Community. Communication.

What do these two words have in common?

Commune

Communing with one another is the basis for why a church website matters at all, but especially to millennials too. Let’s look at the definition of commune:

Commune (verb) – (1) to share one’s thoughts or feelings with (someone), especially on a spiritual level

(2) feel in close spiritual contact with

Community and communication create CONNECTION.

A website is a means to two ends and in my opinion, is much needed.

Why would your church not need a church website? Aren’t you trying to connect through building community and by communicating the Gospel and about your church to the public?

You might say, “well, we are doing that already and do not need to be online” or “we have a church website but do not know what we are doing…it’s defeating the purpose.” That’s why I am here to help. I am here to convince you to create a church website and show you what that looks like.

I am also here to tell you that a church website in TODAY’s world is vital. The vast majority of the population is online. How much more people could you reach for the glory of God by having online presence? MUCH. MUCH. MORE.

3 Reasons to Convince You to Create a Church Website

  1. Online Presence
  2. Community
  3. Reference

Online Presence

Numerous people from all backgrounds can be reached if online presence is done the right way.

Having an online presence might not be the focus of your church’s website, but if your church takes this into consideration, the website can be an extension or a tool of being a light within this dark world.

A church website can create a welcoming environment before someone visits the church.

Welcoming online presence looks like this:

    • User friendliness
    • Promotion of core values and beliefs in a joyful way
    • Celebration of people and their lives outside and inside the church as one body
    • Consistent content that is updated regularly
    • Clean and clear church branding with visible mission (you want people to recognize your church and who it is)
    • Easy access to online sermons, information, and contacts

A local church’s pastor, Dr. Rev. Alec Flynt, made a statement about the vision of his church, Covenant Presbyterian Church, that really stood out to many people within the church’s community.

He said that he has a vision for his church to be this “1000 pound Gospel-proclaiming gorilla in the midst of this city.” This is not only physically in the community but also translates to the online presence and community of the church by means of a website. He continued to talk about how for the next 100 years, he believes and prays that his church will still be flourishing and growing together. He said the church should be a 1000 pound Gospel-proclaiming gorilla amidst the city of Mobile that is not going to budge and will stand firm with Christ as its solid foundation.

Your church can do the same. It can be a 1000 pound Gospel-proclaiming gorilla in the midst of your community physically and online. Your church’s online presence can make more of a difference than you might believe. It is part of your church just in a different form.

Community

Community can be created through a church website.\

Connection is the key.

A church website can be the bridge that fills the gaps between the church body attending church, ministries of the church, and life at home.

Incorporating social media on your church website helps build more traction for creating community. A church website is basically like home plate and your church’s social media accounts are the other bases. All of the social media accounts are channels that can lead someone to your website. For those who have social media, a church website is incredibly helpful to find the church’s social media online as well as providing a means to share information about the church via social media and further spreading the word. Tagging your church’s social media accounts to a website gives more traction for building community.

On the flip-side, for those that do not have social media and need to find out information or get in contact with someone, a church website is still helpful because people can look it up online without interacting through social media.

Once people see information about the church either on the website or through social media about the what is on the website, more community is created and there becomes a stronger connection among the culture we live in today.

Reference

Reference is another important reason why a church website is imperative for a church and among a culture that is constantly online.

A church website gives a place for people to find:

    • Church staff contact information
    • Member contact information
    • Location
    • Event times and places
    • Service information
    • Small group/Bible study information
    • Youth group information
    • Online sermons
    • Livestreams
    • Podcasts
    • Devotions

The list goes on.

You can’t really do this effectively and organize it well on social media.

Conclusion

Are you still debating on whether or not you should create a church website? Honestly, I would recommend you do so no matter what. Online presence, community, and reference are three very important aspects that will greatly help your church both in the short-run and long-run. Size of your church can definitely be a variable that causes you to not create a website. However, a church website is a helpful tool for your congregation, and it allows your church to be a light in the darkness online while making connections with others.