The Best Church Websites: 30 Beautiful Designs

For many churches, their website is an invaluable communications tool. Their website can be extremely useful for helping new people to find the church, which can increase the growth of the church. Also, the website can help regular attendees and church members to get information on programs and events at the church.

Despite the enormous possibilities for church websites, many of them are ineffective. With that in mind let’s take a detailed look at the subject of church websites, what makes them effective, and showcase some of the best examples of church websites.

Characteristics of Effective Church Websites:

If you’re designing a church website, there are some specific things that you will need to keep in mind in order to maximize the effectiveness of the site. Here is a quick look at some of the most important elements of church websites.

1. Communicating to the Right Audience

There are two primary audiences for most church websites, and these audiences have very different needs.

The first audience consists of church members and regular attendees, and the second audience is people who are looking for information about the church.

Members and attendees will typically visit the site to look for information on upcoming events or specific ministries of the church.

People who are considering visiting the church will likely be looking for things like the location (address or directions) service times, and what the church believes or practices.

In order for a church website to be effective, it must address the needs of both of these audiences and make it easy for them to find what they are looking for.

2. Presents the Church Effectively

Each church has its own culture, style, and practices. Website visitors who are looking for a church will typically want to have an idea of what they should expect if they are to visit the church for a worship service. Will it be traditional and formal, or more contemporary and informal? Websites can and should do an effective job of communicating the church’s style and culture for those who have never attended.

3. Service Information and Directions

The website should clearly list the schedule of services (dates and times) as well as the address or location. Make it easy for website visitors to know when and where they should be if they want to visit the church. If the church has multiple services or multiple locations, provide plenty of information to explain the situation to those who have never attended a service. This information should be no more than 1 or 2 clicks from the homepage, and it should be extremely easy to find.

Now more than ever, online church services are important too. The website should not only provide information about in-person services, but should also make it easy to access services online.

4. Presentation of Ministries

Some website visitors will want to be able to find out what ministries the church provides. Church members and attendees could be interested in this information to find opportunities to get involved, and those who are new to the church may want to see what a church has to offer, or they may be looking for a specific program or ministry. The website should provide at least basic information on the various ministries of the church, and ideally contact information for someone involved or in charge of the ministry.

5. Church Contact Information

Some of the website visitors will be arriving to find contact information, like a phone number or email address. Every church website should include at least a phone number for the office and a contact form that can be filled out. Many churches also include contact information for pastors and staff.

6. Attractive Design

Like any type of website, visual appearance counts. While the design is not as critical as the content and information, making a positive first impression requires an effective design. In today’s world, it is also essential to have a responsive design in order to preset the site effectively to visitors on smartphones and tablets.

Meeting the Needs of the Church Today

Almost every church has been significantly impacted by COVID-19. While a growing number of churches have been offering online services over the past few years, most churches have been forced to adapt to online services very quickly. Today, it’s essential that a church website provides information to help visitors know if in-person services are being held and any restrictions or regulations that they need to know.

The Easiest Way to Build Your Church Website

There are a lot of different ways to create a church website and one of the best options is to use WordPress. We recommend WordPress because it’s free, very powerful, and extremely popular. There are a number of WordPress themes (templates) that have been created specifically for the needs of churches.

Our favorite WordPress themes are from Elegant Themes. Their Divi theme is incredibly flexible and makes it possible to create just about any type of website without coding. Divi includes hundreds of different templates that you can select, and they have that is perfect for churches. The template pack comes with Divi and includes all of the pages you need for a church website (preview the demo here).

You can get access to Divi for just $89 per year, which is a fraction of the price that you would pay for a custom design. You’ll need web hosting, but you can get that for less than $4 per month with Bluehost.

This is an extremely inexpensive way to get a beautiful website that will meet the needs of your church attenders and visitors.

Get Divi here.

Showcase of Beautiful Church Websites

Now, let’s dive in and take a look at some well-design church sites and see what makes them stand out.

Fellowship Dallas

Why it works:

Large video background on the homepage.
Easy access to live streaming.
Dropdown navigation menu with links that are logically organized and easy to find.

Woodlands Church

Why it works:

Huge area on the homepage for showcasing the most important message.
The design and layout are responsive and look great on large or small screens.
Locations and service times can be easily accessed from the navigation menu.
The website provides relevant information for anyone who has never visited the church (through the links under “About”).

Bethlehem Baptist Church

Why it works:

The site uses a clean layout that presents information effectively and makes navigation logical,
The color scheme is attractive. The green color is strong, but since it is used sparingly it is not overpowering, and it helps to cause specific elements in the design to stand out.
There is a lot of information on the site and many pages, but it is well organized and the dropdown navigation makes it pretty easy to find something.
The “I’m New Here” (just below the green button) provides all the information that first-time visitors would need.

Crossroads Church

Why it works:

The overall design of the site looks great, including the video on the homepage.
Service times and directions are very easy to find, through the “visit” link at the top of the site.
Major sections of the site are easy to find with clear navigation.
The chat with a receptionist while you’re on the website feature is unique for a church.

First Church

Why it works:

Very clean layout and design
The large homepage image helps to make a strong visual impact
The main navigation links are clearly communicated and make navigating the site pretty easy.
The “I’m New” link stands out in the navigation menu. Anyone who is new to the church instantly see that the church cares about reaching new visitors.

Mosaic

Why it works:

Nice use of colors without going overboard.
Those who are new will immediately feel welcome on the site, and it’s easy to find information for a first-time visit.
Information about in-person services and access to online services is immediately available.

Bay Area Christian Church

Why it works:

Subtle but attractive animations as you scroll the website.
The “I’m New” link in the navigation menu is helpful for first-time visitors.

Lake Hills Church

Why it works:

The homepage has information about online services and in-person services front and center.
The design and layout are very clean and professional-looking.
Service times and locations are extremely easy to find.
The dropdown navigation under “Who We Are” and “Connect” makes it easy to find specific information.

Redeemer Church

Why it works:

Service times and locations are very easy to find right from the homepage.
Online streaming is very easy to access.
Videos on the “About” page are a nice touch that helps new visitors feel more comfortable with the church.

Hillsong

Why it works:

Overall the site is easy to navigate and well designed.
Multi-location church with campuses spread around the world, makes it essential for visitors to be able to find details for their specific location.
There is a lot going on at this website and at the church, but they manage to keep the site well organized and clutter-free.

Lakemount Worship Center

Why it works:

Large background video on the homepage looks great.
The dropdown menu links help to make the site easy to navigate.
The website provides a lot of information for both regular attenders and visitors.

Pathway Church

Why it works:

Service information (online and in-person) is front and center so it can’t be missed.
The navigation is simple but it provides all of the necessary information.

Good News Church

Why it works:

Bright and colorful design that stands out.
The links in the navigation menu are clear and well organized.
The site is well designed (not just the homepage, but the secondary pages look great too).

Christian Faith

Why it works:

The live broadcast is available on the site and easy to find.
The photos and graphics on the site are high quality.
It’s a multi-campus website that provides a lot of information clearly.

Grove Community Church

Why it works:

Extremely clean design that looks great.
The photos and images all have a similar look and feel which brings a lot of uniformity to the site.
Provides information about all of the various ministries of the church.

Oaks Church

Why it works:

The online service is very easy to find and access.
The “Before You Arrive” page provides all of the information that first-time visitors would want to know.
There is a lot of content on the site, but it’s pretty well organized and easy to find through the dropdown menu.

Christ Unveiled

Why it works:

The site is well designed with good use of colors and quality images and photos throughout.
Information is available for online services as well as in-person services.

Legacy Church

Why it works:

Messages are available in several different formats and easy to access under the “Watch” link.
The site hosts a lot of information but has everything well organized through a logical navigation menu.
The site isn’t overwhelmingly colorful but uses nice pops of color very effectively.

Gateway Church

Why it works:

Clean layout and design.
Service information is very easy to find.
The white “New Here?” button on the homepage makes it easy for visitors to find the information that they need prior to attending.

Pluslife

Why it works:

The website is clearly updated with re-opening plans being a major priority right now.
Large background video on the homepage.
Clean design and layout.

12Stone Church

The background graphic is subtle but adds character.
Well-organized website for a church that has several different locations.
Most recent message (video) is available right from the homepage.

Coastline Bible Church

Why it works:

A lot of information is available on the site with simple and clear navigation.
Large background photo on the homepage with overlaid text looks great.
Service information is immediately available.

Kingdom Life

Why it works:

Lots of photos and graphics are used on the site.
Service information is immediately available.

High Pointe Church

Why it works:

The “Get to Know Us” link in the navigation menu, and all of the links available in the dropdown, provide plenty of information for those who are looking to check out the church.
Large header images on most pages.
The content area uses a clean and simple layout.

121 Community Church

Why it works:

Service information is on the homepage and can’t be missed.
Nice grid layout below the slider.
The dropdown menu provides access to a lot of content in an organized and logical way.

Church @ The Rock

Why it works:

Online service information is available in a header bar.
The “I’m New” button on the homepage is perfect for new visitors to get the information that they’re looking for.
Upcoming events are easy to find through the link in the navigation menu.

First Baptist Dallas

Why it works:

Information for services, both online and in-person, is impossible to miss.
The entire website is well designed and laid out.

Outward Church

Why it works:

The “Plan Your Visit” button on the homepage is helpful for those who will be attending for the first time.
The navigation menu effectively organizes a lot of content and makes it easy to find.

Hill City RVA

Why it works:

Online services are easy to access. You can watch a live service or a recording of the most recent service.
The large background video establishes the character of the church.
The dropdown navigation menu is well organized.

Faith Lutheran Church

Why it works:

Expandable menu provides access to a lot of content quickly and easily.
Service details are available directly below the slider.

Creating Your Own Church Website?

If you’re designing or creating a church website, be sure to check out the Divi theme from Elegant Themes. You can either use their church layout pack to quickly create a great-looking site, or take advantage of the drag-and-drop capabilities of Divi to easily create your own custom website without needing to code anything. When it comes to creating a great website, Elegant Themes offers the best value you’ll find anywhere. You’ll be able to create something comparable to the best church websites showcased here.