Technology

Swiss non-profit tackles a common church problem: Scripture memorization that fizzles out

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New group feature in Remember Me app lets congregations memorize together — and see if anyone’s actually doing it

ZURICH — Anyone who has tried to lead a congregation through a Scripture memorization program knows the pattern: enthusiastic sign-ups in week one, scattered participation by week three, and awkward silence when the pastor asks how it’s going.

Poimena, a Swiss non-profit, is attempting to address this with version 6.8 of Remember Me, a Bible memorization app that has accumulated over two million downloads since its launch. The update introduces what the organization calls “campaigns” — a system that lets church leaders, small group facilitators, or parents publish verse collections that others can subscribe to, with aggregate progress visible to anyone.

The approach threads a needle between accountability and privacy. The metrics page shows group-level statistics — how many subscribers have started, completion percentages, which verses are proving difficult — but no individual performance data is exposed. A youth pastor knows whether the group is on track; a teenager’s struggles remain their own.

campaign dashboard Swiss non-profit tackles a common church problem: Scripture memorization that fizzles outThe Retention Problem

Bible memorization apps are not new, but most focus on the initial learning phase. Remember Me has built its following around a different emphasis: preventing forgotten verses. The app uses spaced repetition, combining graduated-interval recall from linguist Paul Pimsleur’s language courses with the ’learning box’ method published by German science journalist Sebastian Leitner. Fail a review, and the verse resets to more frequent practice.

Users see their verses categorized as NEW, DUE, or KNOWN — a simple dashboard that answers the question most memorizers eventually ask: “Am I actually retaining any of this?”

The group campaigns extend this logic. When a leader adds new verses or corrects a typo, subscribers receive the update automatically while keeping their personal progress intact.

A Multilingual User Base

The app’s reach extends beyond English-speaking churches. It supports 44 languages, with features like audio playback and typing practice functional in each. Users memorize in Greek and Hebrew originals, in minority languages like Telugu and Swahili, and in the language of their missionary context. It even serves across denominational lines, respecting Protestant, Catholic, Lutheran, and Orthodox canonical book orderings — a quiet ecumenism in a memorization app.

The Open-Source Angle

Unlike most apps in the category, Remember Me operates without advertisements, premium tiers, or user data collection. The code is MIT-licensed and available on GitLab, a transparency measure that the organization says reflects its non-profit mission.

The app runs on Android, iOS, web browsers, and desktop systems (macOS and Windows), with progress syncing across devices. An offline-first architecture means the mobile apps function without internet access — relevant for users in areas with unreliable connectivity.

Availability

Remember Me 6.8 is available now on Google Play, the Apple App Store, and at web.remem.me. The campaigns feature documentation is at remem.me/docs/guides/campaigns.

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About Poimena: A Switzerland-based non-profit providing free resources for spiritual growth. More at remem.me.

Contact:
Rev. Peter Schafflutzel
Poimena
[email protected]

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RNS or Religion News Foundation.