We have often discussed ideas for building effective church websites in COLLIDE, but we realize that while those principles can be sound advice, they also can be abstract. In order to get practical, we partnered with the Godbit Project to review some of the best church websites around. Godbit exists to educate and challenge churches and ministries on excellence in web development. Contributors to Godbit regularly review and feature church and ministry websites they feel meet high standards of web design and development. We’ve gone through the list of sites recently featured on Godbit and cherry-picked a few of our favorites for evaluation.
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For each site, we considered the following factors: aesthetics, structure/organization, content for members, content for prospective visitors, and overall sense of purpose. Each of these sites displays a unique church personality and accomplishes a different set of objectives (and we strongly believe that is a good thing). In the end, we hope these sites and our comments give you some ideas to make your site a better online representation of your church or ministry. In future issues, we’ll review more websites as we search for the best sites in all of Christendom. Enjoy our first installment.
Soma Communities (Tacoma, WA)
tacoma.somacommunities.org
The site for Soma Communities is easily among the most attractive sites on our list. As Godbit reviewer Nathan Smith observes, the site “feels very organic and urban, but without feeling too mechanical or inhuman.” That seems to be a reflection of Soma itself, as indicated by the site’s frequent mention of the church’s desire for authentic community, its urban locations, and stated appreciation of the arts.
In terms of structure, the site is relatively simple and inviting to navigate. Prospective visitors can read about the formation of Soma, see examples of community activities, and get to know the church’s leadership. Members can listen to sermon audio, check the detailed event calendar, and find links to local service opportunities. Overall, Soma’s site serves as a helpful tool to share the values and community lifestyle of the community for visitors and regulars alike.
The Rock (Ames, IA)
www.rockisu.com
The Rock, a ministry for students at Iowa State University, effectively uses its website as an online hub for its community. Although the design contains hints of gritty texture, it is largely clean. Smith notes the site’s incorporation of the ministry’s Flickr pool into the design and the site’s link to the ministry’s MySpace. Both these elements likely reflect the online habits of the students involved, as does the site’s aggregation of content from members’ personal blogs. Add a Communication RSS feed and a podcast feed on top of that and you have a great site for collegiate ministry.
Visitors and members can both make use of the site’s features to get a feel for the personality of the community, as well as participate in the conversation that takes place between services and events. Overall, The Rock’s website appears to be about involvement, which is ideal for students seeking to connect with their peers as they follow Christ and prepare for the real world.
Christ Church of Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
www.christchurchberkeley.org
In terms of site design, Smith notes that Christ Church of Berkeley doesn’t go the way one might expect. “For a church in California,” he says, “I think it was a bold choice to not go for a super-slick, Hollywood-style look and feel.” Indeed, Christ Church’s site is understated rather than flashy, and inviting rather than in-your-face. On the other hand, Smith raves about the site’s robust features, including intuitive navigation, a thorough calendar, and multiple options for sermon audio downloads.
For prospective visitors, the site answers questions such as, “What Should I Expect?” and “Why Berkeley?” In addition, Christ Church also provides helpful information about how to find the church via car or public transit, where to park, and what to do with your kids once you arrive. For members, the site offers the aforementioned sermon audio and calendar, as well as information about community groups and the current sermon series.
Cornerstone Fellowship Church (Livermore, CA)
www.cornerstoneweb.org
The word that best describes Cornerstone Fellowship Church’s web presence might be “classy.” The cool color palette and sophisticated design elements communicate that this church has it together. Structurally, the most important information and links on the site immediately catch the eye via the rotating feature items and the menu bar.
On the periphery, the site offers links to sermon video, podcasts, events, classes, giving, and directions. In other words, there’s something for everyone, but the effect isn’t overwhelming. Cornerstone offers an RSS feed and an e-newsletter signup on its home page, both of which are effective means of staying connected with community members. The Cornerstone Fellowship site exists to inform and equip, and serves as a great example of how to organize a lot of links and information so as not to confuse or intimidate.