We might as well admit it. We all judge a book by its cover. But in our defense, before we've opened the book, the cover is all we have.

Facades serve as an invitation. The path leading up to your front door is an invitation to come inside and have a look. If the cover, or the front door, or the outside of the restaurant looks inviting, we might venture closer.

If not, then we probably won't. It's human nature.

We know this is true about our churches as well. We spend time and money on landscaping for this very purpose. That's why we have greeters, and people directing traffic, and why we care about what the sanctuary looks like. We know people judge a book by its cover—and don't want them to walk away before they start reading.

Now comes a question: What does your website look like? 

Statistics tell us that people will judge your church by its website. Is it just a plain page with bare-bones information? Is it the same one someone's uncle made for free 10 years ago? It is flashy and packed with information? Is it inviting?

We spend time and money on what happens in our churches, and even what the outside looks like. But I wonder if we spend as much time, care, and intentionality on our websites.

If not, we should. The importance of our websites cannot be overstated.

Here are five things every church website needs:

1. Style. Your website doesn't need to be the trendiest thing, or complex, or high-tech, but the way it looks needs to reflect who you are as a church. A bad logo or a poorly functioning site says a lot about who you.

Churches officials who know who they are and what their church is about reflect that in every nook and cranny. Their culture and values seep into every crack of their church—from the way they give announcements to the way they answer the phones. This includes their website.

These days, there's no excuse to have a bad website.

They are inexpensive and easy to make. And forget Microsoft Paint; there are great graphic designers out there who can help you create a brand for your church, helping people know who you are before they even step through your doors.

Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

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