As we find ourselves firmly entrenched in the year 2024, it’s evident that change is afoot at Koinonia House. From the relocation of our premises from Idaho to Florida, to the transition of familiar faces and the addition of fresh talent, the winds of transformation are blowing through our organization. I’m here to provide a glimpse into the exciting updates unfolding in our online sphere, to help make our resources more accessible.
Website Update
First off is the major update to our website (www.khouse.org). Our website was desperately in need of an update, and over the last six years, it was on my to-do list. Although it was started many times, it always got pushed back with higher priorities and projects… to the point that it became a bit of an inside joke… “I won’t be fired until the website’s done.” I also get a lot of junk mail, and some more sincere. “Hey, want us to rebuild you a new website?” So, it was time for an exercise in faith, and I’ve finally rebuilt the website!... I’m confident I’ll still have a job on Monday… I have a few other projects I haven’t finished yet, just in case! 😉
While there’s not a huge change visually, there has been some tidying up and should be easier to navigate, and mobile friendly, with a clean layout that should allow you to find what you’re looking for without too much effort.
Most of the improvements are made behind the scenes, with updated hosting, data management, platform, etc. In our old site, while it was fed from a database (as most dynamic websites are), most of our content did not fully utilize this in regards to relational content (where one piece of content is related to another). It was very static, meaning that any links between content had to be manually connected and those links maintained. It seems very rudimentary by today’s standards, but that’s how long it’s been since our site was built. So, we’ve laid the foundation for this in our new site and will expand as our content increases. This means that on any particular article, you may see related products, other articles, videos, categories, or even Strategic Trends (trends that impact us all).
When we started the Personal Update back in the 90s, periodical news and updates were pretty standard for the day. There was no social media, no online streaming, no ‘binge watching’, or short form content. Today, there’s a constant flow of information and points of interest. So our Personal Update will eventually transition from a monthly periodical, to a continuous flow of articles, information, and blog entries in this section.
Koinonia Institute
Since its launch in 2005, Koinonia Institute has seen more than thirty thousand students sign up. Over that time, we’ve added more courses, made improvements, and, with the amazing support of our donors, switched KI from paid to free enrolment! We’ve also made course materials more accessible, with many of the Bronze materials available free (from our store, KHouse TV, or our official YouTube channel). We’ve also recently set up a private Facebook Discussion group for students who would like to connect with each other or ask questions.
The next exciting chapter in KI is that we are well underway in rebuilding the KI website from the ground up. This represents a significant upgrade and endeavor, but some of the new improvements to look forward to are exciting!:
- Easier sign-up and login, including the ability to choose your own username upon registration, or updating your profile details, including updating or changing your e-mail address.
- Cleaner, simpler interface to use, and this is no exaggeration!
- Mobile friendly design
- System stability and quicker interface response
- Less email SPAM in your inbox
- Instant, self-printable certificates
- Ability to do a course offline, then sync with your account later
And probably one of the most exciting:
- Ability to interface with KI solely via a mobile app!
Needless to say, this is a big project that we hope to finish this year… we’ll see. Combine the new KI with KHouse TV, and you can study while on the go, anywhere, anytime.
KHouse TV
KHouse TV subscribers have been steadily growing since we launched in March 2022. In fact, as Faith Based organizations go, we’re one of the few that have maintained steady growth since launching, which says something about the quality of content, and sound teaching, people are longing for in these current times.
We have maintained our in-store streaming while transitioning to the more accessible KHouse TV platform. However, we should have all our current in-store content transferred to KHouse TV by the end of this year. At that point, we will disable and remove the in-store streaming service.
KHouse TV is available via the KHouse TV website and also via the various KHouse TV apps (check your Smart TV or mobile app stores) and includes the following features:
Standard Features
- Stream Video and Audio content
- Ad-free
- Large selection of free content
- Access recordings via app or web
- Background Audio Playback
- Cast to compatible device
Paid Subscription App Features
- Access to premium content (Chuck Missler Commentaries,
for example) - Resume from where you left off
- Personalized Playlist
- Background Audio Playback
- Optional ‘New Content’ notification
- Monthly and Annual subscriptions are available. Cancel any-time
- Download for offline play.
Visit KHouse TV here: www.khouse.tv.
