Visitor information
You are always welcome at our church.
Include on this page:
- what they can expect
- time service starts/ends
- activities after the service
- dress code if any
- who should they look for (photos of members)
Page tips...
5. Avoid all ‘churchy’ jargon and ‘Christianese’ language throughout the site, especially on the homepage.
Non-Christians, almost by definition, do not like or understand these
words. This even applies to the navigation menu. Many churches have a
menu link called ‘ministries’. This is actually a jargon word meaning
‘Things we do’ or ‘what’s on’. Much better to use neutral alternatives
like these.
6. Non-Christians may have negative images of Christians: boring, killjoys, judgmental, etc.
A light-hearted, informal, witty website may help to counteract these
misconceptions. Opinion polls show that evangelicals are increasingly
perceived in a very negative light, in almost all countries.
7. Christian outreach often fails because Christians do ‘megaphone
proclamation’ from behind the protecting walls of their ‘ghetto’.
A church website should not aim to be an impersonal electronic ‘cut and
run’ tract distribution system. Its primary aim should be to draw
people in the community towards real relationships with real people
within the fellowship. Most conversions result from relationships.
8. A primary task of the website is to convince non-Christians of these four things:
- our church is made up of ordinary real people
- we understand their life problems
- we are community, family, and there is an unconditional welcome waiting for them
- in that context, God can meet them and help them
9. Do not think of your church site in isolation, merely as a stand-alone online brochure.
Integrate it into your overall strategies, both as a way of contacting
individuals, and giving the fellowship a higher profile within your
community.
15. Consider a ‘New to this site?’ visitors link on your homepage. This
enables you to offer a particular welcome to an outsider.
But – very important – this is not a ‘let out’ so you do not need to
apply these strategy tips to the rest of the site. The entire site must
be user-friendly to non-Christians.
A visitor page should be very welcoming and written in plain language.
It needs to provide all the info a potential newcomer to a church
meeting would require.
(#5-9, 15 from Internet Evangalism Day )
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