Emily Meihls of Owosso and Jackie Heslip of Ovid were among local recipients of college scholarships from Covenant Eyes, located at 1525 W. King St. in Owosso. In the third year of its college scholarship program, Covenant Eyes this year provided $15,000 in scholarships to students.

Owosso, MI (Oct. 18, 2012) In the third year of its annual scholarship program, Covenant Eyes provided 32 scholarships to college students.

Local students receiving scholarships include Emily Meihls of Owosso, who is attending the University of Michigan-Flint; Jackie Heslip of Ovid, who is attending Baker College; and Patrick Heslip of Perry, who is attending Alma College.

“Each year, we have been able to provide more money to help students afford the cost of higher learning,” said Ron DeHaas, President of Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability and Filtering, based in Owosso. “Our continued growth allows us to not only hire more people, but it also allows Covenant Eyes to support our community in additional ways. Scholarships for students is just one of the ways we are able to give back to the families of Shiawassee County.”

Covenant Eyes began its scholarship program in 2010 as part of its 10^th anniversary celebration. Four scholarship categories are available, including a category for Shiawassee County residents who are subscribers to Covenant Eyes.

In addition to hiring 22 people for new positions this year, Covenant Eyes is a sponsor of the Pregnancy Resource Center of Shiawassee County, helped underwrite the cost of a new playscape at Bentley Park, and supports multiple community events and youth sports. Covenant Eyes is also sponsor of Shiawassee Special Olympics, the American Legion, Shiawassee County United Way, The Arc of Shiawassee County, Girls on the Run Shiawassee, and other community programs and initiatives.

“While we serve families with our services in more than 100 countries, we’re especially proud to serve families in Shiawassee County and to support their educational pursuits,” Covenant Eyes Human Resources Director Marianne Huff said.

Owosso is home to the global headquarters of Covenant Eyes, which provides Internet Accountability and Filtering services to individuals, families, schools, colleges, businesses, and organizations around the world.

Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability monitors how the Internet is used on a computer, phone, or tablet and rates every web page viewed with ratings similar to movie and video game ratings, such as T for Teen and M for Mature. This information is compiled into reports, which are e-mailed to a friend or parent, and help guide conversations about how the Internet should be used. Reports also show the words typed into search engines and the titles of videos watched on sites like YouTube. Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability is available for Windows and Mac computers, Android phones and tablets, iPhone, iPad, and the iPod touch.

Parents also use this rating system to decide the sensitivity of the Covenant Eyes Windows Filter for every member of their family. That allows families to choose what sites can be visited based on the age of the child or adult using the Internet. The Filter also allows parents to choose the amount of time per day and the times of day the Internet may be used.

For more information about these services, visit CovenantEyes.com

Accountability and Filtering Software Company makes Inc. 5000 Honor Roll of Fastest Growing Companies

Owosso, MI (Sept. 13, 2012) Record breaking growth doesn’t come by accident, says Ron DeHaas, president of Covenant Eyes in Owosso. It has everything to do with helping people.

Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability and Filtering has been named to position 2,871 in the 2012 Inc. 5000 Honor Roll of the fastest growing companies in America.

The company surpassed its sales records every month during 2012, and has hired 20 new employees so far this year. Currently, the company is seeking software engineers, marketing staff, and customer service representatives.

“We are very proud of our teams,” DeHaas said. “We are providing software for computers, smart phones and tablets that help families use the Internet safely, and we provide free customer support and educational materials because we care deeply about our mission.”

In recent months, Covenant Eyes has published e-books such as “Parenting the Internet Generation,” and provides these resources free to anyone visiting their website. The company also produces a free online magazine, called Pure Minds Online, which delivers the latest information on Internet trends and safety.

“It feels so good to help a mom or dad, who might not be as computer savvy as their kids, understand how to protect their family online,” said Dave Stanton, a customer service representative. “Sometimes people have computer viruses and other problems and they don’t know what to do. That’s okay, I know I can help them get on the right track.”

Covenant Eyes growth has also been helpful to Shiawassee County. In addition to hiring for new positions, Covenant Eyes provides annual college scholarships to Shiawassee County residents, is a sponsor of the Pregnancy Resource Center of Shiawassee County, and helped underwrite the cost of a new playscape at Bentley Park.

“While we serve families with our services in more than 100 countries, we’re especially proud to serve families in Shiawassee County,” Covenant Eyes Human Resources Director Marianne Huff said.

For more than 30 years, Inc. has celebrated the fastest-growing private companies in America. As an Inc. 5000 honoree, Covenant Eyes now shares a pedigree with Zappos, Under Armour, Microsoft, and Facebook, said Eric Schurenberg, editor of Inc. magazine.

Owosso is home to the global headquarters of Covenant Eyes, which provides Internet Accountability and Filtering services to individuals, families, schools, colleges, businesses, and organizations around the world.

Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability monitors how the Internet is used on a computer, phone, or tablet and rates every web page viewed with ratings similar to movie and video game ratings, such as T for Teen and M for Mature. This information is compiled into reports, which are e-mailed to a friend or parent, and are useful for guiding conversations about how the Internet should be used. Reports also show the words typed into search engines and the titles of videos watched on sites like YouTube. Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability is available for Windows and Mac computers, Android phones and tablets, iPhone, iPad, and the iPod touch.

Parents also use this rating system to decide the sensitivity of the Covenant Eyes Windows Filter for every member of their family. This allows families to choose what sites can be visited based on the age of the child or adult using the Internet. The Filter also allows parents to choose the amount of time per day and the times of day the Internet may be used.

Owosso, MI (April 12, 2012) College is becoming so expensive it’s holding some families back.

Out of pocket expenses for higher education are growing faster than incomes, which is pricing low and medium income families out of the pursuit of a college education. CollegeBoard.org says that tuition and fees at public universities have surged nearly 130% over the last 20 years, while middle incomes have stagnated.

“I believe it’s important to encourage and help students to pursue higher learning,” said Ron DeHaas, President of Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability and Filtering.

“Last year, Covenant Eyes awarded 24 scholarships,” DeHaas said. “Now in its third year, Covenant Eyes is proud to continue its college scholarship program.”

Covenant Eyes began its scholarship program in 2010 as part of its 10^th anniversary celebration.

Covenant Eyes members who will attend college as a full-time student for the 2012-2013 school year may be eligible to apply. For information on eligibility and the scholarship application, visit CovenantEyes.com/scholarships. Applications are due by July 1, 2012.

The amount of each scholarship will be determined after recipients are selected. Four scholarship categories are available.

Covenant Eyes provides Internet Accountability and Filtering services to individuals, families, schools, colleges, businesses, and organizations around the world.

Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability monitors how the Internet is used on a computer, phone, or tablet and rates every web page viewed with ratings similar to movie and video game ratings, such as T for Teen and M for Mature. This information is compiled into reports, which are e-mailed to a friend or parent, and are useful to guide conversations about how the Internet should be used. Reports also show the words typed into search engines and the titles of videos watched on sites like YouTube. Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability is available for Windows and Mac computers, Android phones and tablets, iPhone, iPad, and the iPod touch.

Parents also use this rating system to decide the sensitivity of the Covenant Eyes Filter for every member of their family. That allows families to choose what sites can be visited based on the age of the child or adult using the Internet. The filter also allows parents to choose the amount of time per day and the times of day the Internet may be used.

For more information about these services, visit CovenantEyes.com

Owosso, MI (March 27, 2012) Pornography is forbidden fruit, which may make it even more attractive, destructive, and addictive to Christians, writes Bill Perkins in the new free e-book Porn-Free Church, published by Covenant Eyes.

Porn-Free Church: Raising up gospel communities to destroy secret sins is a major work that is a must-read for church leaders who want to uproot the weeds of pornography that are infesting relationships and marriages. Covenant Eyes gathered nine engaging writers to expose why pornography thrives in secrecy, and why people feel trapped in a cycle of sin and shame. More importantly, the book helps pastors show their congregations how to find freedom from porn in the Gospel.

Readers will learn:

• How this secret sin is hurting the church.
• Statistics about pornography.
• The ugly connection between porn, sex trafficking, and other social injustices.
• Biblical truths about accountability.
• Concepts on how to counsel men struggling with pornography.
• How to move past large events and pancake breakfasts to create a culture of accountability within a church.
• How to start a recovery group in your church.

Download Porn-Free Church now.

New Guide From Covenant Eyes Blends the Bible and Scientific Research to Teach Christians About the Threat of Pornography

Owosso, Mi (December 12, 2011)

It was the Great Porn Experiment. In the 1980s two researchers, Dr. Dolf Zillmann and Dr. Jennings Bryant, were exploring the impact of pornographic films on people’s sexual beliefs and attitudes. After participants in their experiment had watched only five hours of adult media over a six-week period, the results were remarkable. Viewing pornography seemed to damage every corner of the mind: decreasing sexual pleasure in their marriages, decreasing their desire for commitment and affection, lowering their view of women, normalizing sexual violence, and creating a greater thirst for not real sex, but more and harder porn.

Now, 25 years and dozens of studies later, these observations are even more significant to the Internet generation. “When this study was done, that was called the ‘Massive Exposure Group.’ I now call that the Friday Afternoon Group,” says Dr. Mary Anne Layden, Director of Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Cognitive Therapy. This is far from an exaggeration. According to a survey of 29,000 people from North American universities, 51% of men and 16% of women said they spend up to five hours online per week for sexual purposes.

Luke Gilkerson of the Internet safety company Covenant Eyes presents this and other scientific findings in a new e-book, Your Brain on Porn. And his target audience for this book is—of all groups—the church.

“Our company has interacted with literally thousands of churches over the last 11 years, and time and again, we have seen large percentages of church members wrestling with porn temptations,” Gilkerson said. “This guide was written to them.”

According to a survey done by Christianity Today, 57% of pastors say pornography is the most sexually damaging issue in their congregations. Daniel Darling, Senior Pastor of Gages Lake Bible Church and the author of iFaith: Connecting with God in the 21st Century, agrees. “It is not simply a problem for a few high-school guys experimenting with newfound hormones. It’s a lurching monster daily taking prisoners from among the best of us, including young and old, dads, and pastors, and leaders.”

“My goal was to set scientific findings in a Biblical context,” Gilkerson reports. “Even in churches where porn and lust are discouraged, it is still helpful to understand that there is a wise Designer behind our sexual drive. He created us for intimacy, and these scientific findings only further illustrate what the Bible has said all along—that lust hijacks something beautiful and makes it something ugly.”

“As a physician specializing in family medicine and addiction medicine, I hear about sexual problems on a regular basis,” reports Dr. Mark Murphy of Tacoma Central Family Medicine. “Given the alarming statistics included in this e-book, I am more inclined to ask my patients with sexual problems if they are involved with pornography.”

Dr. Murphy says he used to shy away from such questions, but now he unashamedly asks about his patients’ involvement with porn because he knows about the damaging impact it has on their relationships.

“I am delighted that I now have an excellent resource, namely Luke’s book, to offer my patients when this subject is broached,” Dr. Murphy reports. “This is a must read for any Christian who struggles with pornography.”

Pastor Darling believes this new e-book will be a great help to the church. “I heartily recommend Your Brain on Porn as a compassionate, gospel-soaked blueprint for escaping the clutches of the pornography beast.”

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