Ekklesi

Why is it paid?

Many churches understandably ask: "Why pay for a website? There are free tools." That's a fair question. Here is our answer, transparent and straightforward.

An online service is never truly "free", someone always pays

Even a "simple" website relies on real costs:

  • Hosting and infrastructure (servers, backups, bandwidth)
  • Domain name and security certificates (HTTPS)
  • Software development and maintenance
  • Security updates and bug fixes
  • Support when your team has a question
  • Payment processing fees (card, Mobile Money…)

When a tool is completely free, the cost is often shifted elsewhere: advertising, data resale, or a project maintained in someone's spare time, with the limits that implies.

"The worker deserves his wages"

Jesus reminded his disciples:

"The worker deserves his wages." Luke 10:7 (see also 1 Timothy 5:18)

Building, hosting and improving a web platform is work: design, code, testing, supporting churches, fixing incidents. That work deserves recognition, like a carpenter, accountant or sound technician.

Ekklesi is not a "nice little side project" built on weekends between other activities: it is a professional service designed for communities that rely on their online presence week after week.

Being paid means ensuring longevity

This is at the heart of our conviction.

A project maintained only voluntarily, without stable income, has very little chance of surviving long term: priorities change, time runs out, life happens… Your church's website, however, must stay online Monday as well as Sunday, next year as well as today.

By being paid, Ekklesi can:

  • Keep going even when the founder's personal life becomes demanding
  • Fix bugs and ship updates regularly
  • Respond to churches that need help
  • Invest in security and infrastructure reliability

Your subscription is not an "extra": it is what allows the service to last.

A model that makes quality possible

Today, Ekklesi is built with limited time. By being compensated for this service, the goal is to dedicate much more time to it, ideally full time.

More time on the project means:

  • better quality (fewer bugs, more polished interfaces)
  • faster improvements (useful features for churches)
  • more responsive support when you are stuck
  • a long-term vision rather than patching things together

We aim for a price accessible to a local church (see pricing), not an aggressive model. The goal is not enrichment: it is a viable balance between mission and sustainability.

What your subscription actually funds

Each month, your contribution helps cover:

  • hosting for your site and media
  • technical maintenance (Laravel, Statamic, security)
  • development of new pages and modules
  • email support
  • banking and billing fees

In short: you pay so you no longer have to worry about the technical side. Your team focuses on church life; we focus on the tool that serves it.

What about the 30-day free trial?

Exactly: we believe you should try in real conditions before committing. That is why sign-up is free for 30 days, with no credit card.

But a generous trial at the start does not replace a sustainable model afterwards. Without subscriptions after that period, the project would stop, and that would be bad news for the churches that trust us.

In summary

Ekklesi is paid because:

  1. A website has a cost : denying it only postpones the problem.
  2. Work deserves fair pay : Scripture says so clearly.
  3. Longevity requires a viable model : volunteering alone cannot guarantee the service survives.
  4. Quality takes time : and time must be funded.

We are building Ekklesi to last, in service of churches. If this transparency resonates with you: