Websites are hard.
Well, that’s not entirely true, but it seems like this one has been a long time in the making. You’ve waited patiently for us to roll out a fresh and useful online presence. But today, you don’t have to wait anymore!
Take time to look around and get acquainted with what is here. It will serve you as you talk about our church with others and help clarify our mission not only to others, but to yourself as well. As you look around, I want to give you several points of consideration.
- Remember that our website is specifically designed for those who don’t yet know us. While there will be plenty of resources designed for church members, the whole point of a digital front door is to introduce ourselves to the people who have never come through our physical front door. So if many of the pages feel like they’re for someone else, they probably are.
- We wanted to keep the website from becoming too bulky, so we’ve streamlined information and tried hard to keep the page count as low as possible. Now, there will inevitably be changes and tweaks we’ll want to make and even as I type, I know we have a couple of major additions coming within the next month. But, if you don’t see everything you thought you might, just know we gave everything here some thought. And if after you’ve looked it over, you still have some suggestions, we’re all ears.
- There are several components that we are working on that didn’t make it in the initial launch. A resource page is one example. It is a place where you can access articles and videos we post online. But keep an eye on this little baby website. It will grow up before your very eyes.
- One thing we want the website to accomplish is to be a place to for you get updates and information. Look no further than this blog for regular updates on ministry and operations at Smyrna First. Pastor Jeff’s weekly letter will be published here as will any important announcements or information. In addition to that, our staff will be posting helpful articles and resources for you as you follow the Lord. We pray it will be beneficial to you as you seek to stay informed and fed.
- One particular page to keep an eye on is the Member Care Portal. This page is designed to keep useful information that is particularly for church members. It is password protected so that it won’t be open for everyone browsing our site, but you can get the password from our Worship Guide on Sundays or by calling the church office. We won’t change it very often so that you won’t be kept guessing. It’s a simple security measure to keep some information within the family.
- We are also planning to launch a new Church Management Software called Planning Center in August. The website will have links, but it will act as it’s own hub of church information. Registrations and church directory information will be hosted there and we think you’re really going to like it.
We’ve been around the block enough times to know that everyone is going to have an opinion about our shiny new internet home. With the number of people in our church, we’re expecting to hear a fair amount of feedback. We do care about your voice. But if you don’t hear back from us immediately, please give us grace knowing that we are trying to answer the mail one letter at a time.
You are a blessing to us! We hope this resource will help you Glorify God by Making Authentic Disciples of Jesus Christ.
