Many church websites are outdated in both it’s design and it’s content. Why? Many times it’s because the church website is done by volunteers or by someone who knows very little about web design. However, there is no excuse today for an outdated, poor looking website. You may argue that your church has no money or no one with experience. Well, WordPress has enabled people with no web design skills to create a good looking church website easily and affordably.
Here are the easy steps to create a church website using WordPress. Let’s get started…
Free Web Hosting (if needed)
First, you will want to purchase web hosting, and I have good news. If you are a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Dreamhost.com offers you free web hosting. If you are unfamiliar with web hosting, it is basically the place were your website is stored and made available to the world via the internet. To make things simpler, you will want to have a hosting plan that already has WordPress installed. If you like to do things yourself, you can install wordpress on your web server by following these easy steps from WordPress.com. I did this for my blog and it was fairly simple.
WordPress Theme
The next step is to choose a WordPress theme. There are thousands of WordPress themes out there. I’ve listed some here that could work for a church website. You will have to choose a theme that fits your church’s style, budget, and needs.
Outreach WordPress Theme – StudioPress.com
Moses WordPress Theme - ChurchThemer.com
Micah WordPress Theme – MintThemes.com
WP Church WordPress Theme – Themeforest.net
Antioch WordPress Theme – ChurchThemes.net
Install WordPress Theme
Once you’ve downloaded/purchased the theme, you need to install it in WordPress. It’s very simple. Log into your wordpress control panel ( www.yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/ ) then go to the “Appearance” tab, click “Themes”, then click the “Install Themes” tab, and click “Upload”. Simply, “Choose file” and locate the theme you’ve downloaded, “Install Now”, and that’s it.
Customize Your WordPress Theme
Every theme is created a little bit different, but all themes will allow you to customize your theme from the control panel. For instance, I tried out the theme from churchthemer.com, it allowed me to add my logo, upload sermons, add online giving, create a contact form, and much more. You will need to follow the instructions for your particular theme to customize the look. However, the beauty of WordPress is the simplicity. Updating the theme for your church will not require some special knowledge of web design. If you know how to use your computer, you should be able to update your WordPress theme to represent your church and our Savior well.
So now you are ready to create a good looking church website that can be updated by your cousin, aunt, 80 year old secretary, or anyone else you choose. 
Your excuse is now gone…go create a good looking church website!
I’d love to hear from you. Do you know of other good themes? Do you use WordPress for your church or ministry? Any suggestions? Let me know!