Walking into a church for the first time can be intimidating.
For regular churchgoers, Sunday morning feels completely normal. You know where to park, which door to use, where your children go, what happens during the service and whether there's coffee afterwards.
But imagine arriving for the very first time.
Where do I park? What should I wear? Will someone make me stand up and introduce myself? Where do my children go? How long will the service last? Do I need to bring anything? Can I just sit at the back and watch?
These might seem like small questions, but for someone considering church for the first time - or returning after many years - they can become genuine barriers.
That's why a good "What to Expect" page can be one of the most important pages on your church website.
Your Website Can Remove Anxiety Before Someone Arrives
People like knowing what they're walking into.
Someone visiting your church may already feel nervous. They might have never attended church before. Perhaps they've recently moved into the area, are exploring Christianity, or are looking for a church after a difficult experience elsewhere.
Your website has an opportunity to reassure them before they've even left home.
A friendly "What to Expect" page effectively says:
You're welcome here, and here's everything you need to know.
That simple reassurance can make the difference between someone thinking about attending and actually walking through your doors.
Answer the Questions Regular Members Don't Think About
The best "What to Expect" pages aren't complicated. They simply answer the questions a newcomer is likely to have.
Where should I park?
If you have your own car park, explain where it is. If parking is limited, tell people where else they can park.
Don't make someone's first experience of your church driving around the building wondering where they're allowed to leave their car.
Which entrance should I use?
This is particularly important for churches with multiple entrances or large buildings.
Something as simple as "Come through the main doors on the High Street - our welcome team will be there to meet you" immediately removes uncertainty.
What should I wear?
Church members might never consider this question, but someone unfamiliar with church culture might genuinely wonder whether they're expected to dress formally.
If your congregation is relaxed about clothing, say so.
What happens during the service?
You don't need to describe every minute, but give visitors an idea of what will happen.
For example, explain that there will be worship, prayers, notices, a Bible reading and a talk, and mention approximately how long the service lasts.
What happens with children?
For families, this can be one of the biggest considerations when deciding whether to visit.
Explain what children's groups you provide, the ages they cover, when children leave for their groups and where parents should take them.
If there's a registration or check-in process, explain that too.
Will I be expected to do anything?
Someone unfamiliar with church might worry they'll be asked to speak, pray aloud, give money or participate in something they don't understand.
A simple sentence explaining that visitors are welcome to participate as much or as little as they feel comfortable doing can be enormously reassuring.
Show Them, Don't Just Tell Them
Photographs can make your "What to Expect" page even more powerful.
Rather than relying on stock photography, show your actual church.
Include photographs of:
- The outside of the building
- The entrance visitors should use
- The main worship space
- Children's areas
- Your welcome team
- Your congregation
- The church leader who will be speaking
When someone subsequently arrives on Sunday, things already look familiar.
They've effectively visited before they've visited.
Think Beyond Sunday Morning
Your "What to Expect" page can also introduce people to what happens beyond your main service.
You could briefly mention your children's and youth activities, small groups, community projects, midweek gatherings, café or social activities.
But don't overwhelm people.
The primary purpose of the page is to make taking that first step as easy as possible.
There will be plenty of time to discover everything else your church offers once they've arrived.
Make It Easy to Find
There's little value in creating a brilliant visitor page if nobody can find it.
Consider putting a prominent button or graphic on your homepage:
New Here?
Plan Your Visit
or
What to Expect
It should be one of the easiest things for a first-time visitor to find.
And remember that many people will be viewing your website on their phone, perhaps even while deciding whether to attend that morning.
Make sure the page works brilliantly on mobile too.
Look at Your Church Through a Visitor's Eyes
Church websites naturally become designed around existing members.
Calendars, rotas, notices, recordings and internal information gradually take over.
Every so often, it's worth looking at your website from a completely different perspective.
Imagine you know absolutely nothing about your church.
You find it through Google on Saturday evening and are considering attending tomorrow morning.
Does your website give you enough confidence to turn up?
A thoughtful "What to Expect" page doesn't require sophisticated technology or a huge amount of content.
It simply removes the unknown.
And when someone is already nervous about walking through the doors of a church for the first time, removing a few unknowns can make a much bigger difference than you might think.