The Ugliest Church Website

April 15, 2009 in Communications with 12 Comments

Last month, Collision Media and I teamed up to host the “Battle Ugly Church Website Giveaway”. Good Shepherd Church of Huntington, Indiana won a free custom website. Here’s their current ugly website. (Yep, that’s ugly.)

About a year ago, Molly and Josh Kesler were called to pastor a small church in Indiana. However, life was good in Minnesota where Molly had landed her dream job and Josh was a pastor at a healthy church with over 12,000 in attendance. Leaving these great jobs and relationships to “breathe life” into a dying church was not on their list of desires.

Out of obedience to Christ, they moved to the city of Huntington, Indiana, where they currently pastor a small, older church in need of change. Good Shepherd has lost several key staff leaders in recent years through difficult circumstances. Stepping into a hurting church and trying to restore it has been challenging for the Kesler’s.

The church website was the last of their worries, yet they knew the importance of a web strategy. They tried to remove their current website simply because it is horrible, but they were unable to do even that. Good Shepherd Church is looking forward to starting fresh as they change locations, change their name, and change their website.

For those of you who submitted your church into the “Battle”, thanks. We have been encouraged by your stories and do agree that your websites are ugly.

I’ll keep you posted on Good Shepherd’s new site. Until then, be grateful that your website is not as ugly as theirs.

12 Responses to “The Ugliest Church Website”

  1. Lance Bauslaugh April 15, 2009 at 2:40 pm #

    Thank you for adding a story behind the winners. I love hearing the story of someone’s sacrifice for the Kingdom. Thank you for helping them out. Cool Stuff!

  2. J Rahn April 15, 2009 at 2:43 pm #

    Wow, that hurt mine eyes to look at :-)

  3. TJ April 15, 2009 at 2:47 pm #

    Holy crap that’s ugly.

  4. Hal Hunter April 15, 2009 at 2:52 pm #

    We clearly have a winner…

  5. Daniel Gilland April 15, 2009 at 3:27 pm #

    um, yeah…

    Definitely a good choice for the website give-a-way!!!

  6. Steve April 15, 2009 at 6:23 pm #

    No this one is bad

    http://www.abundantlifeline.com

    How did it not make it? I was the one that told our people to submit it. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  7. Brandon Cox April 15, 2009 at 10:29 pm #

    What is wrong with it? :) I think this contest is an awesome idea – can’t wait to see the finished product.

  8. Matt Larson April 16, 2009 at 10:06 am #

    Excellent idea for a contest. The importance of a good website seems to be pretty underrated at this point in church history. Good job helping people get on board!

  9. Hal Hunter April 16, 2009 at 3:38 pm #

    Steve- I really understand why that one had to be in the running…

  10. Chris Hill April 16, 2009 at 3:42 pm #

    So now what are we going to do about the ugly people on church websites?

  11. Dirka May 6, 2009 at 12:49 pm #

    Although technically not a church website, you should check out this one:

    http://calvarystreamingradio.com/

  12. Paul May 26, 2009 at 4:32 am #

    Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones: “it has been challenging for the Kesler’s” – that’s what I call ugly punctuation! :-)