In March of 2020, venues in California found out on a Wednesday that they would find out on the next day if they had to close by Friday. If that’s a little hard to follow, venue owners, restaurants and churches thought so too. This was all due, of course, to the coronavirus pandemic that consumed every minute of people’s lives in the year 2020 (and beyond).

But what did that look like for an Oxnard church? It meant cancelling services, and letting potential visitors know on their website. 

Having just come off a big redesign a few months earlier, Gold Coast Church was well positioned to transition to live streaming services. With a little help from the video team, GCC got up and running in a week, and their COVID-19 response page had all the information parishioners needed to stay safe and healthy. 

The first few weeks saw a change in how the church conducted business, and with it, came daily vlogs, digital versions of connection cards and giving, and a different way for service viewers to get notes and lyrics. All of that, now easily accessible right on the home page. 

When it was time for people to come back, the regather page gave everyone clear safety instructions and procedures. When the congregation could only meet in the parking lot, a popup advertised “Lawnchair Live” services. The website because a tool to help Gold Coast thrive in a pandemic world.