Research: The foundation of establishing relevance for a viable website presence.

The MinistryPresence website solution was developed as a result of extensive focus group research with church members and pastors. From those groups, we developed the top ten directives.

"Please organize things on the site so I can find what I'm looking for without pulling my hair out."
All MinistryPresence design options have a professional, organized appearance with the most requested tools on the home page.

"I'd like to have access to a church calendar that makes it easy to find information about upcoming services and events."
Each site comes equipped with an easy-to-navigate calendar of events module that can be updated by the church at any time.

"I am the chairperson for a committee and would love to be able to post updates to the rest of my group and be able to have discussions about upcoming activities."
The Discussion Forums on the MinistryPresence website are versatile enough to handle large group discussions on topics of concern and small committee work. Your church can activate as many Discussion Forums as you wish.

"I go to a big church and have never had a chance to really 'know' my Pastor. I think the Web would be a great way for me to feel better connected to him."
MinistryPresence provides ample opportunity for the Pastor to connect with the congregation and the community. Through the Staff section, Sermon archives, Resources and Discussion Forums, the pastor can be just a few clicks away.

"My best thing about the monthly newsletter I get from my church is the prayer request section. It'd be great to be able to make and view prayer requests online so I can refer to them more frequently."
With the Prayer Request tool, members can submit prayer requests and send personal messages to others in need.

"I've moved three times in the last five years and have had to find a new church each time. I'd like to see churches provide more insight into their philosophies and teachings online so people can truly get a feel for a church before trying it out."
The Resources area of your MinistryPresence website allows members and those looking for a church home to view church doctrine, ministries you provide and other information designed to help your community feel connected to your church.

"My job requires me to travel quite a bit and I miss Sunday service more than I'd like. Is it possible for Churches to provide access to past sermons online so I can catch up on what I've missed?"
Post an archive of all sermons available for members to download if they've missed a service or wish to reference a sermon for a bible study.

"It would be really helpful to have online resources available that help me understand my church's view on the real-life issues we face every day."
With MinistryPresence, the Resources section has almost limitless possibilities for posting articles and links regarding your church's views to help members make faithful and informed decisions on issues in their everyday lives.

"I love the idea of being able to update my personal information so others can get to know me better. You never know who you might find a special connection with."
Members can log into their own Members area of your MinistryPresence website solution and update personal information, make prayer requests, search a member directory and participate in discussion forums. All of these tools are designed to build connections among members.

"I want to be able to learn more about other members of my church -- things like their children's names, their birthdays and hobbies. What a great way to expand friendships!"
Connections among your members are made when they log into the Members area of your website. There they can find the people most like them and search a member directory all through a password-protected, easy-to-navigate system.