Having completed quite a few projects for local Churches, I've had the opportunity to see first-hand the benefits an Internet presence provides.

For those of you that are considering getting a Church website, here's my Top 6 list of benefits:

1. Keep your parishioners informed of the latest Church news and events in your community.
2. Attract more non-Christians to your Church (see example).
3. Provide information about your Church and Parish's unique history (see example).
4. Provide information to your local community about services such as Weddings and Baptisms.
5. Provide a map and/or directions to your Church for to help non-locals find you (see example).
6. Expand your reach - your website can communicate with the World all day, every day.

As a sidenote, great Church websites cater for three separate audiences; the Congregation, Christians that have recently moved to the area and non-Christians that are interested in finding out more about the faith. In my experience, the latter has generally been considered the most important.