📘 GWEM Build Blueprint

Complete documentation for replicating God's Watchmen Evangelical Ministry digital infrastructure. Version 1.0 — May 2026. Owner: Ezekiel Ebuetse.

The .docx and .pdf versions of this blueprint are also available in the project outputs folder. This Notion page mirrors that content for searchable in-Notion reference.

1. Executive Summary

GWEM (God's Watchmen Evangelical Ministry) is an online ministry publishing daily biblical wisdom nuggets, sermons, and teachings. This document captures the complete build of the digital infrastructure — from CMS to live website — and provides step-by-step replication instructions.

The architecture follows a content-first, automation-light philosophy suitable for a one-person operator with a day job: Notion as CMS, Super.so as renderer, MailChimp + Postiz as channels, single Zapier zap as glue.

End-of-Build State

• Notion CMS fully populated (428 sayings imported, categorized, ready to schedule)
• godswatchmen.org live with SSL
• Brand applied across Notion + Super.so (navy and gold palette, Lora serif)
• Email infrastructure operational (info@godswatchmen.org)
• Pending: MailChimp campaign setup, Postiz channel connection, single Zapier zap, homepage parent-page content cleanup

Total Operating Cost

Approximately $24/month + $12/year (single ministry Super.so site + free MailChimp tier + free Postiz tier + free Zapier tier + domain renewal).

2. Stack Overview

Architecture

Tooling Decisions

Why this stack (vs. the original blueprint)

• Original blueprint had 5 separate Zapier zaps (one per social channel). Postiz collapses this to 1 zap.
• Original blueprint suggested WordPress; replaced with Super.so for simpler Notion-as-CMS architecture.
• MailChimp RSS-to-Email replaces a Zapier-driven email automation, saving Zapier task quota.
• Sized appropriately for solo operator with a day job: ~3 hours setup, ~15 min/day to run.

3. Phase 1: Notion CMS Build

3.1 GWEM Parent Page

• Page name: GWEM — God's Watchmen Evangelical Ministry
• Page ID: 358a28fa-b471-8197-a91f-ff7d689ddac4
• Page icon: GWEM lighthouse logo (Custom icon, sourced from GWEM_Logo_500.jpg)
• Cover image: none (logo is square; covers are wide and would render stretched)

3.2 Daily Nuggets Database

• Database ID: aa94c0c9-0069-4841-9b44-03411bf73cd3
• Data Source ID: 3710cdf7-428f-49c8-8ce4-982f013706bc

Schema

Views

3.3 Sermons & Teachings Database

• Database ID: df89bfb8-645f-4bfb-848b-9e5d4465d62a

Schema

3.4 Public Site Pages

Built as sub-pages under GWEM parent.

3.5 Internal Pages (NOT public)

• Launch & Automation Playbook — recipes for MailChimp, Postiz, Zapier (operator only)
• Editor's Notes (Verse Audit) — paper trail of editorial review pass, 5 fixes accepted

4. Phase 2: Content Migration

4.1 Source Material

• 428 spiritual nuggets compiled from prior teaching ministry
• Original format: Word document with numbered list
• Pre-import editorial review caught 5 verse references requiring correction
• Audit trail kept in Editor's Notes Notion page

4.2 Import Process

428 sayings imported via 11 batched JSON files (b03.json through b13.json) using the Notion MCP notion-create-pages tool. Each batch was approximately 35 pages; the final batch (b13) contained 7 pages. The import was delegated to a sub-agent to keep the main session context lean. Verification: spot-checked saying #250, #301, #410, #422, #428 post-import. Total elapsed time: roughly 30 minutes.

4.3 Categorization

All 428 sayings tagged with one or more of 11 categories: Prayer, Faith, Word, Character, Obedience, Kingdom, Leadership, Wisdom, Service, Holy Spirit, Identity.

5. Phase 3: Branding Application

5.1 Branding Package

• Designer: Jmatis Visual NG
• Package contents:
• GWEM_Logo.svg (vector, primary)
• GWEM_Logo_HighRes.png (943×1198px)
• GWEM_1000.jpg (1001×1001px, social profile use)
• GWEM_Logo_500.jpg (500×500px, general web)
• GWEM_Logo_16.jpg (favicon)
• GWEM_Brand_Guidelines.pdf (3-page guide)
• Lucida_Fax_Demibold.ttf (offline use only — not for web embedding due to licensing)

5.2 Brand Colors

5.3 Brand Typography

• Headings (offline): Lucida Fax Demibold
• Headings (web equivalent): Lora — closest free Google Font match
• Body (offline): Arial Bold
• Body (web equivalent): Inter — clean, neutral, readable for long-form

5.4 Application

• Notion: GWEM logo set as parent page custom icon
• Super.so: full brand applied across all six Design sub-panels (see Section 7.2)

⚠️ Don't change Notion text colors or Super.so 'Forms' button colors. Those preserve content semantic meaning — changing them scrambles any colored text or callout backgrounds in the 428 sayings.

6. Phase 4: Domain & Email Infrastructure

6.1 Domain Registration

• Registrar: Network Solutions
• Domain: godswatchmen.org
• Renewal date: 20 February 2027 (auto-renew on)
• Cost: ~$12/yr

6.2 Email Setup

• Email: info@godswatchmen.org
• Webmail: Roundcube (via emailmg.ipage.com/roundcube)
• Recommended: forward to personal Gmail and configure 'Send mail as' with SMTP relay

6.3 Email Forwarding & Send-As Configuration

1. Roundcube → Settings → Filters → forward all mail to personal Gmail (keep copy on server)
2. Gmail → Settings → Accounts → 'Send mail as' → add info@godswatchmen.org
3. Choose 'Send through SMTP servers' (NOT Gmail's relay) to avoid 'via gmail.com' tag
4. SMTP host details from Network Solutions/iPage email setup
5. From name: 'God's Watchmen Evangelical Ministry'

⚠️ If you skip the SMTP setup and use Gmail's relay, recipients see 'info@godswatchmen.org via gmail.com' which undermines the ministry domain credibility.

6.4 Email Naming Decision

Started with one address only: info@godswatchmen.org. Avoided proliferation (no admin@, support@, pastor@). One inbox is easier to monitor consistently than several. Add ezekiel@godswatchmen.org later only if a real use case emerges.

7. Phase 5: Super.so Site Build

7.1 Account & Site Creation

• One Super.so account hosts multiple sites; ministry site created as a separate site alongside the existing personal portfolio
• Connected to Notion via the GWEM parent page integration
• Plan: Personal ($12/month) — required for custom domain
• Default temp URL was key-basilisk.super.site (auto-generated; replaced by godswatchmen.org)

7.2 Design Configuration

Apply via Super.so → Design sidebar.

Colors → Main

Colors → Navbar

Colors → Footer

Colors → Sidebar

Colors → Database

Colors → DO NOT CHANGE

• Notion section (Gray, Brown, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, Red) — content semantic colors
• Forms section (Button Default through Button Red) — Notion's color palette intent
• Scrollbar — leave default

Typography

Layout

Blocks

Database

Navigation styling

7.3 Navigation Menu Setup

Create these 6 items in Super.so → Navigation → Manage menu items. ALWAYS link to PAGES (file icon), never to DATABASES (folder icon).

Navbar

• Type: Style 1 / Simple — horizontal layout with active page highlight
• Items: all 6 menu items in master order

Footer

• Type: Stack
• Menu items: only About, Subscribe, Contact (3 items)
• Logo: enabled
• Divider: Enable
• Footnote: © 2026 God's Watchmen Evangelical Ministry. All rights reserved.

Menu logo

• Logo image: GWEM lighthouse (auto-pulled from Notion parent page icon)
• Click target: Home page

7.4 SEO Configuration

Site-wide

• Search Engine Indexing: DISABLED until launch day, then enable

Per-page (homepage minimum)

• Title: God's Watchmen Evangelical Ministry — Daily Biblical Truth
• Description: Daily biblical truth and spiritual nuggets for vigilance, faith, and gospel-centered living. Inspired wisdom sayings from God's Watchmen Evangelical Ministry.
• Image: GWEM_1000.jpg

⚠️ When pasting Title and Description, strip the 'Title:' and 'Description:' prefixes from your notes — easy mistake that ends up showing publicly.

Pages to NOINDEX

• /daily-nuggets (raw database)
• /launch-automation-playbook (internal ops)
• /sermons-teachings-1 (duplicate slug)

8. Phase 6: DNS Connection

8.1 Required Records (per Super.so)

8.2 Update Procedure (Network Solutions)

1. Network Solutions → Domains → godswatchmen.org → Advanced DNS Settings
2. Locate existing A record @ (default points to Network Solutions hosting). Edit → change 'Points to' to 76.76.21.21. Save.
3. In A records section, click 'SHOW MORE ⌄' to reveal hidden records. Find A record www (default points to Network Solutions hosting). Click three-dot menu → DELETE. Confirm.
4. CNAME section → Add new → Refers to: www. Alias to: cname.super.so (hostname, NOT IP). TTL: 1 Hour. Save.
5. In Super.so, click 'I've updated my DNS settings' to trigger verification.

8.3 GOTCHA: The Hidden www A Record

Network Solutions auto-creates a www A record pointing to their hosting infrastructure. When attempting to add a CNAME for www, you'll see this error:

❌ 'A record already exists for www.godswatchmen.org., please remove the A record first'

The www A record is HIDDEN by default. You must click 'SHOW MORE ⌄' to reveal it. Delete it (not edit) — the CNAME will then save successfully.

8.4 Records to PRESERVE (do not delete)

These keep info@godswatchmen.org email working. Touching them breaks email.

• A records: email, ftp, imap, mail, mx (×2), pop, smtp, webmail (all 66.96.147.x)
• All MX records (mail routing)
• CNAME _acme-challenge (SSL cert validation)

8.5 Verification

• Tool: whatsmydns.net
• Check godswatchmen.org type A → expect 76.76.21.21
• Check www.godswatchmen.org type CNAME → expect cname.super.so
• Propagation: typically 15min–2hr; in this build ~10 minutes

9. Phase 7: Launch

9.1 Activation

1. Super.so site activated
2. Plan upgraded to Personal ($12/month) to unlock custom domain
3. Custom domain godswatchmen.org connected via Domains panel
4. SSL: Super.so auto-provisions Let's Encrypt cert within 15-60 minutes of domain connection
5. Confirmed live: site renders with brand, navigation, and SSL

9.2 Open Items at End of Build Session

10. Pending: Automation Stack

10.1 MailChimp (RSS-to-Email)

1. Create free MailChimp account
2. Verify info@godswatchmen.org as sender
3. Build audience (single list)
4. Create RSS-to-Email automation; feed URL: godswatchmen.org/feed (or similar from Super.so)
5. Schedule: 6:00 AM daily
6. From name: 'God's Watchmen Evangelical Ministry'; from email: info@godswatchmen.org
7. Brand the email template with logo and navy/gold colors
8. Embed signup form on Subscribe page

10.2 Postiz (Social Scheduling)

1. Create Postiz account (free tier or self-hosted)
2. Connect channels — start with Telegram only for soft launch
3. Test a manual post
4. Add Facebook Page, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads in subsequent weeks

10.3 Zapier (Single Zap)

1. Create Zapier free account
2. Build ONE zap: Trigger = Notion (new published nugget in Daily Nuggets, Status=Published); Action = Postiz (broadcast to connected channels)
3. MailChimp handled separately by RSS-to-Email — no Zapier action needed
4. Replaces original blueprint's 5 separate per-channel zaps

11. Operational Cadence

Default daily publish: 6:00 AM. Weekday theme rotation per blueprint.

12. Troubleshooting & Lessons Learned

12.1 Things That Tripped Us Up

1. www A record in Network Solutions — hidden by default, blocks CNAME creation. Click 'SHOW MORE' to find and delete.
2. CNAME alias cannot be an IP — DNS rule. CNAME must point to a hostname.
3. 'Sermons & Teachings' HTML encoding — appeared in Notion sidebar after database creation; fixed by manual rename.
4. Super.so 'Default' navbar type — counterintuitively means 'no nav menu, just Notion breadcrumb.' Must select Style 1/2/3 to display menu items.
5. Super.so SEO override 'Title:' prefix — easy to accidentally paste documentation labels as part of values.
6. GWEM parent page renders publicly — the page Super.so connects to becomes the homepage. Internal content gets exposed unless moved or rewritten.
7. Logo as cover image — don't. Logo is square, covers are wide; renders stretched.
8. Cloudflare false positive — Super.so flagged 'Using Cloudflare?' on Network Solutions DNS. Ignored.

12.2 Critical Don'ts

• Don't link nav menu items to databases (folder icon); always link to pages (file icon)
• Don't customize Notion text colors or Forms button colors in Super.so
• Don't enable Search Engine Indexing before content cleanup
• Don't delete email-related A records when configuring DNS
• Don't proliferate email addresses; one info@ inbox is easier to monitor
• Don't pre-open MailChimp/Postiz/Zapier accounts long before configuring

12.3 Smart Decisions Worth Repeating

• One inbox (info@godswatchmen.org) instead of proliferating addresses
• Postiz instead of per-channel Zapier fan-out (5 zaps → 1)
• MailChimp RSS-to-Email instead of Zapier email automation (saves Zapier tasks)
• Sub-agent delegation for batch saying imports (preserved main context)
• Per-page SEO override on homepage only at launch; rest can wait
• Web font (Lora/Inter) for site, keep Lucida Fax for offline assets only
• Soft-launch to 5-10 friends before public announcement

13. Costs & Subscriptions

Total recurring: ~$12/month + $12/year = ~$156/year.

Personal portfolio site (ezekielebuetse.com) is on its own separate $12/mo Super.so subscription, unaffected.

14. Appendices

A. Super.so Page Slugs Reference

B. Editor's Notes Summary

5 verse-reference fixes applied during pre-import editorial pass. Full audit trail in Editor's Notes Notion page.

Spot-checked sayings post-import:

• #80 'Silence is a system of dominion' — confirmed
• #92 'God is unlimited' — confirmed
• #113 'When God wants to lift a man' — confirmed
• #146 'Honour is a spiritual currency' — confirmed
• #250, #301, #410, #422, #428 — confirmed during batch import verification

C. Future Enhancements (Parking Lot)

• White/reversed logo variant — order from Jmatis when needed
• Icon-only logo variant — for tight social spaces
• Per-page SEO overrides on remaining 5 public pages
• Schema markup (Article, Quotation) for SEO rich snippets
• Mobile app version (long-term, optional)
• Donation/giving integration
• Live event / speaking calendar embed
• Multilingual content (start with English-Yoruba or English-French)

D. Replication Checklist (One-Page Summary)

End of blueprint. The .docx and .pdf versions are stored in the Cowork outputs folder for download/print.