Just a few years ago, it was stressed that every organization must have a Web site. Having a Web site had become a key tool for reaching people and a requirement if you wanted to reach those young people who practically grew up with computers.

Well, today it isn’t just about having a Web site. That is just a first step in the process. It is about what that Web site can do.

Web sites can no longer attract people unless they grow up to become Web portals. You see, Web sites just provide information. They contain content that sits on the site and its pages. But Web portals provide a gateway allowing users to interact with various applications and data stored in other places, not just on the church’s Web site. Web portals are dynamic. Hence the term “portal” – the Web site becomes a portal to other information on the World Wide Web.

Think of it as a centralized application that has access to other applications within the same enterprise. So, rather than a user having to remember which software application to open for each type of data, they can go to one place – the Web portal.

Obviously you need to be choosy about the types of outside sources you allow people to reach from your site. They should fit within the general philosophy of your church. And you should be security minded, especially when it comes to sharing information about someone without their permission.

What kinds of information should the church portal access?

To figure out what information you should include in your church portal, take a look at your leaders and attendees and see what they need. Ask them what they would like to do on the Web. Here is list of common activities members want to be able to do online: