Welcome to a new section of the course! Up to now, we've been laying the foundation: why your website matters, choosing a platform, owning your domain, keeping things secure, and making sure everything works on a phone. Now it's time to start building the actual pages.
Over the next several lessons, we'll walk through the most important pages on a church website one at a time. And there's no better place to start than the most important page of all: your home page.
Your home page is the page most people see first. It's the page your sign points to, the page that shows up when someone searches your church's name, and the page a friend shares when they invite someone to visit. Get this one page right, and you've done a huge part of the work.
The Job of a Home Page
It's tempting to think of the home page as the place to put everything: every ministry, every event, every announcement, every program. But a home page that tries to say everything ends up saying nothing clearly.
Instead, think of your home page like a friendly greeter standing at the front door on Sunday morning. A good greeter doesn't hand a visitor the entire church directory. They smile, say hello, answer the basic questions ("When does the service start? Where do I go?"), and point the person in the right direction.
Your home page has the same three jobs:
Welcome people and give them a genuine feel for who you are.
Answer the basic questions fast, especially when and where you meet.
Point them to a next step, like planning a visit, watching a sermon, or getting connected.
Everything else can live on other pages. Your home page just needs to open the door and point the way.
What Needs to Be on Your Home Page
Let's start with the must-haves. If your home page has these, you're already ahead of a lot of church websites.
The essentials
Service times. Day and time for every regular service, written plainly, like Sundays at 9:00 and 11:00 AM. If you have different service styles or a Spanish-language service, say so.
Location. Your street address, linked to a map so visitors can get directions in one tap. If parking or the entrance is tricky, add a short note like Park in the back lot and enter through the double glass doors.
A warm welcome. One or two sentences that sound like a real person, not a mission statement. Something like We're a friendly, family-centered church in the heart of Lancaster, and we'd love to meet you.
A clear next step. One main button, usually Plan a Visit or I'm New, that leads to a page answering first-time guest questions.
Contact information. A phone number (tap-to-call on phones) and an email address or simple contact form.
Nice to have
Once the essentials are in place, a few extras can make your home page even more helpful:
What to expect. A short line about service length, dress, and kids' ministry, with a link to more details.
The latest sermon. A recent message people can watch or listen to, which gives a real feel for your church.
Two or three ways to get connected. Highlight a few key ministries, not every single one.
A few upcoming events. Just the big ones, like Easter, Christmas Eve, or Vacation Bible School, and only if you'll keep them current.
Online giving. A simple link or button in the menu or footer.
Social media links. Small icons at the bottom of the page are plenty.
Notice that this list is short on purpose. Every extra item you add makes the essentials a little harder to find.
Why Layout Matters
Having the right information on your home page is only half the battle. Where you put it matters just as much. People don't read websites word by word. They scan. Their eyes jump to the top of the page, then to big headings, buttons, and pictures. If your service times are tucked into the fourth paragraph halfway down, many visitors will simply never see them.
A good home page layout follows a simple principle: the most important information goes at the top, and each section leads naturally to the next. Here's a layout that works well for most churches.
A few layout tips to keep in mind:
Lead with when and where. Service times and location should be visible right away, ideally without much scrolling, especially on a phone.
Have one main button. If your home page has eight buttons all shouting for attention, none of them stand out. Pick one main action, usually Plan a Visit, and make it the most noticeable.
Give things room to breathe. Empty space around text and pictures isn't wasted space. It makes the page feel calm, clear, and easy to read.
Keep it consistent. Use the same fonts, colors, and button styles throughout. A page with five different fonts and colors feels cluttered and amateurish.
Use clear headings. Short, plain headings like Service Times, New Here?, and Get Connected help people scan and find what they need.
Don't make it too long. Your home page should be a quick overview, not an encyclopedia. Link to other pages for the details.
Choosing the Right Pictures
Pictures are often the very first thing a visitor notices on your home page, and they speak before a single word is read. A good photo says, "There are real people here, and you'd fit right in." A poor photo can quietly say the opposite, even when it isn't true.
That's why it's worth being thoughtful about every picture you use, especially the big one at the top of your home page.
Watch what your service photos are saying
A photo of your worship service can be a wonderful choice, but look at it the way a newcomer would.
Avoid empty space. A wide shot of the sanctuary that shows rows of empty pews can make a church look like it's struggling, even on a good Sunday. Instead, take photos from closer in, or from an angle that shows the people who are there. A full section of a room feels much more alive than a half-empty whole room.
Show the range of people who attend. If every face in your photos belongs to one age group, visitors may assume the church is only for people like that. Look for shots that include a mix of ages: children, teens, young adults, families, and older members together. Older saints are a treasure in any church, and they belong in your photos too. The goal is simply that a young family, a college student, or a retiree can each look at your home page and think, "There's someone like me here."
Look for faces, not the backs of heads. Photos taken from the back of the room mostly show heads and the screen. Shots from the side or front that capture smiling faces, people greeting each other, or kids laughing are far more inviting.
Capture connection. People talking in the lobby, a greeter shaking hands, a small group sharing coffee. These moments show community better than a stage shot ever can.
More picture tips
Use real photos of your real church. Stock photos of models in a generic church can feel fake, and visitors may be confused when your church looks nothing like the pictures.
Keep them current. Photos from ten years ago, with a former pastor or an old building, send the wrong message. Refresh your main photos at least once a year.
Choose good quality. Photos should be bright, in focus, and well lit. Modern phones take great pictures; just wipe the lens, use natural light, and hold steady.
Get permission, especially for children. Follow the guidance from Lesson 6: get parents' written permission before posting photos of minors, and never pair a child's full name with their photo.
Check how they look on a phone. A wide photo can get cropped on a small screen, cutting off faces or important details. Always check in the mobile preview.
Common Home Page Mistakes
Here are some of the most common home page problems on church websites, and how to fix each one.
A good final test: show your home page to someone who has never been to your church and give them ten seconds. Then ask, "What day and time do we meet, and where?" If they can answer, your home page is doing its job.
Your Five Action Steps for This Lesson
Do the ten-second test. Show your current home page to someone who has never attended your church. Give them ten seconds, then ask when and where you meet. Write down what they say.
Write your one-line welcome. In one or two warm, plain sentences, describe your church the way you'd say it to a new neighbor. Read it out loud to make sure it sounds like a real person.
Sketch your home page layout. On a sheet of paper, draw your home page from top to bottom using the layout in this lesson. Decide what goes in each section and what can move to another page.
Review your photos with fresh eyes. Look at every picture on your home page and ask: Does it show real people? Does it avoid empty space? Does it show a range of ages? Replace any that don't.
Schedule a photo Sunday. Pick an upcoming Sunday, ask a volunteer with a good phone or camera to take natural photos of people arriving, greeting, worshiping, and talking, and gather photo permissions from parents ahead of time.
