Making Sense of Church is a part of THEOOZE website community (www.theooze.com/msoc).

When you use the message boards, submit a link or article you will need a THEOOZE account, it is free to sign up.

Our Commitment to You, Our Community
The Delicate Balance of Privacy and a Safe Community

Our first and foremost concern is to create an environment of learning, growth, and relationships. Thus, we are not focused on gaining a large source of personal information on individual users. In our efforts to create THEOOZE community, we are choosing to request information from each user only when we need it.

For instance, in order to access all the features within the community, we would like each person to register with a minimum amount of personal data. We do need to your request your birthdate because of the fact that anyone under 13 years of age may not register on THEOOZE in a desire to adhere to recent US legislation. Then, each user will be given the opportunity to create a User Profile; all of this information is optional, and it is only for other users to be able to connect with you based on the information you choose to provide. When you choose to register for a conference, support THEOOZE with a donation or purchase on THEOOZE, we will ask you for your address or phone number in order to process your credit card.

Although we only ask for information when we need it, we also want to have enough information about our users so that we can rectify any situations that may arise from inappropriate behavior or use of the site. We have an extremely strong desire to keep THEOOZE community as "safe and well-lit" as possible.

THEOOZE respects and wants to protect the privacy of our users. THEOOZE collects information from our users at several different points on our website, but all information is solely owned by THEOOZE. We do not sell, rent, or loan any identifiable information regarding our customers to any third party. Any personal information you give us will not be given to other third parties without your consent.

Use of Registration Information
In order to use this website, a user must first complete the registration form. During registration a user is required to give their contact information (such as name and email address). This information is used to contact the user about the services on our site for which they have expressed interest. Unique identifiers (such as passwords) are collected to verify the user's identity, for use as account numbers in our record system, and for other purposes. It is optional for the user to provide user profile information, but encouraged so you can connect with other THEOOZE users within the community. Our site also provides users the opportunity to opt-in to receiving communications from us and our partners at the point where we request registration.

Order
We request information from the user on our order form. Here a user must provide contact information (like name and billing address) and financial information (like credit card number, expiration date). This information is used for billing purposes and to fill customer's orders. If we have trouble processing an order, this contact information is used to get in touch with the user.

Use of Cookies
A cookie is a piece of data stored on the user's hard drive containing information about the user. Usage of a cookie is in no way linked to any personally identifiable information while on our site. Cookies are files that your Web browser places on your computer's hard drive for record-keeping purposes. THEOOZE creates and then uses these cookie files to track your clicks as you go through the site. The use of cookies is an industry standard and you will find them at most major Web sites. The information we retrieve from the cookie files helps us track user trends and patterns. We use the information from cookies to provide services that better fit our users' needs. THEOOZE also uses cookies to deliver content specific to your interests. You may occasionally get cookies from our advertisers. THEOOZE does not control or have access to these cookies. The use of advertising cookies sent by third-party servers is standard in the Internet industry.

Use of IP Addresses
We use IP addresses to analyze trends, administer the site, track user's movement, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. IP addresses are not linked to personally identifiable information.

Sharing
We will share aggregated demographic information with our partners and advertisers. This is not linked to any personal information that can identify any individual person.

We use a credit card processing company to bill users for goods and services. These companies do not retain, share, store or use personally identifiable information for any secondary purposes.

We partner with other parties to provide specific services as well. When the user signs up for these services, we will share names, or other contact information that is necessary for the third party to provide these services.

These parties are not allowed to use personally identifiable information except for the purpose of providing these services.

Links
This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that THEOOZE is not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this Web site.

Surveys & Contests
From time-to-time our site requests information from users via surveys or contests. Participation in these surveys or contests is completely voluntary and the user therefore has a choice whether or not to disclose this information. Information requested may include contact information (such as name and billing address) and demographic information (such as zip code, age level). Contact information will be used to notify the winners and award prizes. Survey information will be used for purposes of monitoring or improving the use and satisfaction of this site.

Tell-A-Friend
If a user elects to use our referral service for informing a friend about our site, we ask them for the friend's name and email address. THEOOZE will automatically send the friend a one-time email inviting them to visit the site, but THEOOZE does not store this information.

Security
This website takes every precaution to protect our users' information. When users submit sensitive information via the website, your information is protected both online and off-line.

When our registration/order form asks users to enter sensitive information (such as credit card number and/or social security number), that information is encrypted and is protected with the best encryption software in the industry - SSL. While on a secure page, such as our order form, the lock icon on the bottom of Web browsers such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer becomes locked, as opposed to un-locked, or open, when you are just 'surfing'.

While we use SSL encryption to protect sensitive information online, we also do everything in our power to protect user-information off-line. All of our users' information, not just the sensitive information mentioned above, is restricted in our offices. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, our billing clerk or a customer service representative) are granted access to personally identifiable information. Furthermore, ALL employees are kept up-to-date on our security and privacy practices. Finally, the servers that we store personally identifiable information on are kept in a secure environment.

Site and Service Updates
We also send the user site and service announcement updates. Members are not able to un-subscribe from service announcements, which contain important information about the service. We communicate with the user to provide requested services and in regards to issues relating to their account via email or phone.

Notification of Changes
If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on our Homepage so our users are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under circumstances, if any, we disclose it. If at any point we decide to use personally identifiable information in a manner different from that stated at the time it was collected, we will notify users by way of an email. Users will have a choice as to whether or not we use their information in this different manner. We will use information in accordance with the privacy policy under which the information was collected.

Correction/Updating Personal Information
If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your zip code), or if a user no longer desires our service, we will endeavor to provide a way to correct, update or remove that user's personal data provided to us. To change information in your Account or Profile, simply click on "My Account" or "My Profile" in the quick links section of each page after logging in.

Contacting THEOOZE
If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy, the practices of this site, or your dealings with THEOOZE, you can contact us at:

THEOOZE 
3605 Lake Ave.
Newport Beach, CA 92663
949.631.0104
Spencer Burke

Making Sense of Church
The Book is now shipping. Get your limited edition signed copy sent to you today and help support TheOoze.
Spencer's intro talk
from Soularize in a Box
35 min.

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Buy The Book Making Sense of Church is a snapshot of TheOoze community conversation as it tries to make sense of God in the emerging worldview. It represents a gathering of individuals with different points of view, theologies, life contexts, and feelings. Author Spencer Burke, creator of TheOoze.com, provides the framework by sharing his own stories of struggle with the transition form "institutional" to "emerging" church. Using metaphors and message board postings to illustrate each chapter.    more>>>
Sample Chapter - "Teacher to Facilitator a conversation about Learning"
Download Chapter #3
"This is a unique contribution in the study of the emerging church in a postmodern cultural context. Spencer Burke is in direct contact on a daily basis with the people we need to hear from through his highly acclaimed web-site. The postings are riveting and Spencer's commentary provides a penetrating analysis."
~ Eddie Gibbs
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