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| A publication of Ecunet.org |
Volume
1| Issue 4| December 2003 |
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Ecunet,
Inc. Customer
Service Billing
Inquiries --- |
Ecunet billing changes Billing for member's fees will change beginning with the 2004 annual subscription invoice. Members will now receive their annual bill electronically, and can pay directly from the electronic bill or can print it out and return it with their payment. "The new billing method not only is convenient, but it saves a great deal of money on paper and postage expenses," says Brian Lang, Ecunet Business Administrator. Some Ecunet members will begin receiving their 2004 invoice as early as December of this year. Ecunet offers book authors and readers unique opportunities If you haven't participated in an online book discussion, now is a great time to try it! Just think - a chance to share in conversation with the book's author as you read and learn. At present, PresbyNet and LutherLink are both offering book discussions that run about a month long. Participants say they appreciate having direct access to the authors whose ideas they are exploring, and the meetings tend to be of manageable volume. Several people said that participating in the online discussion has helped them guide adult forums in their congregations. Elinor Mosser, who coordinates book discussions for PresbyNet, says there is one on the list for December: "Living With Hope" provides a scientist's look at Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Written by John Polkinghorne (an Anglican priest), the online discussion will begin December 1. The online group will be led by Dr. Greg Cootsona, associate pastor for adult discipleship at Bidwell Presbyterian Church in Chico, Calif., and author of "Creation and Last Things: At the Intersection of Theology and Science." Then in January 2004, don't miss "Praying the Movies II: More Daily Meditations from Classic Films," with Dr. Edward McNulty. Mim Woolbert reports that LutherLink's "Authors OnLine" has three discussions scheduled for the new year: January 2004: "Ordinary Saints: An Introduction to the Christian Life" by Robert Benne. About the vocation of the Christian in daily life, Benne discusses with clarity and authority Christian identity, the call of God, moral development, and marriage and family life, among other topics. February 2004: "Our Lives Are Not Our Own: Saying 'Yes' to God" by Rochelle Melander and Harold Eppley. This book is designed to encourage personal reflection and create dialogue about Christian accountability. March 2004: "A Servant's Manual: Christian Leadership for Tomorrow" by Michael W. Foss, a blueprint for new leadership "equipped to think productively for the sake of the reign of our God in the world." Watch for new branches as new book discussions are started, and think about joining in on these enlightening conversations. Don't see your favorite book on the list? Start your own online book discussion. For a general discussion about books, consider joining the "FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS" group. Related links: Supporting Ecunet's mission Ecunet is a not for profit organization with a mission to foster communication among faith leaders, and between faith groups. In 2002 and 2003 Ecunet had higher operating expenses than revenue generated by member subscription fees. To eliminate that debt during 2004, please consider supporting Ecunet in the following ways: + Buy discount local phone service, long distance
service, or Internet access from EcuServe (owned by Ecunet). A
complete selection of services can be found at http://www.ecuserve.com. New features in the next version of the Ecunet conferencing system Consider joining the Ecunet meeting "Spy Chat" in preparation for the upcoming public "beta test" of new file libraries, links libraries, and calendar features. Early in 2004 Ecunet will be rolling out these enhancements as well as offering other new features, such as the ability for Ecunet members to read some of their meeting notes in the web interface, while forwarding notes from other selected meetings to one or more email addresses. Related links: Discussions about the contents of this newsletter can be found by visiting http://www.ecunet.org/topic/ecunews_chat |