Webmaster's
Comments |
As a church webmaster, I find that the two most important ingredients of a successful website are
an active church and a supportive membership that contributes to the website. Website design experts say that content is king.
For us, that content is drawn from the church and it's membership. Welcome to our Riverside church family website. The
eWindows of our church are wide open for your viewing. We do hope that you will enjoy your visit and will stop by to worship
with us when you are in the area. We want our web site to communicate that we are an active church and that we are eager to
welcome you. The Pastor's Corner captures the mission and welcome of our church: "We believe that Jesus Christ is coming soon
and that we need to be ready for his soon coming. As you know, a church is not a club or a social organization. It's a family
with a great variety of members. And, as in any growing active family, life is often delightful, sometimes demanding, but
never dull. I invite you to be part of our Riverside church family." As the webmaster of the Riverside Adventist church, it is
my goal that the website capture that church family mission and welcome. Please stop by and pay us a visit.
Dave |
Gleaner
Online |
The web site of the Riverside Church in Washougal, Wash., received the eChurch Award for February
2003. The Riverside Church web site, www.riversidesda.com, is complete with a picture of the church, location information, and
is easy to navigate throughout.
The church’s web site was completed in its present form and address in December, 2002. Web master David Buxton said that
the web site averaged 60 visitors a day during February and the visitor counter passed 3000 a couple of days later. “The NAD
eChurch award has brought an increase in the volume of quality visitors to our website and a surprising number of those
visitors are from far flung places like South Africa, Australia, and the European countries,” he said. “We would like to think
that eVisitors will be impressed by our congregation as they look through the eWindows of our church. They can be a virtual
member of our church even if they live in Australia.”
The eChurch award was established, beginning in January 2003, to encourage web excellence among Adventist churches by the
North American Division office of communication, PlusLine and TAGnet (the information desk and web service, respectively, for
Adventist churches). Each month a church web site will be designated as the “Outstanding Web Site of the Month” and will
receive special recognition. A yearly finalist will be selected from one of the monthly winners.
“The ingredients of a good church website are an active church with members willing to contribute content and a webmaster
to put it all together,” Buxton said.
The web site evaluation criteria include items like: Does the web site load in 10 seconds or less? Does the web site truly
feature the local church? Is the content up to date? Is the church’s contact information available and are the service times
listed? Is the design pleasing and is it easy to navigate?
Visit the PlusLine web site at www.PlusLine.org to view additional criteria and to nominate a church web site to be
considered for an award. •
Richard Dower |
