I’m sure you’ve seen them. They come in all shapes and sizes. There’s the whole resume. There’s the Q & A. Some are short and sweet. Others just put you to sleep. Many are confusing and don’t make a whole lot of sense. But there are some out there that are just right. You guessed it, I’m talking about staff bios on your church’s website.

I’m sure you’ve seen them. They come in all shapes and sizes. There’s the whole resume. There’s the Q & A. Some are short and sweet. Others just put you to sleep. Many are confusing and don’t make a whole lot of sense. But there are some out there that are just right.

I’m talking about staff bios on your church’s website.

I know, exhilarating stuff. But wait, they’re actually really important. People use the online bios to get to know staff and leadership before they visit a church. They also check them out to find a pastor’s email. So, to help you write some awesome bios, answer these five questions below.

  1. Do your staff bios accurately represent your church?
    If your church loves to laugh, it’s okay to be funny! Maybe higher education is important in your community, so you might include education information. Is family huge in your church? Names or info about your family might be really helpful!
  2. Do your staff bios accurately represent the staff?
    Translation: don’t make up stuff to make your staff look cool. If you want to include their favorite food or movie, great! It might be good for it to actually be their favorite food or movie though. The goal is for people to get to know your church staff/leadership as they really are. 
  3. Do they make sense to people who don’t attend?
    Refrain from using inside jokes or insider language. Remember to keep the information in the bio aimed at someone who has never gone to your church ... or maybe any church at all! 
  4. Are the pictures reminiscent of Glamour Shots?
    The little things in design matter. Including pictures of the staff that are over-the-top, outdated or just poorly done, which might cause people to run from the bio page screaming.
  5. Was the goal accomplished? 
    This is probably the most important one. Be intentional about what you’re trying to do with the staff bios (get to know the staff, create interest, be fun, illustrate environment) and create a goal. After you write the bio, simply ask, “Did we accomplish the goal?” If so, you’re done. If not, tweak the writing and try again.