ChristianPortals Blog

Crossmap Launches Christian Business Directory

Crossmap.com Launches Christian Business Directory

Crossmap.com announced today the launch of its new Christian business directory, an online listing of Christian businesses ordered by category. The new section, accessible at http://biz.crossmap.com, fills a marketing need for the burgeoning Christian business sector.

Christian businesses have been booming the past several years. In America alone, there are over 88 million Christians who call themselves born-again. Christian-owned businesses that once operated non-religiously are re-branding themselves as Christian companies.

These days, Christian businesses can be found in almost every sector traditionally dominated by non-religious corporations. Education, insurance, banking, mortgages, and credit card processing are examples of secular industries that today have Christian counterparts.

Michael Zigarelli, the dean of the School of Business at Regent University, a Christian school operating out of Virginia, estimates that there are 500,000 to 600,000 “Christian owned and operated” businesses in America today. This accounts for approximately 10% of all corporations.

The new Crossmap business directory is designed to organize the hundreds of thousands of companies run by Christians, allowing other Christians to find companies that share their values. Other listing services, such as the Shepherd’s Guide, have had success building Christian business directories that are distributed in a print form.

Crossmap is taking steps to ensure that all business listings are submitted by Christians. As a requirement for having a listing in the business section, the company owner must acknowledge that he/she agrees with a basic Christian statement of faith. This will help build a sense of trust among those who list in or browse the directory.

Both free and paid listings are available in the business directory. Free listings will allow company owners to list their company name, description, and a link back to their website in the appropriate category. Paid listings come with a banner image at the top of the category, a phone number, and form that allows potential clients to email the company. Paid listings are also displayed before the free listings. Paid listings cost $20/month, and can be paid on a monthly basis or as a 6-month prepay.

According to Crossmap spokesperson, Rick Li, the new service “offers targeted exposure at very reasonable rates for Christian businesses. We believe that the Crossmap business directory will be the first stop for any Christian company that wants to begin a marketing campaign.”

About Crossmap

Crossmap.com has been operating in California since 2000, and operates over 15 Crossmap web portals in 7 languages worldwide. Crossmap serves millions of Christian visitors each month, and has grown to be one of the largest Christian websites on the internet. Alexa.com, the website ranking service, ranks Crossmap as the 2nd most visited Christian website, and among the top 2,000 websites in the world. Popular sections on Crossmap include our Clip Art, Backgrounds, Pastoral Resources, and Web Site Directory.

BibleGate.org

Welcome to BibleGate.org
The Free Home Site and Web Directory services have been discontinued due to increased maintenance cost. Sorry for the inconvenience. The Freemail email service is still available. Feel free to contact info@biblegate.org if you have any questions.

ColumbusChurches.com

Columbus Churches : In The Press
New Website gives Central Ohioans a way to find a local church
More than 175 Columbus-area churches already involved, with more being added

COLUMBUS, April 2, 2001—Central Ohioans looking for a church home now have an option other than the local phone book.

A new Website provides an interactive approach for local church-seekers, offering them a one-stop shop to discover what congregations are out there and which one might be right for them.

ColumbusChurches.com, launched last month, provides a comprehensive database of more than 175 local Christian churches that span many denominations, types and sizes.

Seekers can search for a church by denomination, zip code or area of town. In addition to contact information and location, search results feature church photos and information about service times, attendance, and ministries, offering a simple and effective way to find a church without having to leave the home.

A link to the church’s Website and e-mail, if available, is also included.

The site is the work of Gabriel Heselton, a local Web developer who discovered last fall that while the Internet offered information on local real estate and job openings, news and weather, and even maps to get around Central Ohio, it did not offer in a single site a way to locate a local church.

“I did some research, found there’s no way for people to find a church other than to go in their Yellow Pages and search for a church’s phone number,” Heselton said. “Choosing a church home is a difficult decision and a big part of many people’s lives. However, very sparse information has been offered in the past to aid people in their search.”

It is the only site of its kind in Central Ohio, and one of few such databases nationwide that are available online.

“The idea for ColumbusChurches.com was developed to provide a free service to the Columbus community. ColumbusChurches.com is the only place where people can find detailed information on churches in Central Ohio, such as service times, pastors, location and beliefs,” Heselton said.

ColumbusChurches.com allows people to pull up a list of churches that contains enough detail to evaluate which church might be right for them, he said.

Locating the information online also provides families the ability to search for a church home within the privacy of their homes.

“For people choosing a church, it’s usually an important decision that they like to research privately or within their families…A lot of times people are hesitant just to call in and find out the service time,” Heselton said. “The Internet allows you to do that. It definitely saves you time because you don’t have to visit a church every week and take a number of months to try to find a church home.”

And when you’re finished finding a church, the Website also provides links to Internet-based bookstores, Christian ministries and magazines. An article written by Rich Nathan, senior pastor of the Vineyard Church of Columbus on Cooper Road, offers readers insights on the importance of local church involvement.

Heselton said ColumbusChurches.com gives churches that don’t have their own Websites an Internet presence in an increasingly online age. Only a third of the churches listed on the site have their own Websites, while about half have e-mail.

“What this does for churches is it makes them more accessible,” Heselton said. “For churches that don’t even have their own Website, it gives them their first presence on the Web.”

In putting together the Website, Heselton mailed a survey to 800 local Christian churches, asking them to provide information on their beliefs, service times and ministries. ColumbusChurches.com provides the Website listing at no charge to the local church.

Church leaders have the option of purchasing a sponsor membership on the Website, which allows their church to be featured periodically on the site’s homepage. Sponsor memberships run $50 for the first year, with a $35 annual renewal charge after that.

So far, over 200 churches have responded, and completed surveys continue to come in and are added to the site.

“Most pastors have been really excited,” Heselton said.

Through it all, Heselton hopes to see the number of people involved in a church in Columbus grow.

“My vision for ColumbusChurches.com is to see the church body in the Columbus area grow in both number and maturity,” Heselton said. “My hope is that such an online service will both connect people with a church home and unite the overall church community in Central Ohio.”

Church leaders or community members seeking more information about ColumbusChurches.com are invited to visit the Website. They can also write to ColumbusChurches.com, P.O. Box 3591, Dublin, Ohio, 43016.

What Church Leaders Downloaded in 2004

Help & Info - Media - What Church Leaders Downloaded in 2004
What Church Leaders Downloaded in 2004
CAROL STREAM, IL—January 11, 2005—

BuildingChurchLeaders.com had an exciting year in 2004. The site expanded with new types of downloads like Survival Guides and Practical Ministry Skills, both providing practical help for building faithful and effective church leaders. The email newsletter now reaches over 40,000 leaders all over the world. (Sign up here.) And there are plans for continued expansion in 2005.

Here, in reverse countdown order, is what church leaders downloaded most in 2004:

10. Handling Conflict—Assessment Pack
Use these ready-to-download handouts with your team to help them prevent conflict when possible, work through conflict when it occurs, and strive for unity with other church members and leaders.

9. Injecting New Life Into Your Congregation—Survival Guide
Are you discouraged because your church is stagnant, or even shrinking? Download this Survival Guide to give you new confidence. You’ll learn how to motivate your congregation and receive other tips for moving your vision forward.

8. Leadership Foundations—Training Theme Larry Osborne says, “We will never be healthier than our leadership team.” His interview in this theme shows how to build a vibrant church board. Also included are other handouts that deal with leadership qualifications and skills.

7. Vision & Strategy—Assessment Pack Use these tools with your team to help direct them through the tough process of change, including handling growth, adding a new ministry, or enacting a new vision and direction.

6. Practical Ministry Skills The work of the church calls for many skills and abilities. Yet often, church leaders step into a new ministry with little guidance. This download is designed to train leaders in those areas that are often overlooked.

5. Worship—Training Theme This theme helps your leaders understand the practical aspects of worship better and lead it more effectively.

4. Motivating Leaders—Training Theme John Maxwell shares some of his best insights on motivation with “The Potential Around You.” Plus, use other handouts that will communicate to your leaders that ministry, at its core, is a heart for God.

3. Building the Team—Assessment Pack Train your church leaders with these nine handouts that help them recruit the right leaders and place them in the right position. Practical tools to develop winning teams throughout your church.
p class=”feattext”>2. A Welcoming Church—Assessment Pack Equip your church leaders with these seven handouts that will help them see how well they welcome and nurture newcomers.

1. Growing Small Groups—Training Theme Whether you are starting a small groups ministry in your church or revitalizing an existing one, these handouts help you cast vision for authentic small groups and provide ideas for developing more dynamic community.

Further explanation on these hot topics can be found at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/go/downloads2004/

BuildingChurchLeaders.com, one of the top resources for building faithful and effective church leaders, is produced by Christianity Today International (CTI), a Chicago-area publisher of magazines, websites, and Christian products. CTI, a communications ministry co-founded by Billy Graham in 1956, is committed to engaging, encouraging, and equipping the church worldwide.
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For further information, please contact Cory Whitehead cwhitehead@christianitytoday.com (630) 260-6200 X 4220 http://www.BuildingChurchLeaders.com

CrossDaily.com - CROSSDAILY.COM LAUNCHES BOOK REVIEWS

CrossDaily.com - Media Relations
CrossDaily.com Press Release
14 Automatic Rd. Unit 33A
Brampton, Ontario L6S 5N5
http://www.crossdaily.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 10, 2004

CrossDaily.com’s “Guides” section is designed to provide visitors with access to internet resources on a variety of topics; such as devotions, Christian music, poetry and home schooling. As a part of a complete section redesign, CrossDaily.com has launched their new Book Review section.

Christian literature can be an incredible resource for both individual believers and the institutionalised church. Unfortunately, books are a resource that are too often overlooked and ignored in our current media rich society. CrossDaily.com has created their book review section with a passion for Christian literature and this challenge in mind. The section targets the average believer with reviews written in the style of “one friend to another”. Reviews will also focus on a wide range of books; from fiction to pastoral and academic.

The redesign of CrossDaily.com’s Guides section will continue into the autumn months. Future changes include the creation of a Guides section front page, new Guides and a Guides specific marketing campaign. CrossDaily.com’s Book Review section can be found at: http://bookreviews.crossdaily.com

CrossDaily.com is a popular Christian mega site featuring a wide variety of resources for today’s Christian. We feature a graphics, free e-cards, Bible trivia, singles, web directory and Bible search.

For further information please feel free to contact:
Jeff Stearns 1-877-608-9835 x221

You can also contact us online at:
http://info.crossdaily.com/comment.php3