Church Websites For Visitors
In Our Previous post, we talked about your focus, does your church have a well-defined mission. We also discussed the need to know who is in your community and who you are trying to reach. Today, we are going to talk about the beginning the planning of your website.
Matthew 5: 13-16
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Get A Visitor Perspective
Take a step back and look at your church from the perspective of a potential visitor. What would you like to know about your church if you were considering visiting?
First you would want to know where you are located and what time your services are. Then you would want to know what your church believes. Then possibly the size of the church. What opportunities do you offer to grow my faith and knowledge and that of my family? What is your worship style, here the adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” applies and a video is worth millions of words, is even more true? Who is the Pastor and who are the leaders? How should I dress. Casual or more formal? You probably would want to listen to an audio or watch a video of at least a sermon. Then if I have decided to visit, what can I expect and, don’t laugh, but where are the restrooms?
Give Virtual Tour of Your Church
For visitors, you need a special section or page where you lead a prospective visitor through a virtual tour of your church from the point they enter your parking lot to when they leave. For example, do you have visitor parking spaces, what door should I enter. Where is the handicap entrance and is there a ramp for easy access? Is there going to be someone at the door to greet me and answer any questions? Is there a bulletin available for me to see ahead of time? Then finally you need to guide them to an action. This can be to fill out a contact form for more information, a phone number to call or to click on a map for driving directions. Another consideration, do you want lead them to a signup form for a newsletter and event announcements? An email list is golden. Even if they do not visit your church now, if you notify them latter of a future event then that may bring them to your campus. Then every time they are on your campus gives you another opportunity to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After the service is there a fellowship time, is there a meet the pastor time or luncheon. Information allows people to plan and know what to expect and that makes people more comfortable and more likely to visit. Just think of how you felt when you visited a new church for the first time. Wasn’t it a little stressful?
Serve as Christ Served Us
We are here to Worship God and to serve others as Christ served us. We need to welcome the stranger and the lost so that they too may partake of the bread and drink of the feast of our salvation. My brothers and sisters Preach and Teach the Gospel above all other things. Use every tool at hand given by God to make Him Known to the desperately lost and those seeking Him. Share the Good News with excitement and joy!
Philippians 2:3
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
I think to maintain my goal of keeping this short, we will talk about how to serve our members and how we plan our websites to achieve that for next week.
God, Bless You ALL
David Christian
