Internet domain name for churches sought

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Searching the Internet for church Web sites, you'll find some are using a ".com" extension, some are ".org," and others are ".tv."

There's no rhyme, reason, or standard for church and ministry Web sites, which is something Bobby Gruenewald would like to change.

The innovation leader at LifeChurch.tv, Mr. Gruenewald has applied to register the ".church" domain name with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

"Because of the limited options we have now in domain extensions, churches are having a difficult time finding names that haven't been taken or that accurately represent who they are," Mr. Gruenewald said in a written statement. "Our goal is to create an Internet name space for churches, congregations, denominations, and ministries to exist."

Mr. Gruenewald, one of the lead developers of the YouVersion Bible, the free online Bible application that has been installed on more than 50 million mobile devices, said the new domain extension would help churches label themselves without having to use awkward Web addresses that are hard to remember.

It also would help people searching the Internet for spiritual information to find and identify ministry-related sites, he said.

"There are countless examples of the church creatively utilizing technology to maximize its ministry," Mr. Gruenewald said. "The '.church' extension is another way the church can meet people where they are in this digital age."

Hundreds of new top-level domains will be introduced in 2013 including .bank, .dental, .green, and brand-specific extensions.

LifeChurch.tv is urging people to encourage the corporation for Internet names to approve the .church domain extension. Information is available at dotchurch.org,

LifeChurch.tv of Edmond, Okla., has 15 physical locations across the United States as well as an online church worship service.

TOLEDO MINISTRY PROFILED: Cherry Street Mission Ministries turned 65 years old this year, but Social Security and retirement are not options for the hard-working downtown outreach to the poor and needy.

WGTE-TV, Channel 30, Toledo's PBS station, profiles Cherry Street in one of its "Toledo Stories" segments, Cherry Street's Mission, premiering Thursday at 8 p.m.

VICTORY LANE: In the introduction to his Christian devotional, Game Plan for Life: Chalk Talks, Joe Gibbs asks the questions, "What does it mean to win? How do you define success?"

If anyone should know, it's Mr. Gibbs.

His trophy case must look like a sportsman's dream: three Super Bowl victories as coach of the Washington Redskins and 175 NASCAR wins, including a season championship, as owner of Joe Gibbs Racing.

"As a coach I view life as a game," he writes in the devotional to be published by Zondervan. "You and I are the players. When our life on Earth is over, there's going to be a scoreboard. … If you're like me, you want to be on the winning team when the clock stops."

The 71-year-old coach and team owner offers 40 devotional lessons that mix Bible verses, sports stories, and evangelical messages with the aim of inspiring believers -- or converting nonbelievers.

The devotional will be released as a companion to The NIV Game Plan for Life Bible in which Mr. Gibbs adds lessons from his sports background and life experiences, along with articles contributed by experts on such topics as finances, relationships, sin, and vocations.

"I'm just your 'average Joe,' " he writes, "and like you, I'm looking for practical tools to help me get through life. The Bible is the most practical and valuable resource I have in my possession. I've learned to turn to it daily and found it always provides guidance -- no matter what I might be going through."

Hardcover editions of The Game Plan for Life Bible are set to sell for $34.99, and Chalk Talks for $15.99.

The release date is scheduled for Aug. 14.

CATECHISM ON THE WEB: The Catechism of the Catholic Church, authorized by Pope John Paul II in 1986 and first published in 1992, is now available online in a format identical to an ebook at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Web site, usccb.org.