WEBSITE RESOURCES
Thinking of building a website for your church, but don't know where to begin? Do you have an existing website but need some help with content? Check out the resources below or contact Kelly Roberson at 888-266-7642 or kelly@sgaumc.com for help.
E-ZEKIEL: WEB HOSTING SOLUTION AFFORDABLE
UMCom offers the E-ZEKIEL WEB HOSTING solution to local churches and UM organizations at significant discounts. E-zekiel also provides over 250 high quality Web site designs just for churches. Simple content editing tools require no technical skill or special software. This service is a perfect solution for churches that don't have the technology or resources to create Web sites on their own. For more information, go to http://www.umc.e-zekiel.com or contact Kelly Roberson at 888-266-7642 or kelly@sgaumc.com for help. .
RESOURCES FOR CHURCH WEB MASTERS
Many resources are available for churches interested in building their own Web sites:
 "CyberFaith: How Americans Pursue Religion Online," Pew Internet and American Life (http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=53 ). This report takes an in-depth look at faith online.
eMinistry, Andrew Careaga. This book looks at how technology can be used to reach the 'Net Generation' - people ages 16 to 25.
http://gbgm-umc.org/churches/ . The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries provides Web site hosting to churches, conferences and church-related initiatives.
www.ginghamsburg.org . Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, Ohio, has built online communities on its Web site that are geared toward local church ministries. The communities include active message boards for Web ministers.
www.umc.org/webministry . Maintained by United Methodist Communications, the site includes an archived audio stream of a panel on church Web ministry titled, "We Built our Church Web Site: Now What?" Local churches can get help building or polishing a Web site by e-mailing webresource@umcom.org .
Don't Make Me Think, Steve Krug. This practical book is a simple read that explains how to create a fresh, easy-to-use Web site.
http://www.e-zekiel.com . E-zekiel provides Web hosting and templates for easy creation of dynamic-looking Web sites.
ESSENTIALS TO INCLUDE ON YOUR WEB SITE
Here are some basic items that every church webmaster should include when developing a site to reach people shopping for a new church: A welcome message, preferably from the pastor. People want to feel welcome, whether in the church itself or on the Web site.
Worship service times and descriptions of the service. Many churches now have several different types of service. To simply label a service "contemporary" or "traditional" is not enough.
Ministry descriptions. People shopping for a church want to know how the church reaches out to spiritually feed the congregation and the community.
Class descriptions. Highlight each class or small group with a brief description, meeting location and time.
Staff listing and contact information. A Web site that doesn't offer an opportunity to gain more information by e-mail, phone or snail mail is like the Yellow Pages without phone numbers. Include photos of staff members as well.
Core beliefs. Include a few lines or paragraphs about what your congregation believes as well as the theology of the denomination.
Upcoming events and a calendar. Church barbecues, yard sales, blood drives, etc., are often non-threatening ways for a person to visit a church for the first time.
Directions and map to the church. Do not rely on a person knowing how to get to your church no matter how long it has been a part of the community.
Building maps or floor plans. It's helpful for a person to have a general idea of how to get around your church before making that first visit.
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