Church WordPress Themes Give You Major Flexibility

WordPress is a very versatile platform to build a website on.  Some people I talk to in the ministry world still see WordPress as a blogging tool, which is partially correct.  WordPress started as a blogging tool but has morphed into being the biggest and most powerful website CMS in the world.  How do Church WordPress themes make a difference?  Church WordPress themes are built with churches in mind.  There are many WordPress themes to choose from for all different types of uses, but Church WordPress themes are tailored specifically to the unique needs of churches.  Not every theme built within the category of Church WordPress themes will actually work for your church, but I am sure with enough searching you can find the right theme for your church.

Church WordPress Themes offer you Scalability

Church WordPress themes actually offer you a lot of scalability.  The site can be as simple or as complex as a church needs it to be.  Obviously the church of 50 people does not need the same scale website as a church of 2000.  When you get into a church WordPress theme you actually are presenting yourself with the option to be very simple or very complex.  It is the nature of WordPress.  It is built for the novice and the expert.  If your church needs scalability when it comes to your site, a church wordpress theme is right for you.

Church WordPress Themes are Much Better Choices than Free Themes

It is easy for churches to fall into the mindset that cheaper is better.  Most often I see this happening with the very things they need to be spending money on.  Your website reflects the quality of your ministry to a potential first time guest.  Let that sink in.  What does your website tell potential first time guests about you?  If you go the free route, you will most likely look like a ministry who is disorganized and unprofessional.  Even the bigger churches that go in house with their web presence have someone full time on staff that does their site.  Your theme in WordPress will determine the layout and feel of your site.  You need to find a premium church WordPress theme to help you accomplish your online goals.

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Word of Mouth is Not Helping Your Church Outreach

Many churches I have been a part of or helped just don’t do church outreach very well. As I ask churches around the country about their outreach, they tell me their number one outreach tool is word of mouth. Word of mouth outreach is still the biggest part of outreach a church can have. The problem is, we are not doing it well. According to a recent Lifeway Research study, 80 percent of those who attend church one or more times a month believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith, but 61 percent have not told another person about how to become a Christian in the previous 6 months.[i] So my question is, what is your church doing for outreach?

Church Outreach that is not working

Church leaders who have had a dose of reality know relying on church members alone to do outreach will most likely lead to a dying church. So how does church outreach have to change to make up for the lack of faith sharing that is happening with our members? There are many ways we can do outreach, but sometimes our outreach is done in ways that are not effective. Here is just a small sampling of church outreach mediums that are no longer effective in most settings:

• Yellow page advertising
• Newspaper advertising
• Direct mail advertising

Church outreach that is working

I run into churches everyday who still use these mediums with their church outreach budget, and it really begins to make me sad. Why does it make me sad? Because I know churches can be spending their money more wisely on outreach. Here are some ways that could be more effective for your church outreach:

• Social media advertising
• A quality website
• Google AdWords

My desire is to provide the church with the most accurate information to help them spend the limited resources God has stewarded to them. When it comes to your church outreach, it doesn’t have to suck. Get professional help in determining how you can get the most out of your church outreach budget.

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There are many people in your community who listen to sermons online:

1. Church Members – Whether they missed church the previous Sunday or are shut-ins who can’t get to the church, members often take advantage of online sermons to keep up with what’s going on.
2. Unchurched people who are curious about the faith may feel more comfortable listening in online rather than coming to a service.
3. People looking for a church home listen to sermons online as a way to get to know the church and the pastor before deciding to visit in person.

According to a recent study, nearly 1/3 of Americans are searching for spiritual answers online.  In fact, we have heard stories about how churches using our sermon delivery system have had unchurched people saved after listening to sermons online.  Having your sermons online for people to listen to is a very important part of outreach.

If you are considering having your sermons online, think about the impact it will have on your outreach efforts. All sorts of people listen to sermons online and you never know just who you are reaching.

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It is often thought that sermons online are for the church member who was out the previous week or for the shut in who cannot get to church.  While this is true, it is not an exhaustive list of people who listen to sermons online.  Unchurched people and people looking for a church home listen to sermons online as well.  In fact, those last two people groups I mentioned probably listen to your sermons online more than your church members.

According to a recent study, nearly 1/3 of Americans are searching for spiritual answers online.  In fact, we have heard stories about how churches using our sermon delivery system have had unchurched people saved after listening to sermons online.  Having your sermons online for people to listen to is a very important part of outreach.

When deciding whether to put your sermons online or not you need to think about the outreach side of the equation and not focus quite as much on the inreach side.  People in all different phases of their Christian journey are coming to your site to listen to your sermons.  Let this drive the way you put sermons online as well as the way you allow people to interact with those sermons.

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Church audio and video streaming has been a buzz word in the church world since the internet has risen as the major player in church communication.  Many boil church streaming down to live streaming of services, but it is so much more than just live audio or video.

What is streaming?
Streaming refers to media that is constantly being transmitted to the end user while being delivered by a provider.  This differs from other forms of media delivery in the sense that the whole audio/video file does not have to be downloaded before playing can begin.

How can church streaming help your organization?
Many church websites are not using streaming media on their sites to deliver sermons.  This causes the end user to have to wait for the entire sermon to download before the sermon will begin to play.  With today’s culture being an impatient culture, the church may miss out on delivery of the sermons to the end user because the user is unwilling to wait for the sermon to download.  By using streaming media, the user is able to begin listening to the sermon almost instantly.

When can live streaming help my church?
I always give a few guidelines when a church asks me about live streaming their services.  Allow me to share them with you:

1. Always have enough volunteers to do a great job.
2. Have good quality equipment to stream the services.
3. Have volunteers who know what they are doing (train them properly).
4. Never do church streaming live just to say you do live streaming

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