Why do some churches have steeples?
Some ministers and church historians relate steeples to tradition. The majority do not see them as a theologically loaded symbol within the church. They’re more of an identity element.
The most direct reply to the question “why steeples?” was “Steeples point people to the church. It’s probably the grandest advertising sign that you could ever come up with due to their height and ability to see it from various directions within the town”.
Suffice it to say, the majority of new church plants do not have steeples.
The motive and intent behind the steeple, however, are still applicable and relevant. The steeple looks different now. I would go as far as to say, the church website is the new church steeple. The website and social media pages point people to the church and are clearly seen from any direction – providing they have an internet connection or a data plan.
The 1st First Impression
You may have heard that the data regarding first-time visitors to the church campus. It has been reported that these first-time guests make up their minds about the church within the first few minutes of entering the parking lot.
Nowadays, people will view the website and social media pages to gather the worship service info (service times, address, etc) but also see if the church is something they should explore further.
Put some fresh eyes on your website and social media pages!
Here are some things to review:
- Are worship service times posted clearly?
- Is the church address visible? (don’t make people search all over for it)
- Do you have stock photos of people rather than pics of the church family? (this comes across as generic and quite frankly, lazy and misleading)
- A “What to Expect” page is highly recommended
- Are your social media pages filled with graphics and no actual photos of the church family? (There is not anything wrong with posting graphics with scripture text, quotes, or even announcements. They should not however be the majority of the posts.)
Put some fresh eyes on your site and social media accounts. If you pay attention to these small details, it will make a huge difference in making a great first impression.
When we do our part – getting people in the front door of the church building and make them feel loved and welcome, we can trust the Holy Spirit will do what only He can do – change lives.
