It has been a few years since I took on the responsibility of my church website. It was, you might expect, a de facto acceptance. The person who set it up left the church and no one knew anything about it. Our web presence consisted of nothing more than a domain with a registrar’s “Parked Domain” text. We did not even have a single web page with an address and phone number, much less service times. As time has progressed, I have tried to make the site more responsive to our congregation. The truth is there is no shortage of ideas, but few actual changes. We all want a great looking and dynamic website, but few are willing to put in the effort to get it done. This is not a frustration, but rather a reality most church volunteers experience.
Why is this relevant to me at this time?
We are getting a new vicar later this Spring. I would like to approach him about the opportunity to use our website for more than a virtual church sign. I believe we can also use it to build a following of prospective visitors and perhaps even church members. Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube. There are a few names most people who are online will recognize. Even if you aren’t, the name will sound familiar. Are we looking for the technology have’s at the expense of the have not’s? No. We simply reaching all prospective visitors by different means. We have events on our campus that invite the surrounding neighborhood. Those events, along with the online effort are in addition to the tried and true method of simply talking with people and inviting them to church.
No one has all the answers. I am just looking for more ways to fulfill the Great Commission.