on Churches and Websites
Churches have a reputation for being "behind the times."
That's not always a bad thing. Most churches are considered to be behind the times because they refuse to compromise, instead choosing to hold onto the traditional teachings of the Bible. Don't live together before marriage. Homosexuality is a sin. Go to church early and often. In most cases, it is good that most churches are considered behind the times.
I don't understand why churches are behind the times when it comes to building good quality websites. This is completely mystifying to me. I would not visit a church that did not have a quality website. A very small percentage of churches have internet sites. Is it fear of new and unknown technology? Is it because they don't want to spend the money? Is it because churches and pastors are out of touch with the reality that we live in an electronic culture? Lyle Shaller once said that the biggest failure of his ministry is that he could not convince the modern church that the automobile is here to stay. In other words, churches are so far behind the times when it comes to technology, they are still operating under the assumption that people are going back to walking everywhere they go, or riding horses and buckboards for transportation. Churches have buildings in the 21st century, but are living as if it is still the 19th century. Many churches are still using typewriters and duplicating machines to create bulletins and newsletters. Many churches only have computers because someone in the congregation donated one, and then the pastor and staff don't know how to use it.
So it should not be a big surprise that so few churches have good, quality websites. Let me say this, and make it very clear: if you attend a church, and you do not have a solid website, you are never going to grow like you could if you did. And I'm not talking about one of these things that Lifeway puts out—those don't count. They are difficult to navigate, they all look the same, and they have pictures of people on them that obviously do NOT go to that church. They take a cookie-cutter approach, and it just doesn't work. Get out your wallet, and spend a couple of thousand dollars to build a quality website. If your church is messed up in other ways, it may not turn the ship around, but it certainly won't hurt.
Here is what I think it says about your church, if you do not have a quality web presence:
1. It reveals that your church does not really want new people to come in. Websites are the new front door to the church. People will not visit your church if they cannot find your presence on the web. If there are ten churches that have no website, or a poor quality, hard to find site, and one church that has a good one, you can bet that the younger, upwardly mobile families will visit, and likely join, the church with the quality site.
2. It shows that your church is more concerned about money than people. A few years back, when I was actively promoting my music business, I had a website built. It cost me about $500, but it was so much better than I could build on my own (www.jasonkearney.net). Admittedly, I don't keep up with it anymore, because I don't have the time to promote my business. When I was actively involved in it, I kept it up daily. Now, It may be hard to convince an old lady in the church business meeting that it is worth spending a grand or two on building a webpage, but not doing so will show that your church is not welcoming to anyone but cheap old grouches.
3. It will show that your church is not on the ball. Ever log onto a church website, and see that they still have the events calendar up from 2005? I'm not going to go to that church, because I want to be a part of a church that is on top of its calendar, that is interested in reaching people now, not two months ago or two years ago. Quality counts, and if your front door is out of date, inaccurate, or just plain wrong, you can bet that prospects will be going to another church this Sunday.
4. It reveals to everyone what demographic your church wants to reach. Younger adults, and in increasing numbers, middle aged and older adults, are everywhere on the web. Myspace has millions of users world wide. More and more young singles are turning to the web to find compatible people to date. Teenagers and college students LIVE on the internet. If you are under the age of 50, and need any information about any entity or organization, if you need directions to a new place, if you need a new dry cleaner or car mechanic or plumber, you are going to check it out on the web before you call or visit. That age is being pushed higher and higher as more "forward-thinking" senior adults become familiar with the web. If you do not have a good site, with pictures, music, links to sermons, a calendar, etc., you are communicating to the world that the only people who are welcome in your church are people who are stuck in the 1950s, and are perfectly happy to be stuck there. You will be the kind of church where people sit around and complain that younger people just don't want to come to church anymore, and that "back in the day" we could really pack 'em in. The reality is that younger people DO go to church, but they go to a church that welcomes them in, and respects their generation enough to know how to reach them. Its not "back in the day" anymore. If you want your church to be around in twenty years, you need a good web site.
Let me say that I am not a web designer, nor am I the son of a web designer. I don't know how to build them, and I have no idea HOW the world wide web works. I just know it does, and I know what it did for my business. And as a consumer who is preparing to begin searching for a new church home, I know what I see as I search the web. Its not good, okay?
So here are some tips from Jason, the average guy looking for a church that his family can attend, on how to have a quality presence on the internet:
Pick a web address that relates to your church, and is easy to remember. Don't use some clever Greek phrase you learned in seminary, and don't use some "Christianese" word that a non-church goer will not understand. Don't have a site that attaches the host name to your church—that is too confusing. Having to put all kinds of dots and forward slashes in your address is too much. You know, like www.lifeway.com/barnabaslives/kononialover.html. Make it easy. Make it obvious so prospects can find it quickly and effortlessly. Put lots of pictures of REAL people from YOUR church, who are engaged in fun and meaningful activities. Put pictures of the staff on the site—not stuffy pictures, but candid ones, that show your staff is made up of real people. Have an updated calendar of events that shows more than just what time Sunday School starts. Have picnics, and concerts, and class parties on it, so people see that your church is doing something. Put some audio clips of your praise team, your choir, and your music minister singing songs. Put clips of your pastor preaching a sermon. Better yet, put each week's sermon on there, to entice people to come and join in on an ongoing series.
The fact is that if you spend a little money now, you will reap great benefits down the road. It may not be the single factor that turns your church around, but the alternative is doing nothing, and nothing is exactly what you will get.
That's not always a bad thing. Most churches are considered to be behind the times because they refuse to compromise, instead choosing to hold onto the traditional teachings of the Bible. Don't live together before marriage. Homosexuality is a sin. Go to church early and often. In most cases, it is good that most churches are considered behind the times.
I don't understand why churches are behind the times when it comes to building good quality websites. This is completely mystifying to me. I would not visit a church that did not have a quality website. A very small percentage of churches have internet sites. Is it fear of new and unknown technology? Is it because they don't want to spend the money? Is it because churches and pastors are out of touch with the reality that we live in an electronic culture? Lyle Shaller once said that the biggest failure of his ministry is that he could not convince the modern church that the automobile is here to stay. In other words, churches are so far behind the times when it comes to technology, they are still operating under the assumption that people are going back to walking everywhere they go, or riding horses and buckboards for transportation. Churches have buildings in the 21st century, but are living as if it is still the 19th century. Many churches are still using typewriters and duplicating machines to create bulletins and newsletters. Many churches only have computers because someone in the congregation donated one, and then the pastor and staff don't know how to use it.
So it should not be a big surprise that so few churches have good, quality websites. Let me say this, and make it very clear: if you attend a church, and you do not have a solid website, you are never going to grow like you could if you did. And I'm not talking about one of these things that Lifeway puts out—those don't count. They are difficult to navigate, they all look the same, and they have pictures of people on them that obviously do NOT go to that church. They take a cookie-cutter approach, and it just doesn't work. Get out your wallet, and spend a couple of thousand dollars to build a quality website. If your church is messed up in other ways, it may not turn the ship around, but it certainly won't hurt.
Here is what I think it says about your church, if you do not have a quality web presence:
1. It reveals that your church does not really want new people to come in. Websites are the new front door to the church. People will not visit your church if they cannot find your presence on the web. If there are ten churches that have no website, or a poor quality, hard to find site, and one church that has a good one, you can bet that the younger, upwardly mobile families will visit, and likely join, the church with the quality site.
2. It shows that your church is more concerned about money than people. A few years back, when I was actively promoting my music business, I had a website built. It cost me about $500, but it was so much better than I could build on my own (www.jasonkearney.net). Admittedly, I don't keep up with it anymore, because I don't have the time to promote my business. When I was actively involved in it, I kept it up daily. Now, It may be hard to convince an old lady in the church business meeting that it is worth spending a grand or two on building a webpage, but not doing so will show that your church is not welcoming to anyone but cheap old grouches.
3. It will show that your church is not on the ball. Ever log onto a church website, and see that they still have the events calendar up from 2005? I'm not going to go to that church, because I want to be a part of a church that is on top of its calendar, that is interested in reaching people now, not two months ago or two years ago. Quality counts, and if your front door is out of date, inaccurate, or just plain wrong, you can bet that prospects will be going to another church this Sunday.
4. It reveals to everyone what demographic your church wants to reach. Younger adults, and in increasing numbers, middle aged and older adults, are everywhere on the web. Myspace has millions of users world wide. More and more young singles are turning to the web to find compatible people to date. Teenagers and college students LIVE on the internet. If you are under the age of 50, and need any information about any entity or organization, if you need directions to a new place, if you need a new dry cleaner or car mechanic or plumber, you are going to check it out on the web before you call or visit. That age is being pushed higher and higher as more "forward-thinking" senior adults become familiar with the web. If you do not have a good site, with pictures, music, links to sermons, a calendar, etc., you are communicating to the world that the only people who are welcome in your church are people who are stuck in the 1950s, and are perfectly happy to be stuck there. You will be the kind of church where people sit around and complain that younger people just don't want to come to church anymore, and that "back in the day" we could really pack 'em in. The reality is that younger people DO go to church, but they go to a church that welcomes them in, and respects their generation enough to know how to reach them. Its not "back in the day" anymore. If you want your church to be around in twenty years, you need a good web site.
Let me say that I am not a web designer, nor am I the son of a web designer. I don't know how to build them, and I have no idea HOW the world wide web works. I just know it does, and I know what it did for my business. And as a consumer who is preparing to begin searching for a new church home, I know what I see as I search the web. Its not good, okay?
So here are some tips from Jason, the average guy looking for a church that his family can attend, on how to have a quality presence on the internet:
Pick a web address that relates to your church, and is easy to remember. Don't use some clever Greek phrase you learned in seminary, and don't use some "Christianese" word that a non-church goer will not understand. Don't have a site that attaches the host name to your church—that is too confusing. Having to put all kinds of dots and forward slashes in your address is too much. You know, like www.lifeway.com/barnabaslives/kononialover.html. Make it easy. Make it obvious so prospects can find it quickly and effortlessly. Put lots of pictures of REAL people from YOUR church, who are engaged in fun and meaningful activities. Put pictures of the staff on the site—not stuffy pictures, but candid ones, that show your staff is made up of real people. Have an updated calendar of events that shows more than just what time Sunday School starts. Have picnics, and concerts, and class parties on it, so people see that your church is doing something. Put some audio clips of your praise team, your choir, and your music minister singing songs. Put clips of your pastor preaching a sermon. Better yet, put each week's sermon on there, to entice people to come and join in on an ongoing series.
The fact is that if you spend a little money now, you will reap great benefits down the road. It may not be the single factor that turns your church around, but the alternative is doing nothing, and nothing is exactly what you will get.
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