single person emailing, web software

[serena]

When I do an advance search and only one person comes up, why is there no
email, letter, envelop option?

Web: Once our website is all set up. Will we be able to edit the pages on
any computer through the ascribe login under content, pages. Or do I have to
purchase a software?

[Truman]

Hi Serena,

When you do a search and only one person shows, it is because only one person was found. If that person has an email address, you can click on it and launch your own email program to send an email. There is also a "print a letter" button under the photo which you can use to print a letter for the person.

And yes, you can certainly use Ascribe to create and edit web pages. No additional software is needed, unless you need to create graphics or special layouts (and you do not know HTML). Ascribe's web page editor requires that you use either Internet Explorer 6+ on WinXP or Firefox on either Macs or PCs.

Truman

[lindsayl]

can you describe to me how editing web site is set up in ascribe. Is it through my login, under content, pages, list of pages, edit? Will we be transfering the pages from the ftp into the ascribe system? Or do I have to go through the ftp where it is currently to update the content on the pages?

[Truman]

Hi Lindsay,

This will be a long explanation so bear with me. But first the short version: not only is Ascribe a member database for churches, but it is also a web publishing system to help churches manage and publish their website.

Long version:

Option #1: Do not use Ascribe to publish your website. Host it somewhere else.

With this option, you publish your website completely separate from the Ascribe service.

Option #2: Do not use Ascribe to publish your website. Host it on the Ascribe server.

With this option, you can simply use Ascribe's web hosting account to host a website which you manage with your own software (e.g., Microsoft Frontpage). Using this third-party software, you create the website and upload it via FTP to the Ascribe server.

Option #3: Host and publish your website using Ascribe.

The following are 10 steps it takes to create an Ascribe-powered website:
 
1. Purchase a domain name for your church website. (You have this already. Check with Kevin Garibaldi because there seems to be some issue with moving this domain name to the Ascribe servers.)
2. Think about the focus of the site. Is it targeted to church members, believers looking for a church, unchurched non-believers?
3. Create a site map which lists all the titles of the pages you wish to have in the website in order to reach your goals for the site.
4. Write out the content of each of the pages of your website. This will probably be the most time consuming steps in the process as it will require that you get information from every ministry in your church.
5. Collect graphics and photos that you wish to use to decorate the site.
6. Design the website using professional web design software such as Macromedia Dreamweaver and Adobe Photoshop, or purchase a website template. Website templates can be purchased at Template Monster.
7. Create one or more skins in Ascribe using HTML templates based on the HTML code from your web design(s).
8. Use the web pages module in Ascribe to create and input all your pages and content, and in so doing build out the hierarchical site map of the site.
9. Use the various content management modules to enter data for the database-driven pages in the site. For example, enter all the upcoming events into the events module so that when you publish the church event calendar on the website it will have events in it.
10. Publish the site using Ascribe.

Step #7 (creating the Skin in Ascribe based on your website design) is a complicated task. This should be handled by someone who is a web designer. Or I can do this for your at my consulting rate.

Once the skin for your website is set, use the Content > Pages module to set up all the pages in your website. Then for certain database driven pages (such as an events calendar, announcements page) use the appropriate modules in Ascribe to enter data.

There are many, many options to creating a website. I can best help you if I know a detailed description of what you need in a website.

Truman

[serena]

okay, back to single-person-search letters. when i search for a household and come up with one household...how do i create a letter/enter them into a letter template?

[Truman]

Hmm, okay, I guess I should add a function button to the household record to print a letter. Give me some time and I'll add that in.

thanks,
Truman

[lindsayl]

can you also make a labels and export feature for a single person. Thanks Truman!

[Truman]

I'll add it to my list. But you can already download a "business card" for a single person. Would that suffice for a single person export?

Truman