When making a Christian website design for a church, there are very specific features that you may need to ensure that the website fulfills its purposes. Besides keeping the church members up to date with the happenings in the church, the website should also be an advertisement avenue to welcome visitors, to evangelize and also a resource for other people besides your church members. The list below indicates some of the common Christian web design features that a Christian web designer may consider including on a church website.
Christian Blog and Forum
One of the quality features that you can add to your Christian web design is a blog and a discussion forum. This resource helps the pastors receive feedback on the sermons delivered in church. It can also be a good avenue for people to ask questions relating to the faith and get answers from the church counselors. They can also share prayer requests and other needs. The forum therefore needs to have anonymity to give the people confidence to share deep and personal issues. It also needs a moderator to help with managing the discussion and giving scriptural answers to questions asked. You can also add a blogging section and have the pastors and other members of the church staff to write motivational blogs to uplift the visitors. Some Christian web designer companies will add a weekly bulletin or a daily email message newsletter feature to broadcast such messages as emails to subscribed members.
Download Messages Section
Another common feature being added to websites by many Christian web designer companies is the message download section. Many churches are giving Mp3 message download sections for people to download free messages of addresses given in church. You can sell the videos in series format but have simple Mp3 free downloads. Others are giving free video downloads. Some Christian website design sites will even have a live stream of the sermons as they are being delivered by the pastor. The extent to which you provide free messages is dependent on the church leadership.
Shopping Cart
A shopping cart is yet another important feature of a Christian web design. The Christian web designer can either choose to have a cart coded into the website or have the cart outsourced to a third party shopping cart provider. The advantage of third party providers is that they will have a wider variety of payment options and will also have security and authenticity features. The shopping cart will include the message DVDs and CDs and any books authored by your church pastors or other church members or associates.
Links to Other Resources
Christian web designer companies are also adding links to other resources to help their visitors to find quality relevant information on the web. Your Christian website design can have a link to bible downloads, other Christian forums, links to websites of related churches and any other link that you find important.
Announcement and Messages Section
Finally, it is important to have a notice board with the weekly announcements and any other message broadcast in your Christian web design. You can use this section to advertise upcoming seminars, worship services, camps and retreats and such like events.
Christian Blog and Forum
One of the quality features that you can add to your Christian web design is a blog and a discussion forum. This resource helps the pastors receive feedback on the sermons delivered in church. It can also be a good avenue for people to ask questions relating to the faith and get answers from the church counselors. They can also share prayer requests and other needs. The forum therefore needs to have anonymity to give the people confidence to share deep and personal issues. It also needs a moderator to help with managing the discussion and giving scriptural answers to questions asked. You can also add a blogging section and have the pastors and other members of the church staff to write motivational blogs to uplift the visitors. Some Christian web designer companies will add a weekly bulletin or a daily email message newsletter feature to broadcast such messages as emails to subscribed members.
Download Messages Section
Another common feature being added to websites by many Christian web designer companies is the message download section. Many churches are giving Mp3 message download sections for people to download free messages of addresses given in church. You can sell the videos in series format but have simple Mp3 free downloads. Others are giving free video downloads. Some Christian website design sites will even have a live stream of the sermons as they are being delivered by the pastor. The extent to which you provide free messages is dependent on the church leadership.
Shopping Cart
A shopping cart is yet another important feature of a Christian web design. The Christian web designer can either choose to have a cart coded into the website or have the cart outsourced to a third party shopping cart provider. The advantage of third party providers is that they will have a wider variety of payment options and will also have security and authenticity features. The shopping cart will include the message DVDs and CDs and any books authored by your church pastors or other church members or associates.
Links to Other Resources
Christian web designer companies are also adding links to other resources to help their visitors to find quality relevant information on the web. Your Christian website design can have a link to bible downloads, other Christian forums, links to websites of related churches and any other link that you find important.
Announcement and Messages Section
Finally, it is important to have a notice board with the weekly announcements and any other message broadcast in your Christian web design. You can use this section to advertise upcoming seminars, worship services, camps and retreats and such like events.