Alpha Church is a free, minimal Hugo theme for church websites that combines a landing page, blog, OpenStreetMap integration, and sermon podcast support in one responsive static-site template. Created by Daniel Saunders and based on the Alpha design by HTML5 UP, it is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license for personal and commercial use.
What is Alpha Church?
Alpha Church is a Hugo theme that turns Markdown content into a static church website with a landing page, blog, map, and podcast sections. It was created by Daniel Saunders, with design credit to AJ (ajlkn) of HTML5 UP, and is built on the Hugo static site generator. The theme is intentionally minimal and mobile-responsive, and the repository includes a setup guide (SETUP.md) plus a live example at gympiepresbyterian.org.au.
Key Features
- Hugo static site generator — compiles Markdown content into fast, self-hosted HTML pages with no database or server-side dependencies.
- Landing page — a clean, single-page layout featuring a banner image, call-to-action areas, and sections styled after HTML5 UP's Alpha design.
- Sermon podcast support — includes a podcast section with custom cover art (a microphone photo from FreelyPhotos) and audio playback built on the Plyr media player.
- OpenStreetMap integration — embeds maps for showing meeting locations without relying on proprietary map services.
- Blog posts — a blog section for church news, announcements, and written sermons, with demo images provided under the CC0 public domain license.
- Responsive, minimal design — the theme is described as super minimal and works across screen sizes.
- Free to use commercially — released under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license, allowing personal and commercial use with attribution.
- Built on trusted libraries — includes Font Awesome icons, jQuery, Skel responsive framework, Respond.js, CSS3 Pie, and a background-size polyfill.
Who is it for?
Alpha Church is aimed at church staff or volunteers who want a simple, self-hosted website without learning a complex CMS. It also suits community groups that need a minimal landing page, blog, and map; and Hugo users looking for a responsive theme with media features. Because it's a static-site theme, anyone comfortable editing Markdown and running a Hugo build can publish and maintain the site.
What can you do with Alpha Church?
- Church communications teams — publish sermon audio and blog posts through Hugo's content folders, without a backend.
- Small congregations — show service information and a meeting location using the built-in OpenStreetMap block.
- Community groups — adapt the landing page and blog structure for events, updates, or group information.
Pricing
Alpha Church is free for personal and commercial use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. No payment or registration is required, and you can modify the theme as long as you retain attribution.
FAQ
Is Alpha Church free?
Yes. The theme is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license, which permits personal and commercial use free of charge. You only need to credit the original authors if you redistribute or adapt the theme.
Do I need Hugo to use Alpha Church?
Yes. Alpha Church is a Hugo theme, so you need Hugo installed to build the site locally. The repository includes a SETUP.md file with instructions, and the Hugo community forum is linked for additional help.
What does Alpha Church include?
It includes a landing page, blog posts, OpenStreetMap integration, and a sermon podcast section. The design is based on HTML5 UP's Alpha, with icons from Font Awesome and media playback handled by Plyr.
Can I use Alpha Church for a non-church project?
The theme is geared toward churches but is built for community groups in general. Because it is open source under CC A 3.0, you can adapt the content structure for any organization.
