VICILOOK’S DIGITAL CHURCH DIRECTORY AND LECTIONARY

(DICDAL 1.0)

 

DICDAL 1.0 by Vicilook: A Comprehensive Digital Ecosystem & Tool for The Digital Era Church 

 

Vicilook’s DICDAL is one of our most interesting technological innovations, which was built to replace the physical booklet known as the Church Directory and Lectionary, which is a property of Churches or Faith based Institutions or Organizations, that contains all the permitted details of all their verified ordained Priests and workers in a given Diocese or Church venue, as well as all the Churches or Parishes under that given Diocese and also all the Institutions belonging to that same Diocese.

 

 

DICDAL 1.0  was officially launched in September, 2022 and was first introduced to The Nnewi Diocese Of The Anglican Communion under the leadership of His Lordship, Bishop Ndubuisi Obi., (Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, Anglican Communion, Church of Nigeria).

( L-R,  Bishop Ndubuisi Obi, Bishop of Nnewi Diocese Of The Anglican Communion and Dickson Cliff Okechukwu, Founder & CEO of Vicilook, pose for a photo in the Bishop’s Office, both displaying the first ever DICDAL banner belonging to the Nnewi Diocese of the Anglican Communion )

 

 

The 22 Core Features of DICDAL 1.0

As of July 2025, the digital landscape in Nigeria has matured, demanding more than just a basic online presence. Vicilook's DICDAL 1.0 platform rises to this challenge, presenting a holistic digital ecosystem and a comprehensive tool designed for the unique needs of religious organisations. It moves far beyond a simple directory, offering a suite of interconnected tools that foster trust, empower leaders, engage communities, and streamline administration. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of its 22 core features.

  1. Serves as an authentic, verified, and church-controlled source of information for all Priests, Churches, and Institutions.

  2. Enhanced Search Engine Visibility (SEO).

  3. Official Church History & Narrative Control.

  4. Acts as a public digital tool to verify the authenticity of priests, helping to reduce scams and online fraud.

  5. Offers international foundations a verified directory of Churches and Priests for support and charity programs.

  6. Priests can document their life story as a Missionary, just as in the Acts of The Apostles in the Bible, which can be referenced while they are living or posthumously.

  7. Gives Priests the ability to publish, broadcast, and monetize their own media content, such as books and audio messages.

  8. Features a ‘Support Me’ button on each Priest’s profile for direct financial contributions from anywhere in the world.

  9. Serves as a memorabilia for the priests and churches.

  10. Enables anyone globally to find, connect with, and support Churches and Institutions with offerings, tithes, or donations.

  11. Keeps church members informed about current priest postings and important details of individual churches.

  12. Allows for quick access to information by scanning a QR Code or entering a ViciLink.

  13. Integrated Event Calendar & RSVP Management for all parish and diocesan events.

  14. Parish Groups & Service Unit Coordination to manage members, updates, and activities.

  15. Interactive Lectionary & Sermon Notes, allowing users to read full texts and save personal notes.

  16. All-in-One Digital Hub with Customization.

  17. Cost-Effective Parish Website Alternative.

  18. Secure Report Submission.

  19. Pastoral Care Request System for members to privately request visits, blessings, or counselling.

  20. Allows for data-driven advertising of church events and projects, with the ability to track reach and engagement.

  21. Helps the church save money on print materials and reduces its environmental carbon footprint.

  22. Offline Mode & Data-Lite Version.

 

 

1. AUTHENTIC, VERIFIED, AND CHURCH-CONTROLLED SOURCE OF INFORMATION:

At its foundation, DICDAL serves as the single source of truth. All information about priests, parishes, and institutions is controlled and verified by the diocesan administration. This eliminates confusion and ensures that members and the public access only official, up-to-date, and authentic information, building a foundation of trust in all other platform features.


2. ENHANCED SEARCH ENGINE VISIBILITY (SEO):

The platform is technically optimized to ensure that profiles of priests and parishes rank highly on search engines like Google. When someone searches for a priest's name or a local church, their official DICDAL page is designed to appear prominently. This makes the church easily discoverable to a global audience, new local residents, and anyone seeking verified information.

 

3. OFFICIAL CHURCH HISTORY & NARRATIVE CONTROL:

This feature empowers each church to become the author of its own story. Parishes can professionally document their history, key milestones, foundational beliefs, and community impact. In an age of digital misinformation, this allows the church to proactively control its public narrative, ensuring that its story is told accurately and authoritatively, rather than being defined by third parties.

 

4. PUBLIC DIGITAL TOOL TO COMBAT FRAUD:

Impersonation and scams are a significant challenge. DICDAL acts as a powerful public utility for verification. Anyone can quickly use the platform to confirm if a person is a genuine, ordained priest of the diocese. This simple act of checking helps protect the public from fraud and preserves the integrity of the church and its clergy.

 

5. VERIFIED DIRECTORY FOR INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT:

Global foundations and charity organisations require stringent verification before providing support. DICDAL offers these bodies a pre-vetted, trustworthy directory of churches and priests. This opens up new opportunities for parishes to receive international grants and support for their missionary work and community projects, as funders can operate with confidence.

 

6. PRIEST'S LEGACY & MISSIONARY DOCUMENTATION:

Inspired by the Acts of The Apostles, this feature allows priests to document their life's work, sermons, missionary journeys, and pastoral experiences. This creates a living digital autobiography and a rich historical record that can be studied and referenced by researchers, journalists, and future generations, preserving their legacy long after they are gone.

 

7. CONTENT MONETIZATION FOR CLERGY:

Priests are often authors and creators. This feature provides them with a direct channel to publish and sell their media content, such as e-books, written sermons, and audio messages. It empowers them to share their knowledge with a wider audience while creating a personal revenue stream to support their ministry.

 

8. DIRECT GLOBAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR PRIESTS:

A simple ‘Support Me’ button on every priest’s profile enables direct financial contributions from anyone, anywhere in the world. Using secure payment gateways that accept multiple currencies, this feature removes geographical barriers, allowing members of the diaspora and well-wishers to directly support a priest’s specific missionary work or personal upkeep.

 

9. DIGITAL MEMORABILIA:

The platform serves as a living archive of memories. Profiles containing photos from key events, records of service, and documented histories become a form of digital memorabilia for both the institution and its priests. It’s a place where the collective memory and journey of the church community are stored and cherished.

 

10. GLOBAL CONNECTION FOR TITHES AND DONATIONS:

For the vast Nigerian diaspora and global Christian community, DICDAL provides a seamless connection to their home parishes. The platform facilitates the secure payment of tithes, offerings, and donations towards specific projects (e.g., building funds, harvest bazaars), ensuring members can participate in the financial life of their church, no matter where they live.

 

11. REAL-TIME INFORMATION ON PRIEST POSTINGS:

Church members can easily find out where their favourite priests are currently posted or which priest is serving in a particular parish. This simple but vital feature keeps the congregation connected and informed about the movements and roles of their spiritual leaders within the diocese.

 

12. INSTANT ACCESS VIA QR CODE & VICILINKS :

Bridging the physical and digital worlds, unique QR codes and short ViciLinks can be placed on church bulletins, banners, and letterheads. A quick scan or click with a smartphone instantly directs users to the relevant church or priest’s page, providing immediate access to information without cumbersome searching.

 

13. INTEGRATED EVENT CALENDAR & RSVP MANAGEMENT:

This transforms event planning from static announcements to dynamic engagement. Parishes can manage a full calendar of events, from weekly services to special programs. Members can see details, add events to their personal phone calendars, and RSVP. This provides organisers with accurate headcounts for better logistical planning.

 

14. PARISH GROUPS & SERVICE UNIT COORDINATION:

The church is built on small groups. This feature provides a dedicated digital space for the Men's Fellowship, Women's Guild, Youth Wing, Choir, and other service units. Leaders can manage members, send targeted announcements, share meeting notes, and coordinate activities, making the app an essential tool for the church's internal organisation.

 

15. INTERACTIVE LECTIONARY & SERMON NOTES:

The weekly lectionary becomes an interactive tool for spiritual growth. Users can tap a Bible reference to read the full passage, listen to an audio recording of the sermon, and type private notes during the service. This deepens personal study and engagement with the Word.

 

16. ALL-IN-ONE DIGITAL HUB WITH CUSTOMIZATION:

DICDAL is not a one-size-fits-all product. It serves as a comprehensive digital hub that can be expanded with tailor-made tools developed specifically for a parish or diocese's unique needs. This ensures the platform can evolve to meet new challenges, functioning as a true digital partner.

 

17. COST-EFFECTIVE PARISH WEBSITE ALTERNATIVE:

For many parishes, building and maintaining a professional website is prohibitively expensive. A DICDAL page provides a powerful, secure, and feature-rich digital presence for a fraction of the cost. It gives every church branch, no matter how small, a robust online home.

 

18. SECURE REPORT SUBMISSION:

This feature digitises and streamlines a critical administrative task. Priests can securely submit their monthly or annual reports directly to the diocesan headquarters through their verified portal. This eliminates paperwork, saves time, and creates an organised digital archive of all parish reports.

 

19. PASTORAL CARE REQUEST SYSTEM:

Members can use a private, discreet form within the app to request pastoral care, such as hospital or home visits, counselling, or special prayers. This ensures that requests for spiritual support are received directly and confidentially by the priest, who can then manage and schedule their pastoral duties more effectively.

 

20. DATA-DRIVEN EVENT ADVERTISING:

When promoting major events like a diocesan synod or a fundraising dinner, the platform provides analytical tools. Organisers can track how many people have viewed the advert and engaged with it, providing valuable data to guide planning, logistics, and outreach efforts for maximum impact.

 

21. ENVIRONMENTAL & FINANCIAL SAVINGS:

By moving directories, reports, and announcements to a digital platform, the church significantly reduces its reliance on printed materials. This leads to substantial financial savings on printing costs and demonstrates responsible stewardship of the environment by reducing the church's carbon footprint.

 

22. OFFLINE MODE & DATA-LITE VERSION:

Crucially designed for the Nigerian context, this feature addresses the challenges of high data costs and unreliable internet. Users can download key information like the weekly lectionary, priest contacts, and event calendars for offline access. A "data-lite" mode ensures the app remains fast and functional even on weak network connections, promoting inclusivity for all members.

 

 

To see a sample of churches that are currently using this technology, here is the Nnewi Diocese of the Anglican Communion which adopted it on November, 2022, do click HERE to see their Priests and click  HERE to see their Parishes & Institutions.

 

 

Send us an official mail with your Church or Diocese Letterhead, to dicdal@vicilook.com, if you would love your Diocese or Church to benefit from this transformative and developmental innovation.

 

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