I know what you’re thinking: “Build a website? We’re ministry leaders, Jim, not web designers! Oh, and did we mention that most of us are poor, too?” 

Do not let your hearts be troubled.   

Seriously, we’re not interested in providing cold comfort for the technically-challenged, or a slick sales pitch to loosen your (empty) purse strings. 

You can learn to build and maintain a great-looking ministry website. And the good news? Like the gospel, the offer is totally free!

Introducing Elementor

“Ok,” you say, “you’ve got my attention. But “Elementor”? What is that? Sounds like some kind of Japanese anime creature, like Gigantor!” 

We know – it does! (Hey, way to be culturally savvy!) 

Actually, Elementor is the name of an excellent WordPress plugin, specially designed to help you build and edit a professional-looking website. 

“But I’m not even familiar with WordPress; is that a deal-breaker?” 

Fear not! There’s a reason WordPress is the world’s most popular content management platform for websites: it’s user-friendly – even for a novice. 

That’s important, because if there’s one thing you can count on with your site (besides Truepath’s hosting) is that it will be in flux. 

Think about it; you’ll always be:

• posting your latest sermon or outreach event
• changing sermon content, or adding a teaching topic
• introducing a new attendee or staff member 
• making special announcements
• updating your blog page
• adding recent photos of your congregation, ministry team in action, etc.

Since that’s the case, why not have the freedom and flexibility to do it yourself?

Don’t have WordPress installed? No problem, Truepath will install it – along with  Elementor – for you!

So, there you go – you’re off to a good start! And now before your anxiety rises any further, let’s answer more of those questions that are likely jumping into your mind as we speak:

“It can’t be free. Did I mention that I can’t afford this?”   

Actually, you can! Both WordPress and Elementor are “open-source” software, which means that there’s no additional license! 

With Truepath, we’ll not only provide the hosting, but help you start building and editing the perfect site for your ministry, community group, business, or just for you.  

Once you sign up for our basic WordPress + Site Builder plan (which includes unlimited email boxes), you’ll not only have access to all our templates but Elementor Pro as well. 

“Ok, but Elementor doesn’t sound “elementary;” we’re not tech-savvy, remember?”

Yep, we heard you! Here’s more good news: Elementor is a “No-coding-required” WordPress editor. It’s designed for simplicity! 

Elementor uses a simple “drag and drop” method for adding sections to your site. Basic widgets and elements help you choose what you need. Here’s what the list of basic widgets looks like:

“But wait! Will Elementor work with all my themes?”

If your themes meet the coding standards of WordPress (and Truepath’s do), the answer is Yes! Or, if you choose to start with a blank slate, you can begin with Elementor’s Hello Theme. It will provide you with great flexibility as well as an optimized experience.

“What about other plugins? Is it also compatible with them?”

Again, yes: Elementor will work with almost all approved WordPress plugins. It’s also seamless with the Gutenberg editor if you prefer that, allowing the flexibility of using either at any point in your editing.   

“Still, I’m concerned: Won’t this slow down my site?”

Elementor was actually built with speed and performance in mind. We know you’re not interested in sacrificing a snappy, responsive site for your visitors – and neither are we! 

“Great – but what about Security?”

Elementor prioritizes security. It’s ISO 27001 certified, with input from a dedicated team of security professionals. Industry best practices – as well as the insights of the whole open-source community (the “Bug Bounty Program”)- are employed to give you maximum security and compliance, 24/7.

Some Final Thoughts

We hope this at least whets your appetite and answers some of your questions. Why not take advantage of all that Elementor has to offer? 

“Ok, but why does it really matter,” you say, “if the basic content is there on my site?”

Remember, visitors to your site are used to being online; they’ve undoubtedly visited countless other sites, for everything from shopping, to ministry resources, to medical questions. 

They expect a professional look and feel, and your site is no different. Your ministry site should therefore provide the best you can offer, in both quality and usability. 

You can give that to them while seeking to adorn the beauty of the gospel with appealing visuals: everything from Background Overlays, Hover Effects, Headline Effects, Animations, Gradient Backgrounds, Box Shadow, CSS Transform, Mask Options, Shape Dividers, and more is available.

Finally, as mentioned, Elementor and WordPress are open-source – which means they’re supported and enhanced by the insights and innovations of a truly global community, one that is actively helping each other to flourish. 

You’ll find answers to almost any of your questions (since they’ve probably been asked already!) Everything from community discussions, YouTube videos, articles and tutorials, and even a thriving Facebook community exist to help meet each other’s goals. In other words, you don’t have to go it alone! 

Ready to get started? Give us a call! 760-480-8791.