Why create a church website with Ekklesi?
Your church has a mission to share, yet online, many communities remain invisible or struggle with tools that were not built for them. Ekklesi was created from that reality: to give churches a modern, clear, maintainable website without a €3,000 agency project or learning WordPress.
The reality: churches share the same needs, not the same resources
Whether you are a small local congregation or an established parish, the same questions keep coming back:
- Who are you and what is your vision?
- Where and when do you meet?
- How can people contact you?
- How can they follow community life (announcements, news, sermons)?
Yet many churches start from scratch every time: briefing a freelancer, picking a generic WordPress theme, or worse, no website at all. The result: weeks of delay, a €2,000–3,000 budget for a basic site, and a volunteer team afraid to touch anything.
What a church website should actually do
A good church website is not a personal blog or an online store. It is your community's digital front door:
- Reassure visitors in seconds (who you are, when to come).
- Inform regularly (events, schedule changes, church life).
- Extend your mission (sermons, teaching, accessible archives).
- Stay easy to update for volunteers without technical training.
Ekklesi structures these needs into ready-to-use modules (homepage, announcements, news, sermons) that you enable based on your real context.
Why common solutions fall short
WordPress and generic CMS platforms
WordPress is powerful, but for a church it means hosting, themes, plugins, security updates and maintenance. That is not what pastoral teams should spend their energy on.
Hiring a web agency
Quality is possible, but cost is high and timelines are long. Minor changes can become billable again.
Social media only
Facebook or Instagram do not replace a website: you do not control SEO, structure, or long-term content ownership.
Doing nothing
Many people seeking God start on Google by searching "church near me". The same goes for a Christian who has moved and is looking for a community to join nearby.
Without a website, they will not know you exist. Even with a Google Maps listing, how can they find your service times, your activities, or how to contact you?
The Ekklesi vision: technology serving ministry
Ekklesi was built by Thibault Chazottes, a web developer and trainer, to meet a concrete need observed among local churches:
- Fill in a form, get a website : no code, no layout to invent.
- Pay a transparent price : base subscription and optional modules, no surprises.
- Start for free : 30 days to try with the homepage, no credit card.
- Grow gradually : add sermons, news or announcements when you need them.
- Be accessible everywhere : card payments in Europe, or Mobile Money in Africa.
We are not selling complex software: we put your church online with pages designed for everyday ministry.
Who is Ekklesi for?
Ekklesi is for churches and Christian communities that want:
- a professional web presence without a dedicated tech team;
- a controlled budget (tens of euros per month, not thousands upfront);
- modules aligned with real congregational life.
Ekklesi is not the right fit if you need a heavily custom site with dozens of bespoke pages, a complex intranet, or a Netflix-style video platform. For most local churches, that is not what they need.
How Ekklesi compares in practice
| Need | Without Ekklesi | With Ekklesi |
|---|---|---|
| Going live | Weeks, external provider | Guided form, generated site |
| Initial budget | Often €2,000+ | Free trial, then monthly subscription |
| Updates | Technical dependency | Simple interface, activatable modules |
| Sermons / announcements | Plugins or custom dev | Built-in modules |
| Maintenance | Your responsibility | Hosting and updates included |
See our pricing for details.
An honest approach: no miracle promises
Ekklesi will never replace human relationship in your church. A website alone does not grow a community. But a clear website removes friction: fewer "what's the address?" moments, more visibility for key events, more peace of mind for your team.
That is why we build Ekklesi with real-world feedback : modules added based on actual church needs, not a gadget feature checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know how to code?
No. You enter your church information; Ekklesi generates and hosts the site. No technical skills required.
How much does a church website cost with Ekklesi?
You start free for 30 days (homepage). Then a base subscription of around €20/month unlocks the full site. Optional modules (sermons, news, announcements) are available à la carte. See pricing.
Can I start without a credit card?
Yes. Sign-up and the trial period do not require immediate payment.
Does Ekklesi work for churches in Africa?
Yes. In addition to card payment, Ekklesi offers Mobile Money (MTN, Orange, M-Pesa and other operators depending on country).
Can I add modules later?
Yes. Start with essentials and enable sermons, news or announcements when your team is ready.
Who is behind Ekklesi?
Ekklesi is published by Thibault Chazottes, sole proprietorship based in Montauban, France. His story and vision are shared in the section above.
What next?
If this resonates (mission to carry, little time, no agency budget), Ekklesi is for you.