Ekklesia 360

As online ministry has continued to grow and evolve, so has church website design. For years, most churches have treated their websites like digital bulletins with service times and directions to get people to your “real church”. But in the wake of 2020, digital ministry has been forced to bridge the gap for those attending church online from their own homes. If you view your church building as a house of worship for your in-person ministry, you should look at your church website as your house of worship for your online ministry. 

Let’s do a quick exercise to compare how we treat our physical and digital sanctuaries, shall we? Imagine someone coming to your church and the walls are totally blank except for maybe some curtains over the windows. Visitors can’t find which room they go to to drop off the kids because there aren’t any signs posted or they are horribly out of date. As the congregation comes into the sanctuary, all they find is a piece of paper with a Scripture reference and a suggested time to read and talk about it. This is what it’s like when someone comes to a barebones website with old navigation and pages that don’t really communicate valuable information to your visitors. 

To help you make sure that your church website design isn’t falling behind with the times, we’re going to share these top web design trends that give your online parishioners the type of experience that can help them connect and engage more easily.

Top Church Website Design Trends for 2021

1. Dark Mode 

• Gives the user control by allowing them to decide how they view your site or app.  

• Reduces eye strain. 

• Saves battery power. 

• Showcases the design by showing it off in a new light (literally). 

• Check out dark mode on Palmer, a theme by Ekklesia 360.
• Can’t switch between modes? Try giving your site a dark color scheme. This can make the site feel sophisticated. 

• • https://www.twclubbock.com/ 

• • https://palabravivalasvegas.com/ 

2. Chat Features

Chat is a great way to provide extra value to site visitors by getting their questions answered quickly and in a personable way. Chat also gives an added touchpoint for new site visitors. 

1. Wheaton Bible uses the Chat Plugin by Facebook.
2. Mecklenburg Community Church uses Chatroll on their live stream page. With so many of us doing church from home, having a chat feature makes so much sense.  /

3. Organic Shapes

Utilizing organic shapes supplements the overall design without needing photography and brings a liveliness and energy to the page. They can also create the feeling of movement and growth. Check out these great design examples from Sharefaith: 

1. https://www.sharefaith.com/powerpoint/christmas-eve-online-church-powerpoint.html
2. https://www.sharefaith.com/powerpoint/purple-trunk-or-treat-church-powerpoint.html
3. https://www.sharefaith.com/powerpoint/red-see-you-at-the-pole-church-powerpoint.html 

4. Creative Color Palettes 

• A vibrant palette with unexpected combinations gives the site energy and joy. 

• Photography can be downplayed because color is used to grab attention. 

• Color effects mood – so think about what you want people to feel when they visit your church and then find colors that evoke those emotions. 

• • http://colonialheights.org/ - energized, bold and comfortable 

• • https://trinitynola.com/ - feels unexpected, lively, and happy 

• • https://zionchurch.org/   - family friendly and original 

• • http://www.christcommunityfredonia.com/home - exciting and electric 

• • http://libertynazarenechurch.net/ - warm and inviting 

• • https://www.evangeltempleministries.org/ - royalty and reverence 
    
    

5. Live Streaming and Virtual Events

As we continue to live during a pandemic, live streaming and virtual events won’t be going anywhere.  Get creative and build community by creating ways to interact and grow from a safe distance. 

1. College Park uses a Twitter feed alongside their live stream to foster interactions
2. Abundant Hope Baptist uses Facebook live to stream their worship service.