Dovetailing along the recent emphasis on putting a good face to Lutheranism and the successful revamp of St. John’s of the Cove, it seems timely to discuss what goes on church web sites.
One might not be able to judge a book by its cover, but a web site can provide good insight into a church. I almost feel like I’m giving away trade secrets in church shopping, but there are good churches out there whose web philosophy lies along the lines of, “We have to do something!”
I’m approaching this from the visitor’s perspective. There are members-only activities such as discussion forums and church directories which are useful, and I may cover those at a later date.
Content
St. John's Lutheran Church in the Cove
On the home page of a church web site, two details are important to everybody: where and when. “Where,” most church sites I visit have a handle on, but a lot of churches either bury their service times in a calendar or list it on some sub-level page. Get it up front, in people’s faces. They need to know when they can meet real people. I also recommend a phone number.
My advice: scrap the mission statement. Consider that “For Internal Use Only.” I’ve never visited a church because they have a snazzy mission statement.
When you decide what pictures to put up, do your pictures fall seamlessly into the primary mission of the church? Friendly social gatherings are nice, but they don’t convey a lot to the reader. A baptism, catechesis in the chancel, or significant architecture that proclaims Christ are better. Infant baptisms have the added bonus of babies in pretty gowns.
Features
I like calendars, but they are a double-edged sword. Don’t have them if you can’t update them.
I recommend having sermons online. It gives members a chance to see what has been missed, and it gives lookers an objective evaluation into what you teach. Provide audio if you can for your members and text for new people.
Reflecting Church Activity
Holy Trinity, Hacienda Heights, CA
The meat and text of your church’s website should reflect what your church does in conjunction with the Word of God. This is where I spend a lot of time choosing a church in highly populated areas.
What is your church’s attitude about what goes on in worship? Are the services called “Divine Service” or some other moniker that shows God giving his gifts to us? Or is it some we-do name that implies we are doing something to make God happy?
What are the topics of your church’s sermons and Bible studies? Some churches try to be edgy or offer how-to sermons, but they end up turning people off when their suggestions don’t “work.” If the Word is preached and taught in significant chunks, people are going to get hit by different verses in the text and ask questions. The Gospel makes itself relevant to the hearer.
Advent and Lent are terrific opportunities to visit churches on the road while I come home on the weekends. I give bonus points to those churches who hold mid-week services regardless of season. Some people work Sunday mornings. Sometimes I have to teach on Sundays.
If a church considers it important to show that it offers private confession and absolution, that tells me that they really care about proclaiming the forgiveness of sins. The point of C & A in Lutheran churches is forgiveness, not penance.
Want to look family friendly? Mention Higher Things. 
Technical Notes
Memorial Lutheran, Houston, TX
Not everyone has broadband yet. Look at your file sizes. Lots of pictures and big pictures = slower load time. If web page aesthetics isn’t your avocation, consider Google Sites or similar services that have pre-configured templates. You can buy a domain name and attach it to these services. I would recommend buying a domain anyway, because you can point that name to another site or service should you need to change in the future.
Don’t use a full graphic for a page. I know text control is desirable, but let the browser wrap text and zoom it for people who need it.
Additional Information
Your church is in a world where product differentiation is king, but utmost care is to be taken here. Your differentiation is best aimed not at services (someone else can always outspend you) but on fealty to the Word. Offer the Gospel in your explanations as to why you have stained glass windows or why you do a certain practice. Don’t kid yourselves into thinking there is a message for the “churched” and one for the “unchurched.” Even members need further instruction as to doctrine and practice. Don’t compare and contrast with others; let the reader do that.
Wrap-up
Obviously, if your church doesn’t do certain things, it’s not going to be able to put them on a web site. There can be deeper issues at work.
If you like additional “negative theses,” Frank has a good post on what not to show. The post won one of Frank’s several Blog of the Week awards.
Dan
iggyantiochus on 
Spoken like a true road warrior.
There’s no reason Church Web sites must continue to be either ugly or non-functional.