UCC website updates offer new resources, better navigation 

If you’re a frequent visitor to ucc.org, the United Church of Christ’s national website, you’ve likely noticed some big changes as of late. From the recently redesigned homepage to several new landing pages that launched in April, much of the work done has been aimed at making content easier to find. 

Streamlined content 

Updates to the site include: 

• A cleaner, more dynamic design 
• A simpler site structure with consolidated categories that make it easier to locate what you’re looking for 
• A new resources page to support local churches with worship and operations 

“While our previous structure did a fair job of informing you about who we are, what we stand for, and available resources, we knew we could do better,” said Chris Gabriel, the UCC web and digital strategist. “The homepage is typically the most visited page for any organization, and that is true for us. That means it’s critical that we provide seamless access to our most trafficked and most requested information from that first entry point.”  

Improved navigation 

Many of the changes came as the result of “direct feedback from local churches and other stakeholders” who noted that the previous top navigation wasn’t easy to use, said Gabriel. The web team received numerous emails over the last year noting that it was confusing to click on the “Who We Are”, “What We Believe”, and “How We Serve” tabs, only to toggle through a dropdown menu. “While the dropdown menus are still there, what you’ll see now are landing pages for each of those core pages that provide a more organized view of the content.” 

As part of restructuring the navigation to direct users to the information that is most important to them, the UCC, in partnership with OrgStory, also launched a Resources landing page that now lives alongside the other core pages. Local congregations can look to this new tool for timely worship resources, as well as guidance for operations, community action, theological exploration, ministerial support and accountability, and more.   

More to come 

Web design has trended more minimalist in the past few years, Gabriel said, with users preferring sites that are aesthetically pleasing, clean, organized, and simple. Changes to ucc.org will continue to move in that direction with new content and features being gradually added over the next several months, aimed at improving the user experience, whether on mobile devices, tablets, laptops, or desktop computers. 

Content on ucc.org is copyrighted by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and may be only shared according to the guidelines outlined here.