What are the key components for building a church website beyond just technology?
How to build a church website is a great question. Doing so involves three components: technology, people, and processes. Technology, people, and processes form what Dave Bourgeois of Biola University calls “the digital ministry framework.”
To build a church website which is a useful tool for outreach, you need to answer questions about people, processes, and technology.
What 'people questions' are crucial for building an effective church website?
Unless the ultimate purpose of your church website is to connect people and build relationships, you are wasting your time. “People questions” include:
- Who will be responsible for maintaining the church website?
- Is there a team or committee responsible for planning and directing the website?
- Who will design and develop the church website?
- Will volunteers have a role to play on the church website?
- Who are the intended users of the church website?
What 'process questions' are essential for managing a church website?
“Process questions” include:
- Do you have written goals and a mission statement for your church website?
- Do you know the web usage habits of your target audience?
- What is the process for evaluating and making changes to your church website?
What 'technology questions' should you consider for your church website?
“Technology questions” include:
- What website functionality do you need to accomplish your goals?
- Should you build a new website platform or use an existing one?
- How are people going to find out about your website?
- How will you know if your website is accomplishing its goals?
People and processes are more important than technology
“Technology is not the hard part,” writes Dave Bourgeois in Ministry in the Digital Age. “For most ministries, spending less time on technology and more on people and process will bring a better chance of success.” Making decisions about what technologies to use is important, but not nearly as important as considering the people and processes involved.
Church planters, specifically, can have a hard time with building a website. Due to all the work that needs to be done and not enough time in the day, a quality website that is capable of digital outreach is usually neglected. Taking some time to consider the above three components, (technology, people, and processes), in addition to some specific questions for a church plant, can go along way to make the process easier.
Photo by Artem Sapegin on Unsplash.
Frequently Asked Questions
- 1 What are the key components for building an effective church website?
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The article identifies three crucial components: technology, people, and processes. These elements form what is called the "digital ministry framework," with people and processes being more critical for success than technology itself.
- 2 Why are people and processes considered more important than technology for a church website?
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The page emphasizes that "technology is not the hard part." Spending more time on defining roles for people, understanding users, setting clear goals, and establishing evaluation processes will lead to a better chance of success for most ministries.
- 3 What "people questions" should we consider when developing our church website?
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Key "people questions" involve identifying who will be responsible for maintaining, planning, directing, designing, and developing the website. It also includes considering the role of volunteers and defining the intended users of the church website.
- 4 What "process questions" are important for a church website strategy?
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Important "process questions" include having written goals and a mission statement for your church website. It also involves understanding the web usage habits of your target audience and establishing a clear process for evaluating and making changes.
