So I've been thinking about this one question that I can't seem to get out of my head. Do small churches need a website? Now, I know that may seem like a dumb question, but when you look at websites from churches under 200 people in average attendance, how effective are their websites? Do they have good design, mobile functionality, or even any content on it? Or is it a static graveyard for events and announcements that could more simply be put in an email or on a Facebook page?
Now I won't keep you in suspense with my answer to this question, Do small churches need a website? Yes, 100% yes! But for those churches to have effective websites, I think we need to start changing our understanding of what our church website is for.
To me, church websites are a "First Look" into who you are and what you are for. People will look at your church website and decide within just a few minutes whether or not they will even check out your Sunday service. So we need to make websites that are inviting and informative to people who are new to our churches. We could go into way more depth on the subject of strategic content for an effective website, but that's for another video. For now, I want to tackle some of the misconceptions church leaders have when it comes to making your website.
First off, the idea that you don't know how to do it, while that may be true, the gap between those who know-how and those that don't is getting smaller. Things like online web building platforms that handle the hosting and design of your website make this much easier to accomplish. So if you're feeling like you don't know what to do, or how to begin, leave a comment below and I would love to engage in conversation with you about this. I also have a FREE online course that takes you and your team through each step as you develop your website.
Another thing we tend to do is to think of our website as a Marketing platform. This isn't completely a wrong idea, however, we need to start with the understanding that this is your first step in building a relationship with each person that visits your site. How can we meet them there, and impact their life? This is a very important concept in the day and age we live in, as our social interactions online become more and more a part of our daily lives.
This brings me to my last point, which is to change our vision or our field of view as a church, to be one that's "decentralized". De-centralized simple means to look at our function as a church without a location. Not making everything about our Sunday services or our church buildings, but developing a vision bigger than we are. This can be done no matter what the size of your church may be. Creating a community of disciples within the church, in our communities, and online is what will project us into the future of what God has for His Church.
So in understanding the impact we can have as a church online, I think it answers the question of do small churches need a website, with an emphatic yes. Honestly, I think that smaller churches may even be better positioned to be effective online. You can focus on building a culture of disciple-makers that create a living community that reaches beyond its walls and programs. You may not have as much money or great videos and images to fill your website with, but what you do have is a way to leverage an incredible technology to advance the kingdom of God. And if we focus on that, I think there's no limit to what God can do through your church online.
Links for Online Web Building Platforms
