There are many risks in any life change, new project, ministry opportunity, or the growth of a church. You have to leave the comforts of your daily routine, possibly invest in a new home or a new city, learn new methods, and have faith that this move will lead you to strengthening your professional and personal life. But in the end, it’s an investment in yourself, your church, and in the future.
Like any new endeavor, seeing your church website as an investment involves many changes. You will have to shift your ministry to adapt to modern technology, focusing on how you can use your site to better serve your congregation. This new routine comes with learning curves that your communication leaders will need to stay up-to-date on. But in the end, we encourage you to embrace the change––trusting the process and believing in the power and value of a progressive church website to achieve your ministry’s goals.
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
Luke 14:28
Developmental Strides
If your website is 5 years old, it’s too old. With the pace of the web development world as rapid as it is, your website needs consistent improvements and iterations to continue to serve your congregation effectively. Here are some signs of an outdated website:
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Poor user experience
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Lack of a mobile-friendly site
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Outdated blog posts
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Sermons or event announcements that aren’t kept current
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Even certain font or color choices can make your site look older than it is
These things can seem subtle, but they are easily identified by younger generations who have always had the best technology at their fingertips: An out-of-date website sends your viewers the message that your ministry isn’t adapting to the changes in the technological world.
And your church website isn’t just a resource for your current members to continue to develop their faith outside of services. In fact, recent research says that 17 million American adults who don’t regularly attend church services visited the websites of local worship places or churches––just in the 12 months studied. With all of these eyes on your website, your ministry has an opportunity to engage many more people, as long as your website invites them back in a modern, exciting way. Behavior of people worldwide is changing to become more and more web-centric and constantly connected, and your ministry should, too.
A Service-Focused Resource
As soon as your church has adapted to meet your congregation online where they are, you can focus on serving and guiding the members in their daily lives. Each of your members is an individual with unique needs. While each of your pastors can only have one conversation at a time, your website is a source of flexible, dynamic information. Your website can be and should be as unique as each of those members. Five, 10, or even 100 members could all be on your church’s website at the same time, finding exactly what they need to grow and engage more fully with your ministry. Your website can serve them each individually.
Your website matters because your congregation matters!
Considering the investment you’re making in your church website, being able to serve many different members in their own distinctive ways is a fantastic return. And this is why church website development has progressed as it has: to better empower and serve your church
Be Involved
Staying current with church website development best practices is similar to reading the news: miss a few broadcasts, and you’ll suddenly feel out of touch. But it’s not impossible to keep up. Consistent reading and a little research will help you stay on top of trends and industry knowledge. Blogs like ours, are here to help you keep up with that.
As you stay current with the church website development best practices, keep your mission in the front of your mind: What were your original goals? How can a new website feature or module help you better serve your congregation and solve your own pain points? Remembering your church’s goals (and the strategy you set to reach them) will help you better identify which changes and updates you should make as ongoing investments in your website. Some features that often tie to common ministry-growth goals are:
- Online sermons module - engages your congregation outside of the physical church
- Small groups database/platform - encouraging new and active members to connect with each other
- Online giving module - easily allows your congregation to tithe and give online
