Planning Your Web Pages
Suggesting Reading:
From the Alban Institute
Your Web Site, The New Front Door.
Planning Your Web Pages
The following is from the Hartford Inistitute, weg encourage you to click here for some very good detailed information
Click here for pdf download
Beginning the process - A congregational project
The web site of a congregation can be the most public portrayal of itself that it can have. Potentially, millions of people could enter into your virtual sanctuary, meet your members, sample your ministries and learn what your congregation believes.
This self-presentation should be a product of the entire congregation.
• The content must be as prayerfully and spiritually discerned as the creation of a congregation's statement of faith.
• The effort must be shared by as many members as planning your worship service or newsletter is.
• The task must be as reasoned and serious as that of calling the next minister.
Like each of these tasks, planning what your congregation's web site will look like and contain should be a group effort in several ways.
• The entire membership should be informed of the effort, invited into the process, and asked what they want in a site.
• Members with internet access can be encouraged to visit the web sites of other churches to get ideas and see what they like and don't like.
• A method of collecting suggestions, ideas, and feedback from all the membership should be set up.
• A web design committee of both knowledgeable and interested members should be created.
We are convinced that the more your congregation's web site reflects the unique body of believers that is your church the better your site will be able to inform and attract members and guests alike. Because of this we maintain that designing a congregational site is as much a self-exploration as it is a technical process. Simple design or minor flaws are forgivable if the site shows the congregation for who it is, its strengths and flaws while graciously inviting others into that community of faith.
Remember your site exists to enhance the community and fellowship among the members. It is also there for the stranger to explore and experience your congregation's ministries and beliefs. But the web site, like anything a faith community does, is mostly there for the glory of God.
Determining the type of web presence
The initial task your congregational web planning team has before them is to assess the parameters of the site.
• What is the audience? Will the site be for outsiders? Will it focus inward and offer interactive features for members?
• What is the scope? Is it a glorified brochure or bulletin or is it an engaging, multimedia advertisement for the church?
• What is the aim? Do you want it to bring the unchurched in? Educate and inform your members? Or be a resource for pastors, the seeker, or other churches around the world?
• What will you emphasize? Will the site focus solely on the worship, or on a major ministry, or on the youth? What is it about your church that sets it apart from other in the local community? What features are you most proud of?
• Who will produce it? Will you try to design it from within the talent of the congregation, hire outside help, or use one of the many established host sites complete with design template where you just plug in your information on a form?
Who is responsible? Where will the content come from? Will you just put the newsletter directly into HTML? Will the pastor's sermons be content? Will the text for pages be written fresh and new each week or month? Whose email goes on the site and who will answer the email inquiries? And who makes sure everything gets done?
We hope to take your answers from the questions raised above and put to good use on your website
