Deciding
Below are some key considerations to help you decide if WEC is right for your ministry. Please review this page and then go to the WEC Readiness Check page. This automated 15-question self-assessment will help you assess whether WEC is right for you and whether you are ready for web ministry. The self-assessment will provide personalized recommendations in five categories based on your responses to the multiple choice questions. Take the self-assessment as many times as you'd like.
Examine your Current Internet Ministry
If you have a website, are you satisfied with the capabilities of your website?
Please note that the WEC will not create or improve your content. Excellent up-to-date content requires hard work to create and requires a long-term commitment to maintain and enhance. However, WEC can make it easier to enter and to maintain your content. And, WEC can provide many new ministry-enhancing capabilities.
Do the members of your staff and the people you desire to connect with have Internet access and are they open to using it?
Clearly, WEC requires that a meaningful portion of the people connected to your ministry (locally and around the world) have Internet access. However, you do not need to have a technology savvy community. Only basic Internet knowledge and appreciation is needed.
Do you want to enhance your ministry effectiveness with your website?
If the purpose of your website is solely to provide general information about your ministry, then moving to WEC will have only minimal value. The power of WEC is only realized if you desire to take your website to the next step by enhancing and expanding your ministries using the unique capabilities of the Internet.
Examine the WEC Ministry
Do you believe in the FFE and the WEC mission?
Please examine the FFE website and this WEC ministry website.
Is the Holy Spirit telling you that you should be part of a movement like this?
Please understand that this ministry is ONLY about Jesus Christ and expanding Christian ministries using Internet technology. If this is not your desire as well then WEC is probably not right for you.
Are you comfortable with the future plans for WEC?
The FFE has made a substantial and long-term commitment to WEC. So, WEC is likely to be around for a long time. WEC software is free and you will have it on your server when you install it. So, you have the option of continuing to use the software independent of WEC or the TYPO3 content management system. It is very difficult to predict the future of technology. However, WEC is purposely built upon some of the most popular open source software in an effort to help ensure long-term viability.
Examine the Work Ahead
Are you willing to commit to a web ministry?
An excellent ministry website is never completed. Instead, it is an ongoing ministry that requires ongoing effort to sustain and enhance it.
Are you willing to work with a new system that is in development?
WEC is now in the early stages of development. User support, training, and ease-of-use enhancements are planned for, but they need to be fully developed. Using the WEC is more difficult now and will become easier as the development continues. Also, future enhancements to the WEC will require that you make changes to keep up to date. So, please know that changes are coming and will need to be accommodated.
Do you have time to learn to use TYPO3?
For basic websites, users with skills in operating a computer can typically learn to enter basic web pages in one day or less, but more advanced administrative features will likely take several weeks. Fortunately, WEC provides links, training, documentation, and technical support (via online community) to help learn how to use TYPO3.
Are you able to take on the additional work required to move your site to the WEC-TYPO3 platform?
In order to use WEC, you do not need to move your entire site to WEC because WEC can run with pages that are generated outside of WEC. However, in time, you will probably want to migrate your site to WEC in order to operate with a single system, and to get the full benefit of WEC. Developing a new website, or moving all or a portion of your old website to the WEC platform can be a significant effort. In most cases, it is not possible to move a site automatically. This is true of most any move to a content management system. The manual process involves:
- Using a WEC template or creating a new one
- Downloading all your graphics and uploading them into WEC
- Creating and reassembling your pages by placing images and pasting in the text
- Identifying and migrating any active components such as a calendaring system
In general, the process is not difficult, but it can be time consuming depending on the size and complexity of your website. The best way to determine the challenge ahead is to install WEC and to create a few pages that match different pages in your old website.
Consider Supporting the WEC Movement
Would you like to help the WEC movement grow?
WEC is in need of unpaid servants (both organizations and individuals) who share our passion for the WEC mission and are able to provide time and resources to help.
Are you able to fulfill any of these needs?
- Assisting churches and ministries in moving to WEC (we call these people "WEC Circuit Riders")
- Establishing WEC user groups
- Testing new WEC software
- Writing and reviewing documents
- Creating and evaluating online training
- Developing new templates
- Developing, and enhancing ministry extensions
- Integrating other open source software into TYPO3
- Helping advertise WEC
- Praying for WEC on a regular basis
Are you willing to submit to the WEC Covenant Agreement?
We ask for all supporters of WEC to agree to the WEC Covenant Agreement for Individuals or for Organizations. Please print and sign the agreement and mail it to:
Foundation for Evangelism
P.O. Box 985
Lake Junaluska, NC 28745
WEC Readiness Check
Now, please go to the WEC Readiness Check page. As mentioned above, this automated 15-question self-assessment will help you assess whether WEC is right for you and whether you are ready for web ministry. The self-assessment will provide personalized recommendations in five categories based on your responses to the multiple choice questions. Take the self-assessment as many times as you'd like.
