Region 3 Conference - July 8 - 11
HOTEL INFORMATION
Hotel: Wyndham Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
Rates: Single & Double Reserve your room early.
First 40 rooms - $99 per night, plus tax and fees
41 - 100 rooms - $119 per night plus tax and fees
Conference rates will be honored for those who would like to arrive
3 nights before conference or remain 3 nights following for vacation.
Other fees
tax - 11% & tariff of 9%
fees - Bell person - $4 per person (in/out)
Room attendants - $0.50 per person, per day
Additional guest in room - $25.00
Parking - $12 overnight or $10. limited day use
Rooms include:
Complimentary use of Hotel's Health Club
$20 in Match Play coupons per room
Hotel Amenities:
10,000 sq. ft. casino
Roof top swimming pool
In Room: coffee maker, hair drier, TV with cable, ironing boards &
irons, safe
Retail stores and gift shop
Restaurant, plus others nearby
Location:
The hotel/casino is located in historic Old San Juan, it is right on
the waterfront of San Juan Bay where the grand cruise ships dock. Within
walking distance, you'll find the city's unique museums, galleries,
shops, and restaurants.
Conference Registration
Registration will be available online next week. A special email will
be sent out.
+ Full Registration - $135.00 includes registration plus Fri. &
Sat. breakfast, lunch and two breaks both Friday & Saturday.
+ One Day - $80.00 includes registration plus breakfast, lunch and two
breaks for one day.
+ Young Adults $75.00, ages 13 - 18, full registration, plus Fri. &
Sat. breakfast, lunch and two breaks, both days.
+ Children ages 6 - 12 $15.00 full registration, does not include food/breaks.
+ Sunday Brunch $20.00 Advance registration only.
More Region 3 Churches Support 15% for 2004
The following congregations have also decided to keep their assessment
to UFMCC at 15% to help the denomination in our transition. If your
church has also made this commitment please let me know.
MCC Washington
MCC Richmond
MCC Rehoboth
MCC of Northern Virginia
MCC Fredericksburg, VA
Spirits of Joy
The Spirits of Joy, the choir at MCC-Richmond, VA, participated in "Sing
Out for Freedom....Pray for Peace," an interfaith concert at the
Beth Ahabah Sanctuary on Sunday afternoon, January 18. It was co-sponsored
by Congregation Beth Ahabah and Living the Dream, Inc. Thirteen choirs
participated; including a choir from the local Mormon Church that almost
pulled out when they found out we were going to be participating, too!
The SOJ performed Pepper Choplin's "One Song," which opens
with the following text: "When God's people are wounded by holy
war, and we fight one another in the name of the Lord, I find myself
praying that it won't be too long 'til we all joint together in one
song." -submitted by Donna Copley, Spirits of Joy
Rev. Rob Taylor's Pastor's Reflection
The past few years have not been happy ones for the church. I don't
mean Open Door, but rather the general Christian church. There has been
scandal after scandal involving God's most innocent creations: our children.
While the media has focused on one particular denomination, I have to
be honest and tell you that it can happen in all denominations, including
my former one.
A few months ago, we spoke about a safe sanctuaries program, which
outlines way in which we at Open Door can provide a safe place for our
children. We are beginning to take the first steps in that program and
I wanted to take this chance to let you know about it.
Beginning this month, we will be requiring criminal and child abuse
background checks on all persons who are working with children and youth.
It is my experience that just having this screening process weeds out
those who might harm children. If a person with intention to harm came
to a church and was told that a background check was required, most
times, that person will not even pursue the matter any further. To be
honest, it is time that the church catch up with the rest of the world.
Background checks are needed to volunteer in Elementary Schools, Boy
and Girl Scouts, Big Brother's/Big Sisters and any other organization
that deals with kids. We are simply following suit.
I want to thank the Board of Directors for their support in this matter
and the great group of Sunday School Teachers who give so freely of
their time to make Open Door a place our children love. I want to be
very clear about this: We have had no problems at church regarding children
and we have no reason to anticipate any. We have been very fortunate
that children have been safe in our church family. This is purely a
proactive measure. Honestly?? Even writing this letter makes me a bit
angry. I resent living in a world where children are not safe. I resent
living in a world where people can't be trusted and we are forced to
subject good people to background checks because a few people would
cause harm. But the unfortunate reality of our world is that we do live
in such a time and we do have to take such precautions. Thanks for your
continued love and support in this very important matter. May God's
richest blessings be with all of God's children this week and always!
Have a great week. - Rob (taken from the E-newsletter of Open Door MCC,
Boyds, MD)
Supper Club - Another idea from Open Door MCC
The supper club groups will be put together at the beginning of February.
The idea is that groups will be made up of approximately 8 people who
will get together once a month for dinner (or other activities as decided
by the group) to socialize. This pairing of 8 will be together around
four months then new groups will be formed so that everyone participating
can meet all the others in the club. This is a great way especially
for newer folks to meet and get to know others in the congregation.
A signup sheet is on the spinning bulletin board in the lobby.
MCC of the Lehigh Valley - during Valentine's week:
Friday, February 13 MCCLV is spearheading a marriage equality gathering
at the Northampton County Courthouse (Easton, PA) and Lehigh County
Courthouse (Allentown, PA). Same-sex couples will be requesting marriage
licenses and MCCLV will be there in support and advocacy.
Saturday, February 14 MCCLV's annual Freedom to Marry Day worship service
celebration, with a dozen participating clergy, followed by a dance/reception.
Worship service to include same-sex marriage and annual blessing of
relationships.
Sunday, February 15 At MCCLV's morning service, Leonore Carpenter from
the
Philadelphia Center for Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights will be guest speaker.
At MCCLV's evening service, Stephen Glassman, Chairperson of the Pennsylvania
Human Relations Commission will be presenting.
Richmond Times-Dispatch, January 24, 2004
Box 85333, Richmond, VA, 23293-0001
http://www.timesdispatch.com/
Letter: Don't Put Words In God's Mouth
The letter from Susan Hogue, "Bible Criticizes Homosexuality,"
is an unfortunate distortion. She asserts that "smoke and mirrors
can't change the word of God," and then proceeds to do so herself.
No ancient biblical text contains the words "homosexual"
or "homosexuality" for the simple reason that the word was
first used in 1869. The concept of homosexuality - the idea that some
people are born with an innate desire for persons of the same sex or
even that some persons have a primary or strong orientation toward choosing
persons of the same sex as their sexual partners - was unknown to the
biblical writers in Hebrew and Greek. Some English translations resort
to mistranslations so that their readers may be convinced of what they
want to believe, namely that God condemns a form of love of which they
disapprove. But putting the words in the mouths of St. Paul and the
writers of First Timothy and Leviticus does not make it true. - The
Rev. Robin Gorsline, Pastor, MCC Richmond, VA
The Pastor's Prayer For You:
God of things that work and then are broke; please help us remember
that inside of all the chaos of living; that you are in this life with
us, each step of the way. Persuade us to remember that in all the annoyances
of life in a technical world; you walk with us and allow us to live
grace filled lives. Amen! (Taken from the E-Newsletter of New Life MCC,
Rev. Marty Luna-Wolf)
February 17, 2004
Region 3 Conference in San Juan - YOU ARE INVITED!
We will have two special guest speakers at our upcoming conference.
First, the founder and moderator of our denomination, Rev. Elder Troy
Perry and Rev. Steve Taylor.
Rev. Steve Taylor, special guest speaker
R. Steven Taylor is originally from Saint Louis, Missouri. Steve was
raised in two religious cultures, Southern Baptist and Roman Catholic.
He was ordained to the Christian ministry for the first time on November
12, 1972. He studied Theology, Music and Theater at Southwest Missouri
State University. He went on to study Theology and French at Saint Meinrad
Archabbey and Seminar in Southern Indiana. He also studied at the "Institut
Catholique in Paris" and theater at the Royal Academy of Dramatic
Art (RADA). In the late 1970's he was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo,
West Africa and went on to be Country Director in Benin, Burkina Faso,
Cameroon, Russia and Bulgaria. In 1994-1995 he was the interim pastor
of the Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, DC. From 1989 -
1996 he worked for the State Department in the Executive Program Division
and was training Senior Foreign Service Officers for their positions
around the world. In 1996 he moved to Russia where he was the Director
of the United States Peace Corps' operations in Moscow and in Vladivostok.
He was appointed Country Director of Peace Corps Bulgaria in August
of 2000 and remained there until his current position in the State Department's
prestigious Senior Seminar. In 2002 Steve became the Coordinator of
The Senior Seminar in the Leadership and Management School at Foreign
Service Institute. He is a member of the ordained Clergy and was ordained
in UFMCC at the General Conference in 1999. He currently resides in
Arlington, Virginia but is a member of MCC Church of the Trinity. He
is a Leadership and Management Consultant for the Board of Elders of
UFMCC and is a motivational speaker.
Steve will be speaking the Region 3 Conference in San Juan. His first
presentation isentitled "The New World We Live In: "Foreign
Policy, Homeland Security and the Christian." And, "Cross
Cultural Understanding and its Importance to Us."
Conference Schedule Now Available
Go to the mcccruise.com/regions/3 webpage and click on Schedule. Check
it often for the latest news.
Another Region 3 Church Support 15% For 2004
Thank you, MCC of the Blue Ridge, Roanoke, VA for making this commitment.
If your church is continuing the 15% assessment to our denomination
for 2004 please let me know.
A New Church Plant In Region 3 - Merciful Grace MCC
MCC Baltimore in a coordinated effort with Region 3 is giving birth
to a new church plant (parish extension). Merciful Grace MCC is a Christ
centered community of faith that proclaims God's grace to all through
the love of Jesus Christ, where diversity is embraced and celebrated
acknowledging that we are all creations of God. Join us as we serve
the population of Harford and Eastern Baltimore counties. For more information
you can visit their web site at mccbaltimore.org/harford.
Rev. Rebecca Steen, a transfer clergyperson is serving as the pastoral
leader of this new plant. Prior to coming to MCC, Rev. Steen served
as an ordained Pastor with the United Methodist Church for more than
15 years. Her career includes extensive ministerial and pastoral counseling
experience. She also has had international immersion experiences in
South Korea, Zimbabwe, western Europe and the Holy Land. Rev. Steen
received her undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from
the University of Maryland in Baltimore County in 1986. She then attended
Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC where she was awarded
a Master of Divinity in 1990. She has continued to study in the Doctor
of International Ministry Degree Program through Wesley Theological
Seminary.
To learn more about the process for church planting used in Region 3
go to www.MCCchurch.org. Click on the MCC Intranet, user name - ufmcc,
password - charisma. Then click on What's New. There you will find the
latest on the Church Planting Process.
Kairos Institute
I want to encourage you to go to the new Kairos Institute website. It
is located at www.kairosinstitute.net The website will give you a great
introduction to this new ministry in our region. More than that, I hope
you consider drawing on the resources Kairos has to offer and arrange
for a retreat time for your congregation. MCC Washington has been blessed
with the gifts that Kairos brings. We have had an adult 'Vacation Bible
School' as well as drawn on its resources for the time between Christmas
and the New Year. I personally have been blessed by the ministry that
Rev. Richburg offers as a part of the regional clergy retreat in 2002.
Please take a moment to look the site over, get in touch with Reg and
then arrange for time when you and your congregation can be blessed!
Rev. Candace Shultis, MCC DC
Excel Update - Region 3
I'm writing to each of you today for 3 reasons:
1) We will be holding our first EXCEL Team In Training meeting on Saturday,
Feb. 21st beginning at 10 a.m. at Open Door MCC, Boyds, Maryland. We
would LOVE to have former team members join us in this new journey in
team formation. Our team members have a wide range of experience from
a great deal to none, so we NEED everyone's help. Contact Kathy Loveland
at KathyGinny@aol.com or at 301-473-5111 and let her know you plan on
attending. If you can't make it this month, the next meeting will be
March 27th at Open Door MCC at 10:00 a.m.
2) We are looking for a Spiritual Counselor for our EXCEL team in training.
If you are a clergyperson and have attended an EXCEL weekend, we would
love your commitment to be part of this great adventure! Please contact
Kathy Loveland at the above email address or phone number.
3) Most importantly, we need your prayers! EXCEL lets GLBT Christians
KNOW that God loves them unconditionally! What a joyous and pleasing
thing this must be for God to see happen, but it only happens through
the hard work and dedication of many people. People have problems and
it seems their problems only grow as a weekend is being prepared, so
we ask for your prayers for strength, wisdom, and that all that happens
during this process be pleasing to God. Thanks.
A Personal Note from the Pastor - Rev. Karla says..
I was asked the other day, "why do you need an administrative assistant?"
I don't "need" an administrative assistant, however the church
would benefit if we had an administrative assistant. I spend an average
of 15 to 20 hours a week on duties that are normally covered by an administrative
assistant, such as answering phone, making photocopies, brochures, email
announcements, sorting the mail, and typing letters to name a few of
the duties. What would I do with those extra 15 to 20 hours? I would
be able to meet one-on-one with more folks in the church for pastoral
reasons, coming into membership, training people for ministry. I would
be able to lead a bible study. I would be able to develop additional
church programs, like the "Developing the Leader Within You"
program. There are 28 people benefiting from that program alone. An
administrative assistant would give me more time to serve the people
of this church AND our larger community. But we won't be hiring an administrative
assistant any time soon because the money just isn't available. And
so, I will continue to dedicate my time to making the bulletin and preparing
the sermon (amongst other duties). I will also be praying that those
28 learning about leadership will be joined by the rest of our community
in making this church financially stable and spiritually enriching for
all who walk through the door. I have faith in God and this people who
call themselves Imago Dei MCC. I believe that once a person understands
that the health of this community rests in their hands, as much as my
own, that together our different talents, and our dedication of time,
and our collective financial commitment can make a difference! Together,
led by God, we can make our part of the world a better place for ourselves
and for our community. And so let me close with this question to you:
How is God calling upon you to make a difference today AND tomorrow
through Imago Dei MCC? (taken from the Imago Dei MCC E-Newsletter) (note:
studies have shown that many churches are not growing because they are
under staffed).
February 24, 2004
Rev. Elder Troy Perry - Farewell Tour
Rev. Perry, founder and moderator of MCC, is preparing to retire in
2005. As part of his preparation he will be join us at the Region 3
conference as our special guest. Come and hear him speak about his hopes
and dreams for the future of UFMCC.
New Region 3 Ministry - The Clergy and Pastor Support Team (CAP)
Currently Region 3 has 52 UFMCC ordained clergy. Offering support to
those who so freely give support is important and beyond the capabilities
of just one person. So we have created this new ministry. The Clergy
and Pastor Support Team (CAP) is responsible for providing regional
level support to clergy persons designated by the Regional Elder. The
CAP Team serves as an extension of the office of Regional Elder and
is accountable directly to the Regional Elder. Clergy persons who are
NOT serving in the role of Senior Pastor, clergy persons who are in
transition, clergy persons who are retired, and clergy persons who serve
in authorized, accountable and authentic ministries are the focus of
attention. Support is defined as any number of activities designed to
provide regular and ongoing contact with the above designated clergy
persons. These activities may include, but are not limited to the following:
recognition of special days (i.e., birthdays/anniversaries); in-person
visits by CAP Team members (or designee) for situations resulting in
unusual duress; efforts to promote collegiality among clergy, etc. The
co-faciliators of the CAP Team are Rev. Gail Hicks and Rev. Maria Luna-Wolf.
More Region 3 Churches Continue The 15%
Again, thank you for your help and dedication to making UFMCC a strong
denomination during this transition period. The list just keeps growing!
Imago Dei MCC
MCC Pittsburgh
MCC of the Spirit, Harrisburg, PA
MCC Hudson Valley, Albany, NY
Mass Blessing of Couples In Philadelphia
I had the distinct honor of working with Rev. Jordan on Valentine's
Day and the action of a Mass Blessing of Couples. He truly did a remarkable
job and the coverage on Channel 6 News & Fox News was pretty good.
The Philadelphia Inquirer (article link below), the Associated Press,
and the Philadelphia Gay News were also all present. 37 couples were
present when the ceremony began, however an additional six couples arrived.
There was widespread ecumenical support. But again, I am mainly writing
to say that it was an incredible event that blessed many people and
secured positive press for Metropolitan Community Churches with the
credit going to the work and effort of Rev. Jeff Jordan! ~Rev. Karla
Fleshman
Building For Ministry - A Retreat
You are invited to Building For Ministry, a day retreat led by Rev.
Elder Don Eastman at Imago Dei MCC, 1223 Middletown Road, Glen Mills,
PA. This special day is dedicated to empowering members for ministry
and will begin at 10:00 AM and end by 4:00 PM. Building For Ministry
is a Three-Part Program covering: [1] Building up the Body of Christ:
Why we do what we do; [2] Building the House of God: What we can do
to reach more people; and [3] Building a culture of generosity: How
we will meet the needs of mission and ministry. This retreat will take
place Saturday, March 27th. The only fee is $7.00 per person to pay
for a catered lunch. If any area MCC desires to send members to participate
in this event, please call (610) 358-1716 and speak with Rev. Karla
to reserve your space. Due to limited seating, we ask for no more than
five members from each area church planning on attending Building For
Ministry.
Rev. Eastman will be the special guest at Imago Dei MCC's Anniversary
Weekend taking place March 26th to 28th. He will be preaching Being
Saved! at our Sunday morning service (9:30 AM) and The Classroom of
the Holy Spirit at our evening service (6:06 PM) along with special
musical guest Ms. Gena Rose of Sacred Rose Ministries. All are welcome
to attend! For more information contact: RevKarla@imagodeimcc.org
We Live In Important Times
Many churches/pastors/members of Region 3 participated in Valentine's
Day events and spoke out in the media in support of our right to marry.
Thank you for being a voice of reason and justice. I was interviewed
this week by Channel 21 and like many of you the reporters did an amazing
job of telling our story. The more visible we can be the more we cannot
be ignored. While great things are happening in Canada, Vermont, Massachusetts
and San Francisco we must remember that our work is not over, it really
has just begun. Pray daily!
Regional Elder Travel Schedule
February 15 Vision of Hope MCC - preach
16 office closed - Presidents Day
22 Arlene's birthday
27 - 29 Long Island, NY
March 2 - 8 Board of Elders Meetings & Joint meeting with BOA &
Staff
12 - 14 Open Arms MCC, Rochester, NY - SGI 2
24 MCC Richmond, VA
25 MCC Charlottesville, VA
26 - 28 MCC Fredericksburg, VA
28 Merciful Grace MCC, MD
Blessings to you and the ministry you share. You do make a difference!