Building a Relational Culture in a Digital Age with Joyned

CCBS is a vibrant, inclusive church congregation rooted in the vision and presence of God. Based at The Charis Centre in Bishop’s Stortford, the church emphasises worship, community, and kingdom-impact in everyday life.

Their youth ministry, led by Tom Amos, is centred on helping young people build real, authentic relationships with Jesus. With structured, age-appropriate groups, alongside Sunday sessions, the church creates a safe, engaging space where young people are seen, heard, and encouraged to grow spiritually and socially.

Joyned delivered the exact solution Tom’s youth team had been searching for: a way to communicate that strengthened relationships, rather than strained them. Instead of juggling fragmented platforms or compromising on safeguarding, Tom now had a centralised, safe, and intuitive space where youth, parents, and leaders could connect in a meaningful way.

The app allowed Tom’s team to share updates, organise events, and hold ongoing conversations within an environment that protected young people while still fostering genuine community.

In an age where digital noise can drown out real connection, Joyned helped Tom and his team build a relational youth culture that extended beyond Sunday mornings and into everyday life.

Success didn’t happen by chance. Tom spent time aligning with youth leaders and parents about the need for change. He introduced Joyned through in-person demos and created tailored groups for parents, youth, and specific events.

Since introducing Joyned to The Community Church Bishops Stortford, Tom’s youth group has seen measurable improvements in how they plan, communicate, and connect - including:

Centralised communication: all updates, sign-ups and polls now live in one easy-to-access space. So, youth members no longer miss out on the latest information.

Seamless event coordination: event-specific groups, such as a baptism interest group which doubled the usual engagement, made it easier for young people to explore significant decisions without any pressure.

Parent and leader alignment: dedicated parents’ groups kept everyone informed, maintained communication boundaries, and encouraged parent participation.

A connected culture: from ‘Rev Memes’ channels to using polls for home group discussions, Joyned became more than a logistics tool; it became part of church culture.

Crucially, onboarding wasn’t just digital. It was relational. Tom made time to answer questions in person, followed up with stragglers, and kept communication clear and invitational. This approach helped the youth group achieve an 80% adoption rate early on, a major win for a voluntary, youth-led environment.

This project reinforced for both Tom’s team and Joyned that digital ministry thrives when technology and relationship-building work hand in hand. For CCBS, the process highlighted the importance of clear communication, consistent onboarding, and creating channels that felt personal rather than transactional.

For Joyned, partnering with CCBS reinforced that churches don’t simply need software, they need solutions that reflect their heart for community, safeguarding, and discipleship.

Together, both teams learned that when a platform is intuitive, community-driven, and grounded in trust, it solves logistical challenges while strengthening a culture of belonging.