New UMC.org Web site helps connect people
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| (From top)Teca Greathouse, missionary in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Eliot Chikwenjere of Zimbabwe and Anita Crump, New Orleans, La., are three of the United Methodists profiled on the new UMC.org. |
After two years of intense research about what United Methodists want in a Web site, a newly designed UMC.org will launch in early 2007.
UMC.org, the official online ministry of the United Methodist Church, will sport a new look, improved functionality, more resources and new features such as online communities that connect people around the world.
“Our goal is to make it easier for people to connect to the church and to each other through technology – to provide a digital front door to the church,” said the Rev. Larry Hollon, general secretary of United Methodist Communications.
“Digital technology is largely the way people are communicating and connecting with each other. It’s important for the church to be involved in that process. It is all about connecting.”
The new visual design emphasizes people of the United Methodist Church living out their faith. But the redesign is much more than a new look; it grew out of a user-centered design process.
“We asked people to tell us what would be helpful in their faith journey, and what would be helpful in their experience of the Web,” Hollon said. “We were listening to everybody we could find.”
The result is an easier-to-use site with features people requested. For example, the names given to all of the tabs and buttons are based on what people said they wanted.
Last fall, the United Methodist Communications Web Ministry Team offered a sneak peek at many of the new features. Over the last quarter of 2006, the new UMC.org was slowly released to allow regular visitors to prepare for the change and to make sure the design accurately depicted what visitors requested. The new design has received an overwhelming vote of confidence from site visitors and church leadership.
The sneak peek showcased:
- Our People: Meet some of the people of The United Methodist Church and read their stories of faith.
- Find-A-Church: Reach out to seekers in your community by showcasing your primary ministries.
- Living Prayer Center: Send prayer requests via the Upper Room Prayer Center to covenant prayer groups around the world.
- Spiritual Gifts: Discover your spiritual gifts using an online assessment tool.
- Ask InfoServ: Get your questions answered through the denomination’s official information service.
- Search: Quickly find the information you are looking for using the Google search device.
The biggest change with the redesigned site is that now there is a central place to go for everything that is United Methodist.
New features include a central hub for many resource areas such as local church leadership, evangelism and Christian education. Each of the resource pages will have an online community that will allow visitors to blog and to participate in discussions. Safety measures have been put in place, and a team is committed to monitoring the site on a regular basis.
“This new Web site is providing people a tool to build community and to enter into relationships they might not be able to have otherwise,” Hollon said.
Other new features include:
- Methopedia, a United Methodist encyclopedia that provides a centralized place for stories and resources on specific subjects. It includes a tab for an online community on each subject.
- An expanded Find-A-Church search feature, which provides room for churches to include several photos and a more detailed description of the church and ministries.
- A global map, which allows a person to click on a country and see a country profile, news stories, missionaries, volunteer opportunities, contact information and other resources.
- A new video introduction for the spiritual gifts assessment along with new resources and interactive features.
With the launch of the redesigned site, the Web Ministry Team is encouraging people to give feedback. Anyone can email questions and concerns to the Web Ministry Team at
umc@umc.org.—Deborah White is associate editor of INTERPRETER.
Expanded Find-A-Church provides new evangelism tool
Find-A-Church, a popular search feature of umc.org, has been expanded and redesigned to introduce each United Methodist church. The Find-A-Church entry for each congregation in the United States resembles the front page of a Web site, with space for a church photo and much more information than the previous version.
Local congregations can use Find-A-Church for evangelism by adding their worship schedules, activities, a welcome, a photo of the church and its people, an interactive map and driving directions.
In addition to the church address, contact information and worship times, the improved Find-A-Church includes these sections:
- Who we are: congregation size and a welcome message.
- What to expect when you visit: information such as worship style, dress and children’s activities.
- What we offer: a list of what happens inside the church throughout the week.
- How we share our gifts: outreach ministries.
- Google map with printable driving directions.
To customize information about your church, go to
www.find-a-church.org. Locate your church using the zip code or by entering your city and state. Check the information displayed for accuracy, and then follow the link at the bottom of the screen to request changes.For more information, contact Find-A-Church at FAC@umcom.org or (800) 251-8140.
