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Ecunet, an interdenominational computer network, is operated by some 19 faith communities. The Anglican/Episcopal part is called Quest. Through an Internet gateway, maintained by Ecunet, members can send e-mail to people and organizations on the Internet.
Ecunet/Quest** is being used increasingly by provinces, dioceses, and parishes. They are finding that committee members can hold discussions, without having to meet face-to-face or, in the case of the provinces, travel long distances. Some "distance learning" programs of theological education are also being conducted on-line, with students having direct access to their mentors and faculty. Task forces and special interest groups find Ecunet/Quest useful for formulating responses to problems.
A great deal of my grant-making work - receiving proposals, monitoring grants - is now done on Ecunet/Quest. I connect at 6 AM each day to get mail from those whose working day began much earlier. Occasionally, I will get a message from an African grantee; will send a reply; and will have a reply to my reply when I log on again from the office at 9 AM! This rapid response time permits me to get on top of problems quickly, but it also means I am working at a much faster pace than in the past - which doesn't always please my family.
Ecunet/Quest does offer more than a platform for cyberspace workaholics, however. There are over 4,000 discussion groups (called "meetings") available, and any user can easily open a new meeting to talk about anything - inviting all subscribers or just one other person to join. Many of these meetings are about sermon preparation; special services/liturgies; the role of permanent deacons and the laity in the churches; church music; clergy families: just as one might expect on a religious "Intranet."
As a newcomer in 1992, I was therefore quite surprised to find discussion groups centered on the pleasures and principles of wine-tasting; amateur and professional sports; mystery stories; handyman/do-it-yourself projects; car repair; and topics so esoteric that I sometimes joined, just to find out what it was all about. In the last two months, it was marvelous to find a meeting to discuss MADGALEN PAPYRUS FRAGMENTS and another meeting, THE GERD HERD, for those who suffer from reflux syndrome, their families, and friends. One person's esoterica may be another person's prime interest at the moment.
If you have ever requested a list of people who have joined a particular meeting, you will note that only about 10 percent of them ever write notes. The last time I counted, over 700 people have joined the meeting QUEST COFFEE HOUR. QCH has moved from being a "chat room" to being a "public notice board." Ask for help and, if none of the 700 know the answer, they'll ask friends and family. From QCH discussions, many new meetings get started to take a topic to deeper levels.
The meeting TEC (stands for The Episcopal Church) also has a large number of people who read there, and controversies pop up regularly. If the exchanges get too "hot and heavy," the participants are invited to open a new meeting. Three meetings that have news of the Anglican/Episcopal Church and ecumenical news are: ANGLICAN COMMUNION NEWS SERVICE, EPISCOPAL NEWS SERVICE, and ENI SUMMARY (summary of news from Ecumenical News International.)
For new users, I advise joining the meeting ACTIVE MEETINGS. Merrill Cooke, the originator of this meeting, lists the 15 meetings-of-the-week into which the most new notes have been posted. This list will give you some idea of "what's hot." Warning: such discussions can cool down rapidly when the original participants conclude they don't have anything else to say. If you don't want to see the meeting die, then jump in with your ideas, which will be welcomed by the others.
If you want to scan the entire data base, send a note to the meeting HELPER to find out how you can search for key words used in meeting names. Instructions for doing this vary, depending on the type of software and hardware involved.
For information about joining Ecunet/Quest, contact the Rev. Kris Lee, Episcopal Telecommunications Director, tel: 1-188-334-7626.
*Since 1984, Trinity Grants Program has invested more than $1 million in developing the InterAnglican Information Network (IAIN) which includes the computer/modem segment Quest; fax networks; packet-radio and radio-call systems. IAIN's mission is to level the communications playing field for the benefit of church partners in developing countries.
**The names Ecunet and Quest are often used interchangeably. To avoid confusion, Ecunet/Quest is used to identify the network. Names of meetings are written in capital letters.
I joined Ecunet/Quest about three years ago and quickly discovered e-mail. I have been in regular contact with friends in Canada, across the United States, and locally. I join meetings that have information that supports my ministry and to which I can also contribute. Through other meetings I keep in touch with what is happening in the church. It is a great way to be in contact with Episcopalians from around the country and overseas. Also, I can "meet" people from other denominations and share ideas and views.
The QUEST COFFEE HOUR and TEC (stands for The Episcopal Church) meetings have been interesting to keep a finger on the pulse of the Episcopal Church but do have a mass of notes. It can get expensive downloading a lot of stuff, and tiresome to wade through passionate arguments that do not interest me. Recently, I have been paying more attention to the Province II meetings (SECOND PROVINCE, SECOND PROVINCE CHAT, and SECOND PROVINCE NEWS) and diocesan meetings. One of the better options of Ecunet/Quest is that you can easily drop out of a meeting and rejoin it at a later date.
If you are just starting out with Ecunet/Quest, try different meetings to see if they match your interests and/or give information helpful to you. Feel free to lurk or join the conversation. The meeting ECUNET and PUBLIC have information about new meetings. This is where those who begin meetings invite others to participate.
The weekly SERMONSHOP has sometimes been helpful for sermon preparations. I use it about once a month. READING THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY is fun because the editor, James Wall, is active in the meeting. ECULAUGH is good for a smile. NATIVE AMERICAN ISSUES has been a helpful meeting in that my work on the Onondaga Nation is quite isolated from other Episcopalians who are Native American. CONCORDAT has provided some of the best conversation about the Episcopal-Lutheran Concordat. Its active participants include both Episcopal and Lutheran bishops, theologians, and pastors and priests.
The potential for communicating with church folks is very high and as more people come on-line some of that potential is being realized. The Province II Education Network is planning to do more of our work on-line and the FINGER LAKES CONFERENCE became a meeting a year ago.
I have had some interesting encounters and notes on Ecunet/Quest, such as: finding the perfect vacation place on an island in the Bahamas from the parish administrator in a church in California; reading the Bishop of Hawaii's declaration of a "snow day" in sympathy with those suffering the blizzard of '96 on the East Coast; keeping up with the national church scandals, and other news, through regular updates from EPISCOPAL NEWS SERVICE and ENS DIGEST; finding an old seminary friend who is now in Michigan and keeping up with another friend who was in Saskatchewan and now is in Boston.
Ecunet/Quest costs me about $15 a month. It does not allow me to surf the Web or to access World Wide Web sites but continues to be a useful communication tool. For more information about Ecunet/Quest, contact the Rev. Kris Lee, Episcopal Telecommunications Director, tel: 1-800-334-7626.
Contact: The Rev. Tom Barrington, tel: 315-445-9334; Ecunet/Quest address: TOM BARRINGTON; e-mail: tom.barrington@ecunet.org
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"I will pour out my spirit and your sons and daughters shall prophesy." (Acts 2:17.) That is what the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) '96 was based upon. Eighteen youth and three adults represented the Diocese of Long Island for three days at the Provincial Youth Event (PYE) for Province II held at Waycross Camp and Conference Center in Brown County, Indiana and for five days at EYE held at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana.
We left early Sunday morning to begin our journey to the heartland. We got to the airport and said our good-byes to our family and friends who had helped us prepare for this great experience. We boarded our plane for Cleveland a little after 9 AM and were on our way. It was a smooth flight with about a 45-minute wait to change planes for Indianapolis. We arrived on time and ate a quick lunch because buses were coming to take us to Waycross. Two hours rolled by. Then, finally, one school bus came for about 75 youth, adults, and all their luggage. The bus was filled before you could spell Episcopalian. About an hour went by when three vans came to take our luggage. Luckily there was room for some people. The rest had to wait four more hours until the school bus came back.
At PYE we played a lot of getting-to-know-you games, held our own Olympics, which consisted of tug-of-war, egg relay, and dodge ball. We also broke into small groups and discussed our hopes and dreama. The theme was "Dreams and Visions." PYE was a great way to meet people from other dioceses in our province.
Tuesday afternoon we headed for Terre Haute to join the larger community. As soon as we stepped off our bus people wanted to trade buttons, stickers, and necklaces. Once we were settled in our rooms we headed back out to the "trading post" to meet people from all over. At the opening ceremony, we received our first taste of the great music that was in store for us that evening. This was also where the presiding bishop welcomed us to EYE.
On Wednesday we had a morning program and then broke up into small groups and talked about people and diversity. During free time there were sports, movies, and board games. After dinner we held a Cultural Gatherings Workshop. Option night was filled with karaoke, arts and crafts, or a "Dive in Movie."
We began Thursday just like Wednesday, except after lunch we had a large range of workshops to choose from. There were workshops ranging from Life after High School to How to Make Dream Catchers. These workshops were another great way to meet people. After dinner we held a cultural carnival around the fountain. Many dioceses either had giveaways, games, or presentations. There was lots of music, food, and fun.
During the Friday morning program, the Diocese of Long Island (that's us!) gave a presentation on how we view the kingdom of God in our diocese. After dinner each province gathered for the Eucharist. The same night there was a concert in the auditorium.
Saturday, our last full day, was a special one. The small groups gathered for forums. We discussed showing God's love to others, and starting and keeping youth ministries in the diocese. For dinner we held a cookout. After the closing Eucharist we held a dance outside and had a great time. The next day we would say good-bye.
Sunday was a day filled with tears and laughs. We all gave each other hugs and promised that we would write, call, and visit each other. Then it was back to the airport to fly home to rejoin our family and friends who were waiting for us to land and to share our experiences.
(Editor's note: This article is reprinted from the Trinity-St. John's newsletter.)
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This past summer I went to one of the most enlightening experiences of my Christian life - the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) held at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana.
I admit I went to the conference with a bit of apprehension. Would I make any friends? What would I do there? But once I actually got into the spirit of EYE, I was amazed.
I think that one of the most moving points of the experience was the openness that I witnessed there. I participated in small groups where everyone was crying, laughing, and sharing their most intimate thoughts with people they scarcely knew. During the exchange of the Peace, I was bombarded with hugs, handshakes, and smiles from people who were virtual strangers.
Another major point that struck me was the wonderful power of the music. During each of the services there was a band that played songs of praise and guided the audience along. The people who were on stage were all excellent musicians, but what really moved me was the audience: all these people from around the country and the world, lifting up their voices as one to praise God. The joyful volume of the singing and the rhythm of clapping echoed throughout the university campus for hours.
When I returned home, I felt almost as if I were missing a vital part of myself. I had made so many new friends, and what was more important, I had felt the presence of God more powerfully than ever before. In the past, I had known there was a God, but now I can see that my faith was only lukewarm. I believe that my faith is now much stronger because of EYE. The unity that infused the event was overwhelming, and I felt that I had really belonged to this community of people who lifted up their hearts and voices so lovingly to Jesus.
With the experience of EYE, I have also learned to open up my feelings a little bit more. I have always been a little wary of sharing my feelings with other people, but the trust that was shown by the youth at EYE has become an example for me in my life. Also, this experience has helped me evaluate my life more critically. What have I been doing with it? Absolutely nothing. I am now determined to do something with my life. I want to help other people. I want to evangelize. I want to show the world the power of Jesus's love. I want to live my life the way God would want me to.
EYE has been one of the most powerful, spiritually moving, and just plain fun experiences of my life. I can still hear the music, feel the friendship and love, and see the people that made EYE the way it was, and I thank them for this opportunity to lift up my life to God.
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One of Jesus' last requests of his disciples was that they make disciples of their neighbors, friends, their community, and the world. We too are commissioned to evangelize the world. The commission is even more urgent in this, the second half of the decade of evangelism. A current report states that only two percent of Christians are regularly involved in the work of evangelism. The other ninety-eight percent of Christians do nothing because they are uninterested, afraid, or see it as the job of someone else, particularly the priest.
The fundamental hindrance or deterrent to personal evangelism is that we as Christians are not convinced of the superiority and power of our productÑJesus Christ. The reasons why Christians fail to evangelize fall into three main categories: fear, lack of biblical knowledge, and lack of an intimate spiritual experience.
Fear of people and the inevitable verbal attacks are primary reasons why many people do not evangelize. There is fear because the Christian church does not always have a good name or reputation in the community. There is fear of upsetting people's livesÑrocking the boat.
Lack of biblical knowledge and an understanding of the message of the Gospel also hinder evangelism. Lack of understanding of who a Christian is, what his or her responsibilities are, and a lack of a fundamental methodology for sharing the gospel contribute to this ignorance.
There is sometimes a lack of understanding of the meaning of being "born again", saved, or having a personal relationship with God. There is also a lack of belief in God and a lack of bubbling enthusiasm for and in a personal relationship with Jesus.
To overcome these hindrances, we need to read scripture. God promises his people his presence and power. God does not expect us to do the job on our own strength. God will give us confidence. We will experience it as we speak. God promises that if we open our mouth, he will fill it. God is not impressed with our continual fears. Fear will eventually lead us into bondage to do what other people want. (2 Timothy 1:7; Jeremiah 1:8,9,17; Revelation 29-25.)
We must admit that the church is often flawed and some of its members are hypocritical. But we must be proud of the Gospel and what it represents; what it can accomplish. It represents God's power to save people from sin. Try to change the negative image of the church. What God says is more important than what people say. "Thus saith the Lord" carries the authority that is needed to convey the message of salvation. (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 2 Corinthians 5:19-20.)
We overcome ignorance by gaining knowledge: knowledge of the scripture, knowledge of our Christian responsibilities, and knowledge of the equipment God has given us to do the job.
Know the message of the Bible. The message is straightforward. God made us; we sinned; sin must be punished. Jesus bore the punishment for our sins, therefore sinners must come to God through repentance, belief, and faith. Know your responsibility, its joys, and the consequences of disobedience. We are given the responsibility to bring men and women into the kingdom of God. (Matthew 4:19; Hebrews 4:12; Joshua 1:8.)
Know a workable method of evangelism. Jesus had one. He sent his disciples out two by two with specific instructions. To begin a conversation, use what is referred to as the X-ray method. Ask one or all of these four questions: Are you interested in spiritual things? If not, why not? Have you ever thought of being a Christian? Who is a Christian? Would you mind if I share four Scripture passages with you? (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; John 1:12; 1 John 1:9.)
It is impossible to share with others what you do not possess. See that you know God personally. Develop a vigorous routine of devotional life which includes Bible readings, study, and prayer. Exercise faith in God and demonstrate the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only.
Contact: Donald Guthrie, 4808 Barnes Ave., Bronx, NY 10470, tel: 212-494-9471.
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Being editor of The Grapevine has been one of the most fulfilling, rewarding, interesting, and challenging jobs I have had and it is with great reluctance that I have made the decision to resign after the spring 1997 issue. I have made this decision for two reasons. For a variety of reasons, I will not be able to do a newsletter this fall. Also, it is, I believe, time for a fresh perspective. It has been almost four years since Audrey King, then president of Province II, called me about starting and editing a newsletter for the province.
I an sure there is someone in the province who would be interested in this position. This is a time to exercise our networking skills. Please contact me at 908-236-2927 if you are interested or know of someone who is. I will be available to assist, if necessary, during the transition period.
The Grapevine has become an important means of communication within the province. The framework for the newsletter is in place and functioning smoothly. The talented people at Mission Graphics at Church of Our Savior in New York City, do an outstanding job of desktop publishing and are wonderful to work with. The leadership of Province II is superior and the networks are active. There is much to share.
For the future:
Jane Savage, 5 Fieldstone Dr., Lebanon, NJ 08833
phone/fax: 908-236-2927, Fri, Feb 07, 1997, 08:13 AM
Internet address: jane_savage.parti@ecunet.org
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