FAQ
Here is our FAQ (Frequently Asked Quentions) sheet. Click on your question, and you will be taken to the answer!
General Questions
Is this service really free?
Yes.
Can I make a donation?
There are costs associated with providing you with this website, and you may help us with those costs if you wish. We expect to provide a Paypal link sometime in June/July 2002.
How reliable is the service?
No website is 100% reliable, but chweb.org is hosted with one of the best-respected hosts in the United States. For the level of activity which most churchsites attract, you should find our reliability more than adequate.
Do I need to agree with your statement of faith to get signed up?
Yes. We do not want to limit the use of chweb.org to any particular denomination or country, but we do want to provide an environment of co-operation and fellowship in God’s work. This is best achieved when people are in unity. We encourage you to include your statement of faith on your chweb.org site.
If there are minor differences (by which we mean differences not core to the nature of the triune God or his sovereign work of redemption by faith alone), then we will agree to disagree. To God be the glory!
However, please note we do reserve the right to remove content we consider inappropriate. For full details, see our Terms of Use (link below).
Is this only for churches?
Yes. We may make exceptions for groups within churches devoted to evangelistic outreach only. Please contact us directly is you think this may apply to you.
The service is not available to church clubs, soccer teams, prayer groups, events, seminars, study groups, or similar.
No non-Christian material is permitted (other than in an evangelistic context).
For how long will you host my site?
We are committed to providing the service for as long as it is being used.
Can anyone else update my site?
No. Your data will be stored in directories to which only you have password-controlled access.
I’m still not sure. Can I contact you?
A good motto for buying any goods or services on the internet is, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”
Chweb.org is different. This really is as good as it looks. If you still want to contact us, click on “Contact Us” below.
About your site on chweb.org
Can I use my own template?
Our system only works with templates loaded up into our template folders.
If you would like to generate your own template and send it to us then please note:
Your template would be available for other users to useWe would add a chweb.org logo and link back to our siteWe may need to restructure it for it to work with our automated systemYou agree that the template style and all graphics are owned by you and will become subject to our Terms of Use
If you send a template to us, we are not obliged to use it. If we subsequently discover that any images are subject to external copyright or other royalties which in any way contradict our Terms of Use then we will remove your template, your site on chweb.org, and contact the owners of any chweb.org sites which had been using your templates.
Any templates we do use will be credited on our Links page.
Can I edit my web pages?
Yes. This is the power of chweb.org. Not only can you build a website without any specialist knowledge but you can even edit your pages to keep the content up to date.
Can I change my images?
Yes. Currently, chweb only offers uploading of one image. You may place the image anywhere on your site, although the home page would be the best place. Uploaded files must be jpg or gif formats and under 20K in size. The file must also be named with your domain name. For example, a member of firstcommunity would upload a file such as firstcommunity.gif. You may change your image, just remember it has to be named with your domain! Uploading can be accomplished via the control panel.
Can I change my template once my site is working?
Yes. Although your regular visitors may find it confusing, you may change the template you use as the basis of your chweb.org site. You may find that you do this a number of times to begin with until you find the template which best suits your content and audience.
If I add pages now, how do I add more later?
The control panel provides the ability to add or remove pages in the same manor used in the setup process. Page changes will also cause your menu to reflect the proper pages. What could be easier?
Can I have an email address?
All users are automatically set up with an email address of yourchurch@chweb.org.
How many email addresses can I have?
We limit the number of email addresses to 1 per church. We want people to be able to contact your church; we don’t want to provide another email service.
Do I have to have the “chweb” part in mychurch.chweb.org?
Yes. If you want www.yourchurch.org or similar, take a look at our Going Further section.
Do I have to have your logo on my site?
Yes. We want this service to be accessible to as many churches as need it. As this service is free to you we need to keep costs down and having this simple link on the sites is a small piece of free advertising. However, we do recognise that in some extreme circumstances it may be advisable to remove it (if you think the references to web evangelism etc may harm your work in the gospel). While we do not guarantee to oblige, if you feel you are in this category then please use the Contact Us link below.
Technical Questions
How do I pick up my email?
The e-mail will be routed to you through your existing e-mail account provided to us at registration.
Can I access my site using FTP?
No. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is what is used to transfer files to and from a web host. With chweb.org you use our templates and manage your own content through our interface; if you feel there is a need to FTP to your chweb.org site then you are probably ready to take your site further – see the Going Further link at the bottom of this page.
Why can’t I find my site on search engines?
All sites on chweb.org are automatically submitted to search engines as a result of the way the main chweb.org site is hosted. If you are unable to find your site, please remember that not all search engines are the same and you may need to use a different search engine. If you are unable to find your site by searching through Google or Yahoo then make sure you have updated the keywords and description sections of your control panel – these are the main means that search engines use to understand what your site is about. Please also note that search engines do not start listing your site immediately – there may be a delay of days or sometimes weeks. If you are still having problems, try the help/support link below.
Can I change my church name from this.chweb.org to that.chweb.org?
Yes, but there is no automated way of doing it! Here’s what we recommend:
Set up a new account with your new nameCopy all your data from your old site to the new oneUse your control panel to remove everything from your old site except the home pageOn the home page of the old site, ask your visitors to use your new site (and your new email address!)Continue to educate your correspondents to use your new email addressWithin 3 months, please let us know when the old site is no longer required
Who designed your templates?
Aren’t they wonderful? All our templates were designed by Ardnes Design and are used under our Terms of Use. If you would like website design carried out, please contact them direct (you can be assured that this is a Christian-led resource).
Can I change the order of menu items on my home page?
Not at this time. We will be rolling out many improvements within the next 6 months and this will be included.
Can I change my password?
Yes. This can be done via the control panel.
I want to move my site from you to someone else. Can I use your template?
Yes, but there are restrictions. Please see our Terms of Use (link below).
I want to host my site with someone else. Can I use your templates?
Only if you have been a chweb.org user for at least 4 months, and then only under our Terms of Use (link below).
Can I reset my hit counter?
No. If you have a burning reason for needing to do this, please use the Contact Us link below (no obligation on us).
Can I take donations via my site on chweb.org?
No. We do not offer any tools or resources which will enable you securely to take payments over the web. Under no circumstances should you encourage visitors to email payment details to you – email is not a secure interface,
If you really need to take payments then you should consider hosting elsewhere – see our Going Further link below.
Do you limit the amount of information I can enter?
Yes. Please remember that this is a shared free resource and we need to be careful about how much data we can enter. Our Terms of Use (link below) shows the restrictions, but in general you should find that there is plenty of capacity open to you.
Can I enter HTML/PHP/Java/etc in my data?
Scripting, applets, and embedded objects are not allowed. At a future time, we may provide acceptable javascripts for your use. HTML tags are allowed. Any use of html tags which we deam improper will be cause for your account to be removed from chweb.org.
Is it possible to have site stats?
The only stats available at this time are the on-page counters. If you require more detailed statistics for your pages you may need to consider hosting elsewhere – see our Going Further link below.