Redeemer Lutheran Church

Redeemer Lutheran, a long-time partner, recently returned to us for a complete redesign of the website we originally built for them eight years ago. While the first site served them well at the time, the role of a church’s online presence has grown significantly. Recognizing this shift, Redeemer saw the need for a more dynamic, user-friendly digital home that reflects the church’s vibrant community and meets the evolving expectations of today’s visitors.

As a multi-generational church with a wide range of ministries, making information easy to navigate was a top priority. To help people explore everything the church offers, we created a welcoming “Get Involved” section, thoughtfully divided into three parts: two pages featuring illustrated overviews of internal and community ministries, and a dedicated page for volunteer sign-ups and request forms. Each ministry description uses an interactive hover menu, so visitors can pause on a photo to get a quick glimpse, then click “Learn More” for deeper details. This design keeps things simple and engaging, reducing clicks while improving the overall user experience. Warm, inviting photos of real church members in action help spark curiosity and make it easy for newcomers to imagine themselves getting involved.

In recent years, church livestreaming has become an essential part of community life, especially following the Covid-19 pandemic. Churches quickly recognized the value of online services for curious newcomers, members who are ill or traveling, and seasonal residents like ‘Snow Birds.’ At Redeemer, livestreams are channeled directly into the new website via our YouTube Integration, allowing viewers to watch in real time or browse past recordings. To highlight the importance of this feature, a prominent red button at the top of the homepage provides quick access for all visitors.

Website visitors can also go directly to ‘Announcements’ and see a slider menu of the latest schedule, topics and activities of current interest, prompting involvement.

For families with young children, a clearly labeled “Preschool” button offers direct access to that part of the website. There, engaging photographs and virtual tours help bring this vital ministry to life, offering a vivid glimpse into the church’s early childhood program. At the bottom of the page, a rotating display of parent testimonials shares heartfelt experiences, highlighting the meaningful impact the preschool has on both families and the broader community.

We also created a dedicated giving page that seamlessly integrates Redeemer’s donation platform. To ensure accessibility, the page offers clear explanations of the giving options in both English and Spanish. A simple, well-organized layout makes it easy for visitors to understand their choices and complete a donation quickly and confidently.

Redesigning an outdated website is no small task. It takes a dedicated partnership between church leaders and the Worship Times team, working together to ensure every detail – big and small – is thoughtfully addressed. The goal is always to create a site where users can find what they need quickly and without frustration. One of the most important – and time-consuming – steps in the process is preparing the content. This means carefully reviewing existing material to decide what still belongs, what needs rewriting, and what new content is needed to fill in any gaps. It’s a demanding stage, but one that lays the foundation for a successful, user-friendly website. After another year of ongoing collaboration, we’re proud to have helped produce just that for Redeemer Lutheran.