Summer is coming fast, and for many congregations, that means schedule changes, staff transitions, new programs, and a whole lot of people visiting your website to figure out what’s going on. Before the season kicks into full gear, take thirty minutes and work through this checklist. Your visitors, your members, and your future self will thank you.
Time Well Spent
These updates take less time than you think, but only if you do them before things get hectic. If you serve as the communications contact for your congregation, block thirty minutes this week and work through the list. If you’re a pastor heading into a busy stretch, consider forwarding this to whoever manages your website and asking them to take a look. If you are a congregation member, take a look at your church’s website with visitor eyes, and send a kind nudge to your staff team.
- Worship Times and Service Information
If your congregation shifts to a summer worship schedule, that change needs to be on your website before the first Sunday it takes effect, not after. Check every place your service times appear: the homepage, your worship page, your visitor/guest/I’m New page, and any event listings. It’s surprisingly easy to update one and forget the others.
If you’re combining services, going to one service for the summer, or adding an outdoor option, say so clearly and include the end date if you know it.
You also want to update your Google Business Profile to reflect summer changes.
- Staff and Pastor Information
Summer is prime time for pastoral transitions, retirements, and new appointments. If your congregation has a new pastor arriving this summer, get their name and photo on the website as soon as you’re able; even a simple placeholder bio is better than a page that still shows the person who left. Likewise, if a beloved staff member has retired or moved on, update those pages promptly and graciously. Visitors researching your church before they walk through the door are looking at your staff page, and outdated information creates unnecessary confusion. Be sure to walk through other website pages and swap out photos of these folks. Taking new photos should be a July/August priority, but for now, removing prominent photos of the previous pastor/staff members is important, not to erase what was, but to help with clarity for those visiting your website for the very first time. Clarity is kindness.
- Vacation Bible School Details
If your church is hosting VBS or summer camp, your website should have the basics: dates, times, age range, theme, cost, and how to register or get more information. Even if you’re pointing people to an external registration link, the information needs to live on your site too. People searching for VBS options in your community are often going to your website first. If the information isn’t there, they may move on to the next result. Once VBS is over, archive or remove the page so visitors aren’t finding outdated registration info in September.
- Summer Programs, Events, and Office Hours
Does your church office keep different hours in the summer? Does programming pause, shift, or take on a different shape between Memorial Day and Labor Day? Are there mission trips, youth events, or community gatherings worth publicizing? Your website’s events calendar and any “What’s Happening” pages should reflect the actual summer schedule, not last fall’s programming. If things are genuinely quiet this summer, it’s okay to say so. A simple note that regular programming resumes in September is more helpful than silence.
- Your Contact Information
This one seems obvious, but it’s worth a double-check. Phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses get stale over time, especially after staff transitions. Confirm that the contact information on your website routes to someone who will actually see it this summer. If your main office contact is taking extended leave, make sure there’s a backup. If you have a general inquiry form, test it to make sure submissions are going somewhere. Nothing erodes trust faster than a visitor reaching out and hearing nothing back.
Your website is often the first impression a visitor gets of your congregation. Make sure it’s telling the right story this summer.
AI was used to brainstorm and polish this article.