Yes, most small churches benefit from a website, even if they already have an active Facebook page. A website is what people find when they search for a church in your town, it reaches people who do not use Facebook, and it keeps your service times and directions in one steady place instead of buried under last week's posts.
That does not mean you should give up Facebook. The two do different jobs, and a small church can use both without doubling the office workload.
Isn't a Facebook page enough for a small church?
For keeping members connected, Facebook can work well. Photos from the potluck, prayer requests, and a live stream of Sunday worship are all good uses. But a Facebook page has some real limits when it comes to welcoming new people:
- Not everyone uses Facebook, and some people avoid it entirely
- Some visitors cannot see much of a page without logging in
- Important facts scroll down and disappear under newer posts
- The page sits next to ads and suggestions you did not choose
- You do not control the layout, the rules, or what changes next year
When someone new is trying to decide whether to visit, those limits matter.
What a church website does that Facebook doesn't
It shows up when people search. When someone moves to town and types "Baptist church near me" or "church in Vidalia," search engines look for websites with clear information. A website with your name, address, and service times gives them something solid to show.
It keeps the basics in one place. Your service times, address, and "what to expect" stay at the top, every day of the year. Nobody has to scroll past fifty posts to find them.
It looks settled and trustworthy. Many people, especially younger families and those new to faith, see a church website as a sign that the church is established and expecting guests.
It belongs to you. You decide what goes on it and how it looks. If a social media platform changes its rules, your website is still there.
It can do real work. A website can hold a visitor card, an online giving link, event sign-ups, and sermons, all in an orderly way.
What Facebook does better
Be fair to Facebook. It is often better for:
- Quick, casual updates and photos
- Conversations and comments
- Live streaming services
- Reaching members who already check it daily
The goal is not to choose one. It is to let each do what it is good at.
How to use a website and Facebook together
A simple way to think about it: the website is your front porch, and Facebook is your fellowship hall.
- Put the lasting facts on the website: times, address, beliefs, staff, contact.
- Put the day-to-day life on Facebook: photos, reminders, prayer needs.
- Link them to each other. Your Facebook page should link to your website, and your website should link to Facebook.
- When you post an event on Facebook, put it on the website's events page too, so people who do not use Facebook can still find it.
What does a small church website need?
Not much. A handful of clear pages is plenty:
- Home, with service times and address at the top
- Plan Your Visit, with parking, kids, and what to wear
- About, with beliefs and the pastor
- Events
- Contact, and Give if you accept online gifts
It must read well on a phone, since that is where most people will see it.
A small church example
Picture a church of about 60 people in a farming community. For years, their Facebook page was their only presence online, and it was lively. But when a nurse moved to the area and searched for a church nearby, she found only a map pin with no service times. The church's page did not show up in her search at all.
After the church put up a simple website with times, an address, and a photo of the building, she found it, visited, and later told the pastor that the website was why she came. The Facebook page is still active; it just is not doing the job alone anymore.
How much does a church website cost?
Costs vary widely, from free tools that are hard to manage to expensive custom builds. For a small church, look for something affordable, easy for office staff to update, secure, and hosted for you so no one has to manage servers.
How ChurchConnect helps
ChurchConnect offers a new church website for $12 a year, built from your church's details, working on every phone, and secure and hosted for you. It is easy to keep current yourself: change any word, photo, or service time in minutes with no web skills, and change your whole look with one click. With ChurchConnect Pro ($49 a month, no contract), the website is included and updates itself from the events and sermons you enter, and a Facebook post is written for you to share. New churches get Pro free for their first 30 days with no card.