Make a first visit to your congregation feel less daunting
Someone thinking about attending for the first time often wants to know small things before they arrive: what to wear, where to park, what happens with the children. GetFoxChat answers from your welcome and ministry pages, and passes pastoral or personal requests to your staff.
What newcomers, members and families ask on a church website
These are the questions newcomers, members and families typically type into a church website. Next to each: which of your pages answers it, and what the operator does with it.
“What time is the Sunday service?”
Answered from: your service times page. Gives the times the service times page lists and links to it. If the visitor asks about a holiday service not listed, it says so and offers to ask the office.
“I've never been to church before, what should I expect?”
Answered from: your plan your visit page. Summarises what the plan your visit page says about a typical service, in a warm and plain way.
“Is there anything for my kids during the service?”
Answered from: your children and youth page. Explains the children's program the page describes, including any check-in steps it mentions.
“Is the building wheelchair accessible?”
Answered from: your plan your visit page. Repeats what the page says about access, seating or hearing support. If it says nothing, it says so and offers a person.
“Can we get married at your church if we're not members?”
Answered from: your weddings, baptisms and funerals page. Shares what the page says about who can marry there and how to begin, then offers to pass the couple's details to the office.
“How do we arrange a baptism for our baby?”
Answered from: your weddings, baptisms and funerals page. Describes the first steps listed on the page and links to it. It does not set a date.
“Do you have a midweek Bible study group?”
Answered from: your groups and ministries page. Lists the groups the page describes and how to join one.
“Can I watch the service online?”
Answered from: your livestream page. Points to the livestream page and highlights the link if the visitor is already there.
“How can I give if I don't carry cash?”
Answered from: your giving page. Explains the giving options the page lists. It does not take a gift itself.
“Could someone pray with me or visit my mother in hospital?”
Answered from: your contact page. Responds kindly, gives the contact details your site lists and offers the Talk to a person button so a member of staff can follow up.
Routing example: sending a visitor to the right page
Visitor
“Hello, we just moved nearby and are looking for a church. We have two young children. When are services, and is it okay to bring kids who might be noisy?”
Operator
“Welcome to the area. Your plan your visit page describes what a service is like and what to expect as a family on your first Sunday. Service times are listed on the service times page, and the children and youth page explains what is offered for young children. If you would like someone to say hello when you arrive, I can pass your message to the team.”
Page it points to
Plan your visit yourwebsite.com/plan-your-visit
It gives a newcomer the three pages that answer their worries and offers a personal welcome instead of inventing details about the congregation. When that link is on the page the visitor is already looking at, the operator highlights it.
The pages that let it answer
The operator answers only from your own public pages, so these are the pages worth having on a church website:
| Page | Typical address | What it lets the operator answer |
|---|---|---|
| Service times | /services | Lets the operator give the weekly schedule and any seasonal changes your page lists. |
| Plan your visit | /plan-your-visit | Answers what a service is like, how long it runs, dress, parking and accessibility, in your own words. |
| Children and youth | /kids | Covers what happens for children during services and any youth groups. |
| Weddings, baptisms and funerals | /life-events | Explains how to ask about marking a life event and what the first step is. |
| Groups and ministries | /groups | Lets it describe small groups, choirs, study groups and outreach people can join. |
| Giving | /give | Points members to the ways of giving your page explains. |
| Livestream | /watch | Answers people who cannot attend in person and want to watch or listen online. |
When it passes the conversation to you
- Someone asks for prayer, a pastoral visit or support after a bereavement.
- A family wants to arrange a funeral.
- A couple wants to check a wedding date.
- A person wants to hire the hall or use church rooms for an event.
It will not offer spiritual counsel, book ceremonies or process gifts. It shares only what the congregation has published and leaves pastoral care to people.
What the operator does on every page
- It reads your public pages and answers from what they say, in the language the visitor writes in.
- It points to the page that has the answer, and highlights the link when it is on the page the visitor is viewing.
- When your pages don't have the answer, it says so and offers Talk to a person. Your team replies from the GetFoxChat inbox; when nobody is online, the visitor can leave an email address.
- Asked whether it is a person, it says it is an AI assistant.
- You see what visitors asked and which questions your pages didn't answer.
Putting it on your site is one line of code: install guides for every platform.
Find out what your visitors can't find
See the 5 questions your visitors are likely to ask that your pages don't clearly answer. Free, no account needed.
The chat starts as Foxy. Rename it and change the avatar anytime. Plans and what each includes: pricing.