MCC Easter Offering: How Your Gift Impacts MCC Ministry in Russia!

MCC 2011

PACESETTER

CHURCHES

Churches Participating

in MCC’s Easter

Offering for

Global Ministries

1. achurch4me?
MCC (Chicago, Illinois) – Rev. Kevin Downer, Pastor

2. Agape MCC (Ft, Worth, Texas) – Rev. David Wynn, Sr., Pastor

3. All God’s Children MCC (Minneapolis, Minnesota) – Rev. Paul Tucker, Pastor

4. Central Texas MCC

(Waco, Texas) – Rev. Charley Garrison, Pastor

5. Church of the Trinity MCC (Sarasota, Florida) – Rev. Charles Tigard, Pastor

6. Cornerstone MCC (Mobile, Alabama) – Rev. Lee Carlton, Pastor

7. Exodus MCC (Abilene, Texas) – Rev. Margaret Walker, Pastor

8. First MCC (Wichita, Kansas) – Rev. Jackie Carter, Pastor

9. FirstCoast MCC (St. Augustine, Florida) – Rev. Ruth Jensen-Forbell, Pastor

10. Holy Covenant MCC (Brookfield, Illinois) – Rev. Danny Spears, Pastor

11. Imago Dei MCC

(Pennsylvania) – Rev. Janice Bowker, Intentional Interim Specialist

12. Joy MCC (Orlando, Florida) – Rev. Lisa Heilig, Interim Pastor

13. King of Peace MCC (St. Petersburg, Florida) – Rev. Dr. Candace Shultis, Pastor

14. Living Springs MCC (Bath, England) – Rev. Kieren Bourne, Pastor

15. MCC Albuquerque (New Mexico) – Rev. Judith Maynard, Pastor

16. MCC Austin (Texas) – Rev. Karen Thompson, Pastor

17. MCC Boston

(Massachusetts) – Rev. Michael Cooper, Pastor

18. MCC Cologne (Germany) – Rev. Ines Paul Baumann

19. MCC Detroit

(Michigan) – Rev. Mark Bidwell, Pastor

20. MCC Family in Christ (Fort Collins, Colorado) – Rev. Ken Pilot, Pastor

21. MCC Good Shepherd

(Granville, Australia) – Rev. Robert Clark, Pastor

22. MCC Las Vegas

(Nevada) – Rev. Wayne Lindsey, Pastor

23. MCC Los Angeles

(California) – Rev. Dr. Neil Thomas, Pastor

24. MCC Lubbock (Texas) – Rev. Renae Phillips, Pastor

25. MCC Newcastle Upon
Tyne (England) – Rev. Cecilia Eggleston, Pastor; Rev. Pressley Sutherland, Interim Support Pastor

26. MCC of Greater St. Louis (Missouri) – Rev. Carol Trissel, Pastor

27. MCC of New York (New York) – Rev. Pat Bumgardner, Pastor

28. MCC NOVA (Fairfax, Virginia) – Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos, Pastor

29. MCC of Paducah

(Kentucky) – Rev. Lillian Ferguson, Pastor

30. MCC of the Blue Ridge

(Roanoke, Virginia) – Rev. Joe Cobb, Pastor

31. MCC of the Palm Beaches (Florida) – Rev. Dr. Lea Brown, Pastor

32. MCC of the Spirit

(Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) – Rev. Lori E. Rivera, Pastor

33. MCC of Topeka

(Kansas) – Rev. Dr. Ty Sweeting, Pastor

34. MCC Rehoboth

(Delaware) – Rev. Dr. Dusty Pruitt, Interim Pastor

35. MCC Richmond

(Virginia) – Rev. Dr. Robin Gorsline, Pastor

36. MCC San Antonio

(Texas) – Rev. Mick Hinson, Pastor

37. MCC Winston-Salem (North Carolina) – Rev. Ron LaRocque, Pastor

38. New Creation MCC (Columbus, Ohio) – Rev. Margaret Hawk, Pastor

39. New Life MCC

(Charlotte, North Carolina) – Rev. Mark Deane Pastor

40. New Light MCC

(Hagerstown, Maryland) – Rev. Michael Hydes, Pastor

41. New Spirit MCC

(Cincinnati, Ohio) – Open Pulpit

42. Open Arms MCC

(Rochester, New York) – Rev. Jim Mulcahy, Pastor

43. Open Circle at The Villages MCC (Florida) – Rev. Carol Rawlings-Chambers, Pastor

44. Our Hope MCC (Athens, Georgia) – Rev. Dr. Renee DuBose, Pastor

45. Peninsula MCC (San Mateo, California) – Rev. Terri Echelbarger, Pastor

46. Pikes Peak MCC

(Colorado Springs, Colorado) – Rev. Wes Mullins, Pastor

47. Redeemer MCC (Flint, Michigan) – Rev. Ed Yates, Pastor

48. Resurrection MCC (Houston, Texas) – Rev. Harry Knox, Pastor

49. Resurrection Beach MCC (Costa Mesa, California) – Open Pulpit

50. River of Life MCC

(Dorchester, England) – Rev Catherine Dearlove, Pastor

51. Spirit of Life MCC (New Port Richey, Florida) – Rev. Vickie Miller, Interim Pastor

52. St. John the Apostle MCC (Ft. Myers, Florida) – Rev. Steve Filizzi, Pastor

53. St. Jude’s MCC

(Wilmington NC) – Rev. John McLaughlin, Pastor

54. SunCoast Cathedral MCC (Venice, Florida) – Rev. Dr. Sherry Kennedy, Pastor

55. Tree of Life MCC (Ann Arbor, Michigan) – Rev. Dr. Fran Mayes, Pastor

56. Trinity MCC

(Gainesville, Florida) – Rev. Jim Merritt, Pastor

An Invitation from

The Rev. Nancy L. Wilson

Office of the Moderator

Metropolitan Community Churches

MCC’s 2011 Easter

Offering for Global Ministries

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The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it;

The world, and all who live in it!

~ Psalm 24:1

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April 1, 2011

Dear MCC Leader:

I truly believe MCC’s urgent message of inclusion and justice for all God’s people, and especially LGBT people, is more needed than ever!

While we have made so many advances over the past four decades, here is the reality of our world:

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The forces of religious fundamentalism are

aggressively promoting hate and discrimination

against LGBT people — no country is immune from the lethal poison of negative religion and regressive politics.

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That’s why more and more people around the globe are turning to Metropolitan Community Churches, wanting — needing! — our support and help.

The Jesus I came to know in MCC is calling us today, not tomorrow, to respond! One way your church can respond meaningfully is to make the decision to receive a special, designated offering on Easter Sunday, or a Sunday close to Easter — an Easter Offering for MCC’s Global Ministries.

Your congregation’s Easter offering is a powerful, effective antidote to the toxic poisons of hate, discrimination, oppression and negative religion!

Last week I shared with you… how a portion of this year’s Easter Offerings will be used to strengthen MCC’s anchor ministry in Asia and support our sisters and brothers in the Philippines.

Next week I will tell you… how your church’s Easter gifts will make a profound difference in the lives of our friends in the East Africa country of Uganda, where LGBT people are living courageous lives under the daily threat of horrific persecution.

And today I want to share with you… how your Easter offering this year will advance MCC’s growing ministry in Russia.

Did you know that MCC published the first — and only! — book in the Russian language that addresses the timely subjects of homosexuality and the Bible, theology and human rights? We were absolutely stunned by the response it received! In fact, there was such a demand for this new resource that the first printing went quickly; now only two copies are left. Your church’s generosity through MCC’s 2011 Easter Offerings for Global Ministries will be used to update and reprint this vital resource and will help us get it into the hands of the Russian people. (You can view the cover here.)

And a portion of your Easter gifts will help MCC sponsor Russia’s first-ever LGBT Christian Conference, which will be held in St. Petersburg in September. MCC Easter Offerings will supplement grants we have received to insure that our leadership can train and inspire the many new groups and activists that God is raising up across Russia.

Look how God has worked through MCC’s annual Easter Offerings for Global Ministries:

In 2007, I invited local congregations to receive a special Easter offering for MCC’s work in Eastern Europe. You responded generously — and your giving set off a wonderful, spiritual “chain reaction.” Thanks to your Easter offerings, MCC partnered with activists, faith leaders and human rights groups to make significant accomplishments in Romania. The word spread and activists in Moldova, to the east, and Latvia, to the north, opened their doors to MCC. And that led to invitations from new friends in Bulgaria, to the south, and Hungary, to the west. And now, further east, in Russia, God is still opening new doors of ministry and service to Metropolitan Community Churches. And all of this is taking place because MCC churches around the globe responded generously in 2007 to our annual Easter Offering for Global Ministries.

Diane Fisher - Eastern Europe

Rev. Elder Diane Fisher is trailed by media wherever she ministers

in Eastern Europe.

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I know God will perform miracles and

open new doors of opportunity as MCC

congregations join hands and hearts through

this year’s Easter Offerings for Global Ministries!

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By taking part in MCC’s 2011 Easter Offerings for Global Ministries, you make it possible for us to address urgent needs in Russia, the Philippines and Uganda. And these local church offerings represent a new day in MCC. You see, this work is not about North America exporting justice to the world; rather, it’s a global MCC impacting our world, including North America, with energy and hope!

That’s why I am asking for your help and inviting your church to receive a designated Easter Offering for Global Ministries.

If your church will participate this year, I invite you to take the following steps:

1. Send an e-mail and let me know of your commitment. When you write, let me know whether you will receive your offering on Easter Sunday, or on a Sunday close to Easter. As soon as I hear from you, we will add your church to the list of 2011 Pacesetter Churches — churches that are “setting the pace” in support of MCC’s commitment to global ministry.

2. Begin now to share this news with your congregation – and especially remember our brothers and sisters in Russia, the Philippines and Uganda in prayer during worship services leading up to Easter Sunday.

3. Look for more news and resources coming next week – including worship prayers, a bulletin insert, brief articles for your church newsletter or website, and additional information on how your church’s Easter Offering for Global Ministries will impact our world.

You and your church can make a profound difference in our world this Easter.

May I look for your church’s response this week?

Grace and peace,

+ Nancy

Rev. Nancy L. Wilson

Moderator

Metropolitan Community Churches

P.S. Last year, 34 churches participated in MCC’s Easter Offerings for Global Ministries. I’m pleased to report that, as of today, 56 MCC churches have signed up this year! If you’re not yet listed in the left column, will your church prayerfully consider becoming #57?