Table of Contents - Five More Talents€¦ · 65% of all North American adults and 76% of all...

Table of Contents

Church Website Grader pg. 1

Strategic Planning Framework pg. 2

Bonus Resources

The Top 33 Questions Visitors Have About Your Church pg. 9

20 Photo Ideas for Your Church Website pg. 10

Book Review: Ministry in the Digital Age pg. 12

The Historical & Theological Case for Church Websites pg. 16

Make Your Church Website an Effective Tool for Outreach A Practical Handbook for Church Sessions, Boards, and Committees

I. Church Website Grader Here are the three key questions you should ask to decide if it is time for a new website:

1. Is your website mobile-friendly? Over 64 % of North American adults have smartphones. The web is now a “multi-device” 1

environment. Besides smartphones, people also use iPads, Kindles, and other tablet devices.

2. Does your website integrate with social media? 65% of all North American adults and 76% of all Internet users use social media. Social 2

media websites include Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

3. Are you really connecting with your target audience? In his book Ministry in the Digital Age, Dr. David Bourgeois describes a 13-step process for crafting a digital communication strategy for your church. The following questions are adapted from the first three steps of his process:

Purpose ● What is the purpose and objective of my church website? ● Does this align with the mission statement of our church?

Audience ● Who is the intended audience of our church website? ● Do we have evidence that our church website is reaching its intended audience?

Audience Habits ● How do members of our target audience use the web? ● What are their web usage habits? ● Where do they spend their time on the web?

The Verdict If your website isn’t mobile-friendly and if you’re not using social media, your digital communication strategy is missing the mark.

1 Source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/ 2 Source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/08/social-networking-usage-2005-2015/

FiveMoreTalents.com · Website design and hosting for the church · page 1

http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/

http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/08/social-networking-usage-2005-2015/

II. Strategic Planning Framework: How to Build an Effective Church Website

Building a church website: a 30,000 foot view Building a church website involves three components: technology, people, and processes.

Technology questions ● What website functionality do you need to accomplish your goals? ● Should you build a new website platform or use an existing one? ● How are people going to find out about your website? ● How will you know if your website is accomplishing its goals?

People questions ● Who will be responsible for maintaining the church website? ● Is there a team or committee responsible for planning and directing the website? ● Who will design and develop the church website? ● Will volunteers have a role to play on the church website? ● Who are the intended users of the church website?

Process questions ● Do you have written goals and a mission statement for your church website? ● Do you know the web usage habits of your target audience? ● What is the process for evaluating and making changes to your church website?

Which people should we work with to build our church website?

What resources (skills, time, money) are available in the church? It is important to assess what resources you may already have in your congregation. What skills do your people have which could help you build a new website? Who has skills in photography, writing, marketing, information technology, project management, or graphic design? If they have time, each of these people can contribute something to your church website project.

Should we rely on volunteers or pay someone? There is certainly a role for volunteerism when building a church website. Use as many volunteers as you can on “non-mission-critical” tasks. But some aspects of building a church website are “mission-critical.” Building a church website is almost always going to involve paying someone.


Should we use a local web designer or one which specializes in church websites? Church websites have certain characteristics which make them more complex than a typical business website. One of the most difficult from a technological standpoint is the ability to host sermons. An online sermon library can easily consume 1,000s of megabytes of disk space on a web server. A local web design agency may not be able to solve this problem if their typical clientele consists of restaurants, plumbers, and dentists.

What process should we use to build our church website?

What steps should we follow? Chapters 5 and 6 of Ministry in the Digital Age provide a 13-step process you can use for planning, implementing, and running your church website. Here are the first seven steps: 3

1. Define the purpose and objectives for the use of digital tools by your ministry. 2. Describe the target group(s) for your digital presence. 3. Research your target group(s') use of digital technologies. 4. Determine the resources available. 5. Analyze possible digital technologies for use. 6. Select the tools you will use. 7. Plan for the implementation and operation of your church website.

How much money should we budget for our church website? Many churches have failed to engage their target audience by investing too little in their church websites. What would happen if your church stopped spending money on trash removal, lawn care, or the water bill?

In most cases, 1-2% of annual revenue is necessary to keep your website cutting edge. However, if you are planning to redesign your website during the next fiscal year, you may want to allot as much as 3-4% of your budget for website expenses.

If 3-4% of the budget seems expensive, keep in mind that successful non-profit organizations typically spend 9-12% of their annual budget on marketing and communications.

3 For more info, visit http://ministryinthedigitalage.com/the-book/


http://ministryinthedigitalage.com/the-book/

What technology should we use?

Identify the functionality you want from your church website Common church website functionality requirements include:

1. Sermon Library - The ability to create and manage an online sermon library. 2. Events Calendar - The ability to manage and display upcoming events in the church. 3. Homepage Slideshow - The ability to highlight key aspects and special events in your

church through images on your homepage. 4. Forms Builder - The ability to create contact forms and event registration forms.

Use a web content management system (CMS), not static HTML “Static HTML” is shorthand for the way people used to build websites in the 1990s. You would individually create web pages using a text editor or software such as Microsoft Frontpage or Adobe Dreamweaver. Then you would upload them to your web server.

Web publishing technology has come a long way in 25 years. Using a web content management system (CMS) makes web publishing much more efficient. When you use a web CMS, you can focus on uploading sermons, adding new events, and updating the homepage slideshow rather than fiddling with HTML or CSS code. A web CMS puts you in the driver’s seat.


III. How Five More Talents Can Help

Since 2008, we have focused on serving Presbyterian and Reformed churches, denominations, and organizations. Here is a small sampling of the scores of churches and organizations we serve:

Christ the King PCA, Roanoke, VA

LigonDuncan.com

New Covenant URC, Twin Falls, ID

Reformation OPC, Morgantown, WV

Heidelberg Seminary, Sioux Falls, SD

Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland

To see more examples of our work, visit FiveMoreTalents.com


http://fivemoretalents.com/

Presbyterian and Reformed churches and organizations recommend our website design and hosting services “Five More Talents understands churches and their special needs and especially how Reformed and Presbyterian churches think and do ministry. They have helped scores of congregations in our denomination be more effective in communicating who they are and what they believe.”

— Ross W. Graham, Stated Clerk, General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church “We have been wanting a website for several years and you made it easy to accomplish that goal. Your team was professional and very accommodating to all of my suggestions and requests. It was a joy to see how you could bring concept to reality for the technologically challenged.”

— Bay Street PCA, Hattiesburg, MS “The website you built is awesome. Clean, easy to navigate and complete. Thanks so much! The site has been a buzz among the church since its intro.”

— Grace OPC, Vienna, VA “You did a great job of integrating our feedback... The site really pops and makes an excellent first impression... All in all, you guys smashed it over the center field wall with the redesign.”

— Christ the King PCA, Roanoke, VA “This afternoon I got a call from a woman who wanted to register her son for our VBS. In talking to her on the phone, I realized that she had driven by another church in town (a very liberal congregation)... So she went home to search online for their contact information. That is how she ran into our site, our VBS info, and my phone number... God used the website that you guys designed and maintain to be there at the right time to direct her toward the truth. Be encouraged that God is using your work!”

— Immanuel OPC, Medford, NJ “Reasonably priced, timely, courteous, and highly skilled. Will definitely recommend to others!”

— Southfield Reformed Presbyterian Church, Southfield, MI


We build websites which are useful tools for outreach

Our services are built around WordPress 1. WordPress is a web content management system (CMS). WordPress allows you to add

text, images, photos, audio, and video to your church website without having to write any code.

2. WordPress is open-source software. Since 2003, WordPress has been developed in a public, collaborative manner by literally thousands of software developers around the world. WordPress offers unmatched flexibility for church websites.

3. WordPress is industry-standard. WordPress powers nearly 25% of all websites, and 58.8% of websites which use a known web CMS. 4

4. WordPress is easy to use. If you can use Microsoft Word or Facebook, you can use WordPress.

Our services offer something for everyone, no matter what your budget 1. Ready-to-go church websites. Designed for churches on a shoestring budget, our

ready-to-go church websites make it possible for you to get up and running quickly with an attractive, mobile-friendly web presence. Every ready-to-go church website includes Sermon Library and Events Calendar functionality.

2. Custom website development. We work closely with you to develop a distinctive website that gets you the results you want. As part of the planning process, we define your audience, what they want from you, and what you want from them. Then we orchestrate the design, content, and functionality of your website to ensure that it attracts visitors and motivates them to take action.

3. Managed WordPress website hosting. Much more than simply a place to store files, managed WordPress hosting is the no-hassle, worry-free way to ensure that your website continues to hum along smoothly 24/7/365. Managed WordPress hosting includes:

○ Domain name registration management ○ Web hosting ○ Email accounts ○ WordPress core upgrades ○ WordPress theme and plugin upgrades ○ Daily and weekly backups ○ Security monitoring ○ Monthly website health reports

4 Source: http://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress/all/all


http://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress/all/all

We are experienced professionals

Douglas Vos - Chief Technology Officer To each website project, Doug brings over 30 years of experience in the information technology and interactive media industries.

In 1983, Doug founded the Christian Computer Users Association (CCUA, Inc.) and served as editor of Christian Computer News. From 1988 to 2008, he worked for Electronic Data Systems (EDS), gaining a broad range of IT consulting experience. Since 2008, Doug has served as President of Five More Talents, working to help churches build effective websites.

Doug has a degree in Anthropology, Bible and Linguistics from Kuyper College (formerly Reformed Bible College) in Grand Rapids, MI. Based in Dearborn, MI, he has been a member of Oakland Hills Community Church (OPC) in Farmington Hills, Michigan for over 20 years, and is an ordained deacon.

Daniel Vos - Lead Web Developer Our resident “plate spinner” who keeps all the projects moving forward, Daniel is passionate about helping churches and Christian organizations use cutting-edge mass communication. Even if you feel like you have only been given “one talent” in the kingdom of God, you still have an obligation to make it grow!

Daniel has a B.A., summa cum laude, from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA. He lives in Roanoke, VA with his wife and three kids, where they are members of Christ the King PCA.

Craig Temby - Technical Support Specialist A veteran systems engineer and IT consultant with decades of experience in all facets of IT (from software development to network administration to troubleshooting), Craig provides ongoing monthly maintenance to ensure that your WordPress website keeps running smoothly.


Bonus Resources

A. The Top 33 Questions Visitors Have About Your Church ● Where does the church meet? ● What are the Sunday service times? ● What can visitors expect when they visit?

○ What’s happening this Sunday? ○ What’s happening this week? ○ What can I expect when I visit? ○ What is the worship service like? ○ How long is the worship service? ○ What is the music like? ○ What are the sermons like? ○ What should I wear? ○ Where do I park? ○ Is there a nursery for young children?

● Who are the leaders of the church? ○ Who is/are the pastor(s)? ○ Who are the key staff or volunteers of the church? ○ Who are the officers of the church? ○ What is the best way to contact each of these leaders?

● What does the church stand for? ○ What is the mission? ○ What is the vision ○ What are the beliefs? ○ What makes the church distinctive? ○ What is the history? ○ What are the core values?

● What are the ministry programs of the church? ○ What Christian education (aka Sunday school) classes are available? ○ Are Bible studies available? ○ Are small groups or community groups available? ○ What is the purpose of these groups? ○ When and where do they meet? ○ What about new members classes, catechetical training classes, and prayer

meetings? ○ What about fellowship activities, youth activities, outreach, evangelism, and

mercy ministries?


B. 20 Photos Ideas for Your Church Website Over the years, we’ve combed through thousands of photos for church websites. This experience has given us insight into “what works” and “what doesn’t work” with church website photography. These 20 photo ideas are divided into three categories:

1. People 2. Close Ups 3. Abstract Imagery

People A church is not a building, but a group of people. By using photos of real people on your church website, you (1) communicate sound theology, (2) make a positive emotional connection with website visitors, and (3) dispel superficial understandings of what the church is.

Here are 10 different kinds of “people photos” you could consider using on your church website:

1. Members of congregation singing 2. Worship leaders singing 3. People singing with hymnals 4. People talking and smiling before or after the worship service 5. The pastor 6. Church officers: elders and deacons 7. Sunday School or Christian Education class 8. People helping out with building maintenance at the church building or in the

community 9. People at special events such as Vacation Bible Schools, Missions Conferences, etc. 10. People on mission trips

Close Ups Close ups of distinctive elements of the church building or the surrounding community help prospective visitors feel more comfortable.

Here are some ideas for photographic close ups: 1. Pews or chairs 2. Bibles and hymnals 3. Communion / Lord’s Supper elements 4. Details of interior architecture (pews, windows, chandeliers, etc.) 5. Details of exterior architecture (steeple, steps, etc.) 6. Text of a key verse in an open Bible 7. Familiar outdoor landmark near church meeting place


Abstract Imagery Sometimes creating non-photographic images is the best way to get your point across. Here are some quick and simple ways to create distinctive abstract images.

1. Use part of a Gustave Dore Bible illustration 2. Create a Wordle from a key Scripture passage 3. Use Pixlr Express to add abstract special effects and textures to a photo

Remember: Respect Intellectual Property Use common sense by remembering that photographers and the people they photograph have rights protected by law:

● Respect people’s rights to privacy by getting their permission before using their photos on your website.

● Respect photographer’s rights by getting their permission to use photos on your website.

Disclaimer: We’re web developers and digital media experts — not lawyers — and we are not giving professional legal advice here. Please consult with a lawyer if you have more detailed questions about laws as they apply to photography on websites.


C. Book Review: Ministry in the Digital Age Ministry in the Digital Age: Strategies and Best Practices for a Post-Website World by David T. Bourgeois. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2013. Paperback, 144 pages, list price $15.00.

Ministry in the Digital Age, Part 1: Theory The contents of Ministry in the Digital Age can be grouped into two parts: Theory (Chapters 1 – 3) and practice (Chapters 4 – 7).

In Chapter 1 (“What Hath God Wrought?”), Bourgeois provides a brief history of communication technologies from Roman roads of the 1st century AD to Gutenberg’s movable-type printing press of 1440 to the “digital era” which began in the 1960s with the invention of ARPAnet and email. He shows that the tension between the importance of face-to-face communication and the power of media is an old one. This chapter raised a question: “How do we balance the power of media to transcend time and space with the Biblical doctrine of the sacred concreteness of face-to-face, personal presence?” The church has faced this issue throughout her history. Bourgeois doesn’t provide a definitive answer to this question, but he at least helps us to see that we the church of the 21st century are not alone. Church history provides abundant resources for reflection on the use and abuse of technology in ministry.

Next, in Chapter 2 (“Getting in the Stream”), Bourgeois focuses on the continuing development of digital media. The rise of sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube show that the emphasis of the web has shifted from information to relationships. Bourgeois exhorts his readers “to go where the people are” (pg. 25). He introduces the concept of “information streams.” Information streams are “the flow of digital content that our potential audience puts in front of themselves every day” (pg. 26). Effective communication in the digital age means going where the people are by identifying and entering the information streams they use. This is common sense, but it was a lightbulb moment for me. You cannot communicate with your audience online unless you know their online habits. By doing research to understand how people in your church like to get information, you can improve communication. Still, we must be careful to recognize the limitations of online relationships.

The disruptive innovations of the moment are mobile devices and social media. But if the history of communication technology teaches us anything, it teaches us that communication technology continues to change. In Chapter 3 (“Creating Change”), Bourgeois summarizes and extends the “theology of change” set forth by father-son team Aubrey and Michael Malphurs in Church Next: Using the Internet to Maximize Your Ministry. Malphurs’ theology of change consists of three components: function, form, and freedom:

● Functions are “timeless, unchanging, nonnegotiable precepts based in scripture” (pg. 41).


● Forms are “temporal, changing, negotiable practices, based on an organization’s culture and methods, that we are free to choose in order to accomplish our functions” (pg. 43).

● Freedom is the freedom (and responsibility) to choose the forms which are best suited to perform the functions of Scripture.

This distinction between form and function was another eye-opener to me. It is a useful distinction. It also reminds me of the way the Westminster Confession of Faith explains the relationship between Scriptural precepts and Christian prudence:

The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture… Nevertheless,… there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed (WCF 1.6).

Nevertheless, Malphurs’ theology of change is undoubtedly something most Reformed churchmen would want to nuance. For example, the worship of God is the primary function of the local church. But this does not mean we are free to use whatever forms we like to perform this function. The Westminster Confession of Faith describes a regulative principle of worship which provides additional boundaries around the freedom we have to choose forms to accomplish the function of worship:

The acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture (WCF 21.1).

But Bourgeois’ neglect of Reformed confessional standards is a minor quibble. I don’t get the impression that Bourgeois wants to dilute the authority of Scripture in liturgy or church polity. He is not a radical revisionist emerging church partisan. He limits his comments to the use of technology in communication, and his comments demonstrate an admirable attitude of caution and self-restraint:

● “Just because we can do something does not mean we should do something” (pg. 46).

● “The forms we choose must help us accomplish our biblical functions” (pg. 46). ● We should avoid adopting a technology if it is poor stewardship of time, money,

and people (pg. 47). ● To the extent that “the medium is the message,” we should consider the effect the

technology we select will have on the perception of our organization (pgs. 47-50).


Ministry in the Digital Age, Part 2: Practice Chapters 4-7 of Ministry in the Digital Age provide practical application. In these chapters, Bourgeois guides church leaders through the process of developing a communications strategy. His advice is based on primary research he has been conducting since 2008, and buttressed throughout by statistics.

In Chapter 4, Bourgeois introduces the “Digital Ministry Framework.” The digital ministry framework is a conceptual model consisting of three parts:

● People ● Processes ● Technology “Technology is not the hard part” of developing a digital communications strategy,

Bourgeois writes (pg. 51). “For most ministries, spending less time on technology and more on people and process will bring a better chance of success” (pg. 53). Making decisions about what technologies to use is important, but not nearly as important as considering the people and processes involved.

Chapters 5 and 6 provide a 13-step process for planning, implementing, and running your digital ministry:

1. Define the purpose and objectives for the use of the digital tools by your ministry. 2. Describe the target group(s) for your digital presence. 3. Research your target group(s)’ use of digital technologies. 4. Determine the resources available. 5. Analyze possible digital technologies for use. 6. Select the tools you will use. 7. Plan for the implementation and operation of your digital ministry. 8. Forecast results. 9. Assign roles and responsibilities. 10. Write it up! 11. Carry out the plan. 12. Evaluate results. 13. Do it again!

This section of the book alone is worth the price of the book. It takes the mystery out of developing a digital communication strategy, providing a practical roadmap.

Finally, in Chapter 7, Bourgeois provides “some basic guidelines for developing a digital ministry that respects the privacy of its constituents and protects its information” (pg. 114). For example:

● On photographs: “Provide a method for those who do not want their images posted online to let you know. You should also provide a way for people to easily notify you if you posted something that they want taken down” (pg. 106).


● On news about missionaries: “I would suggest getting specific permission from each missionary before posting their information digitally. Missionaries frequently have specific policies about what information can be made public and what information cannot” (pg. 106).

Conclusions and Next Steps Look at church history. Look at the God-breathed Scriptures themselves. There has always been a need for the people of God to strike a balance between the sacredness of physical presence and the transcending power of communications media — be they Roman roads, printing presses, or social media. Communications media can never fully capture or fulfill the mission of Christ’s church. But neither can Christ’s church fulfill her mission without availing herself of the media technologies of the day. A substantial part of the apostle Paul’s ministry was carried out through the written word. Likewise, the printing press was helpful in spreading the ideas of the Protestant Reformation.

Ministry in the Digital Age fills an important gap in the literature by providing church leaders with level-headed counsel and a practical road-map for developing a communication strategy for their church. As noted above, I have reservations about some aspects of the “theology of change” — more what it doesn’t say than what it does say. But overall, I highly recommend this book to church leaders. Every church which is serious about using the Web as part of its outreach should get this book and read it.


D. The Historical & Theological Case for Church Websites

I. Putting the question in theological and historical context

1. The church is built by God to be a witness in society The OPC website recently reprinted Richard B. Gaffin’s classic article “No Rolling

Stones!” This article summarizes the foundation biblical teaching of 1 Peter 2:4-5 on the 5

identity and purpose of the church.

The church is “God’s house, built on Christ” First, the church is not man’s church, but God’s church. The Lord Jesus Christ runs the

church as her head, and the church is built on him. “Christ is the foundation of the church,” Gaffin writes, “because he did for us the one, absolutely necessary thing that we can't do for ourselves, and he did it perfectly, once for all.”

The church is “built together” and “built to serve” Second, being united to Jesus Christ “the living Stone” (1 Peter 2:4) connects us to

other believers. Together with them, we are being “built together” and “built to serve.” This means that there is no place in God’s house for individualism or navel-gazing. Our identities depend on our connection to the church. Our purpose is to be “a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5) who dedicate ourselves to serving each other and serving our Savior. “The gospel and its effectiveness is at stake in all this,” Gaffin writes. “For today, as always, the world is watching, even when it may not be aware of doing so, to see if there really is a difference between itself and the church.”

2. Communication is necessary to build the church Communication is defined as “the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or

behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else.” 6

God is the great Communicator. He has spoken creation into existence. He has revealed his will to us through the Holy Scripture. The gospel is the good news of salvation.

God has given man the ability to communicate. This sets us apart from the beasts. We use words, sounds, signs and behaviors to express our ideas to others

Communication is necessary to build the church. Loving one another as believers involves communication. Communicating the gospel with words is necessary to call men to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Ministers of the word build up the church by communicating the teachings of Holy Scripture through their “words, sounds, signs, and behaviors.”

5 http://www.opc.org/nh.html?article_id=464 6 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communication


http://www.opc.org/nh.html?article_id=464

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communication

3. The church has been built throughout history using communication tools Presbyterian pastors such as Greg Reynolds have been diligent to remind

21st-century Christians of the priority of face-to-face communication. However, there 7

has always been a need for the church of God to strike a balance between the priority of face-to-face communication and the transcending power of communications media — be they Roman roads, printing presses, or digital networks. Throughout the centuries, Christian leaders have used contemporary communication tools in their quest to build the church. Examples could be multiplied, but let us examine two.

Consider the apostle Paul. A substantial part of the apostle Paul’s ministry was carried out through the written word using the communication technologies of the 1st century Greco-Roman world. Indeed, his ministry continues today through what he has written.

Likewise, it is well-known that the printing press was an important tool in spreading the 16th-century Protestant Reformation in Europe. In Germany, Martin Luther, Philipp Melancthon, and Lucas Cranach used the printing press to publish pamphlets and engravings which embodied their ideas. The Protestant Reformers leveraged the communication tools of their day in their quest to reform the church and build it “in accordance with the Word of God.”

Standing on the shoulders of the apostle Paul and the Protestant Reformers, we too must use contemporary communication tools when appropriate and beneficial for building the church.

II. Making a case for the value of church websites

1. Every Presbyterian/Reformed church in North America should regularly evaluate the effectiveness of its use of mass communication tools

As shown above, God is at work building the church on the foundation of Jesus Christ to be a witness in society. Communication is necessary in this work. “Face-to-face” is the best and most precious form of communication, but throughout church history there has also been an important role for mass communication tools: stone tablets, papyrus, the printing press, and now the web.

This means that you as a church leader in 2013 have the the sacred responsibility of evaluating the effectiveness of the communication tools you are using. Face-to-face communication is still as powerful as it has always been, but mass communication tools continue to change.

2. The web is the most powerful mass communication tool of our time We live in a “digital age.” According to Dr. David Bourgeois, Associate Professor of

Information Systems at Biola University, the digital age began in the 1960s with the

7 For example, Greg Reynolds’ “Editorial: The Wired Church” http://www.opc.org/os.html?article_id=48


http://www.opc.org/os.html?article_id=48

invention of ARPAnet and email. In the 1990s, it matured with the widespread 8

availability of personal computers and the invention of the first web browsers. Today, over 56% of North Americans can access the web anytime and anywhere from devices called “smartphones” which are small enough to fit in their pockets. 9

3. Presbyterian/Reformed churches can and should use church websites as a tool for building the church unto the glory of God

Church leaders in the tradition of the historic Reformed confessions (Westminster, Heidelberg, Dordt, etc.) are justifiably resistant to “man-centered” theology and methodology in building the church. Our creeds, confessions, and catechisms teach a thoroughly God-centered worldview. Therefore, it would be inconsistent with our understanding of biblical doctrine to promote any theology or adopt any methods if they can be shown to be irredeemably man-centered.

It is our heartfelt conviction that the potential of the web can and must be redeemed for the glory of God. The web has great potential as a tool for building the church. Indeed, thousands of vibrant local churches throughout North America and the world are already demonstrating how the web can be used to advance the gospel.

However, it is possible to take a man-centered approach to build church websites, and we should take pains to avoid such an approach. It is important to acknowledge that to the extent that “the medium is the message,” the web has weaknesses as well as strengths as a communication tool.

Church websites should be built soli Deo gloria. Church websites should reflect God’s truth and beauty in their content, design, and functionality. Rev. Ross Graham addresses this point in Planting an Orthodox Presbyterian Church:

“A church’s website often serves as the primary means by which those outside the church learn what it stands for and when and where it meets. For these reasons, a church’s website must be well designed and maintained in order to make it a useful tool.”

8 David Bourgeois, Ministry in the Digital Age 9 http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/mobileplanet/en/


http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/mobileplanet/en/

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