The Internet is a very big part of kids’ lives these days, which is why it was important for my church’s youth department to have a presence on the web. I believe I accomplished this by creating a website and setting up social networking accounts that were easy to maintain, visually appealing, and encouraged discussion and return visits.

First off, I built a website for the teens using WordPress and the WP-coda template. I completely reworked the color scheme and function of the template but was able to keep the modern look of the animated menus. I created pages for news and information, junior high and senior high, parents, and calendar. For the calendar page, I embedded a Google calendar in order to make updating a breeze (it is done remotely through a user account, which automatically updates the webpage).

In addition to the main website, I also built a blog for the pastor. He uses it to post sermon notes and thoughts, and I made it capable of handling comments on a moderated basis.

Part two of this two-part project included the social networking aspect of the site. I created a Facebook page for the youth group and set up admin privileges for the pastor and a how-to on updating. It has been a hit with the teens. Also, they have a Flickr page and YouTube page.

To visit the site, go to www.vsnyouth.org or www.valleyshepherd.org/youth.