Your church website is often the first place someone will encounter your ministry—before a handshake, before a sermon, before they even step into your building. For many visitors and seekers, it’s where they decide whether or not to show up on Sunday. But here’s the challenge: for churches with limited time, budget, or technical knowledge, building a reliable and welcoming church website can feel overwhelming.
You might be wrestling with questions like: Where do I even start? Can we afford it? Who’s going to keep it updated? And how do I make sure it doesn’t become outdated in six months?
Thankfully, you don’t need to be a designer or tech guru to launch a powerful website that truly serves your church. Whether you’re ready to clean your church website, build from scratch, or prepare for a high-traffic season like Easter or Christmas, the path forward is more accessible than you think.
Let’s explore four of the most common options church leaders consider when creating a site—so you can choose the one that best supports your mission, your team, and your budget.
Option 1: DIY Website (Build From Scratch)
Starting from scratch may seem like the most cost-effective and flexible way to build a church website. For pastors or church leaders who like full control or already have some tech experience, it can be a tempting option. The appeal lies in creating a unique site at your own pace, tailored exactly to your vision—if you have the time, patience, and skillset to manage it all.
Some church leaders go the full do-it-yourself route—signing up for a generic website builder like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress and trying to configure everything from the ground up. This approach offers the most control, but it comes with a learning curve.
Pros:
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Full design control and flexibility
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Large selection of templates and integrations
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Can be inexpensive at first (especially with free or low-cost plans)
Cons:
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Time-intensive to learn and manage
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Requires ongoing updates, plugin management, and backups
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Not tailored to church-specific needs (sermons, events, giving)
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Often lacks built-in church website accessibility tools
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Can be costly as you add on plugins, purchase templates, or need to hire a web developer
A DIY approach may work for a tech-savvy volunteer or staff member, but without consistent upkeep, it can lead to security risks and a confusing user experience. Churches often discover too late that they’ve spent more time troubleshooting than ministering—and that’s not the kind of stewardship any church leader wants to maintain long-term.
Option 2: Hire a Professional Web Designer
When churches want a polished, fully customized website without lifting a finger, they often consider hiring a professional web designer or developer. This route can deliver beautiful results, but it also comes with a hefty price tag and ongoing dependencies that many churches aren’t prepared for.
Some churches choose to work with a freelance web designer or agency. This path usually results in a professional-looking site, but it comes at a much higher cost and often creates long-term dependency.
Pros:
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Fully customized design based on your branding
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Professional look and feel
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Designers can guide best practice content and layout choices
Cons:
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Expensive upfront costs (ranging from $2,000–$10,000+)
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Ongoing changes may require hiring the designer again
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Delays in turnaround times or updates
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May lack church-specific tools like sermon uploads, events, and social media tools
This approach is best for churches with a generous budget and a long-term maintenance plan—but it’s not ideal for ministries that need something quick, budget-friendly, or low-maintenance. If your team needs the freedom to update content without calling in a developer every time, this path may lead to delays and unnecessary frustration.
Option 3: Rely on a Volunteer
For many small churches, the easiest solution seems to be asking a tech-savvy member of the congregation to build or manage the website. It feels natural, cost-effective, and relational—after all, they already love the church and want to help. But this route often comes with hidden limitations and long-term risks.
In smaller churches, it’s common to rely on a tech-savvy church member to fully create and maintain the website. This can work well—for a time. But when that volunteer moves away or gets busy, the entire website can fall into disrepair.
Pros:
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No immediate cost
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May be quick to launch for that volunteer
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Familiar relationship and shared ministry vision
Cons:
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Risk of burnout or transitions leaving the site unsupported
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Dependence on one person’s schedule and skillset
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May not follow best practices for design, SEO, or accessibility
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Limited knowledge of digital tools for church communications
Volunteers are a blessing—but unless there’s a backup plan and documentation, this strategy can leave you stuck when life changes. Churches that go this route should ensure the site is easy to use and update, even if someone new needs to take it over.
Option 4: Use a Dedicated Church Website Builder
Many pastors are looking for a solution that doesn’t require hours of setup, a big budget, or a volunteer they have to fully rely on. They want something fast, user-friendly, and built for the unique needs of ministry.
That’s exactly where a church-specific website builder platform like ChurchSpring comes in. Designed specifically for pastors and churches, a church website builder offers the best balance of ease, speed, affordability, and ministry-focused features.
Pros:
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Built-in tools for sermons, events, blogs, and giving
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Easy drag-and-drop editing (no coding required)
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Saves you time—depending on the website builder, you can launch your website in less than a day and quickly make important updates
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Includes tools like social media tools, automated scheduling, and a full Media Library
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Comes with ministry support and tutorials
Cons:
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May not have as much design flexibility as a custom-coded site (but the tradeoff is ease and reliability)
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May have limited access to third-party plugins or advanced customizations
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Requires selecting from pre-designed templates, which may not suit every aesthetic preference
For example, with ChurchSpring’s church website builder, your website includes everything you need to create a welcoming church website from day one. It’s also easy to update regularly, helping you prepare your website for holidays and special events.
“We really enjoy our website and get several compliments on it. We are a small church and this gives us a large presence. Awesome job in creating this!! You are amazing people and I am sure God is very pleased with your mission to help all churches involved spread the word. Thank you.”
Cole W., Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church
How to Decide What’s Best for Your Church
Choosing how to build your church website depends on several key factors—especially if you’re a small team juggling limited time, money, and digital expertise. The right path is the one that empowers your ministry without overwhelming your people.
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Your budget — Can you invest in a custom solution or do you need something more cost-effective?
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Your timeline — Do you need something live soon or are you planning a months-long launch?
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Your team’s skillset — Will you have volunteers or staff who can manage the site or do you need a platform that anyone can learn quickly?
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Ongoing support needs — Will you need help down the road? Look for a platform that includes tutorials, training, and responsive ministry support.
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Features specific to churches — Does the platform include sermons, events, giving, and outreach tools like built-in social media tools or seasonal design updates?
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Scalability — Can your website grow with your ministry as you add new members, ministries, or locations?
If your church wants to avoid tech complexity and focus more on ministry, then a church website builder platform like ChurchSpring is likely your best fit. It removes the barriers and gives you tools you’ll actually use—not just for launch day, but for everyday communication and long-term growth.
You Don’t Have to Be a Web Designer to Build a Great Church Website
A clean, welcoming, and fully functional church website isn’t out of reach. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to refresh what you have, there are more tools than ever designed to support small teams and busy pastors.
ChurchSpring makes it simple and fast. With intuitive design, speedy setup, and a full suite of tools created for churches, it’s one of the best church website platforms available today.
Ready to build your site with confidence? Try ChurchSpring for free in a 7 day trial or see how you can launch a church website in 90 seconds fast in a free demo webinar.
