Thousands of churches use Divi, a popular WordPress theme, to build dynamic church websites. While some choose to build their Divi church website from scratch, others choose from an assortment of Divi church child themes and Divi church layouts to save time. Aboundant has built hundreds of church websites using Divi, and we’ve even created church child themes for Divi, like Chrysalis. We hope to let our experience benefit you, as you seek the best solutions for your Divi church website.
The Criteria
Here are the things we’re looking for in a great Divi church child theme or layout:
- Stunning, church-appropriate design
- Visitor-friendly organization and content
- Live worship capabilities
- Features that empower discipleship
- Great integrations
- Regular updates plus a demo
Stunning, Church-Appropriate Design
Key Issue: Does the design of the theme or layout match the character of both traditional and modern churches while still being stylish and approachable?
Visitor-Friendly Organization and Content
Key Issue: Is the Divi church child theme or layout organized in a way that invites visitors into participation while still being intuitive for congregants to navigate? Does the sample content help the user construct a visitor-friendly site, both through words and visuals?
Live Worship Capabilities
Key Issues: Does the Divi church layout or theme make it easier to experience live, online worship? Can you access archived worship and/or sermons?
Discipleship Features
Key Issue: Are there interactive features in the Divi church child theme or layout that invite people into a deeper level of discipleship? Examples include small groups, an events calendar, and prayer submission/discussion.
Great Integrations
Key Issues: Does the theme or layout integrate well with third-party tools that churches rely on, such as giving platforms? Are the designs for these integrations seamless?
Regular Updates Plus a Demo
Key Issues: Does the theme get updated periodically with new features and bug fixes? Is there a full working demo available for potential buyers to view and test, rather than a few screenshots or an overview video?
The Best Divi Church Child Themes and Layouts
We looked at over 30 potential Divi church child themes and layouts. Honestly, we were underwhelmed by much of what’s available, so we also looked at a few examples targeted at nonprofits in general. Many possibilities were quickly removed from our final list because they were dated and/or had no full demo, which are both indicative of the developer’s commitment to the product. Here are the results.
Fourth Place – Blessing Single Page Church Layout for Divi
Publisher: Divi Theme Center
Cost: $7
Score: 11 out of 30 points
Normally this Divi church layout wouldn’t make the cut. However, it’s the best example of a “single page layout” and is designed to be visitor-centric. None of the designs on it are actually interactive, so you’d still have to build in the functionality yourself.
Third Place – Church Home Layouts
Publisher: Elegant Themes
Cost: Free
Score: 19 out of 30 points
Elegant Themes made an attractive set of Divi church layouts with this one, and it even hints at the functionality you would want in a visitor-friendly church website. However, it doesn’t contain a lot of the integrations or functionality you’d hope for, and it simply is missing a most of the key layouts every church website needs.
Second Place – Divi Nonprofit Child Theme
Publisher: divi.space
Cost: $39
Score: 20 out of 30 points
While not specifically a Divi church child theme, Divi Nonprofit is just more robust than the previous two entries. It has integrations with GiveWP and The Events Calendar that most churches will appreciate. Unfortunately, you’ll have to spend a lot of time still building out the church-specific content pages.
First Place – Chrysalis
Publisher: Aboundant
Cost: $97
Score: 28 out of 30 points
Alright…we’re admittedly biased. However, we truly believe no Divi church child themes or layouts stack up to Chrysalis. It has so many essential features you won’t find in any other Divi church child theme, including a system to manage small groups and sermons/services. Chrysalis also includes popular integrations like The Events Calendar and GiveWP. It uses global colors that make customization a cinch. There are a whopping 32 layouts, including a minisite for standalone, public-facing ministries like a Child Care Center or food pantry, so you can create a site-within-a-site.
We hope other website designers will create many more Divi church child themes or layouts in the future. For now, though, there’s a clear winner: Chrysalis. Check it out today, and if you know of a church-related theme for Divi, be sure to contact us!