Virtual Front Porch Initiative
Last week I shared the big news about the Lilly Endowment grant. This week, I want to dig into one of the initiatives that came up again and again in our listening sessions.
Let me paint a picture.
It's Tuesday afternoon. You've got a funeral on Thursday, a session meeting tonight, someone in hospital you need to visit, and a sermon that isn't writing itself. Somewhere on your mental to-do list is "update the church website" — right next to"figure out that Google thing everyone keeps talking about" and "post something on social media."
Sound familiar?
Here's what we heard over and over: It's not that you don't care about your digital presence. It's that there's already so much to manage. And for many of you, this kind of work just isn't your best gift. (That's okay. Neither am I. That’s why I contracted with Lauren three weeks into the COVID shutdown of 2020 - more about her in a second.)
But here's the thing. Google and social media are the first places people look when they're searching for a faith community. Your church's digital presence isn't just a nice-to-have anymore — it's your front porch. It's where people decide whether to come closer or keep walking by.
I love this porch image… and let me tell you, it wasn’t original to me. During our listening session with the Faculty of Knox College, one of our professors pushed back on our original language of "front door". They said a door is too static… it's like nailing something to the church entrance and hoping people read it. A porch is different. A porch is a place where you sit. Where you welcome people. Where conversation happens before anyone steps inside.
I love that reframe. And am so grateful for the experience of the listening sessions… as they really helped to shape our initiatives.
So here's what we are imagining for the Virtual Front Porch initiative.
It is actually building on an idea we had several months before we even knew what a Lilly Grant was… you may have heard about it… the Incubator Pilot Project: Improving Congregational Virtual Front Doors. Some of you have even expressed interest in participating in that project - we appreciate you! And we will be in touch soon… thanks for your patience!)
Now that the grant has arrived and we’ve had a chance to think through this project even more deeply… here's what we hope to include in the initiative:
Digital Refresh/Redesign for twelve (12) Congregations — Over the next five years, we'll work intensively with 12 churches to completely redesign their digital presence. A contracted Digital Solutions Specialist (more on them in a minute) will partner with each congregation — not just hand over templates, but sit alongside you, understand your context, and build something that actually reflects who you are and who you're trying to reach.
(I know… it is just 12… we just don’t have the capacity and sustainability to do this project with everyone in the PCC! But we hope to learn and share that experience with as many ministry leaders as possible.)
Google Ad Grants Implementation — Did you know nonprofits (including churches) can receive up to $10,000/month in free Google advertising? Most congregations don't have the expertise to access or manage this. We will.
Professional Photography — We'll host a "Photo Day" for participating congregations because let's be honest: stock photos of happy people whom newcomers will never meet is the exact opposite… just not honest! Real images of your real community make a difference.
Three Years of Subsidized Hosting — Participating congregations will have their web hosting and domain costs fully covered for three years, giving you runway to build something sustainable.
Training Resources for Everyone — Everything we learn will be packaged into self-service documentation, training videos on CHURCHx, and evergreen resources so that congregations beyond our pilot can benefit too.
The whole thing is designed like a business incubator (our original idea!) where we invest deeply in a small number of congregations so we can learn what actually works and then share those learnings with the wider church.
Why does this matter?
Because when a church's digital presence is strong, new ministry opportunities emerge. Better online tools mean deeper connections with people who are searching… and I’m meaning that both literally (searching Google) and spiritually. Digital engagement extends your congregation's impact far beyond Sunday morning.
One younger generation minister in our listening sessions put it very bluntly: "I've got volunteers doing our website but then I'm helping them most of the time to do it right. I can do it faster, but I can't and I shouldn’t because I've got to train them to do it so that I can be free from it."
That's the trap so many of you are in. You know it matters. You don't have time. And even when you find volunteers, you end up spending more time supporting them than if you'd just done it yourself.
We want to break that cycle.
Interested in being one of our 12 congregations?
Like I mentioned, we want to be faithful to those who reached out to us when we were promoting the original idea. We will be circling back to them in the near future. But, in the meantime, I'd love to hear from you: What would actually help? What have you tried? What's the biggest barrier you face when it comes to your church's digital presence? Let us know! I read every email.
And to be transparent, this partnership isn’t for everyone. Our team will be assessing the readiness and capacity of each congregational applicant and I’m sorry to say - but need to say it - not everyone who expresses interest will be accepted into our pilot project pool.
I’m going to sound like a broken record here… but it needs to be said: this work matters because you matter. Your congregation matters. The people searching online at 2am wondering if there's a faith community that might welcome them — they matter too. And if we can take one thing off your plate so you can focus on the pastoral work only you can do? That's worth doing.
I’ve teased this introduction a couple of times already…
if you’ve been a part of our Ministry Forum Community for a while, you will already know a bit about Lauren Waysluk, our Creative and Brand Manager. She keeps mainly behind the scenes making the magic that is the Centre sparkle. And I’ve mentioned before that she personally saved me from burnout and overwhelm in congregational ministry in April 2020 when the COVID shutdown occurred and I was spending hours and hours learning how to use things like Mailchimp and drowning in the process.
The Centre contracts with Lauren’s company, Waysluk Communications, to support our work. We are delighted to say that we’ve created an additional contract with them to bring our Congregational Virtual Front Porch to life! If you become one of our partners, you will be working with Lauren and her team. I’ve found it to be such a blessing… and I’m confident that you will too!
I’ve asked Lauren to share a picture of herself and a bio so the Ministry Forum Community can learn more about her (it’snot her favourite thing to do!)… I’m grateful that she agreed to do so below. Meet Lauren, whose title for the project will be “Digital Solutions Specialist”… but don’t worry she will still be knocking it out of the park when it comes to the Centre’s creative and branding needs (like this email, for example).
Lauren Wasyluk
Digital Solutions Specialist | Creative & Brand Manager, Ministry Forum
Lauren is the Digital Solutions Specialist for the Virtual Front Porch initiative, and also serves as the Creative and Brand Manager for Ministry Forum. She brings over a decade of experience in church and nonprofit communications, and a deep commitment to helping congregations share their story with clarity and care. Lauren works closely with churches to build digital systems that feel sustainable, reflect their unique voice, and support ministry beyond the walls of the building.
Lauren here 👋 — This project is something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time. Over the past few years, I’ve had the chance to walk alongside several churches in their digital communications, and it's been incredibly rewarding work. When John and I first started imagining a more structured initiative, we weren’t sure how we’d pull it off … but thanks to this grant, we can finally put the time and resources into making it come to life!
I’m looking forward to walking alongside a small group of congregations over the next few years to learn about their ministries, and help them communicate their work in ways that are clear, sustainable, and grounded in their unique context. I believe good communication can open doors for deeper connections with people inside and outside the church and meangingful change and transformation happens through these connections. I’m super passionate about this work because I believe the church holds the greatest story - one of redemption, new life, reconciliation, love, and purpose. Every congregation expresses that story in its own way, and how we tell it matters. The words we choose, the platforms we use, and the tools we build can help others hear and respond.
This is work that matters. I’m honoured to be part of it, and I can’t wait to see what takes shape!