There is something spiritually important about being able to gather together. Worship, communion, breaking bread, holding hands — these are all integral parts of our services, and they can’t be replaced by simply watching a service online.
However, we are currently living through a strange time. In order to love our neighbors, we are asked to protect them by temporarily suspending our meeting times. We can grieve the loss of this and pray that it will be brief. But in the meantime, we know it is still important to stay connected, and technology can help us do that. Here at Infomedia, we’ve put together a product we call Sunday Service; it’s a page that we can add to your church’s current website that will allow for the essential things you want to communicate and teach. Here are some things to make sure your church website has during the COVID-19 pandemic:
Ability to Share Sermons Through Video Streaming or Podcasting
Be sure your sermons are easy to find and play. Ideally, this will not require an additional download or player from your members, but can be played from your website. This can be tricky, because having lots of people visit your site at the same time can overload your site and cause it to crash. We’ll help you assess if your site can handle the load.
Communicate Needs, Prayer Requests and Announcements
If sharing needs and prayer requests is something your congregation does regularly, either before your sermon or through a church bulletin, it is important to share that now and to encourage time in prayer about these issues. Including this section on your service page can be helpful, and we can set this up for you. This page can also communicate announcements, like instructions for what to do when quarantine is lifted and your church is meeting again.
Collect Tithes and Offerings
Tithes and offerings are essential for the work of the church and for the spiritual growth of its members. The church has important work that must go on even though services are not being held in person, and that work needs funding. Be sure you have a simple way to collect offerings even when you can’t pass the offering plate.
Once you’re sure all these elements exist on your website, you’ll want to make sure they’re easy for members to find — ideally, they will be all on one page so that all of your congregation, not just the technologically savvy members, will be able to find what they’re looking for. After quarantine is over, this page could serve as a hub for any members who aren’t able to attend services because of health reasons, mobility issues, or even just vacations to virtually participate in your church service.
To learn more or ask how you can add a Sunday Service page to your site quickly, get in touch by calling our team, or fill out this form to request more information.
