Church Loses Domain to a Porn Site

By Emily Aronson @ http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/10282006/nhnews-ph-dov-church.website.html

DOVER -- Hope Community Church is trying to spread the word about its new Web site and disavow its former domain name.

Because of an error, a pornography company bought the church's old domain name unbeknownst to the church. The church's new Web site is www.hopeacc.org.

Pastor Steve Spearing said Friday the mix-up happened a few weeks ago when the church changed Internet service providers. Spearing said he believed the church could keep its Web site name, which contained the words "life" and "Christ."

But the old service provider put the address up for sale and it was bought by a pornographic Web site.

Spearing said he didn't realize the site had been sold until he got a call from a Massachusetts woman who was interested in moving to the area and was doing research on the Internet about local churches.

"She asked what kind of a church we were and then she said, 'Do you know that your Web site is connected to a porn site,' and I said 'No, ma'am,'" Spearing said.

He said he was aghast, especially because the church had just handed out fliers with the old Web site name at Dover's Apple Harvest Day.

The church has spent the last few weeks trying to figure out how this happened, he said, and recently received a letter from the Internet service provider admitting it made a mistake by selling the domain name.

"They said we could buy it back, but we don't want it back," Spearing said.

He said the Internet company told him pornographic sites often like to buy Web addresses once used by churches.

"They will target ministries as an embarrassment, and they did a good job," he said.

Although the Internet snafu was troubling, Spearing was able to have some sense of humor about it.

"It will be interesting to see who shows up to church now," he said.

New Purpose Driven Phone Company--Inspirational Mobile Service

By Ingrid Schlueter

Relating to my post below about the merchandising of Christ, I received this press release this morning about a purpose-driven (isn't that term trade marked yet?) mobile phone company. (Never open your email before breakfast. You'll lose your appetite.) Here's an excerpt:

FaithFone Wireless(TM) a Phoenix based purpose driven Christian Mobile Phone Company is proud to announce today the launch of its Ministry Partners program. FaithFone Wireless has entered into a media delivery and content distribution partnership with Jireh Mobile to provide Churches personalized mobile content and messaging services. FaithFone Wireless recently launched the first ever faith-based branded mobile phone service to offer Daily Devotionals, Bible passages, Prayer Of The Day, Life Advice, and like-minded entertainment content via (SMS) Text on a branded mobile phone handsets.

FaithFone has developed a Ministry Partners program, providing Churches and other Faith-based organizations a unique business opportunity and wireless services. FaithFone Wireless products and services are design to facilitate ministry growth, member retention, contribution consistency, and stimulate community outreach and development though partnerships with local ministries. FaithFone offers Ministry Partners a personalized mobile content card with music, sermons, branded ringtones, and daily devotionals produced by the Church that can be loaded on the member's cell phones using an IVR system (Interactive Voice Response). In addition FaithFone provides Ministry Partners leading edge solutions including a (CTMS) Congregational Text messaging system, FaithFone Dealership, Mobile Banking Deposit account, revenue sharing, monthly residuals, individual members Mobile Banking VISA Debit card accounts, member retention and ministry mobilization solutions.

Jireh Mobile has developed a delivery platform that provides FaithFone's Ministry Partners a Branded SMS Text messaging solution to send daily congregational communications to its Church members. The (CTMS) solution will distribute event notification, weekly sermon sound bites, daily devotionals, bible passages, Prayer Of The Day, and news alerts to the members cell phones.

The Ministry Partners program is a focal point for our company's growth and success. The Jireh Mobile solution enables our Ministry Partners to utilize the FaithFone as a tool for mobilizing entire ministries on a moments notice say Larry Witherspoon Managing Director of FaithFone Wireless Media. The FaithFone becomes an optimum congregational communications tool that extends the reach of the Faith-Based community beyond the walls of the Church and keeps members connected to the small, medium, large and Mega Church 24 / 7.

FaithFone is currently finalizing agreements with several Churches, Ministries, Faith-Based organizations, and Christian owned businesses in the U.S. and abroad. For more information about becoming a Ministry Partner go to www.faithfonewireless.com or call (888) 313- FONE.

Jireh Mobile is a division of Jireh Business Development, offering mobile content distribution and SMS and Premium SMS solutions for businesses and ministries worldwide. For more info go to www.jirehmobile.info.

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