Integrity Media Launches 'Devotional' Mobile Phone Service

By Gretta Curtis, Christian Today Reporter Friday, October 27, 2006

Integrity Media recently announced the launch of a mobile phone service that provides daily devotions, insights and a vast range of inspiring content by Christian leaders, artists and ministries directly to mobile phones.

At www.MWorship.net visitors can sign up for a daily inspirational text message sent directly to their phones, watch free music videos, download hundreds of ring tones from top Christian artists and more. Members have a variety of channels to choose from including devotionals, daily scripture, music news, movie reviews, artist song-stories, parenting and relationship tips.

According to Integrity President and CEO Michael Coleman, MWorship was created to use today’s technology to offer spiritual encouragement and entertainment and practical insight and advice. The new service came out of a partnership between Integrity and Sony BMG Music Entertainment along with trusted ministry and resource content providers, including FamilyLife, Focus on the Family, the Gospel Music Channel, Integrity Music Group, LifeWay and Provident Music Group.

The resulting initiative includes both regular text messages and a mobile web site (WAP) that provides inspirational thoughts and content from notables such as Dr. James Dobson, Max Lucado and Beth Moore, along with ring tones from popular Christian artists including Michael W. Smith, Darlene Zschech, Israel and New Breed, Mary Mary, Kirk Franklin and others.

Additionally, the “Send-A-Blessing” and “Prayer Group” programs allow customers to send notes of encouragement and to manage and quickly communicate prayer needs to individuals and groups from the web or directly from their cell phones.

“We are thrilled about the launch of MWorship,” says Coleman. “It represents the next natural step in Integrity’s commitment to creating resources that help facilitate a Christian lifestyle. With today’s hectic lifestyles, we often find ourselves ‘living’ on our phones, rushing from one appointment to another. MWorship offers a way to refresh and re-focus our priorities in the midst of all that busy-ness.”

“We’re especially excited about how user-friendly the service is,” added Philip Manwaring, chief technology officer. “While technology gives us a powerful opportunity for ministry, it can be overwhelming ... So, we’ve developed MWorship so that the technology is accessible to everyone… sign-up is easy and the messages are sent automatically so that users don’t need to understand the inner workings of their phones.”