Pride is celebrated in a variety months around the world. Here are highlights of ways MCC congregations reached out to their communities during this festive time.

Jay Bakker will be the special guest of St. John's MCC (Raleigh, North Carolina) for the North Carolina Pride celebrations in September in both Raleigh and Durham. He will preach at St. John's MCC and participate in numerous Pride events. http://gaynewsbits.com/2008/08/12/jay-bakker-out-and-about-in-north-carolina/

MCC Windsor (Canada) was very involved with their city's Pride, including the release of their historic needs assessment survey of the LGBT community in Windsor-Essex County. The survey, funded by a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (which rarely makes grants to churches), was the first to examine the needs of the LGBT population in that area.

Gentle Shepherd MCC (Tallahassee, Florida) was a co-sponsor of their city's week-long Pride events. They passed out bottles of water at the festival.

Rev. Nathan Meckley began his tenure as pastor of MCC Portland (Oregon) at Pride and was interviewed in Just Out. http://www.justout.com/news_nw_meckley.aspx Their parade contingent was led by Elevation. They distributed 50 cases of water to thirsty revelers, along with literature about the church and stickers by Pat Schwiebert claiming, "God Made Me Queer!"

MCC Paducah (Kentucky) hosted the first-ever Pride Picnic this year. There was great turnout -- it was the only such event in the western part of the state. Justin Ryan performed and folks enjoyed food, games, prizes, and music.

Millions of people waving rainbow flags and wearing lavish Carnival costumes paraded in Sao Paulo, Brazil, South America's largest city, to celebrate gay pride and demand an end to homophobia and sexism. The crowd was estimated at five million, with at least a half million visitors for the week long event. ICM Sao Paulo participated in parade, the Cultural Gay Fair, Gay Day, and other events.

A photo of MCC Los Angeles' (California) Pride float was carried in the Los Angeles Times.

New Spirit MCC (Cincinnati, Ohio) partnered with the Human Rights Campaign and Crossport, a trans group, to provide an educational forum during Pride. The church hosted the community's Pride Worship Service, led by Rev. Melody Wolder , and served as "cool space" for those who needed to get out of the heat during the festival. They also staffed a booth to promote the church.

MCC San Diego (California) sold festival passes and Pride pins. A portion of the sales supported the church's activities during July's Pride events.

Cape Town, South Africa, celebrates Pride in February and March. Good Hope MCC had a float in the parade proclaiming "Would Jesus Discriminate?" and participated in an Interfaith Service. Rev Kevin Light, one of the church's designated Marriage Officials, and Labyrinth, a spirituality movement for people who self-identify as spiritual but not religious, hosted the God Is Gay breakfast. Activities during the week included films, a High Tea, a cruise, plays, and more. The last of the 26 events on the Pride calendar was the Pride Worship Service at Good Hope MCC.

During Pride, MCC of Greater St. Louis (Missouri) handed out over 100 copies of the CD The Bible: Good News for Gays? , a nine-week sermon series analyzing both the "clobber" passages and the more affirming passages of the Bible. Rev. Dr. Carol Trissell was named Co-Grand Marshall of the parade and MCCGSL's choir was featured on the festival's main stage.

Rev. Dwayne Morgan, pastor of MCC Bournemouth (England), will be a guest of MCC Manchester during their city's Pride Weekend in August. He will join them in staffing their festival stall and will preach at their Sunday service.

Vision of Hope MCC (Mountville, Pennsylvania) hosted three nationally-known comedians (Vickie Shaw, Sabrina Matthews, and Jennie McNulty) for an evening of comedy following Lancaster's first Pride celebration. Proceeds went to their new nonprofit to assist the LGBT community. They also hosted a site for children during the festival.

At the annual Stonewall Service at MCC Melbourne (Australia), the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus performed. The speaker was Demetra Giannakopoulos, co-convener of the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby. The night before, they held a Stonewall Dinner -- and everyone dressed in their best outfits from 1969! They wore their "Would Jesus Discriminate?" t-shirts in the Pride march!

Rev. Marge Ragona was the speaker for the Interfaith Pride Service in Birmingham, Alabama, the U.S. city in which the mayor refused a permit for the Gay Pride parade. It doesn't happen only in Moldova!

MCC/ICM Los Angeles (California) had only their early worship service on Pride Sunday so that they could participate in the Interfaith Service which was held at the intersection of La Cienega and Santa Monica Blvd., shutting down the streets to celebrate.

Folks from FirstCoast MCC (St. Augustine, Florida) participated in the Gay Days events in Orlando at Disneyworld and are looking forward to Ancient City Pride the end of September.

The float for Open Arms MCC (Rochester, New York) featured wedding pictures of couples who have been legally married.

MCC Key West (Florida) partnered with community organizations to offer three seminars during Pride: Empowering Youth with PFLAG and the high school Gay Straight Alliance, Marriage Equality with the local ACLU, and Current Issues with Equality Florida.

Rev. Mark Pridmore, pastor of Eternal Joy MCC, officiated at the 2nd annual mass wedding at the conclusion of the parade in Dayton, Ohio. Church members passed out water, rainbow bracelets, and doggie treats.

The 6:24 Band of MCC Austin (Texas) was featured on the church's float in their parade.

Mary Moore received the Lester Childers Della Reeves Community Service Award from Tennessee Valley Pride. This was the first year this award was presented in Chattanooga and honored The Rock MCC's HIV/AIDS ministry to their community.

Angels of Hope MCC (Appleton and Green Bay, Wisconsin) marched in the parades in Milwaukee and Green Bay, led the Interfaith Service in Green Bay, participated in Pride Alive, and hosted a showing of For the Bible Tells Me So.

Church of Our Savior MCC (Boynton Beach, Florida) staffed a booth throughout the weekend of Pridefest, held at the end of March.

Eight MCCs joined together for Capital Pride in Washington, DC. They became an official Pride sponsor, which placed the MCC name and logo on prominent display. By marching together in their "Would Jesus Discriminate?" t-shirts, they became the largest contingent in the two-mile parade. At their festival booth, they handed out information about Holy Redeemer MCC (College Park, Maryland), MCC of the Chesapeake (Annapolis, Maryland), MCC Fredricksburg (Virginia), MCC of Northern Virginia (Fairfax, Virginia), MCC Washington, DC, New Covenant MCC (Laurel, Maryland), New Light MCC (Hagerstown, Maryland), and Open Door MCC (Boyds, Maryland).

As always, MCC Bournemouth (England) participated in Bourne Free. They had an entry in the parade and an information stall in the gardens, and hosted the Community Pride Service!

MCC Illiana (Lake Station, Indiana) participated in the first Northwest Indiana Pride Parade in Gary with 15 entries from Indiana and Illinois. They wore their "Would Jesus Discriminate?" t-shirts and handed out over 400 WJD bumper stickers. They also sponsored a kick-off gathering the night before.

Each Saturday evening in June, the New Port Ritchie, Florida, library featured a film for REEL Pride Fest. Spirit of Life MCC participated and promoted their church, along with other Pride activities.

MCC Brisbane (Australia) hosted their annual Stonewall Service. The guest speaker was Shelley Argent OAM, the national spokesperson for PFLAG and recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia for raising awareness of issues of acceptance, tolerance and equality for LGBT people.

New Covenant MCC (Laurel, Maryland) had a booth at both the Washington, DC, and Baltimore, Maryland, Pride festivals. They are conveniently located between the two larger cities.

MCC of the Quad Cities (Iowa) was one of 10 organizations sponsoring the first-ever Pride Fest in their area. Events included a picnic with live music, booths, children's activities and an invitation to the straight community to bring their families and join in the fun. Next year they hope to begin an annual Pride parade.

Like many MCC congregations, Jesus MCC (Indianapolis, Indiana) marched in their city's Pride parade and had a booth at the festival. Of course, they wore their "Would Jesus Discriminate?" t-shirts!

Rev. Axel Schwaigert, pastor of MCC Stuttgart (Germany), was the guest preacher at the Pride service at MCC Boston (Massachusetts). Music was provided by the Boston church choir. Congregants also participated in Pride activities in Rhode Island to promote their church.

MCC San Jose (California) marched in their city's parade and led an ecumenical worship service at the festival.

Imago Dei MCC (Glen Mills, Pennsylvania) wore their "Would Jesus Discriminate?" t-shirts and passed out "Gay By God" stickers at the Equality Forum gathering in Philadelphia in the face of opposition by ultra conservatives. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETccNR-k_K4

MCC Louisville (Kentucky) debuted their "Would Jesus Discriminate?" t-shirts and banner at the Kentuckiana parade. The church's contingent was featured on two TV stations and in the newspaper. At the festival they signed up folks for their email list, and offered an option of just receiving action alerts to promote MCC's justice work.

Peninsula MCC (San Mateo, California) participated in both the Trans March and Dyke March in San Francisco. They gathered at the Millbrae BART Station to wish those boarding the trains a Happy San Francisco Pride Day and to hand out information about PMCC.

Rev. Martha Daniels participated in a panel at the Canadian Mental Health Association's Mental Health Mondays: "Why Pride? Mental Health and LGBT Pride."

All the MCC congregations along Florida's west coast marched together in the parade in St. Petersburg. They had a joint float and banner as the kick-off of their "Would Jesus Discriminate?" campaign. The 50 marchers all wore matching WJD t-shirts and carried the banners for Celebration MCC (Naples), Church of the Trinity MCC (Sarasota), King of Peace MCC (St. Petersburg), MCC Tampa, St. John the Apostle MCC (Ft. Myers), and SunCoast Cathedral MCC (Venice). There were cheerleaders, singing, and bead throwing -- and along the parade route they heard people in the crowd yell, "Thank you, MCC. Thank you for being here."

MCC Seattle (Washington) handed out beads with their church's information during the parade in their city. Some marched carrying the church's banner; others rode in a car decorated with rainbow-colored balloons. The church hosted a song service and Communion before the parade began.

MCC Elizabethtown (Kentucky) hosted a special worship service for Pride.

Performing Same-Sex Weddings since 1971 was the theme of MCC San Francisco’s (California) float in their parade, with their special guest Rev. Elder Troy Perry. They carried photos and other mementos of Holy Unions and Weddings through the years. Before the parade, they celebrated Holy Communion.

New Life MCC (Hampton Roads, Virginia) participated in the Hampton Roads Black Pride celebration in July.

MCC-DC's (Washington, DC) entry in the Pride parade included their new interim pastor, Rev. Elder Dr. Charlie Arehart.

MCC Toronto (Canada) holds a special service every year as an official event during their city's Pride. This year's featured the MCCT choir with Alana Bridgewater and Sterling Jarvis, stars from We Will Rock You. They rent chairs, sound equipment, and radios, and create banners, flower arrangements, and everything needed for the hundreds who join them for this special service.

Justin Ryan was the special guest of MCC Knoxville (Tennessee) for Pride. He performed during the Celebrating Our Religious Diversity event and presented a concert at the church. The church choir and Karen Reynolds also performed at the festival.

Holy Covenant MCC (Brookfield, Illinois) and achurch4me MCC (Chicago, Illinois) had a booth together at the festival and invited nearby MCCs to join them for one large contingent in the Chicagoland parade. Heartland Community MCC (Springfield, Illinois) accepted the invitation and participated with them in the parade and festival.

MCC Baltimore (Maryland) held a special Pride service and participated in the parade, block party, and festival.

MCC Baton Rouge (Louisiana) hosted the Pride service, a game night with Drag Bingo, and a Pride film festival, which included a screening of For the Bible Tells Me So.

Living Springs MCC (Bath, England) hosted the Pride service for the city of Bath.

Harbor MCC (Galveston, Texas) has been busily preparing for their city's upcoming Pride festival.

First MCC of Atlanta (Georgia) moved their morning worship to 10 AM on July 6, so that their congregation could march in the Pride parade.

Resurrection MCC (Houston, Texas) had an award-winning float in this year's Pride parade!

New Creation MCC (Columbus, Ohio) was instrumental in planning the spiritual aspects of Pride in central Ohio.

MCC Detroit (Michigan) was hired to pass out 15,000 bags at Motor City Pride, which, of course, included information about their church! Rev. Mark G. Bidwell, Rev. Kevin Kinsel and Rev. Deb Dysert were joined by the Mayor of Ferndale to marry nine couples before 200 people in front of City Hall. Each couple received flowers, pictures, programs, and a cake top to take home.

All God's Children MCC (Minneapolis, Minnesota) had their traditional store and marched in the Pride parade. Their praise team and band were featured on the stage at the festival and rocked the park!

MCC of the Chesapeake (Annapolis, Maryland) was one of the predominant sponsors for their region's Pride in July. Rev. Wayne Schwandt was chair of the event.

MCC of the Rockies (Denver, Colorado) hosted a special Friday night Pride service, complete with coming out stories by Sue Bonini, Kyle Burrell, Michael C de Baca, and Samson Tesfaye. Back Pew led the congregation in praise music.

Over 200 folks gathered on the grounds of MCC Topeka (Kansas) for the Pride picnic. They enjoyed great food hot off the grill, entertainment, vendors, exhibitors, children's activities, raffles, a best hat contest, and prizes. The event was covered by Channel 49 TV News.

The singing men of Una Voce flipped pancakes to raise money and feed folks at King of Peace MCC (St. Petersburg, Florida) on Pride day.

Healing Spirit MCC (Rochester, Minnesota) sold desserts from their booth at Pride.

MCC Omaha (Nebraska) participated in their 23rd parade appearance, the longest of any organization after the Imperial Court of Nebraska. They received an impressive list of awards for their floats and entries. Their Praise Band was featured at the festival and Susie Brenner also performed.

Pikes Peak MCC (Colorado Springs, Colorado) recently observed Pride. At one event, their new pastor Rev. Wes Mullins took part in a friendly face-off against the director of the Pride Center -- in a pool of lube! At least the money went to charity! They wore their new t-shirts proclaiming "Love changes everything" for the marriage demonstration, parade and festival. They also hosted a Brenner/Beckstead concert and a special Pride service at the church.

In New York City, Pride is celebrated during the entire month of June. Folks at MCC New York participated in parades, health fairs, tea dances, seminars, concerts, interfaith services, runs, and AIDS vigils. They also hosted the Stonewall Sunday and Pride Sunday services for the community.

Albuquerque PRIDE was voted the best outdoor festival and parade by Alibi Magazine and is the 20th most attended event the State of New Mexico. MCC Albuquerque was there, reaching out to the entire community with God's unconditional love, especially in countering the protesters holding signs filled with hateful accusations. Rev. Judy Maynard also officiated at commitment ceremonies at the church's booth.

Singing a New Song: From Pride to Gratitude was the sermon theme for Pride month at achurch4me? MCC (Chicago, Illinois).