For the North American church, the internet is the most important communications and technological medium you have available to you. I would suggest a few key caracteristics of the web. Understanding the nature of the internet can greatly impact your ministries. Consider that the web is...

Informational. The web is first and foremost an information medium. Some web users may pay bills or buy tunes online, but all web users are clicking constantly to find information. So a website should be at the very least informative. For a church, this means a simple and easy to understand navigation system, an easy way to search for phrases and keywords, and a complete picture of the church, including information on current events, messages and Bible studies, ongoing ministries, staff and other common items of interest.

Immediate. The web is a "now" entity. People accessing a site expect an immediate response. A website must be up-to-date. No page is better than an old page. Expired information sends the loud and clear message that no one is minding the store. If you are unwilling or unable to keep a website current, then don't have one--it will do more damage than good. If you are unable to answer emails or contacts generated through your website within 24 hours, you are sending out clear signals to your online community that you are generally unconcerned about their interests.

Interactive. Unlike print or broadcast media, the web allows a degree of interactivity. There is no immediate recourse to follow-up on an ad in a magazine unless you get to a phone or a store or a computer. A web user, however, can respond to a web page with immediate feedback--filling out a registration form, sending an email, clicking through a survey. Where possible, implement a degree of interactivity. This includes event signup, prayer requests, podcasts and videocasts, email addresses, online activities and response forms.

Intimate. Despite still-infant technologies like online conferencing, the web is basically an asynchronous medium. That means people interact with websites one at a time and they are almost always alone. This is opposed to a synchronous activity like a worship service, where people interact with a worship leader in a group setting. Even online social activities like Facebook are generally updated without interacting directly with others online. Recognize the intimacy of the web by writing your pages as if you are speaking to just one person at a time. You can also address difficult spiritual issues online through articles and links that would be more difficult to address in a group setting.

Independent. An internet ministry shoudl be organized as independent of other ministries in the church. Content management software and web systems, which are widely used by churches, focus on the ability of many staff and lay leaders to have direct control over web content for their own areas. The practical reality is that few if any will have the time, energy and knowledge to build and maintain their own web site or web pages, no matter how easy it is. They are called to minister to people through relationships. The website, while an important tool for them, is not a priority on a daily basis.

An effective internet volunteer or team can be designed as a servant ministry, where content and updates and performed by staff and volunteers. Seek the input of each ministry leader, then build their pages for them and maintain them regularly.

Image-equal. Your website is a virtual representation of your church--a collection of words and pixels on a screen. When properly organized and presented, our online presence can be equal to that of the largest organizations online. In cyberspace, there is no difference in terms of potential reach between the corner church and FedEx or Disney. The web is a great equalizer. Any organization with that puts thought and care into developing their site can build a consistent and high-quality presence for themselves online.

Impassive. The web has little if any emotion attached to it. The idea of a true online community is difficult if not impossible to realize. Don't get me wrong--there is a form of community online--you can certainly meet someone online, chat with them, become pixel-friends. But the community we are familiar with in a church environment, where we know each other, care for one another, pray for one another, share burdens and needs--the kind of fellowship that requires personal interaction--is not possible online.

Some have embraced the idea of a web-based church or religious experience--the "cyber campus" of the church. I believe that the church is among the last and most important organizations whose central role requires human interaction. A church simply is not a church without living, interactive people. It is not possible for us to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of individuals simply through an online relationship. We must know them personally, and that goes beyond web pages and email. The web, too, is impacting the latest generation in a way that may make them less able to interact in a socially healthy way with others by the time they reach adulthood--is the church to encourage that through their online activities and philosophies?

A great church website can be designed to serve as an entry point for new people who want information about the church, and a connection point for those already involved who want to share information with others. However, it is not a substitute for the community of believers that form the core ministry nexus of the church body. Someone who interacts with a church solely through our website is missing the very best the church has to offer. Every area of a church site should drive online visitors to eventually become involved in person.

International. The largest web audience worldwide exists outside of North America. The web provides the church with an inexpensive and extraordinary means of disseminating Bible teaching throughout the globe. Consider that translating Bible teaching into just 13 languages will make it accessible to 65% of the world's population. Putting that material online will give half of those individuals immediate access to it. That means, your Bible teaching can reach 2.4 billion people from the comfort of your web browser. The churches that capitalize on a multi-lingual and international web presence will create a lasting, worldwide impact for Christ.

About the Author. Eugene L. Mason has more than two decades of experience in ministry communications and technologies. More...