you may see a welcome message from your parish administrator introducing you to the community.

You may also be invited to create an introduction post to help other parishioners get to know you.

You can answer a few short questions about yourself and tap Post to share your introduction. If you prefer not to introduce yourself, tap Not Now.

Your introduction will appear in the Your Community section, where other parishioners can welcome you by reacting with a heart or selecting Say Hello to send a private message.

For step-by-step instructions, see:

How do I join my parish community in the Hallow app?

Can I create a group without joining a parish?

Yes! You do not need to belong to a partnered parish to create a personal group in Hallow.

Groups allow you to connect with friends, family members, or others who want to pray together.

You can create a group for your own community, invite others to participate, and communicate with group members.

To switch between available communities and groups, tap the menu icon in the upper-left corner of the Church Tab.

For instructions, see:

How to create a group in the Hallow app?

Can I send messages through the Church Tab?

Yes! Hallow allows you to connect with others through private and group messages.

Depending on the communities you belong to, you can:

Send private messages to friends.
Communicate with members of your personal groups.
Participate in your parish's community chat if your parish is an active Hallow partner.

You do not need a parish partnership to message friends or members of your personal groups.

How do prayer requests work in Hallow?

Prayer requests allow you to share intentions and pray for others.

You can share prayer requests with friends or, if you belong to an active partnered parish, with your parish community.

Prayer requests remain active for 7 days.

You can also:

Pray for individual intentions or all shared intentions.
Respond to a prayer request through a chat message.
View prayer intentions in a story-style carousel.

Sharing prayer requests with a parish community requires an active parish partnership.

Can I participate in Hallow prayer challenges without a parish partnership?

Yes! General Hallow community challenges are available independently of your parish's partnership status.

These challenges allow you to participate in prayer sessions and reflections alongside other Hallow users.

Parish-specific challenges are different. They are offered through active partnered parish communities and may include customized prayer content and opportunities to share reflections with fellow parishioners.

If your parish is an active Hallow partner, you may be able to:

Join a challenge offered by your parish.
Complete daily prayer sessions and reflections.
Share reflections with your parish community or keep them private.
View reflections shared by other parishioners.

For more information, see:

How do I search for and join a community challenge?

Does my parish need to partner with Hallow for me to use the app?

No. You can use Hallow without your parish having a partnership.

A parish partnership is required only for access to the parish's dedicated community features, not for general use of the Hallow app.

You can continue listening to available prayer content, connecting with friends, creating personal groups, and participating in general community activities.

If your parish would like to activate its own community features, it must first establish a formal partnership with Hallow.