Revitalize Your Church Website: CCC Rolls Out Two-Phase Digital Evangelism Plan for 2025

Justin Kim
May 12
3 min read

Updated: May 14

FRESNO, Calif. — Eight in 10 first-time guests search for a church online before deciding to visit, according to the Barna Group, and the average person now spends six hours and 38 minutes a day on the internet. Churches already invest heavily in roofs, paint, and utilities to keep sanctuaries welcoming. Yet one slow-loading, outdated webpage can undo that curb appeal in seconds. A well-kept church website is the primary gateway for newcomers.

How First-Time Church Guests Find Information

My belief in the web’s evangelistic power dates to 1998, when every connection began with the screech of dial-up and a page might take minutes to load. Even then, people were searching for the gospel online. To reach them, I launched a bulletin-board community built with ASCII art and hand-coded HTML—tools so primitive they make today’s drag-and-drop editors seem miraculous. I soon helped create one of the denomination’s first Bible-study sites. Despite a 56-kbps speed limit, message threads filled with questions, testimonies and prayers, and several participants asked for baptism at their local churches. That improbable harvest proved the Holy Spirit travels any bandwidth. Two decades later the hunger is even greater; 21st-century seekers often consult Google before they ever step through a church door.

Digital potential has only grown. Data firm Domo estimates each minute brings more than 6 million Google searches, 4.5 million YouTube views and 1 million Facebook logins. Google Trends recorded a 400-percent spike in “Second Coming” searches during the pandemic’s first wave, underscoring that spiritual questions—and specifically Adventist themes—often surface online long before they reach a pew. The digital arena is no longer optional; it is the Adventist Church’s fastest-growing mission field.

Two-Phase Digital Evangelism Plan for 2025

Church website upgrade — Every church and School website will migrate to Adventist Connect, the North American Division’s redesigned WordPress platform. The switch delivers mobile-friendly pages, multilingual toggles, streaming embeds, online giving, and search-engine optimization. Migrations are set to conclude by May 31, providing churches with fresh digital curb appeal before summer ministries peak. A live orientation for pastors, communication leaders and volunteers is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 20.

Digital marketing — Online campaigns routinely outperform print and broadcast outreach, producing about 50 percent more interactions while costing less and traveling farther in real time. For churches, that means a wider audience, deeper engagement and analytics that show whether the message is connecting. Most congregations qualify for Google Ad Grants, which can provide up to $10,000 a month in free advertising credits. Google requires an active, high-quality website to qualify for the grant. Without a fast, engaging home page, even the most generous ad budget can’t deliver full impact—another reason the site upgrade comes first.

Attend the Zoom orientation

The Central California Conference’s Revitalize Church Website initiative will guide each congregation through the transition, offer training and help secure Google Ad Grants. A Zoom orientation on May 20 will cover platform features, the migration timeline and best practices for keeping content fresh.

May 20 | 7 p.m. PDT | Live via Zoom

Zoom Info: https://zoom.us/j/91650044591?pwd=PqceGqnErgguJ0FjASwxYCvoqPEzqK.1

Meeting ID: 916 5004 4591 | Passcode: 0E7dCv

Who should attend: pastors, communication directors, tech volunteers—anyone responsible for the church’s online presence.

The mission field now fits in a pocket. Laptops and smartphones are where seekers look first—and where churches must be ready. A fast, current website is what turns a Google search into a Sabbath visit and puts the Adventist message on screens you may never see. Don’t let slow load times or outdated pages block the path to hope. Sign up for the May 20 Zoom orientation, recruit a media team and give your congregation the digital front porch it deserves. The gospel is one click away. Let’s meet people there.