What’s your name?
Paul Cox
Where do you serve, what is your title and how long have you served there?
In church, I serve at Hillsong Church. I’m a volunteer there on our Worship Team playing Drums. I was previously the Lead PHP developer on staff on our Web Team. I’ve been part of Hillsong Church for just over 10 years.
In day-to-day church life, I’m the CEO and lead developer at TheChurchCo.com. We’ve been running strong for over four years now.
In everyday work, I’m the Director of Web at Fuzz Productions in Brooklyn NY. (FuzzProductions.com) for the past year.
How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t go to church?
I write code so that no one else has to and that code allows people to build things that they previously couldn’t do on their own. I also help churches get set up with systems that will grow with them as they grow.
What were some of the things that you experienced that shaped the way you approach your work?
When we were redesigning Hillsong.com we really had to think about how one system could work for everyone in our church. It had to work in multiple languages, regions, and sizes. The same system needed to support our main campus in the Hills District of Sydney, Australia and a newly planted church on the other side of the world.
Thinking about a system in that way helped me with thechurchco.com. It allowed me to build something that a church plant can sign up with and stay with for 10+ years.
What’s the one thing you wish people knew about your job?
I wish people understood that websites can actually work for you. We can write code that does the things you have to do each week and that will save you a load of time. Most people choose a web site platform based on how easy it is to build a website forgetting that after it’s built they will be maintaining it for 5+ years. I wish people thought more about the day to day maintenance of a website and how little things can simplify that process.
What is the one tool for your job that you can’t live without and why?
Javascript. I know its nerdy but I can literally build anything in javascript…. and google 🙂
What is the biggest mistake that you see churches making when it comes to communications and marketing?
We look to other churches for what works instead of looking to secular brands. Look to Nike and see how they sell. The same people buying Nike are attending your church, they understand Nike’s advertising so there’s no reason that that same methodology won’t work for your church. I’m using Nike as an example but you can swap that out with anyone.
Who is someone that you look up to in the church communications world?
Jay Argaet. Comms director at Hillsong and an all-around great and kind person and friend.
A passionate & wise web director who actually integrates communication in his work, that is Paul Cox. We are grateful for your insights about the importance of a website for church communication strategies and in any brand communication. Spread your wise words and keep on creating great work!
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