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Church Settings

Manage all your church's basic information, contact details, and website settings in one place. This is your church's "home base" for updates and changes.

What Are Church Settings?

Church Settings is where you manage:

  • Church name and description
  • Contact information (email, phone, website)
  • Physical address and location
  • Website URL (slug)
  • Hero image for your homepage

All this information appears on your public church website and helps visitors learn about and connect with your church.

Note: For detailed setup instructions, see Initial Church Setup. This guide covers ongoing management and updates.

Who Can Access Settings?

Can Edit Church Settings:

  • Church Owners (full access)
  • Church Admins (full access)

Can Only View Settings:

  • Church Members (read-only)

Accessing Church Settings

  1. Log in to your dashboard
  2. Click Settings in the left navigation
  3. You'll see all editable church fields

Updating Church Information

Church Name

Your official church name as displayed on your website.

When to Update:

  • Church name officially changes
  • You want to include/remove denominational affiliation
  • Correcting a spelling error
  • Adding location to differentiate from other churches

Examples of Updates:

  • From: "Grace Church"
  • To: "Grace Community Church of Boston"

Tips:

  • Use your legal/official name
  • Maximum 100 characters
  • Be consistent with printed materials
  • Include city if common church name

Church Description

The welcoming introduction on your homepage.

When to Update:

  • Mission or vision changes
  • Service style updates
  • Leadership transition
  • Rebranding
  • Quarterly freshening

Updating Your Description:

  1. Click in the Description field
  2. Edit the text (maximum 500 characters)
  3. Keep it welcoming and clear
  4. Focus on what visitors want to know
  5. Scroll down and click Save Changes

Best Practices:

  • Review quarterly - is it still accurate?
  • Keep language welcoming and inclusive
  • Update when major changes happen
  • Have 2-3 people review before publishing

Church Slug (Website URL)

Your unique website address: chapelwebsites.com/your-slug

When to Update:

  • Original slug was too generic
  • Church name changed
  • Want to add location for clarity
  • Improving SEO/searchability

Important Considerations:

Before Changing Your Slug:

  • Your public website URL will change
  • Update all marketing materials
  • Change social media links
  • Notify congregation
  • Update business cards and bulletins

After Changing Your Slug:

  • Old URL will no longer work (no redirect)
  • Update everywhere you've shared the old link
  • Test the new URL works
  • Announce the change to your church

Slug Requirements:

  • Must be unique (no other church can use it)
  • Lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens only
  • 3-50 characters
  • No spaces or special characters

Tips:

  • Think carefully before changing
  • Choose something permanent
  • Include city name for uniqueness
  • Keep it short and memorable

Contact Information Updates

Email Address

Your church's main contact email.

When to Update:

  • Email address changes
  • Moving to new domain
  • Creating dedicated info email
  • Old email compromised

Best Practices:

  • Use a group email multiple staff can access
  • Not personal email addresses
  • Check regularly
  • Include in email signature

Example Updates:

Phone Number

Your church office or main contact number.

When to Update:

  • Phone system changes
  • Office moves
  • Getting dedicated church line
  • Number disconnected

Format Flexibility:

  • (555) 123-4567
  • 555-123-4567
  • 555.123.4567
  • All formats work - just be consistent

Tips:

  • Include area code
  • Add extension if needed: "555-123-4567 ext. 10"
  • Use number someone answers during business hours
  • Update voicemail to mention website

Website URL (External Link)

Link to another church website if you have one.

When to Add:

  • You maintain a separate main website
  • Want to link to denomination site
  • Have specialized ministry site

When to Update:

  • Website address changes
  • Moving to new hosting
  • Rebranding with new domain

When to Remove:

  • ChapelWebsites.com is your only site
  • Old website shut down
  • Link is no longer relevant

Format:

Location Information Updates

Physical Address

Your church building address.

When to Update:

  • Church relocates
  • Building number changes (city renumbering)
  • Moving from home to building
  • Correcting inaccurate information

Complete Address Includes:

  • Street address (123 Main Street)
  • City
  • State
  • ZIP code

Special Cases:

No Building:

  • Use meeting location address (school, rented space)
  • Update when location changes
  • Consider leaving blank if fully online

Multiple Locations:

  • Use primary/main campus address
  • Mention other locations in church description
  • Multi-site features coming in future update

Temporary Location:

  • Use current location
  • Update church description to mention temporary status
  • Update when permanent location found

Tips:

  • Verify address is Google Maps compatible
  • Use address people enter in GPS
  • Include suite/building number if applicable
  • Test that address works in mapping apps

Hero Image Management

Your hero image is the large background image at the top of your homepage.

Uploading a New Hero Image

When to Update:

  • Seasonal changes (Christmas, Easter, Summer)
  • Better photo becomes available
  • Church building renovations
  • Want fresh look
  • Current image outdated

How to Upload:

  1. Click Upload Hero Image button in Settings
  2. Select image file from your computer
  3. Wait for upload to complete
  4. Preview appears
  5. Scroll down and click Save Changes

Image Requirements:

  • Format: JPG, PNG, or WebP
  • Maximum size: 5MB
  • Minimum dimensions: 1200x600 pixels
  • Recommended: 1920x1080 pixels

Choosing a Great Hero Image:

  • High resolution and sharp focus
  • Well-lit
  • Represents your church
  • Works on mobile (test preview)
  • Good contrast for text overlay

Image Ideas:

  • Church building exterior
  • Congregation worshiping
  • Community serving together
  • Baptism or special service
  • Nature scene (if emphasis on creation)
  • Hands lifted in worship

Removing Hero Image

To Remove:

  1. Click Remove Hero Image button
  2. Confirm removal
  3. Click Save Changes

What Happens:

  • Image is deleted
  • Website uses default gradient background
  • Gradient uses your theme colors
  • Can upload new image anytime

When to Remove:

  • Image quality is poor
  • No longer represents church
  • Want clean, simple look
  • Preparing to upload better image

Seasonal Hero Images

Many churches update hero images seasonally:

Christmas Season (Nov-Dec):

  • Church decorated for Christmas
  • Nativity scene
  • Warm, festive images

Easter Season (Lent-Easter):

  • Cross
  • Sunrise
  • Spring flowers
  • Empty tomb

Summer (Jun-Aug):

  • Bright, cheerful outdoor images
  • VBS or summer programs
  • Community events

Fall (Sep-Nov):

  • Back to school, new season
  • Harvest themes
  • Warm autumn colors

Tip: Prepare seasonal images in advance and swap them at the start of each season!

Saving Your Changes

After editing any field:

  1. Review Your Changes

    • Double-check for typos
    • Verify information is accurate
    • Ensure formatting looks good

  2. Scroll to Bottom

    • Find the Save Changes button

  3. Click Save Changes

    • Your updates save immediately
    • Success message appears
    • Changes are live on your website instantly

Important: Changes take effect immediately on your public website. Review carefully before saving!

Previewing Your Changes

Before or after saving:

  1. Click "View Website" in top navigation
  2. Your public site opens in new tab
  3. Review how changes look
  4. Check on mobile if possible
  5. Return to Settings if adjustments needed

Things to Check:

  • Description reads well
  • Contact information is accurate
  • Hero image looks good
  • Everything displays correctly on mobile

Best Practices

Regular Reviews

Monthly Quick Check:

  • Contact information still accurate?
  • Description still current?
  • Hero image still appropriate?

Quarterly Full Review:

  • Is everything still true and current?
  • Does description need refreshing?
  • Time for seasonal hero image update?
  • Any information outdated?

Annual Deep Dive:

  • Complete settings audit
  • Consider description rewrite
  • Review against current church vision
  • Update anything that's changed

Keep Information Current

Update Immediately When:

  • Contact information changes
  • Physical address changes
  • Church name officially changes

Update Soon When:

  • Leadership transitions
  • Service times change
  • Mission/vision updates

Consider Updating:

  • Description feels stale
  • Better hero image available
  • Seasonal changes

Documentation

Track Changes:

  • Keep record of slug changes (old → new)
  • Note when major updates happen
  • Save copies of old hero images
  • Document reasons for changes

Team Communication:

  • Announce before changing slug
  • Notify staff of description updates
  • Share new contact info internally first

Quality Control

Before Saving:

  • Run spell check
  • Read description aloud (does it flow?)
  • Verify URLs actually work (test external website)
  • Check phone number is correct (call it!)
  • Test address in Google Maps

After Saving:

  • View public website
  • Click all links
  • View on mobile device
  • Ask someone else to review

Troubleshooting

Changes Not Appearing on Website

Causes:

  • Browser cached old version
  • Forgot to click Save Changes
  • Internet connection interrupted

Solutions:

  • Hard refresh: Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)
  • Clear browser cache
  • View in incognito/private mode
  • Verify changes saved (check Settings page again)

"Slug Already Taken" Error

Cause: Another church is using that slug

Solutions:

  • Add city name: "grace-community-boston"
  • Add denomination: "grace-community-baptist"
  • Use full church name
  • Add descriptor: "grace-community-downtown"

Image Won't Upload

Causes:

  • File too large (over 5MB)
  • Wrong file format (not JPG, PNG, or WebP)
  • Internet connection issue
  • Browser problem

Solutions:

  • Compress image (use free online tools)
  • Convert to JPG format
  • Check internet connection
  • Try different browser
  • Try smaller image first

Can't Save Changes

Causes:

  • Connection lost
  • Required field is empty
  • Invalid format (email, URL)

Solutions:

  • Check internet connection
  • Fill in all required fields
  • Verify email and URL formats are correct
  • Refresh page and try again

Integration with Other Features

Settings Affect Theme

Your church name and description work with:

  • Theme colors: Display consistently
  • Style choice: Format appropriately
  • Public website: Appear on all pages

Settings Support Events

Your location and contact info help visitors:

  • Find your church for events
  • Contact you with questions
  • Map to your address for services

Settings Enable Giving

Your church name appears:

  • In Stripe payment forms
  • On donor receipts from giving
  • In credit card statements

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I update settings? Review monthly, update as needed. Most churches update contact info rarely, description quarterly, and hero image seasonally.

Can I have multiple admins update settings? Yes, but coordinate to avoid conflicts. Consider assigning one person as "settings owner" to prevent confusion.

What if I change my slug and forget to update somewhere? The old slug stops working immediately. You'll need to update all references. Keep a list of where you've shared your URL.

Can I restore old information if I make a mistake? Settings don't have version history. Write down current information before major changes, or contact [email protected] if you need help.

Does changing settings affect my events or sermons? No. Content remains unchanged. Only church information updates.

Will my congregation get notified of changes? No automatic notifications yet. Announce changes through your usual communication channels (email, bulletin, announcements).

Next Steps

With your church settings maintained:

  1. Customize Your Theme - Update visual appearance
  2. Manage Events - Keep your calendar current

Need help with settings? Email [email protected] or check our FAQ.

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