Commskit, the online arm of the Beds and Herts Churches' Media Trust, is pleased to be able to offer a complete Internet solution, including web space and email, for churches, Christian groups, and not-for-profit organisations.
The Commskit 100 package, at £45 per annum, which is designed to meet the needs of the vast majority of church and group needs, provides 100 mb (megabytes) of web space for lodging your site in, 1000 pop3 email addresses, and the registration of your own unique domain for the first two years. This complete package is administered from your own private web-based control panel, and provides everything needed to establish and develop your on-line presence.
The UL package, at £125 per annum, offers a domain and unlimited web space & email addresses. If you require a different provision, please email us with your requirements for a quotation, or if you have further questions.
If you are a Christian group with an existing website and/or email provision, do please consider coming 'home' to a Christian provider wherein the services are dedicated to the extension of the Gospel, and transfer from your existing provider is absolutely free of charge. We are able to accommodate requirements such as existing domain redirection and sub-domains. Contact us with your requirements.
(If you have a year or more to run on your present domain registration, this fee, at the Commskit rate of £8.50 per annum, can be deducted, on request, from your initial payment.)
Features
of the popular Commskit 100 package |
Your
own unique domain
Control panel
100 MB of web space
1000 pop3 email addresses
Special features
Support
Enhancements
Frequently asked questions
How to order
Pricing
Commskit 100 web and email package for churches £45 per annum
Commskit UL web and email package for churches £125 per annum
Optional
half day package setup and tuition
£45
MS
FrontPage Extensions
£12 per annum
Extra UK
domain registration (First included with package) £8.50 per annum
Top level domain (.org, .com, .net) £15.50 per annum
'Spam Buster' filtering £25 per annum
Existing domain tag transfer FREE
Prices are all inclusive
As part of your account purchase, you can select a unique domain name for your church or organisation. You may chose, for instance, stjohnschurch.org.uk, or christianvideos.org.uk (.org is the usual suffix for not-for-profit organisations). Your domain will be linked to your web site and your email, see below.
The domain suffixes .org.uk
and .co.uk used in the example above, are known as Secondary Level Domains (SLDs).
The first domain of this type that you choose is inclusive in the package price.
Most churches and groups will find that a UK SLD will fit their needs well.
However, we can also arrange the Top Level domain names. e.g., .org, .com.
and .net. These are priced slightly higher than the SLDs at £15.50 per annum,
and are an additional cost to the package price.
Domain fees are renewable after two years. If you remain with us, we will arrange
this automatically. The fee charged by Commskit is at cost, and is paid on your
behalf to Nominet, the UK domain regulation agency.
We strongly recommend that you check the availability of your domain before selecting your Commskit package. To do this, follow this link to the Internic Whois search facility, or use any other domain search system you are familiar with. More details on domains can be found in the FAQ.
All the features of your site and email can be set up, controlled and modified via a private online control panel. The simple-to-use interface makes all adjustments simple and rapid. The information you will receive on purchasing your package gives full directions on accessing and using your control panel. If you are presently connected to the Internet, you can view and experiment with an demonstration of the control panel by following this link.
You receive a vast 100mb of space for your web site. This amount of provision is suitable for the largest and most complex website, and will allow you to grow and develop your online presence in multiple ways in the future.
Hosted on a Windows 2000 server, your web space can utilize Active Server Pages and scripts, meaning that all kinds of functionality can be easily added. A number of ready-made scripts such as form-to-mail, a message board, and a hit counter can be provided on request. Access to your web space for uploading material is achieved with your own private and password protected File Transfer Protocol (FTP) account, making updating and managing your site straightforward and efficient.
Your account comes with 1000 (one thousand) pop3 email boxes. This means that even the largest church or Christian organisation can provide all its staff - indeed possibly all its members - with unique email addresses linked to its domain. All your email addresses are set up and managed by yourself via your control panel, meaning that you have complete control over who possesses and uses them. Using the St John’s example above, you may set up addresses such as minister@stjohnschurch.org.uk youthleader@stjohnschurch.org.uk , etc. or you may prefer real names, such as jsmith@stjohnschurch.org.uk
In addition, via your control panel, you can forward email to any other existing email address, meaning that users only need manage one email account. Multiple recipient systems can also be configured, allowing, for example, an email sent to enquiry@stjohnschurch.org.uk to be directed to several email addresses.
The email provisions include a dial-up access for sending and receiving emails or accessing the internet which can be configured through the control panel once your system is set up. However, to make the initial set-up, you will need a connection via an existing dial-up or broadband account with a provider. After set-up you can extend the dial up system to your users but there is no necessity to do so and increasingly people are connecting through much faster broadband connections available from many different suppliers. For connections there are now dozens of such suppliers to chose from, including web-based systems such as Hotmail and Yahoo, and offline systems such as Freeserve, Tiscali, BTClick and Freedom Online. There are also an increasing number of Christian service providers offering dial-up and broadband services. Any such supplier service will allow you access to the Commskit Internet facilities
The package also includes:
Support is offered for areas relating to uploading your website, using your control panel, and configuring your web and email provisions via it. Support does not extend to assistance with constructing your website.
The trust can arrange for a three hour setup and tuition session with an expert in both Internet/web processes and church communications needs. This additional service is charged at £45, which is levied purely to offset expenses. This option may be helpful for churches and organisations with little or no experience in internet use etc. The session covers use of your control panel, file transfer, configuring email addresses and the free creation of a simple 'holding page' for your web space if you do not already have a site to place in it.
Microsoft FrontPage extensions can be added to your web space for £12 per annum. This facility may be of use to web-creators using the special functionality of FrontPage.
''Spam Buster' is a high-quality filter system which can be added to your account for the sum of £25 per annum. It is fully-user configurable, but also has a very efficient in-built system for blocking known spammers. The system is configured from your control panel, and allows you to set up 'white' and 'black' lists, as well as to direct what is to happen to any detected spam. It can, for example, be delivered with the label 'SPAM' added to the subject field, or delivered to a specific folder/mailbox, allowing you to inspect it, or it can simply be bounced to the sender or deleted. The level of filtering can be set by yourself in order to optimise your spam management.
What is a domain?
A domain
is a unique Internet name which you own, allowing you exclusive use of it for
your website and email. Domain names can be purchased cheaply, but to be of
practical use, they must be linked to your website and email provision. Our
package includes your chosen domain name and links it automatically to the supplied
web space and email provision.
Can I choose any domain name I wish?
The short answer is yes – with a few qualifications. The main one is that you cannot choose a domain which is already owned by someone else. You cannot for example, choose commskit.org.uk, since this has already been registered by the Beds and Herts Churches Media Trust for its exclusive use.
There are other considerations. The .org.uk part of the above domain is called a suffix, and various suffixes are used to denote different types of organisation. For example, .com is for ‘companies’, although many UK companies also use ‘co.uk’ The .org.uk domain suffix is recommended here, since it aims to denote not-for-profit and charitable organisations in the UK.
Special care should be given to choosing your domain. For example ‘stjohnschurchtwickenhamgreen.org.uk’ may well describe your church and location accurately, but consider the user who has to type it in! ‘stjohnsonline.org.uk’ might be a better choice. Once registered, your domain name will be used for your web space, e.g., www.stjohnsonline.org.uk, and for your email, e.g., minister@stjohnsonline.org.uk
Other domain suffixes such as the new me.uk provision can be supplied. Please email us for details and prices.
How do I build a web site?
There are a number of excellent programmes for creating a basic website, MS FrontPage, Adobe Pagemill and HotMetal amongst them. These programmes do not require you to know the hypertext markup language (HTML) which web pages are written in. You may wish to use the basic template pages we have made available on the Commskit site. These were written using MS FrontPage. Once downloaded, they can be modified to your own needs and will then be ready to go online. Otherwise, you can engage a professional website designer to create your site, but be aware that even the most basic professionally written site is likely to cost in the region of several hundred pounds.
How do I place my site on the Internet?
This is done via File Transfer Protocol, (FTP). FTP is a simple method for copying your web pages and graphics etc. from your computer into the space on the Internet where your web pages are lodged. Your Commskit account will provide you with an Internet address and a password which are used to log your FTP software into your web space. Once connected, you will see a list of the files presently on your site, and you can chose to upload revised files or change any aspect of the site. Tuition in basic FTP is offered as part of our optional half day session.
How does the email provision work?
Pop3
mailboxes are the modern and flexible system for electronic mail. Provided you
have with you your username and password, which is configured via your control
panel, you can access your email from anywhere in the world, from virtually
any dial-up access system, and from any computer. Your email addresses will
be part of the domain you have chosen, and it is also possible to redirect these
emails to existing accounts, meaning that if you already have an email address,
e.g., sjones@hotmail.com, your new email, say, youthleader@stjohnsonline.org.uk,
can be invisible redirected to the existing address, allowing you to manage
your private and official mail on one account.
Who can purchase the Commskit Internet package?
The package is specifically designed for Christian organisations and churches, in short, those whom the trust was created to assist and support. We will not refuse the package to any not-for profit group whose aims and goals are broadly Christian and/or charitable. In order to ensure that the provision is maintained at low cost for such groups, we reserve the right to charge commercial groups a very much higher price for our package if so approached.
How can you offer these facilities so cheaply?
Commskit, as the online arm of the Beds and Herts Churches Media Trust, is part of a registered Christian charity committed to working with churches to improve and develop their communications. As such, we aim to provide Internet solutions for churches without the primary need to make a profit. We are required, of course, to be careful stewards of our financial resources, and the costs we pass on are carefully balanced to allow our provision to pay its way. The trust possessed its own web space, and we have been able to add more provision at low cost to this in order to accommodate other groups and churches’ sites. In addition, Commskit staff, who are experienced in Internet provision, offer their services to maintain the provision at no cost the trust.
How do I order the package?
You can setup your account either via the form below, or by emailing us with your requirements. Select an available domain name, choose between the two packages (100 or UL) and as soon as we receive your instructions, we will begin work on setting up your package. We will send you an invoice and payment should be posted as a cheque, payable to the Beds and Herts Churches Media Trust. As soon as funds clear you will be able to use your account.
Can I pay by credit card?
At present it is only possible to pay for Commskit accounts by cheque. This is because the provision of secure online credit card ordering is expensive to setup and maintain, and its presence on this site would require an attendant raising of the costs of our Internet services.
How do I renew the account?
We will send you an invoice a few weeks before the renewal date and invite you to renew the account via a cheque payment.
I have an existing domain. Can I move it to commskit?
Yes, you are welcome to join us, and provided you have at least 12 months before the renewal of your domain, you will save £8.50 on the total cost for that year. You will need to arrange for your existing provider to release the IPS TAG for your domain to us. The change over takes about 48 hours. We do not charge a 'moving fee', but your existing provider may. Email for more details.
Can I move my domain away from Commskit?
Yes, although we hope that you will not wish to! If you do wish to move your domain to another provider, we will not charge you anything for doing so, and will act as quickly as possible to have the domain TAG released for you.
Acceptable use
In common with all service providers, we reserve the right to suspend or terminate an account with us if we consider that the use to which it is being put is contrary to our aims and objectives. Specifically, we reserve the right to refuse service to any group using or intending to use Commskit web space and email for purposes which are contrary or damaging to the expressed Christian aims of the Beds and Herts Churches Media Trust.
We cannot offer refunds if accounts or domains are moved away from Commskit before the renewal date.
Please complete the form below and send it direct from this site by clicking ‘submit’ and we will start work on setting up your account right away. Alternatively, you can email with all the required information to internet@commskit.org.uk A complete list of inclusive costs can be found below the form. An invoice will be sent to the address you give below as soon as we have all your information.
Quick price reference
Commskit 100 web and email package for churches £45 per annum
Commskit UL web and email package for churches £125 per annum
Optional
half day package setup and tuition
£45
Microsoft Front Page Extensions
£12 per annum
Extra
UK domain registration
(First included with package)
£8.50 per annum
Top level domain (.org, .com, .net) £15.50 per annum
'Spam Buster' filtering £25 per annum