In short, a mentor ministry connects participants with an organization for the purpose of personal and spiritual development.
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The E-Church Network is all about your spiritual and personal growth. Individuals register for FREE and connect themselves to a mentor ministry. Your mentor ministry will support you with various personal assessments, training, and spiritual formation tools.
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The Essential Solution utilizes a cash-flow financial model. eChurch Essentials recognizes that the only way that the eChurch reformation can occur is if eChurch Essentials is affordable, easy to use, and stays current with ever-advancing technology. To ensure that the Essential Solution would be affordable to every ministry and student throughout the world, eChurch Essentials has created the Essential Solution to be hosted by ministry denominations and affiliations for all of their member ministries...eChurch Essentials anticipates that mass world-wide distribution of our eChurch solution, with each participating member ministry paying a small portion of the on-going cost, will enable every organization and person to effectively and affordably utilize this powerful ministry tool. E-Church Essentials offers two cost-effective ways to expand your ministry impact

Option 1: Become a Member Ministry -
Ministries may join our eChurch Network and have full access to the Essential Solution for as little as $80/month. The base subscription fee includes one ministry-wide website, up to ten e-learning courses, all current Essential Solution system features, and up to 50 system users. Registered ministries will be charged an additional $0.35/month for each system user above 50. Volume discounts are provided for ministries with over 1,000 system users ($0.30/person, ministries with over 5,000 system users ($0.25/person) and for ministries with over 10,000 system users ($0.20/person). Additional websites cost $19.95/month each. Additional blocks of 10 e-learning programs cost $25/month per block. All assessment and operational tools are provided with the basic $80/month fee.

Option 2: Create Your Own Association -
Denominations and ministry affiliations may host the Essential Solution for all of their member ministries, schools and mission boards. To become a system host, a hosting license must be purchased from eChurch Essentials. In addition, the host organization will be responsible securing an appropriate server site and Microsoft SQL-Server licensing based upon the number of servers necessary to accommodate the denomination's load requirements. A hosting license may be acquired from E-Church Essentials for $50,000 (US). In addition, the host organization agrees to pay eChurch Essentials an additional $80/month for the entire term of contract, and 50% of all revenue generated through the subscription fees associated with their member ministries. In most cases, if properly implemented, the Essential Solution will generate many times this initial investment within the first year. Please see the sections of this website appropriate for denominational information to learn more about how the Essential Solution cash-flow-model makes so much sense for all parties utilizing the program. If a single denomination sought to build a custom package similar to eChurch Essentials, they would likely spend nearly $1,000,000. They would then need to continue to pay for system upgrades and technical support. This is a cost prohibitive to many ministry denominations, let alone churches and schools. The Essential Solution cash-flow model enables denominations to lease a system hosting license for our software for only $50,000...approximately 7% of the cost of building a custom package! In addition, the host denomination's member ministries and schools can also use the entire Essential Solution package starting at only $80 per month. eLearning programs and courses may carry with them whatever fee your school or ministry deems appropriate. Your denomination's colleges, graduate schools, home school networks, and churches can create eLearning programs that are fiscally responsible and appropriate.

Macintosh users can utilize the Essential Solution program by running Virtual-PC (XP Edition) from Microsoft.

The Essential Solution program is designed to operate exclusively through the Internet Explorer 6.0 browser. It is important that system users visit www.microsoft.com to ensure that their browser is up to date. Some minor system glitches have been reported when out-dated browsers were being used.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Always run the Essential Solution program directly through the IE6 browser, and not through your internet service provider's browser window.

Some major internet service providers "Hi-Jack" the Internet Explorer Browser and they inappropriately manipulated the functionality of the IE6 browser. In such cases, this is not a problem with our software, but rather with your internet service provider. To date, customers have noted mild functionality issues with America On Line (AOL) and severe issues with PeoplePC.

A minor glitch within Internet Explorer 6 will periodically be noted when the Essential Solution user opens the Information/Help/Bible windows.in rare cases the graphics framing this window may not appear, but the contents within the window are fully functional.

Your organization can host the Essential Solution for all of your organization's members quickly and affordably. Please consider the following steps

• Register your interest to become a host organization with eChurch Essentials. A representative will personally contact you and partner with you to ensure your success as a system hosting agency.
• A host organization agrees to pay eChurch Essentials $50,000 for a hosting license, $80/month on behalf of the host organization, and 50% of monthly dues generated by all participating organizational members (i.e., $40+ of $80+/month for each participating member). In addition, the host organization agrees to pay eChurch Essentials 50% of fees collected for each personal blog site generated (i.e., $3 of $5.99/month), 50% of each additional block of ten eLearning courses generated (ten courses are available and included to each participating ministry at the time of their registration) by the host organization or any of its participating members (i.e., $12.50 of $25/month), and 50% of the fees collected from participating member ministries for additional websites generated beyond the one site included with their package at registration (i.e., $10 of $19.99/month).
• Secure an appropriate server system for hosting of your Essential Solution program. eChurch Essentials can provide guidance and recommendations. The server system must support the Microsoft .NET framework and SQL-Server database. The host organization will be responsible for acquiring licenses for Microsoft SQL-Server.
• Acquire an ACH secure electronic fund transfer account if your organization does not already possess one.
• Permit eChurch Essential staff access to your server system to install and configure your program. You will now have the most powerful eChurch system available for your organization and all its members. eChurch Essentials will be your partner to support your organization's efforts to facilitate technical support issues and to provide continual improvements and advancements to your Essential Solution program...at no additional cost!

For $80 per month, your ministry will receive incredible ministry tools that are fully integrated and easy to use. You will have all of the features listed below with none of the technical headaches. In fact, we believe you will find the Essential Solution to be extremely easy to learn and use. Your ministry may register with an existing host organization and will then have instant access to...

• A website building and management system second to none. You will have hundreds of stock design options, as well as the ability to import custom website designs. Your website will also support ministry-wide and department-specific event calendars. Your website will also enable different staff members to maintain assigned sections of the website for instant updates...and do so with no technical expertise. Your website will support text, audio, video and flash media. Your website will also link directly to your ministry's resource center, e-learning programs and topical forums.
• A powerful e-learning builder and management system. Whether your ministry is an academic institution, or a local church wanting to create a spiritual formation academy, the Essential Solution e-learning program builder is the premier ministry-based system. Your eLearning system supports an online learning catalogue, student registration, instructor/student relationships, assessments that include quizzes, tests and exams, and even a virtual classroom forum. And like our website support system, no technical skill is required. Stock and customizable interface designs are also supported.
• Team-Building and Ministry Team Mobilization support. The Essential Solution includes a personality assessment, spiritual gift assessment and Style of Leadership assessment. Additional personal information may also be recorded such as a person's various interests, passions, experiences and training. Ministry leadership may create new ministry team profiles, define their ideal team-member profiles, and then conduct an instant search for potential candidates for each position for the new ministry team. No longer will the Parretto 80/20 principle limit your ministry's ability to make "every member a minister".
• The most powerful communication forum system available to churches. Your ministry can define unlimited forum categories and topics for the exclusive use of your e-church membership, as well as exclusive staff-only forums for private staff communications and online meetings. Every ministry team created, will have its own communication forum for online meetings, support and strategies. Every e-learning course will also have an exclusive virtual classroom forum for students and learning facilitators. And finally, there are global network forums for ministry professionals as well as individual users.
• Every system user may have their own personal Blog (* the individual user is billed separately). A Blog is an outstanding communication platform, similar to a website, however it may be updated constantly and others may post comments to the Blog entries.
• Additional features include a secure online Spiritual Journal, testimony tracking, personal profile updates, access to 21 English Bibles, Key Word Searches, a Greek New Testament and a Hebrew Old Testament.
• An integrated event schedule manager for the corporate ministry, each ministry department and for each staff member.

The Essential Solution requires no software downloads...it is 100% browser based. The websites created through the Essential Solution can be viewed through any of the popular internet browsers currently on the market, with only minor format alterations being noticeable. However, to log into the Essential Solution itself for the purpose of using its many tools, you will be required to have...

• Internet Explorer 6.0 or greater
• Your screen resolution should be set for 1024x768 or higher for viewing. Lower resolutions will still work, but scroll bars will appear.

E-Church Essentials offers its customers 30 days free technical support so that your ministry can get its e-church program up and running smoothly. Most customers find that the Essential solution program is quite easy to learn, and can be mastered within a few weeks.

After the 30 day introduction period, E-Church Essentials charges $25.00/incident. If the incident relates to a software-related problem, the customer will not be charged and E-Church Essentials will take the necessary steps to correct the problem.

FREE technical support may be found via the E-Church Essentials Forums, the FREE e-learning courses created by E-Church Essentials, or from other system users on the E-Church Network forums.

The internet world changes rapidly and so does the technology supporting it. eChurch Essentials typically licenses the use of our software while we remain partners with our customers to provide ongoing technical support and system upgrades. In addition, eChurch Essentials holds licensing and royalty agreements regarding assessments and other elements within our software that may not be transferred to other parties without considerable cost.

Yes. Our custom solution development falls into three distinct categories

• Custom website style sheet designs for use within our Essential Solution system
• Custom graphical design for print or web media
• Custom software development

It is important to note that the Essential Solution cannot be "custom-fit" to the desires of a particular ministry. Modifications to the Essential Solution will only be made if the modification will be beneficial to the broader customer base.

Yes. We are 100% committed to our customer's satisfaction. Our product and custom solutions will function as specified, or eChurch Essentials will do whatever it takes to correct the problem. Custom projects shall receive a not-to-exceed quote, written and approved specifications, and a completion deadline. Failure of eChurch Essentials to meet a specified deadline will result in a 5% refund for each week the project is late.

E-Church Essentials Limited Warranty:

eChurch Essentials, LLC warrants to the original licensee or owner of a graphical design or software solution that the solution(s) will satisfy written contractual specifications, and be free of defects in material or workmanship under normal use and service for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase. During the one (1) year warranty period, eChurch Essentials, LLC will correct any software bugs or functional deficiencies per the original written specifications contract. The decision whether to correct, update or replace software will be made exclusively by eChurch Essentials, LLC. To obtain limited warranty service, delineate the issues in writing (or use the Technical Support form on our website) the name of your organization, a return address and contact information to eChurch Essentials, LLC, 3293 Clear View Drive, Holland, Michigan 49424. This limited warranty applies only to the original customer and does not apply to subsequent organizations who may come into possession of our software or design solutions, but whom have not purchased a license from E-Church Essentials, LLC. This limited warranty also excludes and does not apply to the following

• Damage or defect arising out of accident, misuse, abuse, water damage, neglect, negligence or inadequate maintenance.
• Damage or defects arising from modification without prior written permission from E-Church Essentials, LLC, or damage or defects arising from work performed by an unauthorized service facility.
• Associated hardware, if any, not manufactured by eChurch Essentials, LLC.
• Damage or defects which arise from the utilization of computer systems not supplied by eChurch Essentials, LLC.
• Defects which are not covered by or exceed warranty coverage specified by the manufacturers of the products or parts which comprise any eChurch Essential product solution.

In no event shall eChurch Essentials, LLC be liable for any incidental or consequential damages, including without limitation loss of use of equipment, loss of time, loss of profits, inconvenience, travel time or expenses, rentals, or production losses. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so this exclusion may not apply to you. To the extent allowed by law, any and all implied warranties, including any implied warranty of merchantability or implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, are limited in duration to the duration of this limited warranty. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so this exclusion may not apply to you. To the extent allowed by law, eChurch Essential's obligation under this limited warranty is strictly and exclusively limited to the correction, updating or replacement of our software solutions. No representative of eChurch Essentials, LLC or any other person has any authority to change this limited warranty or impose any other obligation upon eChurch Essentials, LLC.

Custom Solutions

• Graphic and web design, $65/hour
• Software Programming, $100/hour
• Formatting a submitted website design to make it Essential Solution ready, $300
• Formatting a submitted e-learning header to make it Essential Solution ready, $99

What does the Essential Solution Cost?

Option 1: Become a Member Ministry
Ministries may join our eChurch Network and have full access to the Essential Solution for as little as $80/month. The base subscription fee includes one ministry-wide website, up to ten e-learning courses, all current Essential Solution system features, and up to 50 system users. Registered ministries will be charged an additional $0.35/month for each system user above 50. Volume discounts are provided for ministries with over 1,000 system users ($0.30/person, ministries with over 5,000 system users ($0.25/person) and for ministries with over 10,000 system users ($0.20/person). Additional websites cost $19.99/month each. Additional blocks of 10 e-learning programs cost $25/month per block. All assessment and operational tools are provided with the basic $80/month fee.

Option 2: Create Your Own Association
Denominations and ministry affiliations may host the Essential Solution for all of their member ministries, schools and mission boards. To become a system host, a hosting license must be purchased from eChurch Essentials. In addition, the host organization will be responsible securing an appropriate server site and Microsoft SQL-Server licensing based upon the number of servers necessary to accommodate the denomination's load requirements. A hosting license may be acquired from E-Church Essentials for $50,000 (US). In addition, the host organization agrees to pay eChurch Essentials an additional $80/month for the entire term of contract, and 50% of all revenue generated through the subscription fees associated with their member ministries. In most cases, if properly implemented, the Essential Solution will generate many times this initial investment within the first year. Please see the Essential Solution FAQ, or the sections of this website appropriate for denominational information to learn more about how the Essential Solution cash-flow-model makes so much sense for all parties utilizing the program.