In any emergency or unexpected disruption, your church website becomes one of your most important tools. When in-person gatherings are limited or paused, people will turn to your homepage first to understand what’s happening and how to stay connected. The key is to make your site clear, current, and easy to navigate.
- Start with a clear explanation of the situation.
One of the simplest—and most important—things you can do on your homepage is briefly explain what’s going on. Don’t assume visitors already know the plan or have seen recent emails or announcements. Some people may not be on your mailing list. Others may check email infrequently. A short synopsis explaining the current situation, how it affects church life, and how you’re responding helps everyone quickly get oriented. This could be adapted from a message sent by pastors, elders, or leadership teams.
- Clearly outline the current plan.
After explaining what’s happening, share what the plan is for the coming days or weeks. Emergencies are often fluid, and plans may change—but your website can become the central place people know to check for updates. Refer to this page consistently in emails, social media posts, and verbal announcements so people come to rely on it as the source of truth.
- Make contact information easy to find.
During emergencies, roles and responsibilities often shift. Someone who wasn’t previously handling pastoral care, worship coordination, or digital education may now be leading those efforts. Clearly list who people should contact for specific needs—pastoral care, worship questions, online giving, small groups, or educational opportunities. If someone wants to help or has questions, it should be obvious who to reach out to.
- Surface critical tools and resources.
Many valuable resources already exist on your website but may be buried several layers deep. During an emergency, bring the most important ones to the surface. Instead of forcing people to navigate menus, add clear links near the top of the homepage to things like worship services, sermon audio or video, online giving, or virtual gatherings. You don’t need to link everything—just the most essential pathways.
- Provide access to real-time updates.
Every church communicates updates differently—through blog posts, email, social media, or text messaging. Whatever channels you rely on most should be clearly highlighted on the homepage. If updates are shared primarily on social media or through live streams, feature those platforms prominently. If email is your main communication tool, include a visible sign-up form and, if possible, links to recent messages so people can catch up. If you use text messaging for urgent updates, explain how people can opt in.
- Create a true one-stop information hub.
The goal is to help people quickly answer a few key questions: What’s happening? What’s the plan? How do I stay connected? Who do I contact? To do that well, it’s also important to temporarily deprioritize information that’s no longer relevant—such as driving directions, building maps, or in-person logistics. These can be hidden or pushed lower on the page until normal operations resume.
- Above all, be consistent.
Choose a clear communication strategy and stick with it. Sending updates across too many platforms without a central hub often creates confusion. When people know exactly where to go for the latest information, they feel more grounded and supported—even in uncertain times.
Supporting Remote Ministry with the Right Tools
Worship Times provides tools designed to support churches during emergencies that require remote engagement. New integrations and features are continually being developed to help churches communicate, stream services, and receive donations online. Training resources are available in the Remote Ministry section, and support is always available through the ticketing system.
In many cases, live streaming and online giving tools work best when placed on dedicated pages rather than embedded directly on the homepage. A recommended approach is to share a brief message on the homepage and link clearly to specific landing pages for worship services, giving, or events. This creates a cleaner experience and allows people to go directly where they need to be.
These tools can be added through the Add Media button available in editing screens that include a text editor. Supported integrations include a variety of online giving platforms and streaming services, allowing churches to adapt their ministry quickly when circumstances change.
