This is a continuation of our "What Every Web Geek Needs to Know" series. Click here to read last week's post.

One of the most oft-asked questions we get here at MonkDev is, "Is Ekklesia 360 built on WordPress or another open-source site?"

The quick answer is, "no." While there are a lot of fantastic open-source solutions available, churches must realize implementing one of them isn't necessarily free. Scaling an open-source solution takes skill, time, and commitment.

The True Cost of Open-Source

The cost of open-source is hidden in the time and money involved with installing the software, customizing it, installing plug-ins, and maintaining the software with upgrades and security patches.

Unless you have a savvy volunteer who can devote part-time hours to maintaing your site, most churches will need someone to dedicate time to managing their software. Someone like Tom.

Therein lies the problem. As we've noted, Techie Tom is busy. Whether it's helping other team members connect to wifi, researching the latest load times for the church's servers, or showing the executive team on the best way forward for the church website, adding huge website responsibilities to Tom's work load makes him unhappy. Having an available technical resource to call when they need to get things done is a huge plus.

Freeing Tom Up to Focus

Tom will gravitate towards a solution that frees him up to focus on ministry by handling all technical details for him. This means he can focus on what he does best—whatever it may be—and not get stuck in the doldrums of software maintenance.

A system like the one MonkDev offers has the flexibility and customization Techie Tom likes. Ekklesia 360 has the oomph to satisfy even the most technically-minded Toms around.

We've thought through how a sermon can be uploaded and distributed online and for maximum impact and reach. Think of MonkDev as another member of your church staff, thinking ahead about future technical needs and consistently working in the background with your team in mind.

A technical person like Tom doesn't want to spend hours "creating" or "modifying" a website. A solution built to work out-of-the-box to accomplish the common goals for church websites—increase awareness, engage members, deepen relationships—is highly appealing to Tom.

Tom's Mission, Should He Choose to Accept It

Imagine a solution that provides a high level of customization right out of the gate, and you've found something that'll make Tom a happy man. Tom wants to know he can dive into the website and make any modifications and customizations himself if he has the time. He also wants to know he can pick up the phone and get help from a trusted source, should he need it.

(Our Instasite option was built with this in mind. It can work for 90% of churches right out of the box. Tom can add logos, colors, and content without having to turn to anyone else.)

Ultimately, Techie Tom is passionate about much more than technology. He's all about seeing the tools he uses on a daily basis for the spread of the gospel.