JourneyOnline
As part of the Together on the way, enriching community journey the Queensland Synod has been experiencing many new
and exciting changes.
Currently, there is a pressing need to move a significant number of websites owned or maintained by the Synod office,
congregations, presbyteries and agencies across the Uniting Church in Queensland to a new server.
Part-time Web Migration Project Officer, Anna Lagos, has been appointed to assist the process and liaise between site operators and the Synod’s Information Technology staff .
A range of WordPress templates has been purchased for site owners to work with.
This makes updating and maintaining websites easier as well as giving them a fresh, modern look.
“I am contacting all the churches whose websites need to be updated and moved whilst also giving them information about what needs to happen,” said Ms Lagos.
“Then I will be helping them through the rebuilding process and providing some training for the webmasters on the WordPress tool.
“We will make it as smooth as possible and help people as much as we can to move to the new environment.
“That means training sessions over the phone or on Skype or some people might be able to do it in person,” she said.
Together on the way Project Officer, Lyndelle Gunton said that the Web Migration Project is a direct outcome of the Church’s Priority Direction C: Developing sustainable mission oriented organisation for the Church in Queensland.
“The Web Migration Project is preparing us for sustainable mission,” she said.
“Part of that is improving our technological capabilities.”
She said many Synod office websites will also be going through the process.
According to Richard Reising’s book Church Marketing 101: Preparing Your Church for Greater Growth, visitors will evaluate six to 12 websites before they decide which church they will physically visit.
Ms Lagos said that in this day and age it is an expectation that people can go to the internet and easily obtain helpful information.
“It is just part of the everyday tools that people use to communicate,” she said.
Ms Gunton said the journey may not be trouble-free, but it will be done together.
“The Synod office will be walking alongside people,” she said.
An online web forum is one way for people to help each other with suggestions and ideas.
“We are all learning as we go down the path and in a way the forum can be used for that, if someone has a great idea, we can use that to help other congregations on the path,” she said.
“We will get there together.”
Photo: Lyndelle Gunton and Anna Lagos, ready to help. Photo by Osker Lau.
