What a year! While commercials and billboards (and sermon series) started the year with plenty of "2020 vision" puns, the world quickly, and almost entirely, changed in March. The world adapted to a global pandemic; the church pivoted to an almost-entirely digital ministry narrative. At Church Juice, we scrapped our entire content calendar for the year to provide what churches needed most in those first weeks and months. In 2021, we hope to think more long-term about the impacts of 2020's pivot in ministry, and how this shift to digital-first ministry might help your church's ministry and communications for years to come.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's take a look back at 2020. Here are the five most-read articles this year.
20 of the Best Church Websites in 2020
Each year we create a list with some of our favorite church websites. After looking across the Internet for hours in search of the best websites, here is one conclusion:
It's now easier—and more cost-effective—than ever to have a great looking church website. Despite that fact, the vast majority of church websites are in dire need of attention.
Coming Back Together After Coronavirus
I’ve heard lots of people talk about their longing and excitement for the grand reunion that will take place once life gets back to “normal.” Many churches even promoted their Easter Sunday worship as merely a mini-celebration of the resurrection—anticipating the real party once the congregation gathers together again in person.
I think this longing points to the fact that we were created to be in community—and I love hearing stories like this (but that’s for another article). Many churches wish that one Sunday a switch is going to flip and everything will go back to the way things were before. But this scenario seems unlikely.
Connecting Without Live Streaming
For a myriad of reasons, streaming to Facebook or other platforms might not be a great option—especially for churches with smaller congregations, in rural communities, or with older demographics. Beyond Sunday worship services you might also wonder how to have community with the church when you’re not physically together.
6 Social Media Tips For Your Church
Social media can be a great tool for your church if you use it well. The networks you choose to engage and participate in can help you build relationships with a broader audience of people. Social media can also help your church reach a new and different crowd than any other medium. How we utilize social media is important, though.
5 Ways to Use Mailchimp For Email Marketing
When I started my first job in church communications, one of my many job responsibilities was handling all of the email marketing. This included the weekly digital newsletter, sending out weekly sermon notes, and other miscellaneous emails.
The biggest issue was the email platform the church was using. I won’t tell you which platform it was, only that it was clunky and not very user-friendly. Building content was a chore and members often didn’t receive the emails we sent out.
