Monday, December 22, 2014

New Bethany Website and Technology Changes

Bethany Lutheran Church
76 W. Crystal Lake Ave
Crystal Lake, IL  60014
815-459-2690
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New Website

And Other Technology Changes

Behind the scenes, Bethany Lutheran Staff and volunteers have been working hard these last few months creating a new website as we transition away from Member Connect (our old email system, which is going away as of Dec. 31).  

Below is a preview of our new website. There will likely be some technology hiccups as we transfer old data to new systems, so please be patient with us if things aren't quite like you are used to when the new year begins! Let us know if (a) you stop receiving emails after the new year or if (b) you are receiving unwanted emails.  

Blessings,
Bethany Staff

Same Address, New Look

This is the home page for our new website.  You'll notice right away that we tried to make the site friendly to first time visitors.  Hopefully folks looking for a new church home will be able to get a good feel for Bethany Lutheran Church.  

Further down on the main page, you'll notice  we've also included important information like our worship times, ways to get involved and calendar items from the Bethany Weekly.  By scrolling down the page, you'll also find a map so visitors can find our church and some other links and information.

Don't worry about having to find our new website.  We will be keeping the same web address that we've always used (www.bethanylc.com). Until the new site goes up (on or before Jan. 1), www.bethanylc.com will continue to take you to the old page, but after it goes up, you will automatically be directed to the new webpage.  You won't need to change anything! The same bookmarks you've always used will take you to the new webpage. 

Calendar

You'll be able to find a lot of fun new features on the website, including a "Virtual Tour" of our building, a short history of our church, and many other things. When the site goes up (don't worry, we'll let you before it happens), please take some time to browse around and familiarize yourself with all the new additions.

Perhaps one of the most critical features is the new calendar. To find the calendar, simply scroll your mouse over the the "Connect" tab near the top of the screen, and click "Calendar" from the drop down menu.  Here you'll be able to find everything that is happening at Bethany in the near and distant future.

Member Invitation

The new website has some members-only features that will allow you to access information that non-members can't, but in order to do so you will need to "Sign In."  Sometime in the next few weeks, you will receive an email that will look something like the photo you see above.  In order to set up an account, you will need to click the "Accept Invitation" link and then follow the online instructions to create a profile for the site.  If you don't receive an email like this by January 1, let us know.

Once your account is set up, you'll be able to log in directly from the homepage by clicking "Sign In" at the top right corner of the new website.

Once signed up, you will be able to access information such as phone numbers and addresses of other Bethany Members by scrolling over to the "Connect" tab at the top of the new web page, and then clicking "Members" from the drop down menu.  

If you don't create an account, you will still be able to visit most pages on the new website. However, you won't be able to access the "Members Only" features.

As with any technology changes, we expect there to be some bumps in the road.  Please let us know if you stop receiving emails, if emails are sent to the wrong address, or if you are receiving unwanted emails after the new year.  

Copyright © 2014 Bethany Lutheran Church, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are a member or friend of Bethany Lutheran Church.

Our mailing address is:
Bethany Lutheran Church
76 W. Crystal Lake Ave
Crystal Lake, IL 60014

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