Site Update: Implemented and Forthcoming Features

Well, I've been working hard on the new site, trying to get everything working. Unfortunately, putting together a website with the complexity of this new site is somewhat of a daunting task, and getting things to work correctly is not always an easy task. However, the development of the site is moving along quite well, and I'm happy to bring everyone up to date on some of the features of the new site. Some were, sort of, available on the old site, and others were not. Either way, everything works differently now, so I'll explain as I go through everything.

Audio
The new audio section is one of the new features of which I am most proud. One of the reasons sermons never were posted online in the past was because there was no efficient way to upload and organize them online (of course, the lack of sound room Internet access was also to blame). However, the new audio section allows considerably easier uploading and organizing of audio files. An added bonus, due to the management systems' creation of RSS feeds for everything is that we can offer all messages as a podcast. The general RSS version is available now for any audio player than can handle it (this includes iTunes), however I am in the process of making the feed iTunes "friendly," and upon doing so will submit the feed for inclusion in the iTunes Online Store podcasting directory, making podcasts even more accessable through iTunes.

Blogs
Obviously, if you're reading this you've discovered that the new site features blogs. As of now, the only blog active is this one, my media ministry blog. However, all site users classified as "Ministry Leaders" will automatically have the capability of posting entries on their own blogs. This means that updates on ministry activities should be much more easily disseminated through the ministry blogs.

Events
This section is similar to the calendar area on the old site. On the new site, the calendar is more tightly integrated with the website, thus making it less awkward to access. Furthermore, the interface is more intuitive, and is therefore easier to update. Again, we benefit from the RSS feed capabilites of the Drupal system, and RSS feeds are available for upcoming events.

This new site also features a built in system for volunteering for events online. This allows volunteers to sign up for duty from the convenience of their computer at any time. This also gives event organizers a unified system for keeping track of who will be working in addition to their contact information. Also, this system will send e-mail reminders to those who are signed up as volunteers a day before the event.

Forums
Another carry over from the last site. Forums on the last site were, unfortunately, unpopular, and were ultimately discontinued due to security problems. However, the new forums should be more secure due to the tighter user restrictions in place on the new site that disallow automated registration (read: that stops spambots). Functionality is relatively basic, for the time being, but enhancements should be added in time, and depending on how well the forums catch on this time around.

Gallery
Also a carry over from the last site. As with everything else, the gallery is more tightly integrated into the site design (as well as the content management system). This is strictly for posting images of church events, and is pretty self-explanatory.

News
While we did offer a news section for events coming up in the church, the old news section was difficult to maintain. This new news section is much more easily maintained, and should result in easier updates. News items will have their own permanent section, as well as being featured on the front page. For advanced users, news, like everything else, can be accessed through RSS feeds.

Prayer
One thing I had always wanted to do in the past was to offer a section that allowed users to submit prayer requests. In the new site, I have set up a system for submitting prayer requests, although this system will likely need to be redesigned in the future. Perferably, the prayer requests section would allow for both public and private posts such that public posts would be readible online by anyone while private posts would only be readable by prayer committe members or the pastor. This functionality is still planned. Another feature that, I hope will be forthcoming, is the ability to forward prayer requests via e-mail to prayer committe members so that prayer requests may be immediately dealt with.

So, there you are. A look at where the site stands, and where we are hopefully going. Stay tuned, and I'll keep you up-to-date on the work as it progresses.

-Chris