Yep…it is finally up and running. I got the call Thursday afternoon that they were getting ready to “turn it on,” and a rush of exhilaration, coupled with anxiety, flooded my thoughts. I knew there were still some “issues” that need resolving but decided that we would probably be working out some bugs for the next few weeks. That night was a late one as I tried to ensure most things were current, and Friday was a really wonderful day of God’s divine solutions. So many things came together to get the site up and running - as smooth as possible - that God must have surely been in control.

A note of special thanks needs to be extended to our AG leadership here, as we would not even have an office or web site if not for their support, and also to all the great IT folks who helped make this happen - especially Jimmy and Rob. Thanks so much for putting up with my pestering and ignorance at what was needed. Who would have thought all the minutiae that is a part of web design and programming! You just can’t imagine all the pieces of the puzzle that are running in the background to make the web site run smoothly…and these guys make it look so easy.

If you have seen the old site you will notice that the functionality is basically the same (hopefully) but that the appearance has changed. We have tried to keep it simple, and focused more on the function side of the site than the glitz and glamor. There is some “flash” on the site but hopefully not so much that folks with a “dial up” connection can’t enjoy the benefits that we are trying to offer. Sometimes waiting for a flash player segment to load on a person’s website can be very aggravating:).

The new site does incorporate some new features. We have added this open blog, which will hopefully be a blessing and allow us to hear from “the field.” Don’t expect me to blog every day (you can see my history), but I will do my best to keep my nose to the proverbial blog grindstone. We have also added some options for polls online and the online store will be much easier for us to maintain and ship orders. Gospel Publishing House is helping us in that area. We have also added more articles, photos, events calendar, devotional, and a district search for evangelists. The Message of the Month is now available in podcast format so that you can “subscribe” to it, as well as the 24 bit rate download as before. The evangelists highlight should stay the same, with a slightly new look.

All in all I hope the transition is a nice one, but if you notice things that do not seem to “work” please let us know. The site works best with the FireFox web browser (all the IT folks rave about it) and you can search for it online - it’s free. Internet Explorer works o.k., and especially if you have the latest version, as well as AOL. Again, thanks for checking out the site, sharing it with your friends, signing up for our monthly newsletter if you haven’t already, and being a part of helping us be better at what God has called us to do - being witnesses for Him. May the Lord bless you all richly….Marshall.