The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Denmark has won the first prize for Denmark’s best church-related web site of 2006 in an internet competition hosted by "Kristeligt Dagblad", a leading Christian newspaper in the country.
Among 270 nominated sites ten finalists were chosen:
• www.adventist.dk- Syvendedagsadventisternes officielle hjemmeside
• www.barnetro.dk - En spilside fra Danmarks Kirkelige Mediecenter
• www.bluz.fdf.dk - En ungdomsside fra FDF
• www.christianskirken.dk - Sogneside for Christians Sogn i Århus N
• www.familien-steffensen.dk - Personlig hjemmeside om en families missionærarbejde i Peru
• www.filmogtro.dk - Indre Missions side om kristendom og film
• www.skabelse.dk - En hjemmeside om kristendom og videnskab
• www.thuroekirke.dk - Hjemmeside for Thurø Sogn
• www.tjekker.dk - En hjemmeside om kristen musik
• www.youthnited.dk - Hjemmeside for ungdomsarbejdet i pinsekirken i Horsens
A week later the jury voted for www.adventist.dk to be the winner.
The first prize includes DKK 25,000 to be spent on web advertisements on Kristelig Dagblad’s web site.
One of the decisive advantages of the web site is its wealth of information and the clear way in which it is presented: "The site’s simple design is exemplary. It provides a good introduction into who Adventists are and what they stand for,” one jury member said. Another one noted that, “the site ‘sticks’ to you and just makes you want to explore the whole site."
The graphics and aesthetics of the site impressed the judges as well. After browsing through it one of the judges said with a smile, “you need to be careful you don’t become an Adventist.”
Adventist Media Director Thomas Müller, who accepted the prize on behalf of the Danish Seventh-day Adventist Church, was excited: "It comes as quite a surprise for me. The other nominated sites were very good."
Since winning, Müller reports a daily tally of 500 visitors to the site, up from the previous 120 to 150. Still, he believes the site could stand further innovation. "I am hoping with this public acknowledgement that the church leadership realizes the potential in this media and allocates more resources," he says. [Editor: Thomas Müller for ANR/APD]
