No one is looking at your static church website
In today's internet - and church - we need to be actively reaching people
241 people looked at my website in the last 24 hours.
(that’s about the same number of views I had in a month before I moved my domain to Substack).
The internet used to work like a phone book
(if you remember what a phone book is, then this analogy is especially important):
You put your listing in, people looked you up, they found you. The action came from the person looking - you just had to be there.
Church used to be the same way. The building was there. The weekly members all knew the routines. You put a sign up (why are church signs always so confusing? Because they’re mostly there for those who belong already!). Maybe you put a listing in the phone book. Today you have a website so people can find you.
The problem is - very few people are actively looking for a church these days.
The other problem - it’s no longer enough digitally to just exist.
The internet now works like a city.
(so does the church)
Now you have to actively work to to be seen.
You have to be on a busy street, where people are passing by. You have to have people talking about you. You have to be in conversation.
A beautiful building tucked down an unmarked alley that nobody ever walks by will not be seen.
We know this is true literally for church - now it’s true digitally as well, because of the way the internet has changed.
A church with closed doors and empty buildings on a lonely road is not going to have people passing by or dropping in.
So it is when church that builds a website, puts up their service times and some lovely pictures, and then... nothing else. They’re languishing in a dark corner, unseen.
The painful truth: without an existing audience, a content strategy, and some understanding of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), most church websites are invisible to everyone except people who already know the church exists and type the exact URL (www.yourchurchhere.org).
In other words - your digital presence needs to be doing something, or else it’s invisible.
My recipe for ‘Unstuck Church’ contains the ingredient ‘technology-based’. Tech can no longer be an ‘add on’ or an afterthought for ministry.
It needs to be the center.
Not theologically - we’re gathered to share the Gospel. But in today’s world, that sharing needs digital tools to be central.
The point is relationship. The point is: someone hears about your community and wants to know more - and when they reach out into the digital world to find you, someone reaches back.
The point is, we need to be reaching out directly and bringing church to people.
(A static website doesn’t do any reaching. It just sits there).
This is why I moved my website to Substack - and why I think you should, too.
It’s easy to use.
It’s free (and you can create subscription income with it).
It helps people find your ministry.
It’s your website, newsletter, and social media rolled into one, so it’s very efficient.
It’s a way to engage directly with people.
It’s a place where we don’t just talk about what great ministry we do - it’s where we tell people God loves them and hear their stories.
It’s where we pray and preach. It’s where we truly connect online.
Most people will not ever come to your church. That’s ok. You’re bringing church to them.
Bite-sized ways that YOU can re-imagine ministry. Right now. Today.
Become a paid subscriber to re-discover ministry JOY.
I’m on a big digital evangelism kick recently, and I’m doing a few things in May:
Creating an online course called ‘Ditch your Church Website’
How do we use today’s technology for ministry?
I mainly use two platforms now:Substack for website and email
Planning Center for administration, organization, and member management
Both are very low-cost (mostly free) ways to upgrade your ministry’s digital ‘presence’ to an interactive, evangelical, custom platform for ‘Unstuck Church’
I’m creating a course (and also consulting ‘bundles’) to navigate specific ways to use these platforms for the most connection, engagement, formation, and evangelism.
The course comes out in May, but if you’re interested, you can sign up now to get early access (once it’s done) and 25% off (the course costs $127)(by the way, this sign up form is hosted by Planning Center.
So you can also fill out the form to see it in action…)
Previewing it here.
Next week I’m going to go live Monday - Thursday, livestreaming the creation of the videos for the course. Tune in 12:00-12:30pm. So you can preview the preview!
It’s just for paid members, though - so subscribe to join us.
At Free Range Priest, we’re bringing church to people.
Technology-based ministry is part of getting church ‘unstuck’.
It’s part of our call to less ‘doing the same things over and over’ and more sharing the Gospel.
If you are ‘stuck’ in your ministry, I’m also starting ‘Ask Father Cathie’, a monthly live stream, the first Wednesday of the month (starting May 6).
Paid subscribers, drop me a line with your questions…
Is your ministry ‘stuck’?
Ask Father Cathie
Live on the first Wednesday of the month (starting May 6)
3:30pm Eastern
Submit a question below…