Church Website Welcome Message Example
Looking for a church website welcome message example? We plan to give you a few of those, but first, we’d like to discuss the importance of having a welcome message on your church website.
Why a Church Website Welcome Message?
Is it Needed?
You might be thinking that a welcome message is not all that important. People come to your website, so they know already that they are welcome to visit your church, right? Whether that is true of not, it’s a nice touch to offer them the invitation and make them feel that you would be happy to meet them in person. But today, it all starts on the website. That’s how a lot of your new visitors will find you, so it’s crucial that you make them feel welcome from the very beginning.
It Makes a Difference
Have you ever wanted to go to a party or another special event? Did it make a difference whether you felt welcomed or not? Of course it did. If you didn’t, you would probably quickly run out the door and not come back. The goal is not to get people to walk into your church for the first time. The goal is to help them find a family and a home where they can build their relationship with God and others.
Your website is the initial contact people have of your church. They need to know you care about them and would be happy to have them join you on a Sunday morning or at a community event. Then, you need to follow through when they actually show up and offer them warm, friendly smiles and fellowship.
Ways to Welcome Newcomers
Your Website
As we have already mentioned, your website will be the first point of contact in many cases. Your homepage is a great place to extend a warm greeting and invitation to come and visit your church. Here’s an example of one that’s front and center on the homepage.
From the Pulpit
Once someone has taken the step of coming to your church, be sure to welcome them from the pulpit. Most people will appreciate not being put on the spot and asked to stand, but that shouldn’t stop you from giving a general greeting to any first-time visitors. If you have an information area, let them know where it is, so that after the service, they can go there and get their questions answered. It’s also a good idea to have something to give them that will allow them to become more acquainted with your church, such as a brochure, a CD with a greeting on it, etc.
Here’s a good example of a welcome message that can be delivered from the pulpit or included in the bulletin. It can also be modified and displayed on your website.
The Bulletin
It’s a great idea to include a welcome message in your weekly bulletin. The pastor can write out a short greeting that makes a new visitor feel like you’re glad they are there.
Ways to Present a Church Website Welcome Message
Written Text
We’ve seen many church websites that have a welcome message right on the homepage. It’s usually a rather short section that warmly greets new visitors and invites them to come and join them on Sunday mornings. They might tell a little bit about what their church is all about and what sets them apart from the church down the street.
Video
Video has become a very popular way of giving a welcome message. The pastor may speak a few words of welcome or there may be some other members of the church who give a short testimonial of what the church has meant to them. Video is a great way to let web visitors see some “real faces.” Then, if they do come in person, they may recognize the pastor or some of the other people in the congregation, and it helps build a connection.
Pictures
Along with some written text, pictures help to complete the story. You may have a large group from your church holding a welcome sign, or a few individuals with big smiles who can extend a warm welcome. The old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” holds true here.
So far, we have talked about why to have a church website welcome message, ways to make people feel welcomed, and ideas of how to display the welcome on your website.
Now it’s time to get to some examples of church website welcome messages.
Word of Life Christian Fellowship – this is our own home church. A video at the top of the page shows what to expect when you visit the church. This is helpful for those who have never been there before so that they have an idea of what they will find when they come. Notice the video doesn’t begin playing automatically. It lets someone click on it and hear the message when they are ready for it. You don’t want to be annoying with it, and videos that run on their own with no turn off option can be irritating to people.
Mt. Rise UCC – here is a welcome message right on the homepage under the top slider. It gets to the heart of who they are and has a video there with the pastor speaking about the church.
Henrietta Christian Fellowship – again, the welcome video is located under the “About Us” tab. This is a great video, featuring the pastor speaking from the heart about the church. It makes you feel very welcomed.
As you can see, the welcome message doesn’t need to be long and in depth. It’s best if you speak from your heart about who your church is and what someone will find there. It doesn’t matter whether it’s done in video format or written text. It needs to make new people feel they can come and feel comfortable and welcomed.