How to Build a Church or Non-Profit Website in One Day

When my husband and I first decided to launch Ministrymaker I knew absolutely nothing about HTML or building websites. More than 10 years after our launch date, I’ve learned how important it is to have a professional online presence – not only for businesses, but especially for churches, ministries and non-profit organizations.

Eventually, pastors and church leaders started asking me to help set up ministry and non-profit websites for their groups and congregations. After spending an enormous amount of time helping people learn in a few months what had taken me years to figure out, I wondered if there was an easier way to build and maintain a website without going through the pain of learning HTML.

Then I discovered website builders. Website builders come in different forms, but are basically template-based services that allow users to build and maintain their website through an online control panel and/or program installed on their computer. While I’ve experimented with different site builders over the years, one that has consistently received good reviews from pastors who have tried it is Intuit Homestead.

With Homestead you sign up for an account, register your domain name (if you don’t already have one), pick a template, upload your personal information and photos, and then push a button to publish your site on the Internet. From start to finish it’s possible to have a live website up and running within a few hours.

The cost to build a website and have it hosted on Homestead starts at a meager $4.99 per month – what many companies charge for web hosting alone. Also, you will save quite a bit of money if you prepay for 6 to 12 months of service. Homestead’s basic “starter” package is more than adequate for most churches and non-profits. The plan includes 2,000 customizable templates, 250,000 free images, 25 MB storage, 5 GB bandwidth, up to five web pages, and toll free phone support.

After you pick a template you can change colors, upload photos, and add information about your church or ministry. Once the site is finished, you can add your web address to business cards, stationary, mailers, brochures — and even news releases about special events your ministry may be having. A few pastors I’ve talked to said their attendance increased within weeks after launching their new site.

Keep in mind if you register your domain name through Homestead you will have to use their templates — you cannot build a custom site on a domain purchased and hosted with Homestead. It is possible to unlock the domain name and transfer it to another host, but if you plan to transfer your domain name at some point, make the process easier by registering the domain name first before you sign up with Homestead.

The good news is you can build a test site for free to see if you like Homestead. To sign up for their 30-day free trial and start experimenting with their website builder tools click here.

Here’s what a few reviewers had to say about Homestead:

PC Magazine: “Our Editors’ Choice winner for quick and easy website building, Homestead makes designing polished, professional websites easier than any other place online.”

Forbes Magazine: “A website building tool for the technically unsavvy. The [Homestead] drag-and-drop software lets you create a Web presence with minimal pain.”

Sources:
Create a Website, Intuit Homestead

About the Author

Kim Linton is a freelance writer who covers a wide variety of topics including Christianity, technology and industry trends. Her work has been featured on major news outlets including The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, and has been published on a variety of niche sites including Woman's Day and Intel.