Church website guide

What Should a Church Website Include?

A church website should serve the person who has never attended and the person already involved in church life. The first group needs orientation. The second needs dependable access to current information.

Service times, address, and directions

Put the meeting time and location within easy reach. Add parking, entrance, accessibility, or building details when they would remove uncertainty for a visitor.

What a first visit is like

Explain the general length and shape of the service, worship style, children’s process, dress expectations, and anything else people commonly ask before arriving. Plain language is more useful than assuming visitors already understand church terms.

Beliefs, mission, and leadership

State what the church believes and why it exists. Introduce leaders in a way that helps a visitor know who is responsible. Link to a fuller statement of faith when the church needs more detail than the homepage can hold.

Ministries and community life

Describe ministries by the people they serve and what participation looks like. Keep current events separate from enduring ministry descriptions so old announcements do not become the public explanation of the ministry.

Sermons, giving, and contact options

Add sermon access when the church publishes it consistently. Make giving secure and clearly labeled. Provide a direct way to ask a question, contact the office, or reach the appropriate ministry.

A realistic update plan

Decide who supplies changes, who approves them, and who updates the site. A smaller church may benefit more from outside support than from asking another volunteer to learn and remember the whole system.