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Churches & ministries

Websites for churches and ministries.

For many people, your website is their first visit. They want to know when to come, where to park, what to expect and who they'll meet. We build church and ministry websites that answer those questions warmly, and our own work supports Majesty International, a Christ-centered ministry in Cambodia.

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In short

A church website should put service times, location and a plan-your-visit page first, make sermons and livestreams easy to find, offer simple online giving, send donation receipts that meet IRS rules, and avoid political campaign content, which 501(c)(3) organizations may not publish. Risen builds and runs church and ministry websites, and our projects fund Majesty International, a Christ-centered ministry in Cambodia.

Majesty International websiteMajesty InternationalNonprofit ministry · Cambodia Khmer Hands websiteKhmer HandsResort and social enterprise · Kep, Cambodia

Your website is the first visit

When Pew Research Center studied Americans looking for a new congregation, 37% had searched online, including 59% of searchers under 30.[1] Online services matter too: in Pew's 2022 survey, 27% of U.S. adults said they regularly watch religious services online or on TV. Most of those who do both still prefer attending in person.[2] Your website's job is to turn an online visitor into a guest on Sunday.

What a church website needs

  1. Times and location, first. Service times, address, parking and a map at the top of the home page.
  2. A "Plan your visit" page. What to wear, what happens for kids, how long services last, where to go when you arrive. Answer the questions a nervous first-timer won't ask out loud.
  3. Sermons and livestream. Easy to find and easy to watch on a phone.
  4. Simple online giving. Lifeway Research found that 64% of Protestant churches offered online giving by 2020, up from 30% offering website giving in 2017. Where it was offered, it accounted for about 22% of monthly giving.[3]
  5. Correct giving receipts. Gifts of $250 or more need a written acknowledgment with specific information, including a statement if only "intangible religious benefits" were provided.[4][9]
  6. Real people. Pastors and staff with names and photos. Ministries and small groups with a way to get connected.
  7. Structured data. Mark the church as a Church (a PlaceOfWorship) with its address and service times.[8]

Rules to keep in mind

  • No political campaigning. 501(c)(3) organizations are "absolutely prohibited" from participating in political campaigns for or against candidates. That includes their websites. Nonpartisan voter education is allowed.[5]
  • Free search ads may be available. Google Ad Grants offers eligible 501(c)(3)s $10,000 a month in search ads.[6] The U.S. eligibility page excludes government entities, hospitals and schools, but not churches.[7]

How Risen helps churches and ministries

  • A warm, custom site with visit info, sermons, events and giving built in.
  • Updates whenever you need them. Send the new series graphic or the Christmas Eve schedule through your client portal.
  • Google Business Profile setup so people find you on Maps.
  • Your website is paid for with an agreed donation to Majesty International, a Christ-centered 501(c)(3) working with young people in Cambodia. Ministry supporting ministry. Optional monthly services have set prices.

Common questions

Do people really look for churches online?

Yes. In Pew Research Center's study of Americans who had looked for a new congregation, 37% searched online, rising to 59% of those under 30. Among those who searched in the previous five years, 47% used the internet.

Should our church offer online giving?

Most churches now do. Lifeway Research found that 64% of Protestant churches offered online giving by April 2020, up from 30% offering website giving in 2017.

What should our donation receipts include?

For gifts of $250 or more, the IRS requires a written acknowledgment with the organization's name, the amount (or a description of non-cash gifts), and whether any goods or services were provided, or a statement that only intangible religious benefits were given.

Can our website endorse a candidate?

No. The IRS says 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from participating in political campaigns for or against candidates. Nonpartisan voter education is allowed. A 2025 proposal to relax this for churches was rejected by a federal court in 2026.

Can churches get free Google Ads?

Google Ad Grants gives eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits $10,000 a month in search ads. Google's eligibility page excludes government entities, hospitals and schools, but doesn't exclude churches. Check the current requirements when you apply.

Sources

  1. Pew Research Center. The search for a new congregation. August 23, 2016
  2. Pew Research Center. Online religious services appeal to many Americans, but going in person remains more popular. June 2, 2023
  3. Lifeway Research. The most impactful tech shift your church can make. November 30, 2021
  4. Internal Revenue Service. Charitable contributions: written acknowledgments
  5. Internal Revenue Service. The restriction of political campaign intervention by section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations
  6. Google for Nonprofits. Google Ad Grants
  7. Google for Nonprofits Help. Eligibility guidelines (United States)
  8. schema.org. Church
  9. Internal Revenue Service. Publication 1771: Charitable contributions, substantiation and disclosure requirements