I know what you are thinking. A designer talking about paying tithes. Don’t we get enough of this at church?

What exactly does stewardship mean? To many it means paying the bills, keeping up with your tithes and offerings, and basically not throwing money away. However, the true meaning in a nutshell is: Stewardship is using God’s Human Resources with Wisdom.

Okay that sounds a bit confusing to some people. It means taking care of what God has provided and using it to the best of our ability that it might promote His Kingdom.

James 1:22 says, ‘Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only.’ That pretty much sums it up for being a steward as well.

So, why am I talking about stewardship on a design blog?

You Asked For It

Wait! We didn’t ask! Sure you did. But how? By not using wisdom in the resources God has given you to build the kingdom. But what are you talking about?

The last few years there has been a lot of changes in our world. Environmentalists talk a lot about saving the environment, global warming, climate change. Let’s get real. They do not care about the world or climate change. They are using it as a gimmick to raise money and have their own agenda become the laws that we live by. They could care less about what really happens to our world.

Even if every American did exactly what they are told: conserve water, reduce emissions, build green, it would do nothing to change the outcome on the global scale. There will still be countries that could care less about what the pollution does to the environment, and they will not cut back on manufacturing, etc.. but I digress…

How does this apply to me? To my stewardship that you claim I am lacking in? I pay my tithes. I provide for my family. And why on a design blog?

Because…

Earlier this morning I tried to go to a website that had been touted on Facebook about having one of my favorite preachers speaking today.  It was difficult to find, even their Facebook page has disappeared. So I searched and google couldn’t find it. What?

Then I went to a district website and found the link to their site. Went to the site, and it said…

We are taking a maintenance break. Please visit back soon!

That is all. No date as to when they expected to be back; No further information as to the reasons behind the break; not even basic information to give an address or phone number to their church. No contact information providing anyone, even sinners, or backsliders, directions to finding the church.

I am shocked and appalled. Not just because I am a web developer, but because I am a Christian who believes that we should always be reaching for souls. Jesus never started up the hill to die on the cross and decided to take a ‘maintenance break.’

Yeah, I know. Sometimes churches really do have to update their sites. And sometimes the person in charge really has no idea what they are doing and it can take time. For me the problem is that I tried to go to this same site almost 9 months ago and at that same time it was taking the same break. So what seems to be the problem?

Failing Stewardship Tests

Trying to give them the benefit of the doubt, I went back to the Facebook page of the church that had posted the information about the preacher being at this church. I went to their About tab, and clicked on the link to their website. They had a link.. cool.

Guess what? They had allowed their hosting to expire and now you go to the hosting site.

The sad part about this, is this was a church I had built a website for previously. It was a smaller church and so I worked them out a very affordable deal. I even did monthly updates to the calendar, added new graphics monthly to the site if they had something special going on, and kept their site looking fresh…for $35 a month. But when the new pastor came in, he told me he felt he was paying too much for a website; that they had people who could do that in the church and keep it updated and more modern, and I had to eat the cost of the site design, and lost a client that I was trying to help spread the message.

And now their domain points to a hosting page and they have no site. Again, another church that is not using the resources they have been given by God to reach their community, and the world. And the thing is, I am very affordable. I make decisions on cost based on what you need, and the size of your congregation. I donate (or you could call it tithing, or good stewardship) to a lot of smaller churches simply because I feel the message is that important.  I am reminded of the parable of the talents, but you should already know that story.. so I will stay on point.

What Are You Doing?

To freshen up my own design skills, many times I browse the web and find other churches and business websites to see what looks good, fresh, current, and would be good and useful for the websites I create for my clients. I want you to be the best and present the message quickly and in the best possible light. We are the light of the world, after all.

I want your site in its ‘Sunday Best!’

It is sad though how many Apostolic or Pentecostal churches do not keep up with their sites. Or they made one in 1999 and have not updated it since, even some with new pastors, and buildings.  I mean come on, you cannot take a few minutes a month to update? Or hire me, or anyone you want, to keep your site updated?

There are such simple ways to do it. Why are we stuck? Or is it that we really do not think its important to reach the lost? Because face it 1 in 10 of your church members might view your website one time a month, but 9 out of 10 who are invited to your church, or feel a hunger for God.. will go to your church website first before they ever darken your door. And if you do not have a website? Or your website is out of date, or on ‘maintenance?’  Let the lost and hungry be lost, I guess?

Do You Need A Makeover?

No, God hasn’t changed. The message hasn’t changed. But we would not go to church wearing dirty underwear, and clothes that have not been washed in six months, would we? Same goes for your church website.

About a 1 1/2 years ago, maybe a bit more I posted about your website needing a makeover, and it still does.. perhaps you can take some time to read it.

Signs It is TIME For A Makeover

If you are ready for a makeover, or need a website for your church, contact us. We are very affordable and we update all the time to give you the best possible tools to reach your community and your world. It is good stewardship.

apostolicvision design services