When someone checks your church’s website before a first visit, they want three things: when you meet, where you meet, and whether they will feel out of place. A church website that answers those questions clearly, on a phone, in under a minute, does more for your congregation than any amount of clever design.
This guide is for pastors, administrators and volunteers who maintain a church site, whatever the denomination. It covers what visitors need, how online giving platforms compare on fees, accessibility, and how to set the site up so it does not depend on one volunteer’s free evenings.
Already know what you need? Request an estimate and we will reply with scope and a price range for a sensible first phase.
What a first-time visitor needs on the homepage
Church-communications guides tend to agree on the basics. Service times, the address with a map, and a “what to expect” section are the staples. We have not found rigorous survey data to cite on visitor behavior, so treat the following as practical judgment rather than statistics. Put these where a visitor sees them without scrolling or searching:
- Service times and length. Start times, how long the service runs, and how multiple services differ.
- Address, map and parking. Include which door to use, where to park, and accessibility information for wheelchairs.
- What to expect. A short page answering the awkward questions: what to wear, whether there is children’s care, what the music is like, whether visitors will be asked to stand up or introduce themselves.
- Who you are. A plain statement of what your church believes and who leads it. Visitors want to know quickly whether this is the right fit.
- How to reach a person. A phone number and an email address that someone answers.
Put your most important content on the homepage, then link out to staff, ministries, events and sermons. Resist the urge to put every ministry in the main menu. Five to seven items is enough.
Livestream and sermons
Many churches stream services, and the simplest approach is usually the right one: stream to a platform you already control, then embed it on your site. For YouTube, Google’s live streaming requirements include verifying your channel and having no live streaming restrictions in the past 90 days, so set this up before you need it on a Sunday. Give the stream a stable page, such as “Watch Live,” with the latest service featured and past sermons archived underneath. If you stream music, check your licensing separately. That is a legal question for your music licensing provider, not your web designer.
Online giving: what it costs
Giving is the page where fees matter. Platforms differ in whether they take a cut and whether they ask donors to cover it. Here is what each platform listed on its own pricing page as of October 2026:
- Planning Center Giving lists U.S. card processing at 2.15% + $0.30 per transaction, and ACH bank transfers at 0% + $0.30, with no setup fees or monthly minimums for processing.
- Tithely Giving, on its free plan, lists cards at 2.9% + $0.30 (American Express 3.5% + $0.30) and ACH at 1% + $0.30, with no monthly fee. Text-to-give is a $19 per month add-on on that plan.
- Stripe, if your developer connects it directly, lists standard U.S. online card pricing at 2.9% + 30 cents per successful domestic card transaction. Stripe’s support site also describes discounted fees for registered nonprofits when at least 80 percent of their Stripe volume is tax-deductible donations, requested through Stripe support. It does not publish the discounted rate there, so ask.
- Zeffy says it costs nothing for nonprofits and relies on voluntary tips from donors at checkout. That is Zeffy’s own description, and it means the model depends on donors choosing to tip. Read how the checkout presents the tip before you decide.
To make the numbers concrete with the listed rates: a $100 card gift costs $2.45 at 2.15% + $0.30 and $3.20 at 2.9% + $0.30. A $100 bank transfer costs $0.30 at Planning Center’s listed rate and $1.30 at Tithely’s. If many members give by bank transfer, the difference accumulates. Prices change, so verify each platform’s current page before committing.
One compliance point worth building in: for any contribution of $250 or more, the IRS says the donor needs a written acknowledgment to substantiate the deduction. The acknowledgment has required content: the organization’s name, the amount, and a statement about any goods or services given in return, which for a church may be a statement that they consisted entirely of intangible religious benefits. If your giving platform sends receipts, check that the wording meets those requirements, and ask your treasurer or tax adviser to confirm. This is general information, not tax advice.
Accessibility
A welcoming church should have a welcoming website. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the standard reference, with WCAG 2.2 the latest version. Three requirements cover a lot of ground: images need a text alternative, regular text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background, and everything must work from a keyboard. The WCAG quick reference spells these out. Older congregants are a core audience for many churches, so legible type and strong contrast are practical as well as right. Livestream captions, where you can provide them, help both hard-of-hearing members and anyone watching without sound.
A setup that survives staff and volunteer turnover
The common failure is a site built by one enthusiastic volunteer who then moves away. Plan for that:
- Own the accounts. The domain, hosting, giving platform and email should be in the church’s name with at least two leaders holding access.
- Keep the design simple. Fewer pages and a standard theme are easier to hand over than a custom layout.
- Separate the weekly from the permanent. Sermons, announcements and events change weekly. Beliefs, history and staff change rarely. Make the weekly parts easy to update from a phone.
- Use your church-management tool for the rest. If you already use one for rosters, events and groups, link or embed it rather than duplicating data on the site.
- Review quarterly. Check service times, holiday schedules, staff names and every form.
The honest verdict
Most churches do not need custom software. A well-organized template site, a giving platform and the church-management tool you already use will serve a congregation well. Spend your effort on clear content, and keep your accounts in order. We would rather you spend money on ministry than a bespoke website.
Custom work earns its place when your needs outgrow the off-the-shelf pieces: a multi-campus network, outreach programs that need verified records, or reporting to funders. That is the kind of work we did for Mercy House Ministry, a nonprofit operations platform with verified-impact reporting. If you are weighing options, our guides on nonprofit website design and website design packages are a good start, or you can request an estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a church website include?
The essentials are service times and length, the address with a map and parking details, a what-to-expect page that answers practical questions about dress, children’s care and music, a plain statement of beliefs and leadership, a way to contact a real person, and a giving page. Add a livestream or sermon archive if you record services. Keep the main menu to five to seven items and put the most important information on the homepage.
How much do online giving platforms cost?
As of October 2026, Planning Center lists 2.15% plus 30 cents for U.S. cards and 30 cents for bank transfers. Tithely’s free plan lists 2.9% plus 30 cents for cards and 1% plus 30 cents for bank transfers. Stripe lists 2.9% plus 30 cents for standard U.S. cards. Zeffy says it is free and relies on voluntary donor tips. Prices change, so check each platform’s current pricing page.
Does my church need a donor receipt for online gifts?
For any single gift of $250 or more, the IRS says a donor needs a written acknowledgment to claim a deduction. It must include the organization name, the amount, and a statement about any goods or services provided, which for a church can be a statement that only intangible religious benefits were provided. If your giving platform sends receipts, confirm with your treasurer or tax adviser that the wording meets these requirements.
How do we keep the church website maintained with volunteers?
Keep it simple and own the accounts. Register the domain, hosting and giving platform in the church’s name with at least two leaders holding access. Use a standard theme, separate weekly content like sermons and announcements from permanent pages, and make weekly updates possible from a phone. Review service times, holiday schedules, staff names and forms each quarter, and write down where everything lives so a new volunteer can take over.