Here’s what you need to do to upgrade your congregation’s website from a previous version to latest version.

1. Make a backup

Create a backup of the entire site, in case things go wrong and you need to return the site to the state it’s in before you started the upgrade.

If you haven’t already done so, consider installing a backup plugin, such as BackWPUp. Here is an article that reviews a number of widely-used WordPress plugins that make it easy to create regular backups of your site. If you’re on a better host (like WP Engine or Flywheel) there will likely be an option to create a site snapshot.

2. Update to version 1.3.3

Look for a message in the Dashboard (Appearance > Themes) about the update being available. Click Update to update to the new version. WordPress will download the new version and install it. If you are not sure which version you are using, hover over the theme picture on the Appearance > Themes page and click “Theme Details”.

If your site is not set up to do updates through the Dashboard, you can download the theme files and use SFTP to manually upload it to the wp-content/themes directory, replacing the one that’s there.

3. Display a site-wide banner if needed

Version 1.3.1 adds the ability to display a banner at the top of every page on the site.

4. Test out the site

Click around the site to check that everything looks right.

If not, you have the option of restoring your backup from step 1.