Ekklesia 360

Church services are a great place for people to learn more about God, grow in their relationship with Him, and connect with other believers. It’s an opportunity to spend time with family and friends and check in with others. The week seems to start a little better when it’s initiated with church because we’ve had the chance to recalibrate, connect, and hear from God.  

But oftentimes, church is where people begin, but it’s also where they end their weekly connection with God. They attend for a couple hours on a Sunday, then go about their week for the other six days, often not engaging at all with the Bible or other believers.  

So how can you spark engagement and encourage your congregation to get more involved? Utilizing your church website is one step. Often, attendees will hear about an event or ministry through church announcements or the weekly bulletin, but they’ll go online to learn more. With that in mind, your website is a powerful tool in increasing church involvement.  

Try incorporating the following pages on your site to encourage even more people to get plugged in, even outside of Sunday services.  

Next Steps  

Your site should include a next steps page or section that directs people in the process of how to get involved. Incorporate any membership classes, small group opportunities, and maybe even discipleship content, like growth classes. If people show up on Sunday but don’t know about any other opportunities or the steps to take to get there, they’ll probably only continue to attend on Sundays and not get engaged any further. 

To make it even easier, include registration forms right there, so people can sign up for the next class. Through your Church Management System, you’ll be able to track who has attended which classes or ministries and then follow up with them about what to do after that. 

Events 

Update your congregation through your website with any upcoming events. Include the necessary content like when and where the event will take place. You can also provide a form for registration and track how many people plan on attending. Hosting events is a good way for people to stay connected and get more involved. Host a variety of events for all different types of people and age groups. Sometimes, even having events for the kids will help get the parents more involved, which in turn encourages the whole family to not only continue coming on Sundays but to get plugged in during the week as well.  

Ministries  

Equip your members to serve the community and/or volunteer in a ministry. Not only will this give them something impactful to do, but it will also get them connected to other leaders, volunteers, and community members. Offering members a place to serve others and get connected can help get them get plugged in and invested in what your church is doing to serve God and the community. They’ll no longer be “Sunday sitters,” but actively engaged church members who are making a difference for the Kingdom of God. 

Giving  

It may seem a little odd to link giving with church involvement, but often when people are plugged in, they’re more likely to give, and when people are investing in the church, it's more probable that they will volunteer and/or attend mid-week ministries and events. 

Your congregation will have the opportunity to donate online via your website, through text, or kiosks. On your giving page, highlight the reason why God calls His Church to give and maybe even provide some information about where their money will be going through specific campaigns. Have a clear call to action with an obvious link or button where they can give online to make it even easier.