When someone needs a church the most, can they reach you?
It rarely happens during office hours. A visitor finally works up the nerve to reach out — and finds a contact form that promises a reply “within 2–3 business days.” So they close the tab. This closes that gap with a warm, private message box that reaches you like a text.
No card required · Live on your site in minutes
People don’t come to your website for information. They come for connection.
They’re not auditing your doctrine at midnight. They’re lonely, or scared, or curious in a way they can’t admit to anyone they know. What they’re reaching for isn’t a service time — it’s the sense that there’s a real person on the other side of the screen who’d be glad they showed up. A page can’t offer that. A person can.
The hardest part is being the one to reach out. So the chat does it for them.
On every other part of your website, the visitor has to be brave first — find the number, compose the email, decide they’re worth the bother. Web chat flips that. A gentle greeting appears on its own — “Hi there, can we help you find anything?” — so the church speaks first. For someone hovering on the edge of reaching out, being greeted instead of having to start removes the last and hardest barrier. They only have to answer a conversation that’s already been opened. You’ve done the brave part for them.
Three steps, and the door is open
A visitor reaches out
A friendly chat bubble sits in the corner of your site. Someone types their name and a message — no phone call, no public post, no waiting on a form.
It lands where you are
Their message arrives like a text — to you, your office, or a small rotation of volunteers. A conversation feels live without anyone glued to a screen.
You reply, person to person
You answer in your own words, right from your pocket. They see it appear in the chat. The door was open at the very hour they tried the handle.
It removes the three walls people can’t climb
Lower than a phone call
It's text, so a nervous or hurting person doesn't have to speak out loud to a stranger to reach you.
Private, one to one
Not a public square like social media. A quiet doorway between one person and your church.
No live staffing needed
Set an honest expectation — “we usually reply within a few hours” — and answer when you can. A person answers, not a bot.
Coffee with the pastor
Visitors can ask to meet over coffee right from the chat. The request comes straight to you with their name and a good time.
Matches your site
Your accent color, your greeting, your photo. It looks like it has always belonged on your website.
WordPress or any site
Drop in one line of code, or install the WordPress plugin and paste your key. Live in minutes.
Two ways to add it to your site
Once you have your key, you’re a couple of minutes from live. Pick whichever fits your site.
On WordPress
Download the plugin, upload it in your WordPress dashboard, and paste your key. The backend address is already filled in for you.
- In WordPress: Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, then choose the file you downloaded.
- Click Install Now, then Activate.
- Open WBC Chat in the left menu, paste your API key, and Save.
WBC Chat · .zip · works with any WordPress theme
On any other site
Paste this one line just before the closing </body> tag, and swap YOUR_API_KEY for the key from your signup. Works with Squarespace, Wix, Webflow, plain HTML — anywhere you can add a snippet.
<script src="https://slackwebsitechat.vercel.app/widget/wbc-chat.js" data-api="https://slackwebsitechat.vercel.app" data-key="YOUR_API_KEY" defer></script>
Not sure where that goes? Send the line to whoever maintains your site, or reach out and we’ll add it for you.
“We’re a small church — we can’t staff a live chat.”
You don’t have to. Chat doesn’t mean someone glued to a screen all day. It routes to your phone like a text, so a conversation feels tended without anyone sitting at a desk. And because every visitor leaves their name and phone number before they chat, you’re never left empty-handed — if you miss someone in the moment, you can simply text them back later. A simple “we usually reply within a few hours” sets an honest expectation and still feels personal, and a small rotation of two or three trusted people means no one is ever on call alone. The goal isn’t to be a 24/7 help desk. It’s to be reachable.
Each one is a door cracked open
Is it okay to come if I haven’t been to church in years?
Do you have anything for my kids on Sunday?
My mom just passed. Could someone pray with me?
What should I wear?
These are the questions people are too embarrassed to ask out loud and too uncertain to commit to an email. The simple act of a real person answering kindly is frequently the first genuine pastoral moment in someone’s life in a long time.
Your website is the front porch of your church.
The only question is whether anyone’s home when someone tries the handle. Claim your key, paste one line on your site, and we’ll connect it to wherever you want replies to land. You’ll be reachable by this evening.
- Free to start — no card required
- Works on WordPress or any website
- We help you wire it to your phone
Already have your key? See the setup guide