There are many companies providing hosting these days.  Some are more reliable (in terms of'down time') than others.  Some provide options such as choosing the operating system of the server to insure maximum capability with your site.  Some allow access to the server thus enabling more advanced features.

One highly desirable option is having a simple to use administration program which allows you to manage your church's email accounts, view your site statistics, and provide access to extra programs (counters, shopping carts, mail lists, etc.). 

Some hosts set up their pricing based on the number of email accounts you will be using.  Unless you are strictly using web mail or plan on having your email saved on the server by your host (not common), you should be able to find a host willing to provide a large number of email accounts for a very low price.

The most common question we hear is 'What is the difference between shared and dedicated hosting?' The terms 'sharing' and 'dedicated' refer to the server (or computer) which will be storing your web site files.  'Sharing' a server means that your web site and many other people's web sites will be stored on the same server.  A 'Dedicated' server means that your web site is the only site stored on the server.  If your church has either a very, very large, interactive, multimedia web presence with thousands and thousands of regular visitors or if you have certain high-security concerns, then you may need a dedicated server to host your web site.  A dedicated server can either be located onsite (i.e., within your church) or offsite.  Many hosting companies will rent you a dedicated server, which will reside offsite.  You will probably need more in-house expertise or an IT consultant to setup and run a dedicated server.  For 90% of all churches a shared server solution will provide all the resources and security needed.

Some companies which provide all the services we look for in a host and do so at a very affordable price are listed below:

ChristianWebHost.com (CWH) Inc. - A provider of hosting to over 8,000 clients.  CWH offers affordable web site hosting for Christian friendly businesses, families, ministries, and churches. 

Hosting.com - If your needs grow beyond what 90% of all churches will ever need, one of the most affordable dedicated server solutions we've found is hosting.com

LunarPages.com - A popular option.

Lux Scientiae.com - A Boston based large provider of secure web and email services.  Try their online "Quote Wizard" which walks you through a profiling process, allows you to pick and choose exactly what services you want, and shows you your final cost. 

Interland.com - A large provider hosting hundreds of thousands of clients.

Free hosting from regional or national bodies is often offered to churches.  The General Board of Global Ministries offers free web space for United Methodist churches.  The space is limited to 5 Megabytes.  As is typical of this kind of offering there is very little technical support and the quality is dependant on the skill set available within the congregation.   

Simply Christian may be able to help you choose a host that is right for your church.  We can even get you set up if needed. Contact us for details: or phone 1-877-483-3431.

Simply Christian® is a non-profit organization and ministry of Dutilh UMC whose mission is to help churches establish, maintain, or further it's Internet presence. Through a combination of education, consulting, and working closely with Conferences, we help churches find the solutions that best meet their Internet needs.