Assurances about Feedblitz, Links, and RSS Feeds. Let me say upfront that, despite the new look, there should be NO changes in functionality for your feedblitz subscription, for your links, or for your rss feeds. Everything should work just as it did before.
Enhanced Newsletter Capability. With the new look comes a better process for those who wish to receive the House Church Blog (now SimpleChurch Journal) in your email box. IF you previously subscribed to this blog through feedblitz, then skip this part… you are all set. You do NOT need to subscribe again. However, if you have not subscribed before, then you can receive all of the posts in your email box. AND, your email box will not be flooded with mail. Instead, every 2-3 weeks you will receive ONE email with all of the posts you have not read (usually 2-4 articles). Your email information will be kept confidential. You can sign up for this here.
So, Why the New Look? I started the House Church Blog early in 2004 as a place to process my own transitioning thoughts. It provided a place for me to think, dump, and listen to others. I have met and continue to interact with many wonderful “commenters.” It has been an invaluable meeting place for me as I have walked through this season. At the same time, the House Church Blog also became a resource for others who are transitioning. Without knowing anything about search engines, it turns out that Google likes blogs and that many people who google house-church topics end up at this site. As a result, over the years, I have attempted to make it a useful tool for others. One example of this is providing “The Basics” (right hand column) which many people read through when they first come to the site.
So… these current changes are about making the House Church Blog even more useful. It seems that I receive more and more emails requesting “newsletter” type info that can be delivered into people’s inboxes. In fact, several years after “blogs” became the in-thing, it turns out that only about 10% of all computer users make use of rss feeds (which is what makes blogs easy to access and read). This means that most people are relying on info that comes into their email boxes to stay up-to-date. So, rather than start a newsletter project, I am morphing the House Church Blog into a combo. It will still function “blog-like” exactly like before. AND, with the help of feedblitz (which I was already using), I can send out 2 or 3 posts at once (just like a newsletter) into people’s email inboxes. This will allow more people access to the articles and community that make up this blog. Again, if you would like to subscribe to this feature, check here.
New Name? Well, that was just the icing on the cake for me. All of this gave me the opportunity to go with a new name and look… just feeling like it was makeover time.
Let me know if you have any questions!
