Article
11 November 2005
Important announcement: New VL Subscription Plans
At the last Visual Liturgy Wider Reference Panel, the users who attended
told us that they wanted content, content and more content: new hymns
and songs, hymn indexes, complete versions of the Bible in different
translations, all new official liturgy and complementary material, music
and images.
In order for us to provide this new content, and to continue to meet
the needs of users, it has been decided that the next generation of Visual
Liturgy will be provided using a subscription-based model. In effect, this
means that users will be required to purchase a 12-month subscription,
costing £52. Subscribers will receive an initial ‘launch pack’, and then for
one year, continue to receive regular software updates and new content
via download, as well as access to technical support, all for the
equivalent of only £1 per week.
Moving Visual Liturgy on to a subscription-based model will allow us
to finance a regular ‘drip-feed’ of material. It will be a significant change
from the current way of doing things, but we believe that it will make
your software more reliable and sustainable, whilst also providing the
regular availability of new content that users have requested.
David Pullinger, chair of the Visual Liturgy Task Group, said:
"This is an important and strategic move for Visual Liturgy. It will help to deliver a product for the Church
of England and other churches that is sustainable in the long-term. It’s important that we take a long-term
view because the electronic planning of worship and liturgy is becoming more common in our churches,
not less. We are being asked for many developments and more content and this move will enable us to
meet that challenge."
In practice, the new subscription model will be predominantly run online. As a registered Visual Liturgy
subscriber, the ONLINE UPDATE facility in Visual Liturgy will alert you when new updates are available,
and when you are ready, you can choose to download them. If you subscribe to an anti-virus program, you
will probably be familiar with the model. For users who do not use the Internet, a CD-ROM version of the
updates will be available.
The precise details of what will be available during the first year are still
to be confirmed, pending licencing deals with copyright holders. However, we
anticipate that the Church of England version will include Common Worship:
Daily Prayer, an updated version of Common Worship: Christian Initiation, as well as Common Worship: Ordination Services and Common Worship:Times and Seasons. There will also be extra hymn and song content, Bible material and new software facilities. In addition to new content,
subscribers will also be able to access technical support as part of their
subscription. This is a change to the current system, which allows all Visual
Liturgy users to access unlimited technical support at no additional charge.
Unfortunately, this system is no longer practical due to time constraints and
financial costs.
David Green, New Media Manager for Church House Publishing and Project Manager for Visual Liturgy, said:
"In the past, we have been more than happy to help in ways that big software companies wouldn’t
dream of – phoning customers back, replacing CD-ROMs for free and even visiting users at home.
Unfortunately, all that has a cost to the Church and in order to sustain the project in the long term,
it is important that these costs get covered. As a result, only those with active subscriptions will be
able to call us for the same level of help they currently receive. Those without active subscriptions
will be able to use the support area of the Visual Liturgy web site and the discussion forums in order
to seek help."
See also FAQs about the Subscription Plans
An article for vislit.com from Church House Publishing
What do you think of the new plans for VL?
Have your say in the Discussion Forums
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