And the envelope goes to The Lutheran picks 13 winners in church Web site contest In February, The Lutheran solicited your nominations for the ELCA’s 10 best congregational Web sites. The magazine’s staff evaluated various aspects of each of the 65 sites that were entered: Web address; basic information; the depth and breadth of content; design; navigation; sensitivity to members’ privacy; and the “wow” factor. We judged sites on both Mac and PC platforms using various browsers. One site was disqualified for requiring an external plug-in and not offering an HTML alternative.  The staff enjoyed visiting the nominated sites. And, try as we might, we couldn’t keep the winners’ list to 10. If the Big Ten Conference can have 11 teams, why can’t The Lutheran’s top 10 Web contest have 13 winners?The following sites represent the top 20 percent of those that entered our contest. Congregations that don’t yet have a Web site or are thinking of a redesign should check these out. All the sites listed (except one) had all the basics front-and-center. A great Web site with a Flash introduction, beautiful graphics and podcast isn’t effective if members and potential visitors can’t find such things as the church’s address, phone number, e-mail address, directions and worship times on the site’s front page. Overall site These sites have all the basics, plus an attractive design, well thought-out navigation, attention to protecting members’ privacy and a little bit of “wow.” Both congregations have pastors who are committed to a Web presence for the congregations. Winners
“We’re discovering that people who come through our doors as first-time visitors are more likely to have already researched us on the Web,” said Duane Pederson, pastor. Pederson encourages congregations that don’t have a Web presence “to invest what’s necessary to have a site that’s appealing to the eye.” First’s committee planned the site’s content and navigation and then hired a local Web design and development firm to create it. “While there are certainly inexpensive ways to get online, it’s worth the investment of a little more to have something that’s attractive,” Pederson said. • Hope, Hollywood, Calif. (www.hopelutheranchurch.net): Crisp graphics, great typography, impossible-to-get-lost navigation and a distinctive color palette make this site a visual treat. Its “social statements” page gives visitors a sense of the congregation’s personality.
Rasbach said the site will soon feature Flash video of the congregation’s worship and fellowship. He said its daily devotions, which also go out by e-mail, help members and friends of the church stay connected. “We’re in a time when people don’t stay in a place very long because everything is so mobile,” Rasbach said. “Many of our members who move all over the States and the world continue to stay in touch with us and support us, which is a wonderful thing for us.” Dave VanderKloot, who designed the site in 2001, is one of those members. He’s since moved to Chicago where he’s a Web developer with 1530 Design. He laughed when he heard the site was one of our overall winners. “It’s fairly old in Internet time,” he said. He encourages churches who don’t have a Web site to start small. “To get something up is better than nothing,” he said. “You can do it incrementally in stages and change it over time. It’s a living thing.” Best content In this category, we looked for “sticky” content—sites that have enough information to pique potential visitors’ interest and keep longtime members coming back for more. Winners • St. Peter, Manhattan (www.saintpeters.org): This site offers a huge amount of content in a humble package. We especially liked the Spanish and French pages and the “prayers” section. Of course, the site also includes extensive information about the congregation’s jazz ministry. • Hosanna, Houston (www.welcometohosanna.com): This comprehensive site offers just about everything. There’s an online “Lutheran Basics” course for those new to the denomination, while members can train to be an usher or fill out their time-and-talent commitments online. There are things you didn’t even know you needed, such as faith chest instructions. Honorable mention • Grace and Peace, Peoria, Ill. (www.graceandpeacelutheran.org): Solid information presented with a personality (example: “Make a cup of coffee for yourself while this loads; it takes quite awhile”). Best design & navigation These sites package and present information in an attractive way. Navigation categories organize information by users’ needs. They avoid church-speak in favor of plain language. Winners • First, Eau Claire, Wis. (www.first-lutheran.org): This is one site where you’ll never feel buried by information. The drop-down menus are easy to use and there’s a photo on every page. Check out the church photo tour under “about us.” • Hope, Hollywood, Calif. (www.hopelutheranchurch.net): Kudos to this site for the use of complementary colors incorporating the church’s stained-glass windows. The navigation’s strength is in its simplicity—only seven options. • Peace, Charlottesville, Va. (www.plchurch.org): This site arranges content into categories such as “learning” and “get involved.” A clean design makes use of internal links and keeps the user clicking for more. Honorable mentions • St. Nicholas, Huntingtown, Md. (www.saintnicholaslutheran.org): Great use of graphics, especially in its “What to expect when you visit St. Nicholas” section. • Redeemer, Atlanta (www.redeemer.org): A compact design holding a wealth of information. Privacy Since it can’t be assumed that all users of a congregation’s Web site are members (or that they have the best intentions), we applaud sites that exercise care in presenting their members’ personal information online. Winners • Peace, Charlottesville, Va. (www.plchurch.org): This site has an online member directory, which is usually a red flag, but in this case access is restricted by requiring a username and password. • Union, Schnecksville, Pa. (www.unionlutheranchurch.org): While not a feature of its site, the congregation offers a program about online safety for its youth. Honorable mention • Grace, Woodstock, Ill. (www.gracewoodstock.org): A form that requires those who submit prayer requests have appropriate permission to do so earns Grace a clean conscience and an honorable mention. Wows Some sites just make you take notice. Winner • St. Andrew, Whittier, Calif. (www.standrewlutheranchurch.org): This site has an attractive Flash introduction of its stained-glass windows. For those who have Flash-enabled browsers, it’s a treat. Those with slow Internet connections or who simply forgot what time worship starts and need to check (quick!) might not appreciate it. Honorable mentions • All Saints, Wales, Wis. (www.aslcwales.org): The Flash introduction is unobtrusive, and the use of photos helps keep users’ interest. We would have liked to have seen the church’s address on the front page though. • First, East Greenwich, R.I. (www.firstlutheraneg.org): We liked the downloadable worship bulletin on this site. Lots of congregations offer their newsletters, but this was the only one we found that had a bulletin for download. |
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