In this article, we’ll show you step-by-step how to get started with your ChurchTools Website, set it up and take your content live.
Of course, you can also try out and do many other things. This article will help you get off to a good start. If you would like to delve even deeper into the possibilities that ChurchTools Website offers you, you can find all the other help pages in the Website category.
1. commission test website and issue approvals #
To start, get a trial version of the ChurchTools Website. To do this, go to the Public Relations section of your ChurchTools via the Manage menu. Under ChurchTools Website, click on the Start free trial button.
You can find detailed instructions for this step in the article Starting a free trial of your ChurchTools Website.
Before your website is deployed to you, you will be prompted to grant permissions for public group posts, public calendar appointments, contacts and public groups so that the data can be automatically imported and synchronized into your ChurchTools Website.
Once you have given your approval, you can start your test phase by clicking on the Start free test phase button again.
You can find all the information about this in the same article as above under Granting approvals.
2. first log in and introduction to ChurchTools Website #
You have given the necessary approvals in ChurchTools and ChurchTools has informed you that your website is ready for you? Then log in via the Configure website button in the admin area of your website.
Before you start setting up your website, the article Introduction to ChurchTools Website and the admin area will give you a brief introduction to the concept behind the ChurchTools Website and an overview of your admin area, which you can use to manage and design your website. Take your time to look around and familiarize yourself with the admin area.
3. import data and publish personal data #
Are you logged in to the website and have you familiarized yourself with the admin area? Then use this step to upload your previously approved data to the website.
As long as you are testing the website, trigger the import of the previously released data manually. To do this, call up the settings in the admin area of your website in the menu on the left-hand side and select data import. Click on Import data to trigger the first import and get your data into your website.
We show you how to manually import the shared data into your website in more detail in the article Importing data from ChurchTools Website.
Posts, calendars and groups imported from ChurchTools have the status Published on the website immediately. They are visible without you having to do anything else. The situation is different with personal data.
Imported personal data is not published immediately, but is initially only imported and saved with the status Draft. Only once you have obtained the person’s consent and explicitly released the person’s data for publication on the website will it be visible on the website.
To do this, navigate to People via the menu on the left-hand side. Use the checkboxes to select the people whose data you want to publish and click on Publish. The status of the persons will then change to Published.
We explain how to select which data should be released and how to release it for publication in the instructions How to create and edit a person?
4. discover ChurchTools Website with your own data #
Once you have imported your data and published the personal data, open your website. To do this, click on the screen icon on the right in the menu bar of your admin area.
The design of the website and the color style are pre-selected by us and probably don’t feel very much like your congregation yet. Don’t worry, you can adjust both in the next steps to suit your congregation best.
We will also show you how to customize what is displayed in the header and footer.
To help you get started with the ChurchTools Website, we have preconfigured elements on the start page, some of which are already filled with your data and will help you to quickly create your own website. The start page is a so-called portal page.
You will also find your data on our preconfigured overview pages under News, Dates and Groups.
Under Demo you will find more portal pages and standard pages to view and discover.
In our article on page types, you will learn which page types there are, how they differ from each other and what you can use which page type for.
5. define settings #
Before you start editing and creating the web pages, first adjust the website in the settings so that it suits you and becomes yours. We have linked articles on the relevant terms for you to read.
To do this, go back to the admin area and call up the settings via the menu on the left-hand side.
In the general settings, you can enter the title and URL of your website, your congregation’s details, your privacy policy, logos and links to your social media accounts.
Under Design you select the style and typography of your theme and lay the foundation for the color scheme of your website with the color scheme.
Next to it you set for the header, decide whether the header should be fixed at the top of the browser when scrolling and add your logo and call-to-action elements to the header under Content.
For the page content, you also set the design options which can be adjusted separately for each website according to the color scheme. You also have the option here of adding a Back to top button or placeholder images for content that is automatically displayed if displayed content has no images. Below you have various setting options for personal data, the sharing of content, the sidebar and additions for event titles, which can be transferred from ChurchTools.
Below Footer you first define the design and then have the option to enter a text that will be displayed in the footer if you have selected the Advanced view.
Save your settings, look at the preconfigured pages on your website again and adjust the settings until you are satisfied.
6. edit and publish pages #
Have all the settings been saved and the design selected? Then we will guide you through all the preconfigured pages below and explain how to edit them.
To do this, call up the Pages (1) item via the menu on the left-hand side. Here you will find all existing pages in a list.
You can change the position of the pages using the buttons (2) to the left of the titles.
To edit a page, simply click on it, use the three-dot menu to create a subordinate entry (3) for this page or delete it (4).
Use the button at the top right to create new pages (5). We show you how to do this in detail in the article How to create and edit a page?
Edit home page #
The homepage is the most important part of your website. It is the first thing that people who visit your website will see. Your homepage should give a brief overview of the church life of your congregation and contain important information, such as the time and place of the service.
You will receive your ChurchTools Website with a preset start page. The start page behaves like any other page, but you cannot delete it. On this portal page, we have included various elements to show you what you could use to build a website.
To edit the start page, click on the start page in the page list, switch to the live preview and adjust the size of the editing and display windows to suit your needs.
Under General, adjust the title of the page, the link extension and the parent page.
Now go through the page content element by element, adjust everything for you, remove what you don’t want using the three-dot menus and add elements using the small + symbols if you are missing something. You will always find the + symbol at the end of the list. It also appears between items when you hover over the space between them.
Under Page header, you define the display and edit the “Welcome” element that is displayed in the page header of the start page. Use the + symbol to add further elements if you need them. If you would like to find out exactly what the page header is, you will find it in the article What is the page header?
If you would like to change the color style of your start page, you can do so under Color styles within the framework of your color scheme defined in the design settings.
After saving, you can make your changes live by clicking on the Publish button.
Edit news, dates and groups #
These pages are overview pages on which your current posts, events and public groups are displayed.
To edit them, click on the relevant page in the list under Pages and then switch back to the live preview.
Under General, adjust the title of the page, the link extension and the parent page.
Under List, you define a heading and use tags to select which posts, events or groups should be displayed, which filter selection should be available to visitors and define the design of the page content. For the display of events, you also specify a time period under Further settings.
Delete the information texts displayed on the pages under Additional content (optional) and use the editor to create your own additional content with a heading and additional heading.
After saving, take your changes live again by clicking on the Publish button.
Edit privacy policy and imprint #
The links to the Privacy Policy and Imprint pages are already stored in the footer navigation. You can also find both pages in the page list and edit them like any other standard page.
In the page content of the Privacy Policy page you will find a suggested text from us that you can adapt for your congregation. Customize all other tabs, save and publish your changes.
Add your information to the page content of the legal notice. Customize all other tabs, save and publish your changes.
Deleting the demo pages #
Finally, delete all demo pages using the three-dot menus at the end of the rows or redesign the pages as you need them.
7. edit navigation #
Have you edited all the pages, deleted unnecessary ones and possibly created new ones? Then now is the time to adjust the navigation of your website to make your pages accessible to your website visitors. You can do this by adding navigation elements to the header and footer of your website to guide visitors through the content.
In the menu on the left-hand side, call up the header under Navigation.
The pages preconfigured by us are already inserted in the navigation as navigation elements.
You can change their position using the buttons to the left of the titles by grabbing the button with the mouse and moving the element.
You can edit an element by clicking on the title.
Use the three-dot menus to delete the selected element or add subordinate links or elements to it.
Use the Add navigation element button to select whether you want to add a new navigation element or select a page to which a link will then be created.
To add a navigation element, enter a heading and an internal or external URL and specify whether the URL should be opened in a new window.
Select pages from the list that opens and confirm your choice by clicking the Select button.
After you have saved your changes, proceed in the same way with the footer.
You can find detailed instructions on how to do this in the article on editing the navigation menu.
8. check website #
You have now finished setting up your ChurchTools Website. You have defined the design of your website, created web pages and set up your navigation. The content imported from ChurchTools is automatically kept up to date.
Finally, check all pages, links and navigation and make any final changes.