Churches are really no different than any other business concerning their IT needs. There is always data to process, store and protect. The mission of the PCN Information Technology Department is to provide help to the pastors, staff and other servants of God to use technology to meet ministry needs with minimal effort and expense.

Over the last couple of years we have made steady progress in updating our IT systems and infrastructure. We have added three new web sites (church, preschool and the church intranet). We have installed almost 3,000 feet of new cabling throughout the campus with new servers, switches, routers, VoIP telephone system, server racks and many other improvements.

We are now in the process of updating the PCN web site and have added some new features. One being this blog section. This communication asset will help equip our church family with the best information available and help us spread the word of God in the digital age.

At the PCN Preschool we have installed and implemented the Procare Software® system. This enables the staff to easily track and manage all aspects of child care, from authorized pickups to shot records and everything in between. This gives the staff more time to care for, and nurture the children. The touch screen check in/out system speeds up pickup and drop off times and the new magnetic door lock improves the safety and security of the building.

By switching our phone services to a VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phone system we save hundreds of dollars a month in expenses. The savings in phone bills alone has covered a substantial amount of our IT upgrades.

Now you may think all this has cost tons of money. Quite the contrary. We have streamlined server services and use Open Source (free) software to run many of our systems. Our servers are much smaller use less power and cost less to maintain and operate. Our server systems utilize the Linux (free) operating systems and are FAR more reliable than Microsoft server software that can cost mega bucks. As an example the VoIP Phone Server, and the "Genesis" server (thought this would be a good name for our main server) have been continuously running without a reboot, virus, or any other hick-up for over 4 months now!

We put forth every effort to be good stewards and are always looking for ways to improve our systems and cut expenses. We are also looking for volunteers! If you have experience in the IT field, web design, graphic design, networking etc. please hit me with an email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .