Create a sense of community with your website:
Each of us is part of a community – the town where you live, the place where you work or study, a group of friends with whom you play sports or other hobby activities, or your church fellowship.
People's interaction within a community is very important. Very few people become Christians just by reading something. Conversion is usually a long process, and involves friendly interaction with those who are already Christians.
An interactive website ministry can give people the opportunity for a sense of belonging and relationship, which is a deep human need. If you permit people to share needs, ideas, and ask questions, you have a much greater potential to build a community and trust with those who may visit your site.
Our software tool has been designed to assist you in incorporating some of those interactive tools. To name a few:
- The daily devotional of God’s Word.
- The prayer request module which allows the submission of needs.
- The audio player for sermons.
- The weekly bulletin or newsletter subscription.
Here are some tips on how you can create your website with a sense of community:
- The website needs to be welcoming. By personalizing your site with images of members in your church or those involved with your ministry, you will be able to create a warm environment for your visitors. Attention grabbing graphics will give your site personality, inviting the guests to continue browsing through your website.
- The website needs to be non-condemning. Placing testimonies on your site will give guests a sense of what others have faced as well as bringing a more personalized feeling to your site.
- The website must meet people where they are. Adding a daily devotional will give those in your community a reason to visit your site each day, ministering to them, and discipling them in life issues will meet people where they are.
- The website must demonstrate an understanding of feelings and problems. Listing your ministry's interactive classes and outreaches, such as alcohol or divorce recovery classes, will help the visitors know your ministry is a place to share their experiences and struggles. Also, including a place for visitors to submit prayer requests and praise reports will show your ministry's concern for each individual.
- Visitors need to feel they 'belong' to the site. Including information about the community, such as weather updates, links to local broadcasting companies and news of what is happening in the community will give the guests a sense of belonging by including information that is a part of their daily lives.
- The site should offer feedback, opinions and advice. Placing contact information on your site, bringing a more realistic appeal, will give guests a way to reach you with questions or concerns they may have. Subscriptions to newsletters, audio sermons and calendar reminders is way for you to update the community offering feedback, opinions and advice.
Technical Support Resources
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