By Brent Lacy

Most people who visit a church for the first time checked the website first.

If your website has wrong service times, a broken contact form, or looks like it was built in 2009, you have already lost them before they walked through the door.

A small church website does not need to be beautiful. It needs to be accurate, functional, and findable. Here is what that requires.

75% of people research a church online before visiting in person. (Barna Group, 2024)

$0 is the minimum cost to build a functional church website today.

5 pages is all most small churches need to start.

The 5 Pages Every Small Church Website Needs

1. Home Page

Your home page answers one question: “Is this church for me?” It should include your service times and location prominently, a one-sentence description of who you are, a welcoming photo or image, and a clear call to action (“Join us Sunday” or “Plan your visit”).

Do not bury the service times. They should be visible without scrolling.

2. About Page

Who are you? What do you believe? Who leads the church? This page gives visitors the information they need to decide if your church is theologically and culturally a fit for them. Include a brief statement of faith, a short history of the church, and a photo and bio of the pastor.

3. Ministries Page

What does your church offer? Children’s ministry, youth group, small groups, women’s ministry, senior adult ministry. Keep it simple. One paragraph per ministry with a contact name for each.

4. Contact Page

A contact form, your physical address, your phone number, and your email. Also include your social media links if you have active accounts. Make it easy for someone to reach a real person.

5. Give Page

Online giving is expected by most visitors under 50. If you do not have it, you are leaving money on the table. Tithe.ly, Pushpay, and Subsplash all offer affordable online giving platforms for small churches.

What You Can Skip

Many church websites are cluttered with things that do not help visitors and do not help the church. You can skip these.

• A sermon archive. Unless you have a significant online audience, a sermon archive adds complexity without adding value for first-time visitors.
• A church calendar with every event. A simple “upcoming events” section is enough. A full calendar is hard to maintain and rarely used.
• A members-only portal. For most small churches, a group text or email list serves this purpose better.
• Stock photos of diverse, happy people. Use real photos of your actual congregation. Authenticity matters more than polish.

How to Build It Without a Web Designer

You do not need to hire a web designer. Several platforms make it possible to build a functional church website in a few hours.

Free and low-cost options:

• WordPress.com (free tier). The most widely used platform. Thousands of free themes. Requires some learning but is highly flexible.
• Wix (free tier). Drag-and-drop builder. Easier to use than WordPress. Less flexible but faster to set up.
• Squarespace ($16/month). The most polished option. Best for churches that want a professional look without a designer.
• Church-specific platforms. Ekklesia 360, Ministry Designs, and Church.io offer church-specific website builders with built-in features like sermon archives and event calendars.

The Most Important Thing: Keep It Current

An outdated website is worse than no website. If your service times changed two years ago and your website still shows the old times, you are sending visitors to an empty parking lot.

Assign one person to be responsible for keeping the website current. Review it quarterly at minimum. Check every page. Verify every phone number and email address. Update the pastor’s photo if it is more than five years old.

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