Dear brothers and sisters,
I would like to start a new development thread here on JWtalk for Agape-Apps Development.
My name is Jonathan, 60 years old, I was born and raised in the truth, and I live in the Netherlands (Utrecht area). I have been working professionally in software development for many years. I have served in the congregation in different capacities, and over time I noticed how much administrative work is involved in planning and coordination.
I genuinely appreciate what has already been built in this field over the years. Many brothers have invested an enormous amount of time, skill, and dedication into developing tools that have helped congregations worldwide. That work deserves respect. At the same time, the technological landscape is changing rapidly. Supporting modern mobile devices, multiple operating systems, and continuous online synchronization introduces new challenges — especially in areas such as:
device security
authentication methods
encrypted communication
version compatibility
long-term maintenance
and secure update distribution
What worked well ten years ago in a primarily desktop-based environment becomes more complex when you expand to:
iOS and Android devices
cross-platform synchronization
offline-first mobile apps
automatic background updates
and varying security models per operating system
Mobile ecosystems evolve constantly. Security policies change. Operating systems introduce new restrictions and new requirements. App stores enforce different compliance rules. That doesn’t make older systems “wrong” — it simply means the environment has changed. Part of what motivates this development is exploring how to design an architecture that is sustainable and secure in this new multi-device reality, while still remaining simple for congregation use.
For the development of the app, I am using a “build-in-public” approach.
This means I will share weekly YouTube development updates — both on social media and here on the forum — where I transparently explain:
progress
design decisions
functional architecture
and technical implementation
Because development is shared openly, feedback can be incorporated step by step instead of waiting until everything is finished. That way, the application can grow in the right direction from the very beginning — shaped by real-world use, practical needs, and the collective experience of the community.
At the moment, I am still a one-man army. But I sincerely hope this can become something collaborative — where brothers and sisters contribute ideas, insights, testing feedback, and perhaps even technical input.
It is certainly an exciting time. I look forward to constructive discussion and thoughtful feedback.
Agape,
Jonathan