Why a website?

Because that is where people are. People bank online, pay bills online, shop online, do research online, and communicate online. We are called to go to all four corners of the earth, and in today’s context, our world is digital.

Just as much as the highway necessitated the need for church signs, the super highway demands a new church sign: the website.

However, instead of communicating the name, denomination, and a witty message, you have the opportunity to reach your community by introducing your church without making a visitor feel vulnerable, alone, and awkward on a Sunday morning.

Instead of getting up the energy to visit one church per Sunday, a visitor can learn about several churches in a matter of minutes. Can they visit your church via the web?  If so, can you communicate your message and entice them to physically visit?

As of April 2006, fully 73% of Americans use the internet. Here’s the breakdown by age:

• 12-17: 87%
• 18-29: 77%
• 30-49: 75%
• 50-64: 58%
• 65+: 22%

Research has shown that 45% of internet users, or 60 million Americans, use the internet to make major life decisions. For instance, out of the adults who regularly go online:

• 50% said the internet played a major role in obtaining further career training.
• 45% used the internet for a major financial investment.
• 43% said the internet played a major role in seeking a new place to live.
• 42% used the internet to research education for either themselves or their children.
• 23% used the internet to research a new car.

If that many people reference the internet to make an investment, you can count on folks researching churches to decide which ones they will visit.

Remember, a website is a ministry, and can be a valuable one if approached like other ministries.

Sources:

Pew Internet & American Life Project: The Internet’s Growing Role in Life’s Major Moments (Link - PDF)

Pew: Teens and Technology (Link - PDF)

Pew: Older Americans and the Internet (Link - PDF)