Media Outreach

Well, it has been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon… which is not my home town.  Actually, it really hasn’t been a quiet week at all… I just like A Prairie Home Companion a lot. I trust that you, my loyal reader(s) have had an excellent week since our last exchange. Unfortunately, I spent most of last week coughing and wheezing, thanks to the intrepid soul or souls who felt the onset of the cold virus but were compelled to work out of the office anyway. Your devotion to the job is admirable, but you owe me 2 boxes of tissues and a bag of cough drops.

Regardless, you may have noticed that Christmas Day draws nearer and nearer. By this point, you’re probably wondering exactly how you’re going to get everything done before the 25th. Your pastor has probably asked you to change the welcome message on the website at least 3-4 times by now… you may have adapted and discarded several themes for the Christmas Day services, and you may even, by this point, have questioned why it is you decided you wanted to work on the church website at all. Of course though you’ve realized that if you didn’t work on the church website, there would be no reason for you to read my blog. We certainly cannot have that, so kudos to you for your intrepidness.

Christmas services are, without question, among the most populated services of the year… the other most popular services being Easter and Mother’s Day. Father’s Day may be in there somewhere as well, but the addition of golf spikes generally does not add much to a sermon, at least not that I can tell. It is, however, worth mentioning that although these services are highly trafficked and filled with people that might not be there until next year, your message is just as important in the services that follow major holidays. Preaching to the masses is all well and good, but, to coin a phrase, one must bring their A game on any given Sunday.

The New Year is, of course, seen by many as a time of new beginnings. For many, this includes a renewed focus on spirituality. Here are a few things that you can do to utilize your website to help foster this renewal in the weeks that follow Christmas services:

1. Light it up: One of the most poignant and memorable sermons I’ve ever heard was about 2 years ago now, when a visiting pastor told the story of the crucifixion of Christ from the perspective of Barabbas. It was very unconventional… and very, very good. I remember that sermon better than any I’ve heard since that day.  If you recall, when I started this blog it was boring and read like stereo instructions, and I don’t think anyone ever read it. Now, I’ve got at least 4! confirmed readers (Hi Mom), all of whom have told me they much prefer my roguish and jocular style to the former sleep inducing model. The point of this is, it pays to get unconventional. Get wild and crazy with your sermons, or even with a whole sermon series. Change things up from the norm and see what happens.
2. Redesign it: Here at faithHighway, we strive to create new and exciting designs for our clientele. Unfortunately though, time does tend to go on, and we have not yet discovered the secret to making a design remain new and exciting 3 years after it has been created. Furthermore, your church is inevitably going to change as time goes on… and your website should change with it. If you feel that your site is no longer reflective of who you are and what your message is, change it up. Call your CRM today. David Cole cries like a little girl if he doesn’t get to talk to his clients at least 4 hours a day, so give him a call and ask him how he can help transform your new vision into a website.
3. Media, Media, Media: If I haven’t made it evident in my earlier posts, I consider media to be an integral part of any church website. This is especially true for the weeks just following Christmas services. When a visitor attends your Christmas service, it gives you an opportunity to plant the seed. By putting your sermons online, you’ll afford your visitors the opportunity to check out your message in the comfort of their own home… allowing you to hopefully grow that seed into a new church member.

It would appear that this post has gotten quite longwinded, so I think we shall cut if off here… especially considering that Vicky is going to become violent if I don’t send this to her in the very near future. Hopefully these ideas will help you out as you prepare your site for the New Year. As I’ve stated before, Christmastime is the best time of the year… full of hope and joy. Do whatever it takes to make sure that the joy doesn’t end on December 26. Until next time loyal reader(s), stay warm and full of cocoa, candy canes, and love. Any of the above will make the world go round in measured doses.

Photo By: Muffet