Our Church Is Doing Fine Without A Website

Why Have a Site?


Many people ask us, "Why should my church have a Web site?" It’s a good question in these times when everything seems to be "dot com" and when people are looking for spiritual answers.
Americans today are more devoted to seeking spiritual enlightenment than at any previous time in the 20th century. However, church attendance is slumping and reaching all-time lows. Thousands of seekers feel alienated from the traditional church and are turning elsewhere to find relevance, meaning and spiritual connection.
The Internet is shaping Christianity in ways few people in the traditional church would have imagined. Millions of people are meeting online to pray, to discuss their faith in chat rooms, to seek spiritual guidance and to study the Bible. Churches need to respond to these growing needs.
Simply stated, having a Web site benefits a church in three main ways:

1. It helps enhance your existing local ministry, providing many ways to support your church body;


2. It dramatically extends the scope of your ministry by building relationships with people and organizations outside your immediate locale;


3. It can effectively communicate the Gospel to grow the Kingdom.

Listed below are more specific reasons you may want to consider providing a vibrant, relevant online presence for your church. Which ones apply to how God is working in your ministry?

1. Greatly assist those persons searching for a church to visit or for a church home. Many people’s first impression of a church is no longer the building and grounds, but the church’s Web site. Providing overviews of your services, directions to your church, and easy ways to contact you are a few of the many ways to grow your church.


2. Improve communications with your staff and church family. Quickly communicate with your staff and body (not having to rely on 8:00 to 5:00 office hours).


3. Potentially save money by eliminating or greatly reducing mailings; place information on your site or send it by email.


4. Change or edit church information without the expense and hassle of reprinting a brochure, promotional piece or other material.


5. Present a vivid history of your church. If your ministry or building has a rich history, preserve and communicate it with multimedia.


6. Make it easy for new attenders to get integrated into the church body. Provide a listing of Frequently Asked Questions, guidelines on facility use, or policies often referred to.


7. Enhance your messages each week by providing a sermon outline in advance so members may prepare and pray specifically for you. Post a completed outline after your service for shut-ins, those who were traveling or otherwise could not attend.


8. Support the work of your committees, departments and classes by providing special online areas for them to communicate without having to meet together.


9. Broaden the influence of your ministry by fostering relationships with like-minded ministries or community organizations. Similarly, strengthen ties with your denomination’s churches and official structure through online resources.


10. Support your congregation’s Christian walk by offering daily online devotionals or material from countless good online Christian resources.


11. Encourage and support your missionaries. Not only easily communicate with them around the world, but also provide a way for them to instantly share their progress, prayer requests or other information with their church family.


12. Provide an efficient way to respond to prayer requests and share them with others as appropriate.


13. Offer a terrific method for communicating your volunteer needs around the church and a response mechanism, as well.


14. Introduce the Gospel to those persons who may never feel comfortable walking into a church. Present more in-depth information than normally can be shared through casual conversation.


15. Always be "open." Your church’s site will be accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


16. Better appeal to today’s youth and young adults by using a medium important to them, the Internet.

You are presented with an incredible opportunity to take advantage of a very powerful tool that can advance God’s work beyond measure. Pray for how He may want your church family to benefit from many, many features and capabilities of a well-planned Web site.
If you would like to ask questions, get more information or start your Web site, we will be glad to assist you. All Media Studios is committed to helping churches and ministries best use the Internet for Kingdom purposes. There are several ways to contact us:

Web site: http://www.allmediastudios.com
Email: tim@allmediastudios.com
Phone: 1-865-685-4303