ChapelWebsites.com

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Creating Your Account

Welcome to ChapelWebsites.com! This guide will walk you through creating your account and setting up your first church website.

Before You Begin

You'll need:

  • A valid email address
  • Your church's basic information (name, location, etc.)
  • About 10 minutes to complete the initial setup

Good News: No credit card is required! You get a full 90-day free trial to explore all features.

Step-by-Step Signup Process

1. Visit the Signup Page

Go to chapelwebsites.com/signup in your web browser.

2. Enter Your Personal Information

You'll be asked to provide:

  • Full Name: Your first and last name
  • Email Address: This will be your login username
  • Password: Must be at least 8 characters and include:
    • One uppercase letter (A-Z)
    • One lowercase letter (a-z)
    • One number (0-9)
    • One special character (!@#$%^&*, etc.)

Tip: Use a strong, unique password. Consider using a password manager like LastPass or 1Password.

3. Enter Your Church Information

During signup, you'll also create your first church:

  • Church Name: The official name of your church (e.g., "Grace Community Church")
  • Church Description: A brief overview of your church (this will appear on your public website)
  • Church Slug: This creates your website URL
    • Must be unique across all ChapelWebsites.com churches
    • Can only contain lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens
    • Example: "grace-community" creates the URL chapelwebsites.com/grace-community
    • You can change this later if needed

4. Submit and Verify

Click the Sign Up button. You'll:

  1. Receive a welcome email at the address you provided
  2. Be automatically logged in to your dashboard
  3. See your newly created church

Note: Check your spam folder if you don't see the welcome email within a few minutes.

What Happens After Signup

You're Automatically the Owner

When you create a church, you're assigned the Owner role. This gives you full access to:

  • Edit all church settings
  • Create and manage events and sermons
  • Invite team members
  • Customize your theme
  • Set up online giving
  • Delete the church (if needed)

Your 90-Day Free Trial Begins

You have 90 days to explore all features at no cost. No credit card is required during the trial period. You'll receive email reminders before the trial ends.

Your Public Website is Live

Your church website is immediately available at:

chapelwebsites.com/your-church-slug

Even with minimal information, visitors can view your church details. You can enhance it by:

  • Adding events
  • Uploading sermons
  • Customizing your theme
  • Setting up online giving

Next Steps

Now that your account is created, here's what to do next:

  1. Explore Your Dashboard - Get familiar with where everything is
  2. Complete Your Church Setup - Add contact details, location, and more
  3. Customize Your Theme - Make your website reflect your church's style
  4. Create Your First Event - Let people know what's happening

Troubleshooting

"Email already exists" Error

This means an account already exists with that email address. Try:

  • Using a different email address
  • Clicking "Already have an account? Log in" if you previously created an account

"Slug already taken" Error

Someone else is using that church slug. Try:

  • Adding your city name: "grace-community-boston"
  • Using your full church name: "first-baptist-church-of-springfield"
  • Adding your denomination: "grace-community-methodist"

Didn't Receive Welcome Email

Check these places:

  • Your spam or junk folder
  • Your promotions tab (if using Gmail)
  • Wait 5-10 minutes for email delivery

Still having issues? Contact [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a credit card to sign up? No! Your 90-day free trial doesn't require any payment information.

Can I create multiple churches? Yes! Each account can manage multiple churches. After logging in, you can create additional churches from your dashboard.

What happens after the 90-day trial? You'll receive email reminders before your trial ends. After 90 days, the subscription is $100/month. You can cancel anytime before then with no charges.

Can I change my church slug later? Yes, you can update your slug from the Church Settings page. Keep in mind this changes your public website URL, so update any marketing materials accordingly.

Who else can access my church? Only you initially. You can invite team members from the Members page and assign them different permission levels.

Ready to continue? Head to Dashboard Overview to learn your way around!

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