A church website is asked to do two jobs that pull in different directions. It has to say what the church believes, in its own voice, and it has to answer the plain questions of someone who has never walked through the door: when, where and in what language.
It Is Written Church in Kearny, New Jersey, answers the first job in a direct way: its home page is built around scripture. We designed and built the site, and this post looks at why that choice suits a congregation like this one, and what a scripture-led page still owes the first‑time visitor.
Key Takeaways
- A church called It Is Written has a natural organizing idea for its home page, and letting the passages lead says more than a paragraph of description could.
- Using one translation throughout, here the NKJV, keeps the page reading as one voice.
- A plain list of ministries tells a visitor what church life involves without a page for each.
- Service times, languages and contact details are the facts a newcomer needs, so they belong close at hand.
- A scripture-led page must still leave room for the practical questions, or it speaks only to people who already belong.
What Does It Is Written Church Do?
It Is Written Church is a congregation in Kearny, New Jersey, whose home page opens with the words Sowing the Living and Powerful Word of God. It invites visitors to “Join a family of believers where faith, hope, and love are nurtured.” You can see the site at itiswrittenchurch.com.
The church lists three services a week: Sunday at 9:30 AM, Wednesday at 7:30 PM, and a virtual service on Friday at 7:30 PM. It names three languages, English, Portuguese and Spanish, and gives a phone number, an email address and a street address on Elm Street.
Why Build the Home Page Around Scripture?
The church’s name returns on the page as the heading of a section of scripture, It Is Written…, and the whole home page follows that lead. Passages from Matthew, Joshua, Romans, Isaiah, Mark, Lamentations, Acts, Psalms and 2 Corinthians carry the page, with a line repeated across it that reads Experience His Mercies and Compassions.
For a church, this is a statement of priorities that no mission paragraph can match. A visitor learns quickly that this congregation places the Bible at the center, because the page itself does. The line inviting people to “Study the Holy Bible and allow the Word of God to transform your life” says the same thing in plain words.
The trade-off is length and weight. A page made mostly of long passages asks more of a reader than one made of short headings, and a visitor with a quick practical question has to look past them. That is why the practical details matter so much on this kind of page, and why it helps to keep them consistent and easy to find.
One translation, one voice
Every passage on the page is marked NKJV. It is a small decision with a real effect: the page reads as one voice rather than a collection of quotations gathered from different sources. It also tells a reader who knows their Bible which translation the congregation reads from.
The Great Commission as a label
Matthew 28:19 is labeled The Great Commission. Naming the passage gives a newcomer a handle for it, and it signals what the church sees as its purpose. A label like this is a quiet way to explain without lecturing.
How Does a Short List Describe Church Life?
Instead of a page for each ministry, the home page gives a list: Foot Washing, Praise and Worship, Prayer, Children’s Ministry, Baptisms, Pastoral Care Home Visits, Fellowship, Trips, and Men’s and Women’s Ministries. In a few words a visitor learns that there is something for children, that the pastoral care reaches people at home, and that the church organizes trips.
A list like this is easy to scan and easy to keep accurate. Its limit is depth: a parent who wants to know how the children’s ministry runs will need to ask. For a congregation of this kind, that conversation is often a better first step than a page could be anyway.
What Does a First-Time Visitor Need to Find?
A newcomer’s questions are simple and specific. When is the service, where is it, will I understand it, and how do I get in touch before I come? The page answers each one in its contact area, with service times, three languages, a street address, a phone number and an email.
The Friday service is marked as virtual, which matters to anyone who cannot attend in person. The contact form invites a message, and the closing invitation asks visitors to “Come dwell together in unity with us as a new It Is Written Church brother or sister,” tying the practical ask back to scripture with Psalm 133:1.
What We Would Watch
- Service times that change. Times are the one fact a visitor acts on directly, so they should live in one place on the site and be updated the moment they change.
- What the languages mean. Listing English, Portuguese and Spanish invites a family to come, so the site should make clear what that involves in practice, such as which services and whether someone at the door speaks each language.
- Joining the virtual service. A virtual service is only open to people who can find how to join it, and that link or instruction has to stay current.
- Scripture crowding out the basics. As more passages are added, the practical details should never slip further down the page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a church website include on its home page?
At minimum, service times, the address, a way to get in touch, and a clear sense of what the church believes. It Is Written Church does the last through scripture and keeps the practical details together in one contact area.
Should a church website use one Bible translation?
Using one translation throughout keeps the page consistent and tells readers which version the congregation reads. It Is Written Church marks every passage on its home page as NKJV.
How should a church list its ministries online?
A short, scannable list is often enough to show what church life involves. It is easy to keep accurate, and people who want detail can ask.
See More of Our Work
It Is Written Church is one of many sites we have designed and built, and you can browse the others on our work page. If your church is planning a new site, our web design service is where that work starts.
