CHURCH TECHNOLOGY: Some churches create ministry-specific sites

LUFKIN?When the youth and parents of Denman Avenue Baptist Church in Lufkin need information about the church’s student ministry, the church’s online site (www.dabconline.org) is not the place to go. Instead, Denman Avenue has joined the ranks of churches devoting unique space?with a unique site address?to a particular ministry within the church. In this case, church members find the student ministry of Denman Avenue at souledoutministry.org.

“I created the site because so many of our students were talking about how much time they spend on the web,” said Keith Nash, associate pastor of youth and activities at Denman Avenue. “It was originally created as a tool to get information to our students about programs and events.”

Now, while the main purpose of the site has continued to be informational, Nash said he has also expanded its role as “a way for our students and their friends to learn more about the ministry of our church and student ministry.”

One of the key attractions on the site is its photos of youth, Nash reported. “Definitely the picture page is where most students go first,” he said.”I decided a long time ago that kids ? love to see pictures of themselves.So that has really been the success for our website as a whole.”

Because the site’s pictures have become so popular, Nash has worked to post unique photos as much as possible. Recalling one recent instance, he said, “The night of the city’s proms, I went to the prom as the kids arrived and took pictures as they went in.That night, I uploaded the pictures onto our site. Lots of our students commented on Sunday morning about seeing their own pictures and pictures of those who went.” Nash has also uploaded pictures from sporting events, graduation ceremonies, and other activities.

The website’s pictures don’t only draw students, but they bring parent visitors, as well. Recently, parents of middle school youth were especially glad to have access to the site. “This last summer several of our parents of seventh-graders had really worried about their students going off to camp for the first time,” he said. “So we dedicated the first day of web pictures to the seventh-graders at camp.I had so many moms thank me for those pictures.Many said their feelings were put at ease to see their son or daughter having a blast at camp.”

Other areas of the Denman Avenue youth site are geared toward adults, as well. For example, a “downloads” page contains registration forms for youth events, and the site also includes a section with resources for ministry volunteers.

While many church sites simply place each ministry within the original online location, Nash said a separate page could help any ministry thrive.

“We are able to highlight and devote more space to youth ministry without taking out space from our church page,” he stated. “Also, the ability to have separate domains has a real benefit when [Internet users are] searching.Instead of having one site, you have two or multiple sites where you can get hits from people looking for information about your church.”

Even though maintaining a separate site for a specific ministry may take a little more time or expense, Nash said the effort is worth it. “Having two separate websites allows you to have double exposure,” he said.And, “I just really believe [it is important] to focus on the individual ministries through your website.”