REGION 3 UPDATE
Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Bermuda, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad, Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands and the U.S. States of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, the District of Columbia (Washington, DC), North Carolina, South Carolina March 2007 Regional Dates for Upcoming Events April 21 - Children & Youth Coordinators Summit – This gathering of teachers and program coordinators is designed to provide ministry support and resource sharing. All who are currently working with your children and youth programs or with those who would like to see a program get started in your church are invited to attend. If you need to stay over, rooms have been reserved in a block under MCC NoVA or Metropolitan Community Church at the: Holiday Inn Express 10327 Fairfax Blvd. (also called Arlington Blvd. ) Fairfax , VA 22030 703-359-2888 Registration Fee: FREE However, you must let us know in advance that you will be joining us. Please email jenniferglass@mccchurch.net to RSVP by April 10. Thanks! May 19 - Central Sub-Regional Gathering $15 per person, includes lunch The Central Sub-Regional Gatherings will be a great opportunity for those in the central part of our region to get together for training, support, and worship. This is will be a wonderful chance to meet and network with others in the Region. Worship will be celebrated together. We will receive an offering to help with the cost of brining people outside the continental U.S. to MCC gatherings. Apart from worship, the focus will be three fold: 1) Breaking the Growth Barriers; 2) Conflict Mediation – setting up effective Conflict Resolution Teams within the local church; 3) The Many Faces of Spirituality. Advance Registration required. Please email jenniferglass@mccchurch.net . June 28 – 30 - MCC Clergy Conference – Arizona July 1 – 6 - General Conference – Arizona www.mccchurch.org/GC2007 October 20 - Southern Sub Regional Conference – An opportunity for those in the southern part of our region to get together for training, support, and worship. September 8 Northern Sub Regional Gathering MCC of the Lehigh Valley MCCer Featured in the "Roll Call, Who's Who in Black LGBT" Rev. Candy Holmes, transfer clergy, of MCC Christ the Liberator, NJ was featured in the "Roll Call, Who's Who in Black LGBT" in the Summer 2006 edition of the National Black Justice Coalition Magazine (NYANSAPO). MCC of the Chesapeake , MD , Workshop Held Stephen Price of Second Genesis led a workshop on the internet, sex addiction, and the search for spirituality and community. This workshop was co-sponsored by Broadneck Baptist Church and Metropolitan Community Church of the Chesapeake . During the workshop the leaders createe a safe place for the exploration of these issues. The workshop was held on Sunday, March 18, 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Broadneck Baptist Church . The Revs. Melanie Vaugh-West of Broadneck and Wayne Schwandt from MCC offered the spiritual reflections and search for community components of the workshop. MCC NOVA Takes a Stand for Peace Members of Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia recently participated in the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq . Along with about 3,000 other Christians from across the nation, they gathered in Washington to pray for peace. Complete coverage of the worship, held at the National Cathedral and experienced via live feed at two additional overflow locations can be seen here: http://www.beliefnet.com/blogs/godspolitics/2007/03/video-peace-witness-cathedral-service.html . The worship continued with a candlelight march to the White House, where 222 people -- including MCC NOVA's Pastor, Rev. Kharma Amos -- were arrested for civil disobedience as they gathered to pray for peace. MCC Region 3 Prayer Team Paul the Apostle tells us in Eph 6: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly {places.} With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and {pray} on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in {proclaiming} it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. (NAS) Consider once again all the church planting that our denomination is undertaking. Church planting, my brothers and sisters, is spiritual warfare. God plants an MCC church through retaking territory by breaking down barriers and strongholds. Prayer is our resource for the bringing down of these barriers and strongholds. Prayer is the basic factor in the planting of a new church. The priority of prayer is a clearly established pattern in tracing the movement of God in the book of Acts. (See Acts 16, the planting of the Philippian church.) Prayer is the vital link between God and the church planter. Prayer in the life of the church planter allows him or her to stay sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit leads the planter in establishing God's church. The Region 3 Prayer Team continues to grow. The request email address, MCCReg3PrayerTm@aol.com has received a number of requests since the last newsletter. Be a part of this exciting new ministry in Region 3. Lift up our Elders and Church administrators during your daily prayer time. Commit to change the world through prayer. Prayer Request MCC Washington , DC Seeks Assistant Pastor Benefit Dance Hosted by Two Region 3 MCCs MCC, as you may know, hopes to plant a church in Riga , Latvia . Condemned by church leaders, publicly insulted by politicians, and viciously assaulted by the public and police, our Latvian brothers and sisters struggle for basic civil and human rights. Join your MCC neighbors as we help our Latvian family form a strong, large community, like we have, so they may effectively campaign for the rights that we enjoy. When: May 5, 7:00 - 11:00 Suggested donation: $20 “Religion & Transgender : Being Loved, Becoming Whole” at Imago Dei MCC (Personal & Congregational Transformation) May 11 th to May 13 th 2007 May 11 th – A Night at the Movies ( part of the Imago Dei MCC Faith in Film series) :
8:00 PM Feature: Normal
10:00 PM Feature: Ma Vie en Rose Saturday, May 12 th – A Day of Reflection & Relationship: 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM 9:00 – 9:45 Registration / Breakfast provided by Central Baptist Church 9:30 – 10:00 “Degrees of Separation” – An Opportunity to Connect Being Loved: Moving toward Intimacy 10:00 – 10:45 Rev. Dr. Bill Stayton, Center for Religion & Sexuality “The Transitioning God: how we know God cares!” ( Love God –the Journey toward being able to Love the God who created us) 10:45 – 11:15 Reflecting upon God and Love 11:15 – 11:30 Fifteen Minute Break 11:30 – 12:15 Sharing Our Stories (Part One): Dr. Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, Author "Our Stories, God's Story: Including a Contrast of Two Transgender Kates (Hepburn and Bornstein)." ( Love of Self – the Journey toward being able to Love Self - claiming the imago dei (Image of God) within.) 12:15 – 12:30 Reflecting upon the Story of My Life (A writing exercise)
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch 1:30 – 2:30 Sharing Our Stories (Part Two): Small Group Session facilitated by Rev. Karla Fleshman “Sharing the Story of My Life” (Within the support of a small group of 4 or 5 people will have the opportunity to apply the reflections of the morning sessions toward telling their own story.) 2:30 – 2:45 Fifteen Minute Break Becoming Whole 2:45 – 3:45 Becoming Community Rev. Karla Fleshman “Creating a Transformative Community” ( Love of Neighbor – the Journey toward Trans & non-Trans creating community together – specifically what the local faith communities need to do to make the space inviting and welcoming for Trans persons) 3:45 – 4:30 Angel Collie “Celebrating Transformation: An on-going Journey to Wholeness” Sunday, May 13 th – Transcending Worship at Imago Dei MCC: 10:30 AM
Guest Preacher: Angel Collie , Equality Rider, Soulforce
Queering the Bible Workshop: 12:00 PM
Dr. Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, Author “An Omnigender Queering of the Bible” Creating a Life that MattersTraining Session at MCC Washington , DC http://www.mccchurch.org/AM/Template.cfm ? Section=Creating_a_Life_that_Matters CLM is a great way for small groups to get started, as well as a great opportunity for people to go deeper in their own personal journeys of faith. Please consider CLM for your church and send someone to this training session. Summer Academy 2007 at Lancaster Theological Seminary The Summer Academy is intended to support the spiritual journeys of a variety of persons in your congregation: persons interested in preparing for authorized ministry; lay persons seeking to improve their skills in congregational leadership; lay persons interested in deepening their faith; and pastors and congregational leaders seeking a theological-spiritual retreat. As members and friends of MCC, you are aware that few theological and spiritual programs welcome LGBTQ people or address their needs and interests. Lancaster Theological Seminary celebrates diversity. This summer, in addition to having a member of MCC on the Summer Academy faculty, they are excited that Mary Hunt will be present to teach From Heterosexism to Sexual Diversity and that Diann Neu will teach Global Worship for Inclusive Communities . The week-long programs integrate theologically diverse classes, inspirational worship, life enriching fellowship, and spiritually inspiring workshops in art, yoga, and writing. They hope that you will consider joining this summer and that you will let the members of your congregation know about the Summer Academy at Lancaster Theological Seminary. For more information and for registration forms, visit our website: www.lancasterseminary.edu . We hope you will participate in Summer Academy 2007. Be a Gem! MCC General Conference 2007 If you have never attended a General Conference then you are in for a special treat. If you have, you know what a blessing these gatherings can be. One of the deepest blessings at a General Conference comes in the opportunity to share with people from around the world. To meet and share in God's love with our communities from Africa, Australia , Europe, New Zealand , Latin America the United States and Asia adds a depth and beauty to the full vision and mission of MCC. Global travel is costly and full participation of our church is a responsibility and privilege we all share. It takes extra money and giving beyond our tithe to welcome others to share in our global gathering. This year we are asking you and your church to "BE A GEM!" We are asking all of us who can to give from our treasures so more of us have the opportunity to come to conference. For more information and to donate, go to www.mccchurch.org and click on BE A GEM! MCC General Conference XXIII Pre/Post-Conference Institutes: Global Social Justice Institute - July 1, 2007 Church Planting - July 7, 2007 Church Planting 201 Teen Curriculum Institute Home Grown: The UFMCC Teen Curriculum Project As ministry to families, teens and children becomes increasingly critical for every MCC, come learn about a new curriculum that has been created especially for our teens, ages 10-17. The program is designed to: 1. Help teens explore questions of faith and life that are common to all adolescents 2. Assist teens in making sense of the Bible for themselves 3. Allow teens to wrestle honestly with doubt 4. Encourage our teens to address the special challenges of growing up in a family and community that faces discrimination 5. Offer freedom to our young people to claim their place as heterosexual, homosexual, or questioning in a predominately LGBT church. Join us for this institute so that you can discover how to make a teen program work in your congregation, no matter how small your group may currently be. This program represents our responsibility for the spiritual formation of our future so mark it in your calendar and we will see you there! Cost: FREE! An Interesting Article for Region 3 to Consider USA Today Op-Ed When it comes to gay rights, is Cuba inching ahead of USA ? By DeWayne Wickham HAVANA - Years before George W. Bush proclaimed his support for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages in the United States , the ideologically rigid government of Fidel Castro made a big move in the opposite direction. Since this movie debuted in theaters here in the mid-1990s, the Cuban government's intolerance of homosexuals has given way to a more egalitarian treatment of gays and lesbians. The public persecution of homosexuals has declined sharply. Two years ago, Cuba had its first gay film festival. Last year, the highest-rated show on Cuba 's state-run television was a soap opera in which a married man fell in love with another man. And now this country is on the verge of enacting a law that gives same-sex couples some form of legal status. Ending bias "We have to abolish any form of discrimination against those persons," Alarcon said he expects Cuba 's communist government will soon enact a law to do one or the other. "We have to redefine the concept of marriage," he said. "Socialism should be a society that does not exclude anybody." This awakening comes less than a year after President Bush renewed his call for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. "Our policies should aim to strengthen families, not undermine them, and changing the definition of marriage would undermine the family structure," Bush said in June. Just one state, Massachusetts , allows gay marriages. And only four permit some form of same-sex union, which falls short of the definition of marriage but lets gay couples have some legal rights. How ironic is this? While a country that successive U.S. governments have called a totalitarian state is moving toward expanding the rights of gays and lesbians, the president of the United States - the world's leading democracy - wants to restrict their rights. Influential advocate Cuba is not the Netherlands , no gay mecca, but the attitudes of people in and out of government are undergoing dramatic change, maybe because a leading advocate of gay rights is Mariela Castro, niece of Fidel Castro, daughter of his brother, acting President Raul Castro, and head of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education. It also might have to do with Cuba 's ever-evolving strategy for fending off U.S. attempts to topple its Communist government and replace it with a U.S.-style democracy. A same-sex union or gay marriage law could make Cuba appear to be more tolerant than the USA . "Because of our historical heritage, Cuban society has been intolerant of homosexuals," said Ruben Remigio Ferro, president of Cuba 's Supreme Court. "But there has been a change in thinking. We are developing a program to educate people about sexual orientation. But it is not a problem that has been solved." It is, however, a problem that Cuba 's government seems determined to solve. "I'm part of this country, like it or not. And I have the right to work for its future," Diego, the gay character in Strawberry and Chocolate, told his straight friend. Cuba 's half-century tug of war with the United States is an ideological struggle. It is a contest between this country's socialist ideals and America 's efforts to impose its will on this island nation. While this battle plays out largely on the world stage, its outcome will be determined by the trench warfare that Cuba wages for the hearts and minds of its people - those who are straight or gay. DeWayne Wickham writes every Tuesday for USA TODAY.
Regional Elder Schedule April 1 – 2 St. Jude's MCC, Wilmington , NC – SGI Weekend 3 – 4 Days off 5 – 6 Office 9 – 13 Office 16 – 18 Office 19 – 20 Days off 21 Children and Youth Summit 22 – 26 Church Planting Conference , Orlando , FL 27 – 30 Cristo Sanador, San Juan , Puerto Rico Installation of Pastor While traveling Elder Ackerman can be reached via cell phone, instructions are given by calling the office phone. Rev. Elder Arlene J. Ackerman PO Box 276 Phone: 717 898-3713 E-mail: arleneackerman@mccchurch.net MCC HEADQUARTERS MAILING ADDRESS! Please update your mailing lists and files. Please begin using this new address, effective immediately. Please share this information with your church staff and your church treasurer, in your church's newsletter, and with anyone who may need to contact MCC Headquarters. |