Digital Edition announcement messages
Announcement email — February 3, 2020
Dear fellow reader of the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons —
We’re delighted to tell you about a new digital edition of the Bible Lesson, which will be available in March.
Ever since Mary Baker Eddy established these Bible Lessons, the Publishing Society has been committed to making them available in formats that support the study of this message from the Christian Science Pastor. As Mrs. Eddy said of these lessons, “The Word of God is a powerful preacher, and it is not too spiritual to be practical, nor too transcendental to be heard and understood.” ('01 11:19–21) Each new version has been an effort to make lessons more widely accessible by keeping the Quarterly abreast of the times.
Digital resources. In recent years, eBibleLesson enabled more immediate access to the lessons in an increasingly mobile society. And myBibleLesson was designed to help engage youth with supplemental content like word studies and historical context. In the years since their releases, we’ve received generous input from subscribers, Sunday School students and teachers, parents, Christian Science teachers, Bible scholars, and others on these two formats and how to improve them. We’ve learned that youth generally weren’t engaging with the PDF format of myBibleLesson, that the mobile experience needed better functionality, and that Christian Science Sentinel subscribers were valuing Bible Lens as a complement to their Bible Lesson study.
New design. As we explored ways to include user requested improvements, while still retaining the best features of both digital Bible Lesson formats, a new design emerged that has allowed us to combine the two products into one. Our genuine desire with this new edition is to better serve both groups of subscribers, while being guided by “wisdom, economy, and brotherly love.” (Church Manual p. 77) The new digital Bible Lesson will:
• Include core features of eBibleLesson and myBibleLesson (both of which will be retired in March);
• Provide additional Bible translations for select verses;
• Make Christian Science Sentinel Bible Lens content accessible with the Bible Lesson itself, offering more than the print version provides space for.
Making it your own. We all love the Bible Lesson. But we each study it differently. This new format lets you decide how: Study with or without extra content; on mobile, tablet, or desktop; print it out; read or listen to it.
And we’ll keep improving it with your input and inspiration. Email us anytime at quarterly@csps.com. Find more information about your subscription and this new edition below, or visit our FAQ page at https://quarterly.christianscience.com/help.
With gratitude for each of you,
Abraham McLaughlin
Manager, The Christian Science Publishing Society
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I try the new Digital Edition?
Look for an email in the coming weeks with information about trying the Digital Edition before its official launch.
What happens to my subscription to myBibleLesson or eBibleLesson?
Your subscription will be transitioned to the new Digital Edition automatically. You won’t need to do anything. If you currently subscribe to both eBibleLesson and myBibleLesson, your subscriptions will be combined, and you will be charged for only a single subscription. You may need to create a new password for the Digital Edition, and we will share instructions in your invitation about how to access the new Digital Edition.
Will my subscription price change?
No. The price for the Digital Edition is $12.95 every four weeks—the same as eBibleLesson and myBibleLesson. Again, if you currently subscribe to both eBibleLesson and myBibleLesson, your subscriptions will be combined, and you will be charged for only a single subscription.
When will I no longer have access to myBibleLesson?
The final issue of myBibleLesson will be for the March 29 lesson on Reality. After that, visitors to the myBibleLesson website will be automatically redirected to the new edition.
When will I no longer have access to eBibleLesson?
When the new Digital Edition officially launches in March, visitors to the eBibleLesson website will be automatically redirected to the new edition.
How can I learn more?
Click here to learn more about the new Digital Edition, or visit our FAQ page at https://quarterly.christianscience.com/help.
Update #1 — February 26, 2020
Dear fellow reader of the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons—
We are so pleased to let you know you will be able to use the new Digital Edition of the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons for the week of March 2. Details on how to access it will be coming in a separate email.
Meanwhile, we invite you to explore a Digital Edition overview here. It’s the most feature-rich edition of the Quarterly yet. As mentioned in our previous email, it will replace eBibleLesson and myBibleLesson, both of which will be retired at the end of March. As a current subscriber, you don’t need to do a thing to get the Digital Edition. Your subscription will continue uninterrupted for the same price: $12.95 for four weeks of the Bible Lesson.
The development of the Digital Edition incorporated generous insights from many readers—Sunday School students, teachers, practitioners, church members, and others. It enables you to:
Read: Study on your phone, tablet, eReader, or desktop—online or offline, wherever you are.
Download: PDF, EPUB, MOBI, and MP3 formats are available for download and offline use.
Print: Bring the lesson where electronic formats won’t reach, and take notes while you read.
Listen: Hear the lesson read to you with our improved audio player—streaming or downloaded.
Connect: Read Bible Lessons directly in the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy via the Concord study program—even without a Concord subscription.
Explore: Access alternate Bible translations, Bible commentary, and word definitions in the Christian Science Sentinel’s Bible Lens, which is included in the Digital Edition.
Look for an invitation to the Digital Edition during the week of March 2 (for the lesson on Man). And if you have further questions, please visit our FAQ page or contact us at quarterly@csps.com. We welcome all your comments and suggestions.
With gratitude for each of you,
Abraham McLaughlin
Manager, The Christian Science Publishing Society
Update #2 - March 2, 2020
Dear fellow reader of the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons—
In preparation for the transition later this month to the new Digital Edition of the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons, we’re delighted to invite you to try out this week’s lesson on “Man.” (Click here to begin.)
The Digital Edition was built with significant input and suggestions from your fellow readers. Once you’ve tried it, please let us know what you think. We’ll be making regular updates, and we’d love to hear your ideas for how we can better support your study of the Bible Lesson.
Feel free to contact us by clicking here. Or if you have questions, please visit our FAQ page.
As mentioned in previous emails, the Digital Edition will replace eBibleLesson, which will go offline after the March 22 lesson on “Matter,” and myBibleLesson, which will go offline after the March 29 lesson on “Reality.”
(Anyone without a current subscription to myBibleLesson or eBibleLesson is also welcome to try the Digital Edition this week. After the official release later this month, they can subscribe at a rate of $12.95 for four weeks.)
Enjoy this week’s Bible Lesson!
With gratitude for each of you,
Abraham McLaughlin
Manager, The Christian Science Publishing Society
Update #3 to eBibleLesson subscribers - March 19, 2020
Dear Fellow Readers of the Bible Lesson—
We hope you are enjoying the new Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lessons—Digital Edition. It’s the result of significant and generous input from Bible Lesson readers like you.
As a final reminder, the Digital Edition will replace eBibleLesson on Monday, March 23rd. After this date, if you go to eBibleLesson.com, you’ll be directed to the Digital Edition (quarterly.christianscience.com).
Saving quarterly.christianscience.com/lesson to your phone’s home screen or as a bookmark in your web browser makes it easier to find the Bible Lesson quickly, and the page will automatically update with the newest lesson each week.
We look forward to hearing from you with your impressions of the Digital Edition. Thank you so much for your support of the Quarterly.
With gratitude for each of you,
Abraham McLaughlin
Manager, The Christian Science Publishing Society
P.S. Next week, from March 23 through March 27, our phone lines will have extended hours for questions related to the Digital Edition: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. (EDT). For the quickest answers to your questions, please visit our Help and FAQ pages. You can also submit questions online, email quarterly@csps.com, or call 617-450-2880.
