Plymouth Church Launches New Website

Members of in Shaker Heights can now submit prayer requests online.

It’s one of the many ways the church’s updated website blends old traditions with new technology, said the Rev. Shawnthea Monroe, senior minister.

“This allows people who are much more tech savvy to engage in an ancient practice like asking for prayers,” Monroe said.

The new website for Plymouth, which follows the United Church of Christ doctrine, launched May 20.

She said church leaders decided to update the site after realizing how many people discovered Plymouth via the Web.

“If we ask (visitors or new members) how they heard about Plymouth Church, 90 percent say the website, so we wanted to have a website that gave a very clear and accurate impression of what the church was like,” said Monroe, who has been at Plymouth since 2008. “Something that was accessible and … would attract a new generation of seekers who get their information online.”

The site also features a blog written by Monroe, minister bios, recordings of sermons, updated photographs, a five-minute welcome video and a more precise search function. People can also follow the church on Twitter and friend Plymouth on Facebook.

But Monroe said, though it may seem dull, her favorite item is the interactive calendar that appears right on the homepage.

“I can keep track of everything that’s going on. Otherwise I have to flip through papers on my desk,” she said, laughing.

Mai Moore, chair of evangelism and growth for Plymouth, said a team of people — both paid and volunteer — helped create the site.

“We really wanted to make sure people felt welcome and informed,” Moore said. “It’s really important to have a modern presence online and on social media.”

Monroe said Moore has been encouraging the church to redesign the site for more than a year and worked on the project for about five months.

“This is, for us, just the beginning, because in addition to a website comes along with learning how to use social media,” Monroe said. “It’s like how can we make these social media tools work for evangelism. It’s an ancient tradition and a very new technology — how do we put these in communication with one another?”