At my church, we have a super-greeter named Leon. He doesn’t wear a lanyard or follow a script. Instead, he offers a warm smile, remembers names, and genuinely cares about people. Whether you’re new or returning after years away, Leon is the first to notice, greet, and connect with you.
Ask regulars what made them feel at home, and many will say, “It was Leon.”
But today, Leon often doesn’t get to say hello first.
That welcome now happens online through your website, social media, or livestream. Before anyone steps into your church, they have already formed an impression from your digital presence. Research conducted by Monk Development notes that the average visitor spends about 90 seconds on a church homepage before deciding whether to explore further (Goodmanson, 2009). In other words, your digital front door now shapes the very first moments of someone’s experience with your community.
And that means every church today needs to ask:
Does our digital presence reflect the same warmth, clarity, and welcome that someone like Leon would give at the door? Or, more importantly, does it faithfully express the values our church says it holds?
To answer that question, let’s look at the wisdom of three well-known thinkers:
Their ideas aren’t just for leadership seminars. They can really change how your church comes across online.
Let’s explore three real scenarios to see how these principles operate.
Church Scenario: Kate lands on your website, unsure if she’ll feel out of place. But what she finds is simple and kind:
In order to have success, caring for people is not optional. Carnegie teaches that we should be human first.
Church Scenario: A young family scrolls your site on Friday night. They want to feel confident visiting tomorrow.
Miller is emphatic, we must clarify the path for our audience. If the process is not clear they will lose motivation, you will lose their attention and that person Is now pursuing the next thing.
Church Scenario: Each week, 40 people join your livestream. Are they being acknowledged?
Lynne describes your livestream as a foyer. Having a person on greeting duty is accepted practice in the physical world. But when most of the people that are visiting are coming in the digital door, is it any less sensible to have a person dedicated to that task?
Let’s take a moment to see how your church is doing in this area.
| Area | Key Questions |
| 1. Visual Warmth | Is your homepage clean, personal, and welcoming? |
| 2. Messaging Clarity | Can someone clearly understand what to do next (and why)? |
| 3. Personal Invitation | Are you speaking to visitors, not just members? |
| 4. Two-Way Engagement | Can people reach out easily and are they getting responses? |
| 5. In-Person Bridge | Is there a clear and kind path from online visit to in-person experience? |
Each area reflects a blend of:
Here are five things you can do. That will make a difference to your digital hospitality this week.
A Word from the Blue Vineyard Team
At Blue Vineyard, we’ve worked with schools, churches, and mission-focused groups across Australia and beyond. We understand the balance between tradition and change, and the importance of honoring your mission while speaking clearly in today’s digital world.
If you’re not sure whether your website feels enough like Leon, and you’re wondering how to make the most of your digital front door, we’d love to walk with you.
Here’s how we can help:
Reach out to start the conversation:
Let’s co-create something that feels as warm as Leon, as clear as a StoryBrand, and as real as your mission.
People are still looking for hope.
They’re just starting that search with Google or ChatGPT now, not your front steps.
Let’s make sure that when they find your church, it feels like home.