In the first two posts, we’ve considered different audiences you are trying to reach. We’ve ‘argued’ that the most important one, or maybe better stated most neglected one, is outsiders–unbelievers, church-going but no gospel, etc.
The other audiences are those that our churches are already reasonably attentive to on our sites. By way of reminder, that’s Reformed moving into the area or dissatisfied and evangelical becoming Reformed.
So, let’s talk about making our websites more welcoming to outsiders and giving them content that connects (should the Lord use it that way).
First, we need to shift our thinking and approach. How do we decide what to put on our website? Maybe the pastor and a couple of elders chat about it and come up with the best notes they can. Maybe someone checks out other Reformed websites for ideas and a model. Maybe some ‘tech-savvy’ folks chime in about what they would want to see on a site. In most circumstances, the way we do this is very ‘insider-friendly.’ We talk about what WE think is important. We talk about what WE would like to see if WE were looking for a church. Even when we look at other Reformed sites, we are looking at what WE already do. You get the point.
Now, this isn’t anyone’s fault. It’s part of being human. We are insiders and have been for a long time, and we forget what it’s like to be an outsider. A lot of the things we come up with on that list are important and need to be on our site. These lists will have: that we are OPC, that we are Reformed and believe the WCF, that we value worship and the Regulative Principle, that we quote Puritans and Reformed pastors, and 12 other hallmarks of who we are. All important. Most have a place somewhere on the website. But those aren’t the things outsiders are looking for…at least not yet.
So, if our website is the ‘front porch’ of our church, and if our members and regulars don’t really go there because we have many other ways to communicate with them, and if our website is where every outsider goes to get a sense of things before they ever darken our door, then maybe we need to reorient our thinking and approach. The things listed above are in the right places on our site and are there for the other audiences, but what can we put front and center–not to change who we are for anyone–but to present who we are in a way that makes sense to the outsider, not just the insider?
Let’s work through this:
First Step: Think about specific kinds of people in your town or city that might visit your site and what they would be looking for.
Preachers are often given the advice when they are thinking about application for a sermon to think of specific people in the congregation. Let’s do the same for our website.
How about we imagine we have a church in Nashville. Before you read on, think for a minute about what kinds of outsiders there might be in Nashville.
Here are some possibilities:
-An aging musician who came to Nashville to live the dream, but never really got going. Now he/she drives by your church to get to the Bluebird (famous music venue) where they watch others with regret and frustration, knowing that’s the only reason they’ll ever be in the Bluebird.
-A 27-year-old single nurse who was thrilled she got her dream job at Vanderbilt Hospital but now, 4 years in, sees the atrocities of the pediatric ward and doesn’t know if she can continue. She wonders what life is all about and if she can do this for the rest of her life.
-A forty-something couple with 3 kids loving life. The kids do soccer and piano. The family spends Sundays at Centennial Park. They have dinner together several times a week. Oh, sure they have challenges, but they love Nashville and love their life there. What’s going on in the background or what may come? They don’t know and neither do you, but their good friends just told them about your church. What do you have for them on the front page?
What do they want or need?
-It’s safe to say they aren’t wondering if you are Reformed, OPC, have 2 services, hold to the Regulative Principle, or the rest of that list. We hope you understand by now that we are not devaluing those things. We believe they are important! But they have a place and that place probably isn’t how you tell your story on the front page of your website.
These particular outsiders in our Nashville example are probably wanting/needing things like:
-Hope that is wrapped in a gospel explanation they can understand (humanly speaking)
-Acknowledgement that life is tough and hard, that Christians know and experience that and live together in that journey in support and encouragement of one another serving a God who is better than they could even imagine.
-Hope in the face of death and discouragement and frustration, and lack of identity and meaning
And we could list many more….
So, what kind of content are we talking about…Let’s make it concrete:
What if something like this was one of the most prominent things on your front page?
Look at what you have now. A lot of OPC churches have a slider across the main area….look at what you have in your slider…how does it compare? What audiences are you reaching with the most important area of your website? What do you have there for ‘outsiders?’
There’s a lot to think about here and you need to think about how this translates into your context and your own sensibilities for your website.
Exercise: Take this info and do two things:
1. Think about your town or city and the ‘outsiders’ who live there. Make a list of 10 (or more) types of people (‘archetypes’) that you could/should be reaching out to and might come to your website one day.
2. Make a list of 10 pieces of content that you could put on your front page to be more ‘outsider-friendly’ and welcoming to these ‘archetypes’ of people. Nothing fancy but be specific. Use the exact words and write a note on the type of image if one is needed. Write some phrases and ideas of how to welcome them and talk to them on your new ‘front porch.’
Share your ideas with us. Email us at: opchomemissions@gmail.com or reply to the email that got you here. Or if you need help and prompting to get going or have questions, email us.