Ecunet is a not-for-profit, online network of Christian organizations. Many of the major denominations have their own Ecunet member network, as the organization has developed and widely deployed technology that brings church leadership and membership together online.

Affiliation with a member's denomination is essential to Ecunet's success. At registration, a new member selects the denomination to which they belong. Upon completion of registration, the new member is invited to access the denomination's affiliated discussion groups and resources.

Members may join and participate in online discussions that cover a wide range of topics. These can include sermon preparation, theological debate, or new ministry development. Topics can also be more personal or practical in nature and reflect individual prayer needs, or can be requests for help in such things as finding a new job.

All members may join meetings that are public, or they may join private discussions to which they have been invited. Some meetings, such as those for support of adults who have been abused as children, are most often private. Private meetings can also be used for church committees that are hiring new church staff and wish to review applicants with discretion. 

Ecunet provides two unique technology distinctions. The first is that any member may create new public or private meetings. This unique ability provides for a clear reflection of what actually is being talked about or addressed in the at-large church. On Ecunet you find popular meetings that have been started by denominational offices on the same system where grassroots discussions started by individual members thrive. Some member denominations only create meetings to discuss church polity or to distribute news. Others put tremendous resources online to spiritually nurture and partner with their church members.

The second technology distinction is that once a new meeting is created, participants of another meeting can be invited in on the new discussion. This concept is called "branching" and it perpetuates the content and the growth of the member networks.

Ecunet provides the technology and the framework for effective churchwide communication, and for individual Christians to gather together online for fellowship and support. Members may access the Ecunet conferencing system by the World Wide Web and by electronic mail.

Begun in 1985, after years of church body experimentation on existing networks,
Ecunet is home to thousands of conversations ("meetings") on a myriad of
subjects that support ordained, lay, and denominational staff ministries.
worship resources, youth ministry, music ministry, Bible study -- you'll find it all
on Ecunet. New meetings open constantly as a timely response to religious,
political, and social issues of the moment. You join the meetings that interest
you. The system is comprised of member networks (groups of users from the
same denomination, religious ministry, or organization). Ecunet is the name
used for all the networks on the system. 

Popular meetings include "chat" meetings for the various networks,
denominational news and information meetings, plus more specialized meetings
dealing with such issues as disaster response and ecumenical endeavors. 
There are also some opportunities to pursue personal interests, such as "Star
Trek" meetings, or something like "All God's Creatures" -- where those
with fur, feathers, paws, and claws have a voice. 

See what people are saying about Ecunet!