People searching for new churches to visit or to join often have a specific set of criteria they are using to find a church. The denomination, type of service, size, and location are the most common criteria searched. This information should be clearly listed and easily found in all online media about your church.

But what about using online searchable directories that are specifically made for churches? Is your church listed in any of these directories? Should they be?

Church specific directories and searchable databases can help people and churches share information quickly and easily. Pastors, church administrators, and communicators should carefully consider all of the available digital tools church seekers may use to find them.

Here are 12 online listings connecting Christian churches and church seekers…

1 – CBN – THE CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK
The Christian Broadcasting Network Website includes Church Search features, as well as blogs, courses, news, radio, and videos.
Features: Church Directory features address and phone number
Number of Listings: not specified
Number of Visitors: not specified
Cost to list your church: Free, submit official church letterhead via mail

2 – CHRISTIAN CHURCH TODAY  
Christian Church Today is an online community of Christian leaders where users can provide feedback, update information, and share content with churches around the country. Christian Church Today’s church “Locator” is a searchable US-based directory of Christian churches. Add your church for free by creating an account.
Features: Church Directory, search by type of church, name or city; feature list: address, phone number, link to website.
Number of Listings: not specified
Number of Visitors: not specified
Cost to List Your Church: Free

3 – CHURCH ANGEL
Church Angel is a searchable database of US and Canadian Christian churches that can be found by state and denomination. It also includes searches for Christian Counselors and counseling services.
Features: Church Directory database, Christian Counselor database, Facebook discussion forum
Number of Listings: 300,000 listings
Number of Visitors: 150,000 monthly visitors
Cost to list your church: Free

4 – CHURCHFINDER.COM
This online platform connects people with local Christian churches in the U.S. and provides church profiles, church reviews, and services to help people make decisions about which churches to visit.
Features: Church Directory database, reviews, tools to link pastors and church leaders to people in their city
Number of Listings: 280,000 Christian churches
Number of Visitors: 300,000 monthly visitors
Cost to list your church: Free
Additional paid services: Church Finder Pro

5 – CHURCH.ORG  
Church.org provides access to God’s word daily through the platform of blogs, daily devotions, and social media. The church database is constantly updated to allow users to find a new church community. Add a church for free by creating an account.
Features: Church directory includes location, phone number, address; place to input events, sermons, leaders and overview.
Number of Listings: not specified
Number of Visitors: not specified
Cost to List Your Church: Free

6 – FACEBOOK  
Facebook is the world’s largest social network with nearly two billion users. Facebook Pages is designed for businesses and organizations to promote themselves on Facebook.
Features: Advanced smart search, profile verification, community-based platform that encourages engagement, reviews, location, messaging platform
Number of Listings: 65 million
Number of Visitors: 1.37 billion average daily users; 2.07 billion active monthly users
Cost to list your church: Free

7 – FAITHSTREET
FaithStreet is easy to use with a great search layout. It includes a map that uses your location to find churches near you. You can search for churches by their “vibe” to find something that really fits with your family and personality.
Features: Church Directory database listing features include Address, Service Times, Denomination, Tags, Christian Counselor database, Facebook discussion forum
Number of Listings: 300,000 listings
Number of Visitors: 150,000 monthly visitors
Cost to list your church: Free

8 – FIND A CHURCH  
An extensive searchable database with Christian Churches around the world. The search feature has a lot of filters, and users can search based on many criteria. The website promotes featured churches on the main search page.
Listing Features: Church Directory has options to list language, worship style, denomination, affiliation, and service times
Number of Listings: 37,557 listings
Number of Visitors: not specified
Cost to list your church: Free

9 – GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE
Google My Business place pages appear in Google listings and searches, and give businesses the ability to share events, products, and services directly in Google Search and Google Maps with Google Posts.
Number of Searches: 3.5 billion searches per day; 40,000 per second
Cost to list your church: Free

10 –  THE GOSPEL COALITION
The Gospel Coalition is a fellowship of evangelical churches in the Reformed tradition and their Church Directory is a searchable global database of evangelical churches.
Features: Church Directory, Blogs, Book Reviews
Number of Listings: not specified
Number of Visitors: not specified
Cost to list your church: Free

11 – YELP
Yelp.com offers businesses place pages and a set of tools to showcase their businesses and connect with the Yelp community.
Features: Church Directory
Number of Listings: not specified
Number of Visitors: 142 million monthly users
Cost to list your church: Free

12 – 9MARKS 
9Marks Church Search allows users to search based on location only. 
Features: Church directory includes address, phone number, email, website, directions, description (one paragraph)
Number of Listings: not specified
Number of Visitors: not specified
Cost to List Your Church: Submit an application online and it will be reviewed by church staff and posted to the list within two weeks.

BONUS
The Real Yellow Pages
This online directory of business listings, blogs, and advertising tools connects businesses with customers.
Features: Images and videos, reviews and ratings, share address and hours of operation
Number of Listings: not specified
Number of Visitors: 60 million monthly visitors
Cost to list your church: Free

ADDING VALUE, NO REPLACEMENTS
While there’s no doubt that large search engines and social media sites have a corner on the search market overall, directories specifically created for finding churches have carved out a solid presence online. Many of these church specific sites also add value by including additional resources and helpful services like blogs, church job listings, Christian Counseling, and consultation services to help churches reach more people.

Remember that directory resources are helpful, but they are not a replacement for a great church website and a healthy social media presence. Pastors and church staff can simply add these church directories to their set of outreach and communication tools if they like.

Create a comprehensive online presence and ensure seekers are easily able to find your church online by registering, creating, and claiming church business pages with as many online search directories as possible. Since many of these directories offer free listings, it is a sound investment of time and resources that pastors and church communicators can believe in and easily accomplish.

Shelby Systems has decades of experience working with ministries of all sizes, for more creative ideas and suggestions contact your Shelby Sales Consultant today!