In the last 15 years, there has been a lot of time, creativity, and resources spent on stand alone Children’s Ministry websites…and rightly so. It has been a great avenue to connect with parents, provide information, register for events, and provide discipleship tools.
But in the last few years, some shifts have taken place that may cause you to reconsider having a stand-alone website for your Children’s Ministry.
Facebook. It has changed the landscape of connecting online and now it’s changing online marketing. Major companies are leveraging Facebook to promote their business and connect with customers.
If you have or are considering having a stand-alone Children’s Ministry website, you may want to reconsider. A Facebook page for your Children’s Ministry may be more effective. Why?
· You are going where people already are, instead of asking them to come to you. Parents are already on Facebook…most of them daily. It’s easier to connect with them on Facebook than at a website.
· It’s free. Use the budget money somewhere else.
· Remember the goal is to connect…not to see how cool a website you can create. You can spend lots of resources and time creating and maintaining a great website…but if no one is going there…then what’s the point? Are the time, energy, and resources you are spending worth the return you are getting?
*You can view our Children’s Ministry Facebook page at Christ Fellowship: GK Parents. We use it to provide take home pages, upcoming events, a monthly parenting video, and more.
Church-wide online integration. Many Children’s ministries have integrated their website into the overall church page. This may be more effective. Why?
· Big picture alignment. It’s vital to align with the overall messaging of the church.
· Less is more. Instead of sending people to a different website for each ministry, keep it inside one website and make it easy to navigate.
· Leverages resources and personnel that are already available. There is probably someone already in place that maintains your church website. And they are probably more than willing to expand the Children’s Ministry part of the site. Provide them the information they need and let them run with it. Your part then shifts from maintenance to monitoring and providing current information.
*You can view our Children’s Ministry page inside our church website at www.GoChristFellowship.com. We use it to provide guest information, online registration, and more.
What are your thoughts?
Do you have a stand alone Children’s Ministry website? If so, are you getting a good return?
Is your page integrated inside the main church website? If so, does someone else maintain it?
Are you using Facebook for your Children’s Ministry? How effective is it? Are you connecting with parents through this avenue?
What direction do you see Children’s Ministry going on the web?
