Technical Website Notes

This page is created for the Communications Team.  Here we post information and procedures used on the website.

Banners

Banners are used on the front page.

• They should always be clickable (and go to relevant information)
• Are a very important communication tool.
• These have a begin and end date, so that they 'fall off' when no longer appropriate.
• We like to have 4 or 5 running at a time.
  • Can be used to periodically highlight a ministry (such as the prayer shawl ministry or youth group).
• Are accessed/set-up using the 'Front Page Slideshow' (in the backend)
• Images are 993 x 334 px.
• Banners for Facebook should be 820 x 312 pixels. (Can start a new banner that size, bring in an existing banner, and fill in around the edges.)

List of Banners:

• In the published column there are (I think) 3 values (3 icons): (a) green: published and active; (b) clock with a negative: published but expired; (c) red X:unpublished.
• In the upper right you can choose published or unpublished.
• Tip: (a) It is a good idea to unpublish banners we won't use again (for example sermon series); (b) you can click the icon to change from published but expired to unpublished.

Announcements & Calendar Entries

Announcements:

• • Put the date in the title (so that it appears on the homepage). 
  • Graphics can be used.
  • Announcements appear on the front page according to the date created. If you re-use/recycle an old announcement, you need to change the date created.  To do this, go to the Announcement Manager Backend. Click the announcement and you can change the date created on the RHS.
  • To make sure all announcements are *checked-in* go to BACKEND and use SYSTEM TOOLS (at the top) > QUICK CHECKIN.
  • More-information links to pages can be used.

Calendar Entries:

• • More-information links to an announcement or to pages can be used.
  • (Graphics can be used.)
  • Repeating Calendar entries:  When you click Edit, the two main choices are:
    • "Edit Repeat" - means that you are only editing that particular date (editing this particular repeated version of the event).*
    • "Edit Event" - means that you are editing all versions of the event  (editing the event, which repeats).  *The exception is  if a particular date's info was changed (using "edit repeat") 'edit repeat' will not override the changes.

Staff Updates

Updating the church staff listing is completed by using the backend control panel.

1. Log in to the church website by clicking the login link at the bottom of the church homepage
2. In the top, dark-gray bar, click Content 
3. Click Staff Manager
4. On this page you can add and edit the information for staff members, as well as re-order the listing of staff.  By default, the pastors appear at the top of the staff page, but other members can be reordered. Currently, we display the staff members alphabetically by last name.

Archiving Information

1.  Copy a page and archive the copy. (This is for pages that changes, but people would generally not want to access the old information.)
   
   1. Go to the Media/File Manager on the backend.
   2. (top tab) Click Content|Page Manager.
   3. Click the file you want to copy.
   4. (upper right) Click Save as Copy.
   5. Change the (append the) Title to something informative (for example, Opportunities for Spring 2015). Save and Close.
   6. Return to the Page Manager. Select the page (check its box). (Upper right) Click Actions|Archive. Pages that are archived do not show up in the list of pages. If one does want to see archived page (use Content > Page Manager (Backend)), choose the status of archived. 
   7. (Then you can edit the original page at will.)
2. Use a Past Activities page. (This is for pages that changes,and people would want to look at old/past information.)  For example, Past Youth Activities.
   
   1. As information is removed from the main page, it is pasted on to the Past Activities page.
3. Note for announcements: (three options)
   1. Delete - if it is old news and we do not need the info.
   2. Archive - if it is old news and we think we might want the info.
   3. Leave it unpublished - if we may want to reuse (with updates) the announcement (for example, the next year).

Categories and Menus and the trash

• To manage (including create) categories use Structure|Category Manager.
• To reorder a menu use Structure|Menu Manager.  The instructions are at the top ("Ordering Menu Items").  (Drag the top category where you want it.)
• To find (and empty) the trash: Back end|Content|Page Trash (select file(s) and empty trash).

Website

Our website is hosted by http://www.mychurchwebsite.com/.

• • Church Website 3.0 Help Knowledgebase
  • Email support available at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

File Locations

Newsletters are in Images/documents