A Church Smartphone Accountability Program
Enlarged July 23, 2025 (first published February 18,2020)
David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061
866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org
866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org
The church can and should oversee God’s people who want to do right. It can’t help rebels, except for preaching and personal exhortation and prayer, but for those who love the Lord and are wise and want help to stay safe, the church should be intimately involved in their lives. God’s Word commands this.
“Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28).
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Ga. 6:1-2).
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”(Heb. 3:12-13).
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (Jas. 5:16).
Some years ago, our church started an internet accountability program for our male church members. At the time, we did not know of such a plan and we did not know of a church that was pursuing such a thing, but we knew that our men needed help and we prayed for wisdom in how to proceed.
In our smartphone oversight program, spiritually mature men who understand the technology are assigned to oversee the phones of other men who sign up for the program. Each participant is assigned to one of the overseers. The overseer is to have all passwords and be allowed complete access to the phones, laptops, etc. He can ask to see the devices any time.
One of the benefits of this program is that it keeps the issue of internet danger before the church, and keeps the church informed and communicating about this. It is no longer “the elephant in the room.” It is no longer something that is ignored. It is something that is out in the open in the church family.
An accountability ministry is a “one another” ministry. It is a discipling ministry.
The Christian life is not a solitary life lived for self. It is a family life lived with others and for others. The church is not merely a group of individuals; it is a body. I am my brother’s keeper! Consider the Bible’s emphasis on this:
“admonish one another” (Ro. 15:14)
“by love serve one another” (Ga. 5:13)
“bear ye one another’s burdens” (Ga. 6:2)
“forbearing one another, and forgiving one another” (Col. 3:13)
“teaching and admonishing one another” (Col. 3:16)
“edify one another” (1 Th. 5:11)
“consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Heb. 10:24)
“exhort one another” (Heb. 3:13; 10:25)
Paul says it is possible to recover a brother who is overtaken in a fault.
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Ga. 6:1).
Preparation
We spent many weeks in preparation for the oversight program by teaching in the weekly men’s meeting on surrender, holy living, seeking God’s will, being transformed by the renewing of the mind by God’s Word, controlling the emotions, and the importance of separation from evil, all with a strong application to internet dangers. The studies were similar to the things we teach in this course The Pornographic Age and Victory in Christ.
Another thing we emphasized is the blessing of God’s will. See, for example, Ps. 16:11; 37:4, 10; Joh. 10:10; 1 Ti. 6:17; Jas. 1:17. A holy life as a pilgrim believer is a blessing-filled life. Within the protective boundaries of God’s will are massive blessings. There is liberty to do anything that is good, and that is a very long list!
The program must be explained carefully to the church and discussed and fine-tuned according to the feedback. Emphasize that the purpose is for protection, not control. The adult participants must not be treated like children or like they are in a prison. The overseers of the accountability program are not prison guards, they are friends in Christ. Both parties (overseer and participants) need to keep the communications private. If an issue comes up that would require church discipline, the matter must be shared only with the church leaders.
At the same time, the Bible emphasizes that church members are under the authority and discipline of Christ in the assembly. The old leaven must be continually purged from the body (1 Co. 5:6-8). A member can choose not to be a part of our internet supervision program, but if it is found that he is living in adultery and not in spiritual victory, as defined by Christ in Matthew 5:28, he becomes a candidate for discipline. “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat” (1 Co. 5:11).
Overseers
Overseers are selected on the basis of how many members sign up for oversight. Ideally, an overseer should not be responsible for more than three or four people so that he can give proper attention to this business.
The overseers should be chosen and assigned with wisdom. They must be spiritually mature and wise enough to shepherd the individuals under their care, and they must know enough about technology to be an effectual overseer. They must know how to check for new apps, browser histories, etc.
They must have knowledge of protection tools such as AppLock (an Android app that can be used to control select apps), web browser filters (e.g. CleanInternet), Covenant Eyes, and parental control software (e.g., Qustodio, Norton Online Family, Family Shield OpenDNS, Family Pro Shield).
The major spiritual qualifications of an overseer in this program are found in Romans 15:14, “ And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” Here we see two things that are necessary for the effectual function of admonishing others. First, there must be goodness, which refers to a good Christian character and testimony. Second, there must be knowledge, which refers to knowledge of God’s Word and God’s will. If an individual lacks goodness, lacks a good testimony, he can’t effectively admonish others because they won’t take him seriously. If he lacks Bible knowledge he will not have the wisdom to disciple someone else.
Participants
The individual who joins the program promises not to hide anything and to avoid visiting wrong sites or looking at wrong things. He agrees to obey God’s command to set no wicked thing before his eyes (Ps. 101:3), to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:11), and to avoid evil communications (1 Co. 15:33).
He agrees that the overseer will have access to all areas of his phone, tablet, laptop, etc.
He agrees not to delete the history of internet use, such as browsing history. He agrees not to use browsers such as Tor or Epic or SRWare Iron that do not leave a history and agrees not to use private modes in browsers (such as Chrome’s incognito mode) that do not leave a history. (Tellingly, these are unofficially called “porn modes.”) He agrees not to use secret IDs to log in to YouTube, etc., that are kept from his overseer. There should be no deleting of photos and videos and music except when they were received as unwelcome intrusions, such as things sent by someone via text or WhatsApp. In other words, the deletions should not be for the purpose of hiding sin. When using the YouTube app, he/she will log in so that a history is maintained.
The participants should be categorized by age and situation and treated accordingly. For example, married people cannot be treated the same as single ones. Married people should have more privacy. For example, married people’s communication with their spouses should be strictly private, but single people should not have intimate communication with members of the opposite sex other than close relatives. In fact, every person in the program must be treated as an individual.
The program
The overseer starts the program by meeting with each individual under his care to develop a plan for how he is going to supervise that individual. The overseer must be firm and protecting but not overly forceful. If he forces the individual to do something against his will, it won’t work, because there are endless ways to get around supervision. From beginning to end, the program must be free will. In general, the overseer talks with the individual to find out how he is currently using his phone and other devices, in what legitimate and good ways, and tries to work out a plan so that the individual can use his devices for good but not for sin. Following are some of the things that should be done in the first meeting:
- At the very beginning, the individual must agree to keep everything open, to have no secrets on his devices, to not delete things in order to hide wrongdoing, to allow the overseer to check his phone at any time, and to communicate with the overseer to seek help if he is experiencing problems.
- Find out all of the ways the individual currently uses his phone and/or other devices.
- Ask if the individual has experienced any special temptations pertaining to the use of his devices.
- Thoroughly examine the individual’s phone and other devices. First check overall usage for last ten days. (On an iPhone, screen time can be checked easily by going to Settings >> Battery >> “Last 10 Days.”) Then look at every app and find out its function and how the individual uses it.
- Decide on a plan: What apps will be kept? How will they be used? Will something like Covenant Eyes be installed? Will a browser filter be installed? Some individuals should have no use of a web browser, for example, while others should have access to it. The overseer can recommend using the aforementioned protection tools for controlling and filtering.
- Pray together about the program and ask for God’s help.
The main thing is to treat each participant as an individual and have good communication and rapport with that individual. The individual’s age, spiritual maturity, and background must be taken into consideration. If an individual has had problems with pornography in the past, for example, he should desire and should be given closer supervision.
The overseer commits to be mindful of the men under his care, to pray for them, and to be observant of them.
- He will meet each individual under his care at various times (irregular and unexpected, ideally). He must meet face to face and not by text or social media, etc. He will do the following things:
- Inquire about the individual’s situation and how he is doing with the Lord. Inquire about Bible study and prayer. Perhaps ask how much time they spent in that this week.
- Ask the following questions: Did you use the internet? If so, what did you use it for? Did you have any temptations from the internet and social media? Did you look at any wrong things? Did you listen to any wrong things? Are you allowing the device to rob you of time? How did you spend your leisure time? Did you allow anyone else to use your device? If the answer is yes, find out the details of that. If you think there might be a need, you might also ask if they are using the phone to communicate with unbelievers or members of the opposite sex. If the answer is yes, you should inquire about the nature of that communication.
- Examine the device. Look to see what apps are installed. Check overall smartphone use (or other device) use (e.g., Settings >> Battery >> “Last 10 Days); check histories (browsers, YouTube, photos, calls, etc.). Perhaps look at photos and videos. (This depends on each individual’s situation, as we have discussed.) The overseer doesn’t read the individual’s private communication (e.g., email, SMS, WhatsApp), but he does try to get an idea with whom the individual is communicating.
- The overseer must allow the individual to explain any particular aspect of his devices and internet use that might be questionable and not be hasty to condemn.
- Pray with the individual.
The overseers give reports to the church leaders so they can be informed about what is happening.
Our church tries to help every member, depending on his or her situation. For example, a young man recently graduated from high school and is seeking a job while he continues his studies. His father is not saved and works overseas. He is pressuring his son to get a job and doesn’t care, of course, how it affects his spiritual life, but the young man wants a job that won’t interfere with church or his life with Christ in general. He found a job delivering food (similar to Uber Eats or Doordash) that will allow him to control his schedule, but the job requires a smartphone. He approached us for help. One of our men set up a program for him whereby he will be under that man’s supervision. The man said, “I put AppLock on the phone and locked all the apps except the ones he needed.” This young man is walking in wisdom and protection, and if he continues to do this he will have victory and will remain in the center of God’s will.
A Weekly Sharing Meeting
Cornerstone Baptist Church in Chicago has a men’s sharing meeting after the Sunday evening service that is focused on moral purity. The purpose is to draw the men close to one another as brethren in order to help one another have victory in Christ. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Ga. 6:1-2).
The pastor encourages openness. He instructs the men to keep the testimonies and conversations private to facilitate openness.
The Attitude
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of the right attitude on the part of the church leaders and the overseers of this program. If the participants feel that they are being treated with true Christian love, kindness, patience, mercy, and wisdom, if they feel that the overseers are truly wanting to help and protect them and not to dominate them, they will benefit from the program and will want to continue to participate in it. Otherwise, it will be a short-lived thing.
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2).
Feedback and Adjustment
For this type of program to work, there must be good feedback and adjustment. It can’t be set up and forgotten.
As the author of the previously cited Family Phone Agreement observed, “This agreement is a WIP, a work in progress. It will need to be adjusted as time goes on.”
Each church in each place and time is different, and a program like this must be well adapted to the church’s particular situation.
What devices are being used? What are the most popular apps, internet sites, social media, etc., in that place? What are the main ways that young people in that place are using technology? Are the men happy with the program? Do they want to continue? Do they have suggestions for improvement?
Plus the technology is constantly changing and God’s people must be aware of what is happening and be in control of the technology rather than allowing the technology to control them.
The Cord App
The Cord app is a tool to help protect their men (young and old) from the moral dangers of the internet and social media. It is designed to connect three men in a partnership to help one another stay pure. It is based on the truth of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
I recently learned of this app from Pastor Courtney Lewis of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Chicago. He has had an accountability program among his men for two or three years that has had good fruit, and he is happy with this app. He told me that it has taken their partnership program to a higher level.
It was developed under the direction of Ryan Swanson who ministers in music and youth at Fellowship Baptist Church of Taylors, South Carolina. According to his online testimony, he was addicted to porn for 12 years before his marriage and he is passionate about helping other men. I don’t know anything else about the app developers and cannot give any further recommendation of that ministry, but we are glad to see every effort to combat this wickedness.
https://www.thecord.app
While we see value in this app, we would also warn that the app requires that young men, even teens, own a smartphone in order to be in the program. In our church, we strongly discourage teens to have smart phones and to have any access to the internet from any device without adult supervision. That might sound extremely strict to this smartphone generation, but God’s standard is “touch not the unclean thing” and “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” (2 Co. 6:17; Eph. 5:11), which is a very strict standard. Cord App or no Cord app, we believe that smartphones in the hands of teens is a recipe for spiritual and moral disaster. If we do use Cord App, we will use it with the older single young men and married men.
“Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28).
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Ga. 6:1-2).
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”(Heb. 3:12-13).
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (Jas. 5:16).
Some years ago, our church started an internet accountability program for our male church members. At the time, we did not know of such a plan and we did not know of a church that was pursuing such a thing, but we knew that our men needed help and we prayed for wisdom in how to proceed.
In our smartphone oversight program, spiritually mature men who understand the technology are assigned to oversee the phones of other men who sign up for the program. Each participant is assigned to one of the overseers. The overseer is to have all passwords and be allowed complete access to the phones, laptops, etc. He can ask to see the devices any time.
One of the benefits of this program is that it keeps the issue of internet danger before the church, and keeps the church informed and communicating about this. It is no longer “the elephant in the room.” It is no longer something that is ignored. It is something that is out in the open in the church family.
An accountability ministry is a “one another” ministry. It is a discipling ministry.
The Christian life is not a solitary life lived for self. It is a family life lived with others and for others. The church is not merely a group of individuals; it is a body. I am my brother’s keeper! Consider the Bible’s emphasis on this:
“admonish one another” (Ro. 15:14)
“by love serve one another” (Ga. 5:13)
“bear ye one another’s burdens” (Ga. 6:2)
“forbearing one another, and forgiving one another” (Col. 3:13)
“teaching and admonishing one another” (Col. 3:16)
“edify one another” (1 Th. 5:11)
“consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Heb. 10:24)
“exhort one another” (Heb. 3:13; 10:25)
Paul says it is possible to recover a brother who is overtaken in a fault.
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Ga. 6:1).
Preparation
We spent many weeks in preparation for the oversight program by teaching in the weekly men’s meeting on surrender, holy living, seeking God’s will, being transformed by the renewing of the mind by God’s Word, controlling the emotions, and the importance of separation from evil, all with a strong application to internet dangers. The studies were similar to the things we teach in this course The Pornographic Age and Victory in Christ.
Another thing we emphasized is the blessing of God’s will. See, for example, Ps. 16:11; 37:4, 10; Joh. 10:10; 1 Ti. 6:17; Jas. 1:17. A holy life as a pilgrim believer is a blessing-filled life. Within the protective boundaries of God’s will are massive blessings. There is liberty to do anything that is good, and that is a very long list!
The program must be explained carefully to the church and discussed and fine-tuned according to the feedback. Emphasize that the purpose is for protection, not control. The adult participants must not be treated like children or like they are in a prison. The overseers of the accountability program are not prison guards, they are friends in Christ. Both parties (overseer and participants) need to keep the communications private. If an issue comes up that would require church discipline, the matter must be shared only with the church leaders.
At the same time, the Bible emphasizes that church members are under the authority and discipline of Christ in the assembly. The old leaven must be continually purged from the body (1 Co. 5:6-8). A member can choose not to be a part of our internet supervision program, but if it is found that he is living in adultery and not in spiritual victory, as defined by Christ in Matthew 5:28, he becomes a candidate for discipline. “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat” (1 Co. 5:11).
Overseers
Overseers are selected on the basis of how many members sign up for oversight. Ideally, an overseer should not be responsible for more than three or four people so that he can give proper attention to this business.
The overseers should be chosen and assigned with wisdom. They must be spiritually mature and wise enough to shepherd the individuals under their care, and they must know enough about technology to be an effectual overseer. They must know how to check for new apps, browser histories, etc.
They must have knowledge of protection tools such as AppLock (an Android app that can be used to control select apps), web browser filters (e.g. CleanInternet), Covenant Eyes, and parental control software (e.g., Qustodio, Norton Online Family, Family Shield OpenDNS, Family Pro Shield).
The major spiritual qualifications of an overseer in this program are found in Romans 15:14, “ And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” Here we see two things that are necessary for the effectual function of admonishing others. First, there must be goodness, which refers to a good Christian character and testimony. Second, there must be knowledge, which refers to knowledge of God’s Word and God’s will. If an individual lacks goodness, lacks a good testimony, he can’t effectively admonish others because they won’t take him seriously. If he lacks Bible knowledge he will not have the wisdom to disciple someone else.
Participants
The individual who joins the program promises not to hide anything and to avoid visiting wrong sites or looking at wrong things. He agrees to obey God’s command to set no wicked thing before his eyes (Ps. 101:3), to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:11), and to avoid evil communications (1 Co. 15:33).
He agrees that the overseer will have access to all areas of his phone, tablet, laptop, etc.
He agrees not to delete the history of internet use, such as browsing history. He agrees not to use browsers such as Tor or Epic or SRWare Iron that do not leave a history and agrees not to use private modes in browsers (such as Chrome’s incognito mode) that do not leave a history. (Tellingly, these are unofficially called “porn modes.”) He agrees not to use secret IDs to log in to YouTube, etc., that are kept from his overseer. There should be no deleting of photos and videos and music except when they were received as unwelcome intrusions, such as things sent by someone via text or WhatsApp. In other words, the deletions should not be for the purpose of hiding sin. When using the YouTube app, he/she will log in so that a history is maintained.
The participants should be categorized by age and situation and treated accordingly. For example, married people cannot be treated the same as single ones. Married people should have more privacy. For example, married people’s communication with their spouses should be strictly private, but single people should not have intimate communication with members of the opposite sex other than close relatives. In fact, every person in the program must be treated as an individual.
The program
The overseer starts the program by meeting with each individual under his care to develop a plan for how he is going to supervise that individual. The overseer must be firm and protecting but not overly forceful. If he forces the individual to do something against his will, it won’t work, because there are endless ways to get around supervision. From beginning to end, the program must be free will. In general, the overseer talks with the individual to find out how he is currently using his phone and other devices, in what legitimate and good ways, and tries to work out a plan so that the individual can use his devices for good but not for sin. Following are some of the things that should be done in the first meeting:
- At the very beginning, the individual must agree to keep everything open, to have no secrets on his devices, to not delete things in order to hide wrongdoing, to allow the overseer to check his phone at any time, and to communicate with the overseer to seek help if he is experiencing problems.
- Find out all of the ways the individual currently uses his phone and/or other devices.
- Ask if the individual has experienced any special temptations pertaining to the use of his devices.
- Thoroughly examine the individual’s phone and other devices. First check overall usage for last ten days. (On an iPhone, screen time can be checked easily by going to Settings >> Battery >> “Last 10 Days.”) Then look at every app and find out its function and how the individual uses it.
- Decide on a plan: What apps will be kept? How will they be used? Will something like Covenant Eyes be installed? Will a browser filter be installed? Some individuals should have no use of a web browser, for example, while others should have access to it. The overseer can recommend using the aforementioned protection tools for controlling and filtering.
- Pray together about the program and ask for God’s help.
The main thing is to treat each participant as an individual and have good communication and rapport with that individual. The individual’s age, spiritual maturity, and background must be taken into consideration. If an individual has had problems with pornography in the past, for example, he should desire and should be given closer supervision.
The overseer commits to be mindful of the men under his care, to pray for them, and to be observant of them.
- He will meet each individual under his care at various times (irregular and unexpected, ideally). He must meet face to face and not by text or social media, etc. He will do the following things:
- Inquire about the individual’s situation and how he is doing with the Lord. Inquire about Bible study and prayer. Perhaps ask how much time they spent in that this week.
- Ask the following questions: Did you use the internet? If so, what did you use it for? Did you have any temptations from the internet and social media? Did you look at any wrong things? Did you listen to any wrong things? Are you allowing the device to rob you of time? How did you spend your leisure time? Did you allow anyone else to use your device? If the answer is yes, find out the details of that. If you think there might be a need, you might also ask if they are using the phone to communicate with unbelievers or members of the opposite sex. If the answer is yes, you should inquire about the nature of that communication.
- Examine the device. Look to see what apps are installed. Check overall smartphone use (or other device) use (e.g., Settings >> Battery >> “Last 10 Days); check histories (browsers, YouTube, photos, calls, etc.). Perhaps look at photos and videos. (This depends on each individual’s situation, as we have discussed.) The overseer doesn’t read the individual’s private communication (e.g., email, SMS, WhatsApp), but he does try to get an idea with whom the individual is communicating.
- The overseer must allow the individual to explain any particular aspect of his devices and internet use that might be questionable and not be hasty to condemn.
- Pray with the individual.
The overseers give reports to the church leaders so they can be informed about what is happening.
Our church tries to help every member, depending on his or her situation. For example, a young man recently graduated from high school and is seeking a job while he continues his studies. His father is not saved and works overseas. He is pressuring his son to get a job and doesn’t care, of course, how it affects his spiritual life, but the young man wants a job that won’t interfere with church or his life with Christ in general. He found a job delivering food (similar to Uber Eats or Doordash) that will allow him to control his schedule, but the job requires a smartphone. He approached us for help. One of our men set up a program for him whereby he will be under that man’s supervision. The man said, “I put AppLock on the phone and locked all the apps except the ones he needed.” This young man is walking in wisdom and protection, and if he continues to do this he will have victory and will remain in the center of God’s will.
A Weekly Sharing Meeting
Cornerstone Baptist Church in Chicago has a men’s sharing meeting after the Sunday evening service that is focused on moral purity. The purpose is to draw the men close to one another as brethren in order to help one another have victory in Christ. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Ga. 6:1-2).
The pastor encourages openness. He instructs the men to keep the testimonies and conversations private to facilitate openness.
The Attitude
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of the right attitude on the part of the church leaders and the overseers of this program. If the participants feel that they are being treated with true Christian love, kindness, patience, mercy, and wisdom, if they feel that the overseers are truly wanting to help and protect them and not to dominate them, they will benefit from the program and will want to continue to participate in it. Otherwise, it will be a short-lived thing.
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2).
Feedback and Adjustment
For this type of program to work, there must be good feedback and adjustment. It can’t be set up and forgotten.
As the author of the previously cited Family Phone Agreement observed, “This agreement is a WIP, a work in progress. It will need to be adjusted as time goes on.”
Each church in each place and time is different, and a program like this must be well adapted to the church’s particular situation.
What devices are being used? What are the most popular apps, internet sites, social media, etc., in that place? What are the main ways that young people in that place are using technology? Are the men happy with the program? Do they want to continue? Do they have suggestions for improvement?
Plus the technology is constantly changing and God’s people must be aware of what is happening and be in control of the technology rather than allowing the technology to control them.
The Cord App
The Cord app is a tool to help protect their men (young and old) from the moral dangers of the internet and social media. It is designed to connect three men in a partnership to help one another stay pure. It is based on the truth of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
I recently learned of this app from Pastor Courtney Lewis of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Chicago. He has had an accountability program among his men for two or three years that has had good fruit, and he is happy with this app. He told me that it has taken their partnership program to a higher level.
It was developed under the direction of Ryan Swanson who ministers in music and youth at Fellowship Baptist Church of Taylors, South Carolina. According to his online testimony, he was addicted to porn for 12 years before his marriage and he is passionate about helping other men. I don’t know anything else about the app developers and cannot give any further recommendation of that ministry, but we are glad to see every effort to combat this wickedness.
https://www.thecord.app
While we see value in this app, we would also warn that the app requires that young men, even teens, own a smartphone in order to be in the program. In our church, we strongly discourage teens to have smart phones and to have any access to the internet from any device without adult supervision. That might sound extremely strict to this smartphone generation, but God’s standard is “touch not the unclean thing” and “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” (2 Co. 6:17; Eph. 5:11), which is a very strict standard. Cord App or no Cord app, we believe that smartphones in the hands of teens is a recipe for spiritual and moral disaster. If we do use Cord App, we will use it with the older single young men and married men.
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