Personally I’ve been doing our site (www.centralpc.org) since ’96, mostly alone except for sermon proof-readers and when I pull some people together for redesigns.

- Luckily I’m in a church that has always shown great appreciation for my time, skills and efforts, even though I’ve never asked to be paid. They are generally a pretty appreciative group for any volunteers IMO.

- They have readily paid the non-time costs such as hosting, software, etc with no complaints.

- Frankly I don’t *want* to be paid for this. This is my ministry, where I can give to God and my church community from skills I’ve built up and enjoy using. (no emphasis meant on ‘my’) Our church community is important to me, gives me a lot and it’s important to me to be able to give back from whatever skill I have, web or not.

- There are some limitations in what we do that are because my time is limited. Paying me wouldn’t really change that, though finding a way to build a team with some others with web skills would. The church mostly accepts those limitations of my time with patience. The limits are probably more frustrating to me than to them since I always have a private/mental todo list of things I’d like to change or improve.

- I have definitely had times where people were all excited with ideas for a section (new worship service, young adults group, youth group, etc), but when it came down to them taking the next step of providing actual content (that I wasn’t able/appropriate to write myself) then the enthusiasm and emails tapered off, and I end up doing what I can.

- I don’t think that’s really just a web-thing though. I’ve seen the same thing on our sound/tech team. People will get all excited debating some new gear or technique, but as soon as you ask for anyone to do some structured research or actual work, all the email responses dry up and silence ensues. It’s frustrating sometimes of course, but its human nature, and happens at least partly because people are busy. (yeah, it’s a rationalization, but often true)

disclaimer: I *do* get a lot of great content direct from our office staff, who publish a weekly thing (News and Views) that helps me update ministries and post some articles each week. Publishing that content that was created for the NV is easy for me. Getting someone to write content for me specifically for some website need is often the hard part, and a separate issue.

- Interestingly enough, our pastor and staff may be at the point where they are wanting and nearly ready to step forward to some more-involved roles with the website and our online presence. If I can get us migrated to a decent CMS and some good community-building functionality, I might be able to share this effort. Now, if I can just get the time to do it… yeah, back to that time-limitations thing

Anyway, that’s a bit on my situation and thoughts on some of this.
Hope it’s some use or encouragement to someone. If not, oh well.

As encouragement, realize that not all churches are seriously frustrating to work with, and with patience and understanding and willingness to give each other grace all around, it can be a pretty nice way to share your skills with your community for your God’s purposes.

jeff wilkinson, webmaster for http://www.centralpc.org
http://www.centralpc.org/admin/webminfaq.htm

I used to have the junk mailbox set up for all emails to our domain that didn’t match an existing mailbox. I’d monitor it and redirect all the legitmate misaddressed emails and tell the senders the correct address to use. Eventually I found out that getting rid of that and just letting people get bounce messages was easier on everyone. They’d get the bounce and have to look up the correct address on the website, where I was telling them to look anyway. So, sometimes hand-holding is not only a waste of your time, but it’s counter-productive to the learning your users need to do.

Am so much happy and most concerned about the work of God as you’ve may know I will be so much happy and greatful if you can try and send the church any amount, is welcome by them and I too. Remain bless!!!!.

Your brethren in Christ.
Pastor Rick Warren.

Here are a few rules I follow:

1) have one person that has authority to approve the website concepts, know who the real client is.

2) never send designs through email for them to review before meeting with them. Always review them together either in person or by telephoning them. This will allow you to explain each concept to them before they have formulated their own thoughts.

3) if you’re like me, you’ll want to get the project completed as quickly as possible. Layout a timeline for them, when content is to be finalized and sent, when things are to be approved, completion or phases completed.

4) if you want a tax break, at the end send an in-kind donation letter of a website in the amount of whatever you would normally charge for the website you delivered. This will be helpful for tax time as most likely they will send you a donation statement.

5) be kind, everyone you meet is fighting some sort of battle. People are going to make negative comments, its life, this provides and oppurtunity for you be used by God to possibly minister to that person, its not an attack on you, its a plea for help– in a nutshell, this is what serving will get you.. needy people. just remember number 1.

Just my thoughts.

Brandon Richards
http://www.brandonrichards.com

I would maintain that at least for small churches like mine, volunteering my services as web developer is fun and has been a very positive experience so far. I would not discourage anyone from trying it.

I have read about Mike Boyinks previous problems, and the only thing I can say is that volunteering is very like giving your money. If you feel your money is being misused, you would probably not give as much. Same thing can be said for your time.

I do not believe that playing off the way people overvalue money to get them to value your work is the right answer. If web design is part of what you want to give to a church then find one that will support your ideas. I think Mike has partially found this in his new church site at MannaIs.org.

I have compiled more of my own thought into a piece of writing called “Making Stone Soup”. Feel free to give it a read:

http://ddombrow.backpackit.com/pub/118468

I personally do not mind doing the work for free. I find the process fun and the on going maintainence, while tedious, gives me personal satisfaction. Anyway, to the point of this article, I agree that when you give an inch (or even free ice cream) they’ll take a mile (or want additional toppings and new flavors)

I have decided that a solution for my situation would be to form a “web ministries committee” (like our church needs more committees). By deeming myself “webmaster” and someone else as “director” and selecting content managers from each discipline of the church and then putting everyone on a committee – you now have accountability. I’ll do my work. Everyone else will bring me content.

If someone doesn’t like the way everything looks don’t bug me – talk to the director or bring it up at a business meeting. The pastor can’t just buy e-zeikial (or whatever its called) because he’d have to pass it through the online ministries committee first.

See how burocracy can be a good thing sometimes?

Michael

Michael