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Judy Dale, Editor
A Publication of MCC's
Communications Department
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WELCOME!
Welcome to Part II of May's
"Around The Fellowship" newsletter from Metropolitan
Community Churches.
To include your information in
upcoming issues, send news to Judy Dale,
Editor.
TEARING DOWN WALLS. BUILDING UP
HOPE.
You can follow the
news of MCC's Eastern Europe Initiative by reading
Rev. Elder Diane Fisher's on-line blog from Romania,
Bulgaria, Moldova, Serbia and Latvia.
Visit www.MCCchurch.org to read the
latest updates.
LEARN MORE ABOUT UPCOMING MCC
CONFERENCES AT www.MCCconferences.org
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TROY PERRY BOOK NOW ON
AMAZON.COM |
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The beautiful coffetable
book, "Rev. Troy Perry: Pastor and Prophet," is
now available for purchase on Amazon.com.
This book makes a wonderful
gift or keepsake -- and you'll find the lowest
price on Amazon.com.
Visit Amazon
today -- and order now for birthdays, special
occasions, and early Christmas
shopping.
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HONOR
OR MEMORIALIZE YOUR LOVED ONES THROUGH
MCC |
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Your financial donation to
Metropolitan Community Churches is a wonderful
way to honor or memorialize your loved
ones.
Your gifts touch the lives
of people around the world with a message of
hope and faith -- and are a
beautiful tribute to those who have
made a difference in our lives.
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May 2006 .
Volume 2, Issue
4b |
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Here's a call to
action! Rev.
Rowland Jide Macaulay, a Nigerian gay
rights advocate and Staff Clergy at MCC of North London
(England), criticized recent law reform as
undisguised homophobia. "The Nigerian
Government should not be using time and energy to
attack and deny the human rights of LGBT people.
We are children of God who have been created to
enjoy and affirm our God-given sexual
nature. The statements made by the Federal
Government of Nigeria are homophobic and are
prepared to use any means to silent the voices of
innocent and vulnerable citizens." The
Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has been at
the forefront of the anti-gay prejudice in
Nigeria. On Sunday, July 2, 2006, MCC of North London
will host an International Day of
Prayer for LGBT people of Nigeria.
The Church is calling on all religious and
non-religious ministries and supporters to pray
for Nigerian LGBT people living in Nigeria or
Abroad and also to pray for the Federal Republic
of Nigeria and its legislators. http://www.lgbtnigerians.org/
Holy Covenant MCC
(Brookfield, Illinois) has opened their facility
to a Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA)
group. Rev. Ron
LaRoque is the Interim Pastor.
MCC in the Valley
(North Hollywood, California) donated over 900 toy
bunnies for orphans and disadvantaged children as
part of Operation Bunny Love.
Easter baskets were assembled
by congregants at MCC
of Corpus Christi (Texas) for children at
the Women's Shelter and at the Rainbow Room, a
safe haven for children of abuse or
neglect.
On "Can Do Sunday," the folks
at FirstCoast
MCC (St. Augustine, Florida) brought
canned goods for the Betty Griffin House for
battered women and children.
Each
month congregants of Living Springs MCC
(Bath, England) collect a Community Tithe to
donate to a local organization. Recently they
raised £61.94 for the Children's Hospice South
West. Last year they gave £731.21 to help
others in their community.
Rev. Renwick Bell,
Pastor of Church of
Our Savior MCC (Boynton Beach, Florida),
was one of several clergy from various
denominations and faiths who were arrested for
leading a demonstration organized by the
South Florida Interfaith Committee for Worker
Justice to support the striking janitors at the
University of Miami. They were joined by
union members, students, and faculty. At
another event drawing over 200 participants, Rabbi
Rebecca Lillian led in a Labor Seder.
Kathy Mann of
MCC of the Coachella
Valley (Cathedral City, California)
headed a team for the Relay for Life in Yucca
Valley for the American Cancer Society.
During the Equality Forum in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Rev. Elder Nancy
Wilson spoke at the 9th Annual
Religious Colloquy. She was joined by Rev.
Steven Baines, People for the American Way; Rabbi
Rebecca Alpert, Temple University; Most Rev.
Timothy Cravens, Independent Catholic Christian
Church; and Shane Manieri, Queer
Dharma. They discussed the intersection
of social philosophies, political leanings, and
religious beliefs. MCC
Philadelphia also led a
workshop, Through the
Fire.
The congregation of Agape MCC (Ft.
Worth, Texas) provided food, clothes, school
supplies, and cash for families whose homes were
flooded in Grand Prairie.
MCC Bournemouth
(England) folks collected chocolate Easter eggs
for the residents of the Women's Refuge.
Congregants of Sunshine Cathedral
MCC (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) sent Easter
cards and uplifting notes to prisoners through the
Ray of Light Ministry.
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For the 13th year, MCC will
host an interfaith Sunday Service at the International Mr. Leather
Weekend. The service, coordinated
by Deacon Rob
Hadley, will be May 28, 2006, at 12:30
PM at the famous Palmer House Hotel in
Chicago. Bryan Parker, Vice
Chair of the Lay Ministry
Council, will preach and Rev. Angie
Thinnis, Pastor of MCC Illiana (Gary,
Indiana) will lead the music. For details
or to volunteer, visit http://freewebs.com/mccatiml/.
On Holy Saturday, MCC Manchester
(England) joined with St Chrysostom's Anglican
Church for their Easter Vigil and First Mass of
Easter.
MCC of Corpus
Christi (Texas) held a joint Good
Friday Service with St. Paul's United Church of
Christ.
Living Springs MCC
(Bath, England) participated with Churches
Together in Bath for the annual Good Friday
Cross Walk through the streets of Bath.
Rev. Kieren
Bourne led the act of worship at the
station in Kingsmead Square.
Rev. Dr. Gail
Simonds returned to Michigan and
founded Weathervane
Ministries , a church planting project
supported by MCC and by the Church Within, a
movement of the United Methodist Church.
Open Arms MCC
(Rochester, New York) hosted a joint Good Friday
Service with Pano Tawa Unity Fellowship
Church.
Simco County MCC
(Barrie, Ontario, Canada), shared an amazing
Good Friday service with their host church Grace
United. Interim Pastoral Leader, Deacon Randi
Williams, who is also a member of the
MCC Lay Ministry
Council, was able to share MCC's Holy
Week resources with the Pastor of Grace
United. The experience created a stronger
desire for both churches to connect even
closer.
Over 100 committed lay
leaders, pastors, priests, rabbis, cantors, and
other ministers in the Columbus, Ohio, area meet
as a diverse group (theologically, racially,
rural/urban/suburban) to speak as one voice on
behalf of the poor and on the intersection of
faith and public policy. Rev. Margaret Hawk
of New Creation
MCC is a leader in the group.
During the Commonwealth
Games, the team of athletes from Nambia visited
MCC
Melbourne (Australia). They joined
in a spirit-filled worship service and then
shared about their country and
experiences. Most were members of the Dutch
Reformed Church.
GRACE, The Grand
Rapids (Michigan) Area Center for Ecumenism,
will have their annual Hunger Walk this
month. Donna
Alexander and Chuck Bailey are
coordinating the team representing Reconciliation
MCC.
Iain Blackburn, Jenny-Anne
Bishop, John Foulds and Harry Smith
were part of the MCC Manchester
(England) contingent who helped carry the 18
meter illuminated cross through the city streets
during the Manchester Passion, a re-enactment
that used pop songs written by Manchester
bands. Thousands of Christians from many
different churches participated. The
BBC asked
specifically for MCC Manchester
congregants to be in the filming of the
event.
Peninsula MCC (San
Mateo, California) and their host church College
Heights Church shared services during Holy
Week. College Heights planned the Maundy
Thursday Service and PMCC produced the Good
Friday Service.
Good Shepherd Parish
MCC (Chicago, Illinois) shared their
Maundy Thursday Service with their host church,
Edgewater Presbyterian.
Dignity San Fernando
invited City of
Angels MCC (Silverlake, California) and
MCC Los
Angeles (West Hollywood, California) to
share in their Easter Vigil, a sacred ritual of
preparation for the Resurrection. Fr. Todd
Schull and Rev.
Shirley VanDamme
presided. |
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The A. Austin Amerine Retreat
Center (AAARC) is a work in
progress. Land was purchase in northern
California and the project was named for the
late Rev. A. Austin
Amerine, who served MCC for many years,
especially in the northwestern US.
The dream is to have a
fully functional retreat center with meeting
facilities, sleeping rooms, a kitchen and dining
room, recreation areas, a camping area for
tents, and RV hookups.
They are in the process of
selling some smaller parcels of the land in Lake
County to provide funds to implement the
architect's plans. They are located just
south of Clear Lake, the largest fresh water
lake in California, with its shops, wineries,
restaurants, and other tourist activities.
Work on interior roads and
a new access road were completed,
but the devastating storms in recent months
damaged the roads with washouts, land and rock
slides, and rutting. Neighbors have offered
to loan their equipment and assist in the
rebuilding, which will significantly cut the
US$20,000 cost.
AARC has applied for a
grant to conduct their first on-site program in
late summer, a weekend wilderness experience for
city youth. To help plan or staff this
event, contact Elder Mel Johnson at Mel@aaarc.org
They are also seeking three
new Board members, especially with experience in
marketing, fundraising, or community
building. Send enquires to Board President Keith
Kunkel at Keith@aaarc.org. Others
serving on the Board of Directors are Karl Vidt,
Secretary/Treasurer, Cindy Acker, and
Jill
Nelson.
Visit their website to
learn more about what's happening and how you
can become involved. www.aaarc.org . |
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Central Texas MCC from the
Heart (Waco, Texas) will celebrate
their 20th Anniversary May 27-28. MCC Founder Rev. Elder Troy
D. Perry will be their special
guest. The banquet will feature
entertainment, a silent auction, and Rev. Charley
Garrison's annual zany awards
presentation. For tickets, contact centemcc@earthlink.net.
To celebrate their 9th
Anniversary, FirstCoast MCC
(St. Augustine, Florida) officially broke
ground at their church property on Saturday, May
6 with a Pig Roast! Their special
guest for the weekend was Rev. Elder Lillie
Brock. http://www.firstcoastmcc.com/
MCC Good Shepherd
(Sydney, Australia) is already making plans for
their 20th Anniversary celebration September
16-17, 2006. They will have a dinner at
the Parravilla Reception Centre on Saturday
evening and a special worship service on
Sunday. lingling@ozemail.com.au
The Sub
Region 1 Meeting is being held in
conjunction with the celebration so that other
churches in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand
may participate.
Is your church planning an
anniversary event or weekend? E-mail
information to JudyDale@MCCchurch.net
as soon as possible to appear in Around the
Fellowship in time for others to
celebrate with
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MCC Montpellier
(France) had an Easter Retreat where they
welcomed new members from various locations in
France. They will ensure an MCC presence at
Pride events in both Montpellier and in Paris,
and are working with individuals in Spain who
are interested in beginning an MCC.
Rooted and Reaching: A
Spiritual Growth Retreat was the
theme for MCC
NOVA's (Fairfax, Virginia) weekend May
19-21.
The Iona Community
organizes a series of thematic spiritual weeks
on the very spiritual Scottish Island of Iona
each summer. August 5-11, 2006, will be
"Coming In, a time of discovering how God within
empowers us in our relating with the world and
each other...a week for lesbians, gay men and
their friends, integrating spirituality and
sexual identity through a range of creative
media, in a safe space." UK MCCers from
Journey
MCC (Birmingham, England) and MCC Edinburgh
(Scotland) have already booked to attend.
http://www.iona.org.uk/abbey/isp1.htm.
The women of MCC San Francisco
(California) held their annual Retreat during
May 12-14, and the men held their
Retreat the following weekend.
Regional Conference
Registration is now open! And you
can find everything you'll ever want to
know about the conference site! You can
attend any conference, but there will be
business meetings for the Regions listed at each
site.
Scottsdale, USA:
July 13 - 16, 2006 (Regions 1, 6, and 7)
http://www.mccconferences.org/regionalconferences/scottsdale.html
Hannover, Germany:
September 14 - 17, 2006 (Regions 4 and 5)
http://www.mccconferences.org/regionalconferences/hannover.html
Fort Lauderdale,
USA: October 5 - 8, 2006 (Regions 2 and
7)
http://www.mccconferences.org/regionalconferences/ftlauderdale.html
Pittsburgh, USA:
November: 2 - 5, 2006 (Regions 3 and 5)
http://www.mccconferences.org/regionalconferences/pittsburgh.html
Information will soon be
posted for the Latin American Leadership
Institute:
São Paulo, Brazil:
Nov. 30 - Dec. 3, 2006
You can also register for
the Clergy Conference in Scottsdale. http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=94399 |
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MCC
San Francisco (California) member/spiritual
director Russell
Kaltschmidt and poet Christine Rodgers are
leading a post-Easter journey using readings from her
book Into the Great Green Heart of
God, exploring the themes of setting out,
sowing seeds, and harvesting.
Trinity MCC (Gainesville,
Florida) has begun a new series of Wednesday night
programs. The first Wednesday is a Taize worship
service; the second is group Scripture analysis, "The
Bible and Me," the third, "Spiritual Discovery,"
features book and film reviews; and the fourth is a time
of rest with nothing scheduled. Rev. Joe McMurray is the
Pastor.
Rev.
David Wynn is leading a study exploring life
transformation at Church of
the Trinity MCC (Sarasota, Florida). The
group is reading and discussing the book Chasing
Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My
Life by Eugene O'Kelly.
Resurrection
Encounters, a six-week study about the
first disciples' encounters with the risen Christ, is
being taught by Rev. Dexter
Brecht, not only for the folks at MCC of Greater New Orleans
(Louisiana), but also for the members of Freedom
Fellowship.
MCC
San Jose (California) is doing a series of
Church Vitality workshops, based on a report by Wendy Foxworth, exercises
by Rev. Elder Lillie
Brock, and congregational discussions about
making their worship services more vibrant.
MCC of the Coachella
Valley (Cathedral City, California) is
beginning three new studies this month. The Da
Vinci Code Where FACTS and FICTION meet: the Biblical
Christ in a Da Vinci Code Society will
utilize six mini-documentaries. Brokeback
Mountain: A Bible Study! will have
participants watch the film and then do a biblically
based study on the film's themes. The
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe will also have folks view the
film and explore the biblical themes and allegories
crafted by the famous Christian author C. S.
Lewis. info@mcccv.org
SPIRIT – Power to be
Witnesses is the current sermon series at
Imago Dei MCC
(Glen Mills, Pennsylvania). Rev. Karla Fleshman will
be focusing on the power of the Holy Spirit working in
the lives of individuals and the life of their
congregation.
The Adult Christian Education
Discussion and Supper Group meets on Monday
nights at Church of Our
Redeemer MCC (Augusta, Georgia). MCCourRedeemer@aol.com Their
current study themes include:
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Justice & the World: What is the Character of Your
God?
- History & Jesus:
What is the Content of Your Faith?
- Worship & Violence: What is
the Purpose of Your Prayer?
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Resurrection & Community: What is the Function of
Your Church?
The Tuesday Morning Study Group at
MCC Portland
(Oregon) is exploring the book Rescuing the
Bible from Fundamentalism by Bishop John Shelby
Spong.
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Don
Lindenbrook, a
Deacon at MCC of the
Fox Valley (Elgin, Illinois) found
this excellent resource. "The Stations of
The Cross of a Person with AIDS", http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/andre/stations.html,
has a
simple but poignant drawing, an invocation and
response, a reading, and a prayer for each
Station.
MCC
East London
(England)
put out a request for MCCers around the world to
send them the words, “Christ is risen! He is
risen, indeed!” in their own languages. They then
used this historic Easter acclamation at their
Dawn Easter Morning Service. If you
would like to have a copy for your service next
year, contact Derek
Austin at derek_austin@hotmail.com
or the Pastor, Rev. Jane
Clarke, at jane@mccel.demon.co.uk.
This resource is forever new and
changing … our MCC website … which is experiencing
4.8 million hits per month!!! www.MCCchurch.org
Recently
there was an opportunity for MCC clergy and
Board members to participate in a call in
session with the company Raising More
Money. The topic was Sustainable
Fundraising. If you missed the call, go to
www.raisingmoremoney.com, click
on "Getting Started" and then on "Model
Overview".
The
website for MCC
Louisville (Kentucky)
http://mcclouisville.org posts a video of the sermon each
week that includes the sing language interpreter
in the picture.
Developing
a Strategy for Success by Rev. Nancy
Horvath-Zurn, the follow-up to The
Eight Essentials for a Healthy and Thriving
Congregation, is now available! It is
the next step in moving a congregation toward a
realistic plan of action. The study makes
use of Scripture, skits, pocket reminders, small
and large group work, and action planning to help
develop your church’s strategy. Download your
copy from
our website FREE today!
David
Nelson, a
member of Spirit of Hope
MCC (Kansas
City, Missouri) has
produced a DVD Is Your House in
Order? It is a tool to be used
with the LGBT community in addressing living
wills, powers of attorney, and other legal
matters. He is offering it for FREE to MCC
churches and individuals. The material has
been reviewed by a lawyer who assists members of
our community. To order your copy, send your
request to dwnel@kc.rr.com.
MCC’s
Resource Review Board is now
accepting. This group is responsible for
proofreading
and editing resources submitted to MCC
for online and/or print publication. If you
are interested in serving, please write to us to
request an application.
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SHARE YOUR
CHURCH'S NEWS
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In order to share your news,
we need to hear from you! So be sure and let
us know what exciting things are happening with
your church and people - lay and clergy!
Email JudyDale@MCCchurch.net with your
news! Or add Judy to your church's e-list to
receive e-newsletters or your church's monthly
newsletter as an email attachment.
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