NO KEYNOTES • NO BREAKOUTS • NO VENDOR PITCHES • NO CANVA TUTORIALS • 30 SEATS • SAN DIEGO • FEB 2027 •NO KEYNOTES • NO BREAKOUTS • NO VENDOR PITCHES • NO CANVA TUTORIALS • 30 SEATS • SAN DIEGO • FEB 2027 •NO KEYNOTES • NO BREAKOUTS • NO VENDOR PITCHES • NO CANVA TUTORIALS • 30 SEATS • SAN DIEGO • FEB 2027 •NO KEYNOTES • NO BREAKOUTS • NO VENDOR PITCHES • NO CANVA TUTORIALS • 30 SEATS • SAN DIEGO • FEB 2027 •NO KEYNOTES • NO BREAKOUTS • NO VENDOR PITCHES • NO CANVA TUTORIALS • 30 SEATS • SAN DIEGO • FEB 2027 •NO KEYNOTES • NO BREAKOUTS • NO VENDOR PITCHES • NO CANVA TUTORIALS • 30 SEATS • SAN DIEGO • FEB 2027 •

How to Build a Church Plan Your Visit Page (with a Free Template)

By Chris Mefford ·

Your Plan Your Visit page is the most important page on your church website that most members will never see. It's built for one person: someone who has never been to your church, is a little nervous, and is deciding between you and sleeping in.

In 10 Ways Churches Accidentally Make It Hard to Visit, three of the ten mistakes come back to this one page: hiding service times, saying "everyone is welcome" without explaining what that looks like, and making the next step feel like a commitment. Fix this page and you've fixed all three.

A good Plan Your Visit page does three jobs:

  • Answers the logistics. When, where, how long, where to park, which door.
  • Answers the worries. Will I stick out? Will someone put me on the spot? What about my kids?
  • Lowers the stakes. Makes it obvious you can just show up, no sign-up required.

The Plan Your Visit page template

Copy this, fill in the brackets, and cut anything that isn't true for your church. Keep the order. It follows the order a visitor's questions show up in their head.

Section 1: The headline and the short answer

Visiting [Church Name]? Here's everything you need to know. We meet Sundays at [time] at [full address] in [neighborhood, city]. You don't need to sign up or let us know you're coming. Just come as you are.

Section 2: When to arrive

Service starts at [time] and lasts about [length]. If it's your first time, plan to arrive [10 to 15] minutes early. That gives you time to park, [check in your kids], and grab a coffee.

Section 3: Where to park and which door to use

Parking is [in our lot off X Street / on the street / in the garage across the road]. [Guest parking spots are reserved near the main entrance.] Use the [main doors facing X Street]. Look for the [welcome table / people in blue lanyards] right inside.

Section 4: What happens during the service

Here's what a typical Sunday looks like:

  • Music (about [X] minutes). Songs are on the screens. Sing along, or just listen. Both are fine.
  • [Announcements / prayer / scripture reading]. [One plain sentence on each.]
  • The message (about [X] minutes). [Pastor name] teaches from the Bible in a way that connects to everyday life.
  • Offering. Giving is for people who call this church home. Please don't feel any pressure to give as a guest.

We [won't / will] ask guests to stand or introduce themselves. [If you will, say so honestly.]

Section 5: Kids and students

Kids from [age] to [age] can join [plain description, like "a kids program with Bible stories, games, and snacks"] during the service. Check-in is at [location], and every volunteer is background-checked. Kids are also always welcome to stay with you.

Section 6: What to wear

Most people wear [jeans and a t-shirt / business casual / a mix]. Wear whatever you're comfortable in. [Link to a photo of a real Sunday.]

Section 7: What we believe, in a few sentences

[Two to four plain sentences. Link to your full beliefs page for people who want more.]

Section 8: Accessibility

[Wheelchair access, accessible parking, restrooms, hearing assistance, nursing room, large-print materials. Say what you have.]

Section 9: The optional next step

Want a friendly face to meet you? Tell us you're coming and we'll [save you a parking spot / meet you at the door / have your kids' check-in ready]. Totally optional. [Short form: first name, email, number of kids. That's it.]

Section 10: Common questions

[Three to five honest questions in a FAQ. Ideas: "Is there coffee?" "Can I watch online first?" "What if I'm not sure what I believe?" "Is it okay if my baby is fussy?"]

Five tips that make the template work

  • Write it like a text to a friend. "Park in the lot off Elm Street and come in the glass doors" beats "Ample parking is available on campus."
  • Be honest about the awkward parts. If you do a meet-and-greet, say so. A surprise handshake moment is worse than a warned one.
  • Show, don't just say. A photo of the actual front door, the kids check-in desk, and a real Sunday crowd answers more questions than a paragraph can.
  • Link to it everywhere. Your homepage, your Google Business Profile website link, your Instagram bio, and every email to the community should point here.
  • Update it every season. Holiday service times, summer schedule changes, construction detours. An outdated Plan Your Visit page is worse than none.

About that form

Plan Your Visit forms aren't bad. Required ones are. The moment a visitor thinks "I have to give them my phone number to get the service time," a lot of them close the tab.

The fix is simple: give every answer on the page, then offer the form as a perk, not a gate. "Want us to save you a spot?" feels like hospitality. "Fill out this form to plan your visit" feels like a sales funnel.

FAQ

What should a church Plan Your Visit page include? Service times, arrival time, address, parking, which door to use, what happens during the service, kids info, what to wear, a short beliefs summary, accessibility info, and an optional way to let the church know you're coming.

Should a Plan Your Visit page have a form? Yes, but make it optional and short. Put all the key info on the page so nobody has to fill out the form to get it.

Where should the Plan Your Visit link go? In your main menu, at the top of your homepage, and as the website link on your Google Business Profile.

Keep going

This page fixes three of the mistakes in 10 Ways Churches Accidentally Make It Hard to Visit. Run the Visit Like a Stranger test from that article once your page is live, and see if your tester can answer all eight questions in under 10 minutes.

Keep reading

10 Ways Churches Accidentally Make It Hard to Visit (and How to Fix Each One)

Ten common church website and visitor mistakes, what churches overlook, and how to fix each one. Includes a free 10-minute test and visitor scorecard.

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The Church Google Business Profile and AI Search Guide

How to set up and optimize your church's Google Business Profile so visitors, Google Maps, and AI tools like ChatGPT can find you. Checklist included.

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The Church Jargon Translator: 40 Church Words Rewritten for Visitors

Church words like "fellowship" and "small groups" confuse visitors. Here are 40 common terms with plain-language rewrites you can use on your website.

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