You probably know by now that you absolutely, without a doubt, hands down, need a church website. One that is easy to navigate and has great content. And images. And videos. And easy-to-find contact information.
If you already have all that, then you are well on your way to not only having a good website, but a fantastic one! You should skip this blog post and take yourself out for a coffee! If you're completely content with your fantastic website, that's totally fine. But if you want to kick things up a notch, and take your church website to the next level, you should probably keep reading and include these five church website pages that you most likely don't already have.
1. Church Wins
Does your church have some great things happening? Does it get involved in the community? Has it reached certain fundraising goals?
If so, having a Church Wins page is a great way to celebrate goals that have been achieved and ways it has given back to the community. If you have some super awesome church members that you would like to recognize, featuring them on this webpage is a great way to do it. Maybe one of them has written their first book or competed in their first marathon - whatever the case may be, a Church Wins page can be a fun and exciting way to get the word out about all the great things happening in your church.
You don't have to call it "Church Wins" unless you want to. For your congregation, "Church Stories" or "[Church Name] in the Community" or something like that would be more appropriate. The idea is to tell the stories of what great work your church is doing—no matter how you name it.
2. Pastor’s Blog
The Pastor's Blog website page could have a welcome video that introduces visitors to the church. It's also a great place for your pastor to post letters, notes, and important updates. Other types of content this page might contain include:
- Sermons that get turned into blog posts.
- A recorded conversation with your pastor that gets written as a blog post.
- A Q&A style interview with your pastor.
- A few extra nuggets that weren't included in the weekly sermon.
If your pastor is a bit overwhelmed by the thought of writing blog posts, you can let them know it's okay for it to be short, like less than 300 words. The Pastor's Blog is also a great way to connect with church members and serves as a way to reach potential visitors.
3. Church Blog
Your church could also have its own Church Blog webpage. This would be a good place to keep conversations going through the week. The Church Blog page could also be a way for other members of the leadership team to write up their own posts. Or, maybe you have a few church members who have experience blogging and you want to post blogs from a church member's perspective.
Other reasons you should consider having a Church Blog website page include:
- Your church wants to have an online journal.
- You have bloggers who can write in an engaging way.
- You want to reach out to younger people.
Pro Tip: Not all lessons have to be learned the hard way. Click here to learn more about mistakes to avoid on your church blog.
4. What to Expect
Many churches have a What to Expect website page, but they don't cover the right information. Here are some suggestions of things you should include on this page:
- Where to park.
- What to wear.
- A photo of what your congregation looks like.
- Directions to your church.
- How long the average service lasts.
- Style of worship.
- What's in it for the kids.
- List anything that could be a “barrier to entry” for a new guest.
You could also include links to your church's beliefs and core values, along with a link to your contact page in case they have any questions.
If your church goes out of its way to be welcoming, chances are you will get visitors. Before attending a service for the first time, many visitors will check out the church's website. This What to Expect page will give all the information necessary for someone who has never been to your church before.
5. How to Have Difficult Conversations
We understand that some topics are pretty complex to discuss among the church. Given the current climate, some conversations can be polarizing.
Even though it would seem Christians would be on the same page when it comes to politics, social issues, and other topics of interest, this is not always the case. By having a How to Have Difficult Conversations website page, your church will be able to offer valuable ways on how to have open, safe conversations with members about these kinds of subjects. Some things you may want to discuss on this page include:
- The importance of praying before having the conversation.
- Not attacking the other person for their beliefs and/or opinion.
- Not assuming what the other person's motivation is.
- How to listen before giving an answer.
- The importance of forgiveness.
- What the Bible says about overcoming evil with good.
Another great way to encourage your members to have difficult conversations is to find common ground on which to connect with one other instead of focusing on each other's differences.
