Design an RA
Web Site
A church’s Royal
Ambassador (RA) Web site provides valuable information about the ministry to RA
members, their parents, and RA leaders. The site can also inform your entire
church about the activities, events, and projects your RAs are doing. The site
also serves as a promotional channel to the community, detailing meeting times,
locations, and other basic information.
As you consider designing
your own RA Web site, you must focus content and design toward your target
audience. This will be your group of RA boys, their parents, and leaders. A
second audience includes those who are interested in the ministry but have not
yet become involved. (These may be church members or people in the community
looking for a church.) It is essential that you balance the needs of the
“internal” audience (for information sharing) and those of the “external”
audience (for outreach purposes).
Basic Elements of a
Church RA Web site
1. Time and Location.
Every RA Web site should contain basic information about the start times and
location of the RA Chapter meetings. Make sure that this information is
up-to-date, and provides the details for special events well in advance (RA
Week activities, RA racer events, etc.). Provide a map to the church or event
location.
2. RA “Basics.” This
includes a summary explanation of the RA ministry and its benefits.
Consider linking to specific pages on the national RA Web site, such as the
following:
3. Contact Details.
Provide phone numbers and e-mail addresses of relevant church staff and RA
leaders.
4. Calendar of Events.
Provide an updated calendar (at least monthly) with upcoming events, projects,
and special emphases. Remember to include dates when the Chapter is NOT meeting
(e.g., Christmas vacation or Spring Break).
5. Photo Gallery. RAs will
love seeing their pictures online. At every RA event, snap pictures to include
online along with a write-up about the event. Make sure parents give permission
for the photos of their children to be included online.
6. Related Web Links. Link
to Web sites RAs and their leaders need for planning and information.
Include:
7. An Invitation. Be sure
to extend a warm invitation to anyone interested in being an RA or serving as a
RA Leader. Include appropriate contact information.
8. Chapter Needs/Project
Needs. Include a section that will identify immediate and ongoing needs (e.g.,
chaperones for upcoming trip, food pantry donations).
Beyond the Basics –
Additional Material
An online newsletter (or
your printed newsletter available as a download) with more in-depth articles,
event write-ups, news, etc.
Clip art
History of your RA
Ministry
Publishing Your RA
Website to the Web
If your church has a Web
site, contact the person who maintains and updates the Web site and ask to be
provided with a link to your new RA page(s). Your Web contact will know how to
create a new page, place your text there, and provide a link to it from the
church's home page or other appropriate page (e.g., Children's Ministry page).
The Web contact will know how to create multiple pages, too, if you have
multiple pages/links. You will need to work out a schedule to make updates. If
possible, learn how you can make needed updates yourself.
If your church does not
have a Web site, you will need to find a web host for your RA Web site. There
are many different hosting companies that offer a variety of plans. Some
companies offer free hosting. Beware of free web hosting services. Most place
distracting banner advertisements on your Web site, and you cannot control the
content of the ads. Using a search engine, search for "web hosting" and find
a reputable company that offers a plan that is right for you. Some
also offer domain registration which allows you to choose an available address
for your site.
When you complete your new
RA Web site, send your new web address to royalambassadors@namb.net. We want
to include a link to it on our national site! If you haven’t taken a look at
the RA
Web site links currently listed, take a minute now to browse for
ideas.