The decision to have the Hub live on a different site is based on the different information needs of a church member versus someone who has yet to visit the church. A regular attender or church member of a particular congregation often requires more advanced information on a variety of topics (i.e. – giving, upcoming events, small group locations, serving information, etc.), while a potential visitor is much more interested in satisfying their curiosity about the church’s beliefs, leadership, style of preaching, etc.

By separating the two experiences (member experience as compared to the visitor experience), you are able to serve each of these audiences well without either audience navigating through information that is not pertinent to them.

Yes! We recommend that portions of the church hub are updated on a weekly basis. In a sense, the Hub serves as the central communications platform for your church, and so keeping it up to date allows your church congregation to have one location where they can always access important information.

Though it will depend on the needs of your church, we typically see churches update the hub at least once a week.

We provide extensive training on how to migrate your sermons, and are there for consulting and training during all phases of your hub setup, but do not handle sermon migration for a church. In our review of the data across our client base, we see that most members of a congregation only reference sermons that go back a few weeks. This allows you to migrate slowly over a period of time, lessening the burden on church resources as you prepare for launch.

Once you have completed and launched your church hub that is specifically designed for members of your congregation, it’s important to make sure that your members are aware of the differences between the hub and the visitor-centric site, and how to access each one.

One effective way to do this is to create a clear and concise announcement (see an example here) that explains the purpose of the hub and how it differs from the visitor-centric site. This announcement can be shared through various channels, including through an article on your hub (we provide you a template), your social media accounts, in an email newsletter if you have one, and announcements during services.

When creating the announcement, be sure to highlight the key features and benefits of the hub, such as the type of content provided, including online resources available, and church engagement and service opportunities. Emphasize that the hub is meant to provide additional support and connection for your congregation, while the visitor-centric site is designed to help newcomers learn more about your church and invite them to a Sunday service.

Finally, make sure to continue promoting the hub regularly through ongoing announcements, reminders, and updates from the pulpit. It’s helpful to use terminology such as “Hub” so that your congregation doesn’t mistake it for the visitor-centric website. Promoting the hub consistently from the pulpit during announcements will also help keep your members engaged and informed about the benefits of using the hub as a valuable resource for their spiritual growth and congregational involvement.

If you have more questions specifically about our hub framework, we would be happy to answer them. Head on over to our contact page.