A church website with service times, what to expect and who to ask for on Sunday.

Someone is deciding whether to walk in on Sunday

The person who reads a church's website is most often a newcomer: a family that moved, a person returning after years away, or someone going through a hard season who has wondered about visiting. They want to know when services are, where to park, what to wear, what the music is like, and whether the children will be welcome. Answer those questions at the top of the home page, in friendly, ordinary language.

A first-visit page does the most good

Write it as if you were meeting someone at the door. Say what a service looks like from the start to the finish, how long it lasts, whether there is a nursery or children's program, where the accessible entrance is, and who they might meet. Include a photo of the building from the street, since people often circle the block looking for the entrance. If you belong to a denomination, say so; if you are independent, say what you believe in a few plain paragraphs.

The calendar, the groups and the weekly notes

• Weekly services and times, with changes for holidays
• Small groups, youth, children's ministry and study classes, with who leads each
• Special services such as Easter, Christmas Eve and Ash Wednesday
• Community work: food pantry hours, clothing drives, meals
• Recordings of sermons or a link to the weekly stream

Photos, privacy and being found

Photograph the sanctuary when it's empty and lit, the greeters at the door, and the fellowship hall during a meal. Get permission before showing identifiable people, and never post children's names with their photos. People look for "church near me" and for a denomination or style, such as "Lutheran church in [town]," so name those on the home page and keep your Google Business Profile service times accurate, especially on holidays.

What a newcomer checks before visiting on Sunday

A person deciding to visit often reads the site more than once, sometimes late on a Saturday. They want to arrive without feeling lost. They look for:

• The service time this week, including holiday changes
• Where to park and which door to use
• What happens with children during the service
• A photo of a real Sunday, so they know what to wear
• A name to ask for when they walk in

Put the time, the parking and the children's answer on the home page. The rest can sit on a first-visit page.

The apps a church uses, and the ones to skip

Giving goes through the platform you already use, and Chip puts a Give button on every page that opens it. The site doesn't process gifts. The Announcement bar is the tool you will use most: a snow closing, a changed service time, the Christmas Eve schedule, each with an end date so it disappears by itself.

Appointments works for pastoral time: set the hours the pastor can meet, and people book a conversation or a wedding or baptism inquiry with a short note. The Photo gallery holds the building, the fellowship hall and past events, with permission. The AI Agent answers "is there a nursery?" and "where do I park?" from your pages, which helps the visitor who won't call. Contacts keeps everyone who books, so the office has one list.

A walk through the St. Aidan's Church example

St. Aidan's Church is the made-up parish in the preview, with the line everyone is welcome here and a Plan your visit button. Sundays gives the times, the music, the children's program and the accessible entrance. What's on lists the season's dates: the potluck, the food drive, the Advent services. Groups names each group, who leads it and when it meets. Get involved explains the volunteer roles and who to ask.

It goes at staidanschurch.dollarsite.page for free, and you can connect your own domain once it is live. Start by telling Chip about your church in a chat, or send 5 to 15 phone photos of the building and a Sunday morning.

When a Facebook page and the bulletin already do the work

Many congregations keep up through a Facebook page and a printed bulletin. Members are already reached that way. The newcomer is not, because they don't follow you yet and never saw the bulletin. Keep both, and put the site address on the bulletin, the sign out front and the Facebook page. The site is the one place a stranger can read what Sunday is like before they come.

Weddings, funerals and pastoral care

Many people first contact a church for a wedding, a funeral or a baptism. Give each a short page: who to ask, how far ahead to call, and any requirements. Add a pastoral care line for people in the hospital or going through a loss, with the best number to call. These pages are often read by people who are not members, at an important moment.