Cheryl in Valparaiso, IN (home of my alma mater) asks, “What are storage and bandwidth and how much do I need?”

Or if you prefer to read…

Storage is the amount of disk space needed for your website including media, while bandwidth is the amount of data transferred each month.

For example, 1 GB video takes up 1 GB of storage. If 100 people watch it each month, that will take 100 GBs of bandwidth.

Calculating storage and bandwidth can get complicated. To keep things simple, what you need to know is: for most websites the only things that require a lot of disk space and bandwidth are audio and video.

If you don’t have any audio or video on your website, you don’t need to worry about storage or bandwidth. If you have audio files like sermon messages, you’ll need a medium-sized account, if you have a bunch of videos you’ll need a large account with lots of storage and bandwidth.

This is why we recommend putting sermon videos on YouTube or Vimeo, so they don’t use your hosting storage space or bandwidth (and they can be found by more people).

If the web hosting provider has multiple packages and you’re not sure which to choose, go with the smaller package, you can always upgrade if you need more space or bandwidth.

If you’re looking for church website hosting with an easy-to-use website builder, provides all the other services you need, and is supported by a team that shares your faith…

Getting started with OurChurch.Com’s church website hosting is simple:

1. Go to OurChurch.Com
2. Select your web hosting package
3. Complete your order

Comment and Discuss…

• Which is the most important factor for you when choosing a church website hosting provider? Why?

See more Church Web Hosting FAQs videos and articles

The post What are storage and bandwidth and how much do I need? appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Dwayne in Raleigh, NC Asks, “What factors should I consider when choosing a hosting provider?”

Great question! Here are what I think are…

The 4 Most Important Factors to Consider When Choosing Church Web Hosting

1. Website Builder.

If you’re looking for a website builder, do they have one that is easy to use, produces great looking websites, and has all the functionality you’re looking for?

2. Support.

In what ways do they provide support? Email only? Live chat? Phone? If you call, do you get put on hold for a long time? Is phone support outsourced to another country, making them difficult to understand?

3. Other services.

If in addition to your website hosting, can you get your domain registration, your email, logo design, website design, and search engine marketing all with the same company? If so, that is really going to simplify your life.

4. Shared values.

When you choose your website hosting company, you can go with a big company that is just trying to make money for their share holders, a company that might support political or social causes you don’t agree with, or a company that shares and supports your commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Notice I didn’t include cost on this list. That’s because usually there is only a minimal difference of maybe $5 or $10/mo between services.  So, I ask…

Is it really worth sacrificing support, simplicity, or shared values for a few bucks a month?

I don’t think so, but that’s up to you.

If you’re looking for church website hosting with an easy-to-use website builder, provides all the other services you need, and is supported by a team that shares your faith…

Getting started with OurChurch.Com’s church website hosting is simple:

1. Go to OurChurch.Com
2. Select your web hosting package
3. Complete your order

Comment and Discuss…

• Which is the most important factor for you when choosing a church website hosting provider? Why?

See more Church Web Hosting FAQs videos and articles

The post What factors should I consider when choosing a hosting provider? appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Before connecting with OurChurch.com, their site had the same look for over 5 years.  And, if someone viewed their site on a mobile phone or tablet, the text, images, and buttons were very small because it was not a responsive design.

Having a design that wasn’t mobile friendly was hurting their business.

It was giving visitors a poor experience. Additionally, Google noticed this and was not ranking or displaying their search listing as well as they were other mobile-friendly sites.

Haas Brothers decided to partner with OurChurch.com to develop a new, custom-designed website.

The primary goal of the new website was to highlight the amazing custom carpentry their team has created for past clients in a way anyone on any device could see it – desktop, laptop, tablet or phone.

Now, their website has a beautiful new look

And less than a week after the new website was launched, Google recognized it as being mobile friendly and began displaying their search listings more prominently.

Check out what Chris Haas has to say in this video about his experience with OurChurch.com

We appreciate Chris’s recommendation!

I highly recommend Our Church for all your website needs. -Chris Haas, Haas Brothers Custom Staircases, Odessa, FL

Responsive, Mobile-Friendly Web Design

If your Christian church, ministry or business has a website that is looking dated or not mobile-friendly, and you want a better website that will help you live out your mission online, we would love to talk with you.

We’d love to hear more about your situation and your goals, answer any questions you have about website design and search engine optimization services, and see if OurChurch.com is the right fit to help you go where the Lord is leading you.

Complete the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a complimentary, no obligation discovery call.

Check out haasbrothers.com.  What do you think of the new design?  Please post your comments below.

This article is a part of our series 30 Stories from 30 Years

The post How Did This Old School Business Saw Their Way Into The Modern Era? appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Andrea in Macon, GA asks, “How Do I Get a Website?”

If you prefer to read…

There are essentially 3 ways to get a website.

1. Build the Website Yourself from Scratch

The steps to build a website yourself from scratch include:

• Purchase a web hosting account.
• Upload and install a content management system like WordPress into the account.
• Find and install a theme.
• Find and install plugins
• Organize and write all your web pages
• Add photos and other media to your pages

This is the least expensive option, but it takes the most work and the most technical ability.

2. Hire a Website Developer to Build Your Website for You

In this situation, the developer helps you select a theme that meets your needs, finds and installs all the plugins that provide the functionality you want, and helps you organize and create the content for your web pages.

This is the most expensive option, but it takes the least work on your part and requires the least technical ability.

Additionally, when you hire a website developer, you gain the wisdom of having an experienced professional guiding you with design decisions. For example:

• The pros and cons of each theme you’re considering
• The pros and cons of each plugin you’re considering
• The optimal way to organize your content

3. Build Your Website with an Online Website Builder

A website builder will provide you with a variety of pre-selected themes for you to choose from. This simplifies the decision by eliminating poor, obsolete themes while still giving you a variety of themes to choose from.

A website builder also typically has just one plugin available for each function – one calendar, one photo gallery, one form builder.  This also simplifies things for the person building the website.

Some website builders like our WP-EZ Website Builder have pre-defined page templates that are already laid out with sample text and images. This makes it easier to create great looking pages.

Building your website with an online website builder is a “middle of the road” option which combines affordability for someone who may not have the budget for a custom designed website and simplicity for someone who may not have the technical experience to build a website from scratch.

Which of these 3 options is best for you?

The best way for you to get a website depends on your budget, technical skills, and time available.

OurChurch.com supports all 3 ways to build a website.

1. We provide Christian web hosting if you want to build your website yourself.
2. We do custom website design if you’d like a pro to build your website for you.
3. We have an online website builder if you want a simple, affordable way to build your own website.

Click the links above for more information or complete the form below to schedule a complimentary call.

Comment and Discuss…

• What’s your biggest question about how to get a website?
• Which option did you go with – web builder, web hosting, or web design – and why?

See more Church Web Hosting FAQs videos and articles

The post How Do I Get a Website? appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

FYI, we’re experimenting with some new video editing concepts. I showed this first video to my 16 year old daughter and she literally laughed out loud. But she wasn’t sure if she was laughing because it was funny or cheesy. You  be the judge.

Check out the first video in our Church Website Hosting FAQs series: What is Church Website Hosting?

If you prefer to read…

Pastor John in Houston, TX asks, “What is Church Website Hosting?”

Church website hosting is like a virtual home for your church website, where all of its content and files are stored.

No matter how your church creates its website – whether you build it from scratch, use an online website builder, or hire a website developer – it needs to be hosted on a web server.

Some of the benefits that come with good church website hosting are speed and reliability.

Security is also crucial to protect your website and information.

The support team is another big part of church website hosting. They answer questions, fix problems, and help with updates.

Choosing a website hosting provider that specializes in helping churches, ensures you’re working with an organization that understands your church’s unique mission and values.

If you’re looking for church website hosting that’s easy to use, reliable, and is supported by a team that shares your faith…

Getting started with OurChurch.Com’s church website hosting is simple:

1. Go to OurChurch.Com
2. Select your web hosting package
3. Complete your order

We have a 30-day money-back guarantee, so there’s absolutely no risk to get started.

Comment and discuss

• What questions do you have about web hosting?

Post them in the comments below and we’ll either answer them there or in one of the videos we create.

See more Church Web Hosting FAQs videos and articles

The post What is Church Website Hosting? appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

While Mother’s Day is one of the most highly attended church services of the year, unfortunately, Father’s day is just the opposite, one of the lowest attended church services of the year.

It takes extra creativity to organize events that resonate with dads, so let’s put on our manly-man thinking caps for…

12 Church Outreach Ideas for Father’s Day

1. Father’s Day Tribute Service.

Dedicate a Sunday service to honor and appreciate fathers, including special prayers, songs, and testimonies.

Let’s be honest… while most Mother’s Day services praise moms for the dedication and sacrifice they have for their children (and deservedly so), many Father’s Day services challenge dads to “man up,” spend more time with their kids, and and be better spiritual leaders for their families.

That can sound a lot like criticism unless it’s preceded with honor and appreciation.

2. Father’s Day Breakfast.

Organize a special breakfast for fathers and their families, where they can enjoy a meal together and have some quality time.

And, hey, don’t skimp on the meats! Cook up lots of sausage, bacon, and ham!

3. Father-Child Craft Workshop.

Arrange a craft workshop where fathers and their children can create something together, such as woodworking or blacksmithing. As an added bonus, fathers and children can bring home from the workshop the item(s) they create, which can serve as a memento of  the event and their love for each other for years to come.

Like the BBQ idea, this is another opportunity to invite men who may have a hard time finding ways to serve others (especially in the church), to share their passion and skill for a particular craft by teaching others.

Several years ago a friend of mine, Rick, who does metalwork, invited a bunch of fathers and sons to his property and taught us to make our own knives. It was a cool bonding experience for my son and I. The knives we made that day are now displayed in the dining room cabinet where we can see them every time our family has a meal together.

4. Father’s Day BBQ.

Host a BBQ event either the Saturday before or lunch after the Sunday service where fathers can relax, enjoy good food, and connect with other dads in the community.

Some men have a hard time finding ways to serve others that they enjoy. So, if you have men who like to BBQ and/or smoke meats, invite them to bring their grill/smoker. Or cook their favorite meats ahead of time and bring them to share.

5. Father’s Day Picnic.

Organize a picnic in a local park where families can bring their own food and enjoy outdoor activities. Include sports like corn hole, softball, kickball or volleyball.

The idea here is to have the picnic in a public place (not on church property) so people can invite their friends and not feel intimidated or awkward about it being a “church event.”

It’s just friends enjoying time together with their families with no agenda other than having fun and getting to know each other a little bit.

6. Outdoor Movie Night.

Set up an outdoor movie screening area and show a family-friendly film that celebrates fatherhood.

Some of my favorite dad movies include Field of Dreams, Mrs. Doubtfire, and National Lampoon’s Vacation

7. Father’s Day Car Show.

Invite car enthusiasts to display their vehicles at the church parking lot, and fathers can bond over their shared interest in automobiles. Plan the car show for Sunday morning & afternoon so dads can check out the cars before and after the service.

8. Father’s Day Fishing Tournament.

Organize a fishing tournament the day before Father’s Day. Give away prizes for the biggest fish of different types or categories. Finish the day with a dinner (fish fry?). Invite all the men to come back the next for the church gathering.

9. Support Fathers in Need.

Are there fathers in your church or community that because of age or disability could use a hand with chores around the house? Are there fathers living alone – perhaps in an assisted living facility – who you could spend time with?

Remember – men tend to find it especially difficult to ask for or accept help or just to spend time with other people. You might have to persist after they initially say, “no.” Also, it’s good to look for ways they can contribute, even if it’s just asking for their input or advice on things while you’re there.

10. Father’s Day Panel Discussion.

Arrange a panel discussion or workshop where fathers can submit questions and experienced fathers can share their wisdom and advice on fatherhood. This is a great way to honor older dads and help younger dads.

This is also a good opportunity to kick off mentoring or discipleship relationships between older men and younger men.

11. Give Away Manly Prizes.

During your Sunday services, give away manly prizes like a gift card to a BBQ restaurant, a gift card to a hardware store, fishing gear, or go big and raffle off a sports car! Prizes could be for newest dad, oldest dad, dad with the most kids, or totally random.

12. Launch New Groups for Dads.

Father’s Day is a great opportunity to announce new ministries for fathers like an outdoor adventure ministry, a men’s bible study, or a class for parents of teens.

Listen to your father, who gave you life. -Proverbs 23:22a

Promote and share your Father’s Day Events online

No matter which church outreach events for Father’s Day your church chooses, you’ll also want to promote those events online. Rather than share the same strategies at the bottom of every church outreach ideas article we write for every season and holiday, we’ll just point you to…

7 Ways to Promote Your Church Outreach Event Online

Get the website and online marketing help you need from a trusted partner

And if you’d like some help with church web design, church SEO or Google Ads so you can have your best Father’s Day outreach ever, we’d love to talk more about working with you!

Fill out the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a call.

Comment and Discuss

• What Father’s Day outreach event(s) is your church planning?

Want more church outreach ideas?  Church Outreach Ideas & Events for Every Holiday and Season

The post 12 Father’s Day Ideas for Church Outreach Events appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

In this video blog series, I am answering some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about church web hosting.

Church Website Hosting FAQs 

1. 1. What is church website hosting?
   2. How do I get a website?
   3. What factors should I consider when choosing a hosting company?
   4. What are storage and bandwidth and how much do I need?
   5. Do I need much technical knowledge to manage my website hosting?

A prudent question is one half of wisdom. –Francis Bacon

If you’re looking for church website hosting that’s easy to use, reliable, and is supported by a team that shares your faith…

Getting started with OurChurch.Com’s church website hosting is simple:

1. Go to OurChurch.Com
2. Select your web hosting package
3. Complete your order

What questions do you have about web hosting?

Post them in a comment and I’ll either answer in a reply or maybe even feature your question in a new video blog post.

You can also share your feedback and perspective on church website hosting and other topics in this month’s Listening Post survey.

The post Church Website Hosting FAQs – Video Blog Series appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

The course is designed to teach communications leaders in churches, nonprofits and businesses everything they need to know to inform and engage their members, supporters, and customers using email.

Email is still a powerful tool to make connections, build engagement, and grow your ministry or business.

But only when it’s done well.

Unfortunately, many Christian organizations don’t do email well. Many use it inconsistently, ineffectively or not at all.

This is why we felt it was worth the time and effort to create this online course.

13 “Email Communication that Works” lessons

The Email Communication that Works course has 13 lessons. Most lessons include both video tutorials and step-by-step written instructions, so you can choose whichever fits your learning style.

We also intentionally kept the learning part of each lesson short and followed it with action because we know that people learn best when they immediately use what they learned.

The 13 email communication lessons include:

1. 5 Reasons Email is Still Incredibly Valuable
2. Why Branded @YourDomain Email Matters
3. How to Send and Receive Branded Email with Gmail or Outlook
4. How to Create Your Email Newsletter Plan
5. How to sign up with MailChimp
6. How to Add a MailChimp Subscribe Form to Your Website with WP-EZ
7. How to Add Contacts to Mailchimp
8. How to Setup MailChimp to Send From @YourDomain email
9. How to Create an Email Template in MailChimp
10. 10 Secrets to Get More Email Opens & Clicks
11. How to Send Email Using MailChimp
12. How to Add MailChimp Archives to Your Website with WP-EZ
13. Final Tips: How to Continue to Improve Your Emails

You can check out videos and excerpts from about half of these lessons in the Email Communication that Works blog series.

How much does the Email Communication that Works course cost?

Nothing.  Nada.  Zilch.

It’s now available in the WP-EZ Training Center at no cost for everyone that has an OurChuch.com website or web hosting package.

Why?

Because our mission is to help Christian organizations live out their mission online.

And we believe a key element of living out your mission online is good email communication.

Partner with a Team You can Trust

If you’re looking to improve your communications by building a new website with a DIY website builder, custom web design or search engine optimization, we’d love to talk more with you about that.

Complete the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a discovery call.

Comment and Discuss

• What comments or questions do you have about the Email course?
• How could you and your organization benefit from the Email Communication that Works course?

Continue reading Email Communication that Works

The post Email Communication that Works online course appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

If you use OurChurch.Com’s web hosting services, you can easily add branded email accounts to it. Then, you can check and send email anywhere using any web browser by logging in at YourDomain.com/webmail

While that is convenient, I’ll be candid with you that the “Roundcube” webmail tool is a bit clunky.

Gmail is Discontinuing Support for POP3 Email

In the past we recommended using Gmail to send and receive branded email. However, in early 2026, Google announced it is discontinuing support for external email accounts.

Here’s the announcement: Learn about upcoming changes to Gmailify & POP in Gmail

What’s the timeline?

“After the first quarter of 2026, this feature no longer supports new users. Existing users can still use the feature until January 2027.”

Google Workspace is Another Option

If you’re familiar with or prefer Gmail over other email tools, another option is to use Google Workspace, which does continue to provide access to external email accounts.

And if your organization is a 501c3 nonprofit, you can get get Workspace for free through Google’s Workspace for Nonprofits program.

But if you’re org is not a nonprofit and you don’t want to pay for Workspace, we believe the best options is Microsoft Outlook.

What Are the benefits of Outlook over Roundcube?

1. Better user interface. Ourlook is easier and more intuitive to use.
2. Search. It’s way easier to find old emails using the search feature in Outlook.
3. Spam filtering. Outlook does a much better job of filtering spam email into its spam filter within sending legit emails there.
4. Mobile app. There is an Outlook mobile app making it easier to access email on a phone or tablet than Roundcube.

So, yes, you can have your cake and eat it too… the branding of @YourDomain email and superior functionality of Outlook!

3 Steps to Send and Receive Branded Email with Outlook

1. Order the branded email addon service.
2. After you receive an email notification that email service has been added to your account, create your email account in cPanel (video tutorial)
3. Setup your branded email account in Outlook using the instructions in the video below:

If you run into any issues, contact our support team and we’ll be happy to help you get setup.

Sending branded email with Gmail’s superior functionality gives you the best of both worlds.

We’re at Your Service

If you want to grow your impact, our custom website design, search engine optimization and Google Ads management services can help you connect with more people. We’d love to talk with you to see how we can work together to help make that happen!

Complete the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a call.

Comment and Discuss

• Are you sending and receiving branded email via Outlook? Why or why not?

Continue reading Email Communication that Works

The post How to Send and Receive Branded Email with Gmail or Outlook appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

But there are also some little tips and tricks that can have a big impact too.

5 Secrets to Get More Email Opens & Clicks

Here are some secret spices you can mix into your email recipe to make your readers’ (virtual) taste buds dance.

1. Craft a compelling subject line.

Your subject line should be attention-grabbing, concise, and relevant to the content of your newsletter. Experiment with personalization, urgency, curiosity, or exclusive offers to entice recipients to open the email.

Whatever you do, don’t – under any circumstances – give your emails a subject like “Springfield Church News” or “Living Word Ministries Newsletter May 2026”

Bonus: Experiment with using emojis in your subjects to make them stand out. (We do.)

2. Provide valuable and relevant content.

Many organizations make the mistake of making their email content all about them. Here’s what we did… Here’s what we’re doing… Here’s what we need from you…

Think from the perspective of your reader. Why would he or she want to spend their precious time reading this?

Are you including content that inspires them, makes them laugh, helps them solve a problem? Are you giving them opportunities they don’t want to miss for special events, meaningful experiences, or special discounts?

The more relevant and useful your content is to your subscribers, the more likely they are to engage.

3. Tell Stories.

People love stories! Stories help to strengthen the emotional connection between you and your readers.

There are many different types of stores you can share like testimonials, volunteer profiles, and updates from recent events and more.

4. Incorporate a clear call-to-action (CTA).

Guide your subscribers to take action by including a prominent and actionable CTA. Whether it’s “Click to get more info,” “Reserve your seat” at an event, or “Buy now,” a clear call to action increases click-through rates.

5. Keep it Short! Click for More.

If your organization shares a lot of opportunities in your emails and they are not all a good fit for everyone, then use a strategy where you help the reader quickly understand the two most important things:

• a) “Is this for me?” and if so
• b) “What’s my next step?”

For example, if your church’s weekly email lists events happening this week, you don’t need to put all the details of every event in your email. For example,

Moms of preschools, want to connect with other moms and give your child a play date? Come out to Peterson Park Thursday at 1pm. Click for more info.

In just 2 lines, we told people who it’s for, why they would want to do it, and a clear call to action with their next step.

Keep these things in mind as you write your emails to see more opens and clicks on your emails.

Find Your Guide to Walk with You

If you’re looking to improve your communications by building a new website with a DIY website builder, custom web design or search engine optimization, we would love to talk more about how we can come along side you and help in whatever way works best for you.

Complete the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a complimentary discovery call.

Comment and Discuss

• Which email tip above is most helpful for you?
• What other email tips do you have to share?

Continue reading… Email Communication that Works

The post 5 Secrets to Get More Email Opens & Clicks appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.