6 Ways Your Church Website Can Connect Your Congregation

Coming from the original Greek, church or ἐκκλησία, means an assembly, congregation, or the whole body of Christian believers. All of these definitions include aspects of community and connectedness.

What if we told you that you could fulfill these definitions of what a church actually is through your website? Not only can this be done, we’ve actually seen it carried out with great success! Here are 6 ways your church website can connect your congregation.

1.   EVENT PAGES

Having a variety of church events is a great way to keep your church congregation connected with one another, and having them displayed clearly and easily locatable can ensure maximum attendance.

Compared to the lengthy process of bulletins or announcements following a service, having an events page can efficiently tell people what event is taking place, when it’s occurring, and even how to get there in a matter of seconds!

2.   SMALL GROUP FINDER

A small group finder is another excellent way to connect your congregation with both the staff, and with one another.

A small group finder works like this, you simple have a Google Map with pinpoints telling the location and time of each small group. The visitor would then select a place that works for them, either due to time or location. From there, each small group would be able to connect with the new visitor on a personal level, ensuring the maximum amount of connectedness.

3.   STAFF DIRECTORY PAGE

I will never forget when I began working as an intern worship leader when on one Sunday, a new couple came into the building, walked right up to me and said, “Hey William, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

I was stunned. I had never seen these people before in my life! They then said that they had been listening to our sermons online for 6 weeks, and that they recognized me from the staff page.

They were able to connect with not just me, but with the church staff as a whole even before stepping foot in the building! Simply having our names, pictures, and a brief bio available on the church staff page, we were able to connect with a couple on their first official visit.

4.   SERMON ARCHIVE

 

Having a sermon archive of either audio, or video is a great way to both minister to, and connect with your congregation each week. From the pulpit, you are preaching the Word of God to the People of God, for the glory of God, and having the sermons available online ensures that not one sheep goes unattended to.

Whether due to working the nursery, being sick, or traveling out of town, having sermons available online allows for you to connect with each congregation member at the click of a button. This then allows members to still hear and connect with the Word of God from their local church anywhere in the world!

5.   CONTACT PAGES FOR PRAYER REQUESTS OR SPECIAL NEEDS

Providing a way for both congregation members and visitors alike to reach out to the church staff is another way your church website can be a tool to connect with your people.

There are a variety of ways to accomplish this, but we’ve seen great success in having a simple contact page in which anyone can enter in their name, email address, and fill in how we can serve them.

This then allows for prayer requests, special needs that may have been unnoticed otherwise, and general concerns to go from the body, directly to the staff in seconds. The staff is then able to handle the request appropriately and timely, which then strengthens the connection between the congregation, and the staff.

6.   VISION AND MINISTRIES

Having a clear, unified vision of the church along with a missions page that tells about the different ways the church is serving in the community is a fantastic was to connect your congregation.

Unified vision simply requires attention to the language and phrasing of certain statements, mainly using “we” rather than “I” or “it” statements about the church. This tells both members and visitors that the church is unified and standing side by side, rather than opposing one another.

Having an easily accessible ministries page also allows both members and visitors to glimpse at the connectedness of the church body. By simply listing different ministries and accompanying them with real photos and descriptions of the ministry, your church can stand unified, and tell everyone who visits your site that you are connected with God, with one another, and your community.