Stewardship Institute Updates
On May 20 & 21, MCC Region 3 sponsored our first or two Stewardship Institutes at MCC of the Lehigh Valley in Allentown, PA. Thirty-eight people attended the institute with Mark Vincent presenting a dynamic presentation that challenged both the participants and gave us all concrete ideas on taking the material back home to our local churches. A special thank you to Rev. Beth Goudy and MCC LV for hosting the first institute and a special thank you to Melissa for being so gracious in offering hospitality.
Our second institute is scheduled for June 3 - 4 at MCC Richmond. Cost is $25 per person. If you have not registered please email ajoy1@aol.com and let us know that you will be coming. We will begin on Friday night at 7 PM with worship followed by a reception and then on Saturday we will begin with sign in at 9 AM followed by a coffee with the program beginning at 9:30 AM going until 5 PM. MCC Richmond is located at 2501 Park Ave. Richmond, VA. phone 804 353-9477
Welcome - Rev. Justin Tanis to MCC Region 3
I am delighted to announce that Rev. Justin Tanis has relocated to northern Virginia to be with a special person in his life. As many of you know Justin worked for many years at UFMCC headquarters in West Hollywood, CA. Justin is now attending MCC of Northern Virginia. You can email Justin at JETANIS@aol.com.
2005-2006 MCC Clergy Manual Update
The new MCC Clergy Manual will soon be available online at UFMCC.org. The Board of Elders approved the new document in April. A copy of the new manual will be sent to all current UFMCC Clergy in the near future.
First Annual MCC - Devotional Contest Winners Announced
In March 2005, UFMCC invited MCC friends and members to submit original devotions. The goal of the contest was to select 52 devotions to be posted on the MCC website throughout the year as the "MCC On-Line Devotion of the Week." More than 200 devotions were submitted for consideration and, after careful consideration, we have selected 52 devotions for 2005-2006!
Congratulations to Donna Copley - MCC Richmond for being selected as one of the winners.
General Conference Business Packets
The business meeting packets will soon be available online at http://www.insidemcc.org/. We are working on translating the documents, and our web manager is working on getting the documents online. We expect them to be online by June 1. Please print and bring any parts of the business packet that you wish to have with you at the business meeting to Calgary. If you are not able to download and read documents from the Internet, please contact conferences@mccchurch.org after June 1 with your name, mailing address, and church affiliation so that we may mail a copy to you. We are pleased to mail packages to those needing them, but do request if at all possible, that conference delegates read them online to help us exercise good stewardship and save the cost of printing, handling and postage.
27th Anniversary Weekend at MCC Richmond, VA
Twenty-seven years ago, on June 11, 1978, the first MCC Richmond worship service in Richmond was held, and life has not been the same in this grand old southern town. We aim to keep right on going, so plan to join the fun during a gala 27th Anniversary Weekend for MCC Richmond, June 10-12.
Friday night, June 10: a special edition of MCC at the Movies, at 7:00 p.m. There is no charge for this event (unless you want some refreshments with your movie). Saturday night, June 11: "$27 for 27," a fabulous dinner and program celebrating 27 years of MCC in Richmond. Tickets @$27 are available ($30 at the door). Fabulous dinner, live music, door prizes. Children 12 and under admitted free, and those 10-17 will be admitted for $6.75 ($7.50 at the door). Also note that no member or friend will be turned away for lack of funds.
Also, at "$27 or 27" we will honor the first recipient of the "Mary Gay Hutcherson Community Leadership Award." You won't want to miss this special part of the evening.
Sunday morning, June 12, at 10:45 a.m.: Praise God for calling us into life as MCC Richmond
Sunday afternoon, June 12, at 12:30 p.m.: Community Potluck Block Party on North Davis (church providing burgers and dogs, soda, trimmings, bring a dish to pass if you can). Games for kids, lots of chance to catch up with friends. If it rains, we'll stay inside.
Lay Delegate and Board member David Wilson is the lead organizer for Anniversary events. If you have questions, or want to help, please contact him at 285-4344 or drwricva@aol.com
Rev. Karla Fleshman In The News
The pastor of Imago Dei MCC wrote to say, "I will be one of five 90 second features running on WYBE - the Delaware Valley PBS station during the month of June. Every day in June showing up at least twice a day between programming, there will be a 90 second interview talking about the importance of same-sex covenant ceremonies. This will be a fair amount of press during Pride month. The other four queer identified 90 second slots will cover youth, HIV, radical fairies, and (I forget the last one)".
Rev. Durrell Watkins Receives Award
For his work in combining theology and the arts and for using both stage and pulpit to communicate a message of liberation, Rev. Durrell Watkins, pastor of Christ the Liberator MCC, NJ, was recognized by the Faculty of Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York with the Hudnut Award. The Hudnut Award is a prize named for William H. Hudnut of the UTS class of 1890 and is awarded to a student at the end of her or his middler year for making the best preparation for the preaching ministry. Congratulations to MCC-Christ the Liberator's pastor, Rev. Durrell Watkins. Durrell will be starting his third and final year at Union Seminary in the Fall of 2005. His studies are focused on Theology & the Arts.
A Pastoral Letter (written by pastor, Rev. Robin Gorsline, to MCC Richmond, VA)
Dear Community in Faith, First, the bad news: The work of living faithfully in community never ends. Now, the good news: The benefits of living faithfully in community are limitless. As your pastor, I balance a multitude of issues, problems, heartaches, joys, fears, confidences, administrative details, preaching ideas, financial concerns, etc. Sometimes I get out of balance. And I am not alone. Many who work in the church feel frustrated - overworked and under-thanked, let down and angry when someone does not keep a commitment, undervalued when work is criticized. But, oh, dear friends, I hope you can feel the power and love of God in our work together. I can testify from my blessed vantage point that each day I know I will have a wide range of experiences. I can have the privilege of hearing someone pour out deep fears and buckets of tears-and then witness them or another person have an epiphany of God-consciousness, claiming faith to go forward in life. All these experiences are God's gifts. I also hope you have some sense about how many people this church helps. None of us knows all the stories, but I know that our witness to the love of God for all people touches many every week. Some of those people participate in worship, but many do not. Every week at least one new person is given a glimpse of God's love for them that helps them not only sustain life but also helps them accept God's invitation to share in more life. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly."(John 10) Our mission is to help make that abundance real in the lives of those who come our way. It is tempting to think that church is about us, about our needs, about our problems. It is then a short step to concluding that when those needs and problems don't go away that church is worth little or perhaps nothing. That is why some do not commit themselves - treasure, time, and talents - to the church, or why some who do commit hold back how much they share. Some are holding out, waiting for God to produce what they want, forgetting that God has already provided all we need. If we follow Jesus revealed in the Bible-not the Jesus some televangelists want us to buy-we know that church is not about what we get out of it, but rather what we put into it, not how much we receive as a result of attending but how much we share the gifts already received. I hope that in church, in community, this Sunday, you will feel in your soul the enormous gift of life and love you have already received, and that you will take a chance on sharing it with someone-friend or stranger, old-timer or newcomer, child or adult, gay or straight, white or black-all beloved of God and ready for more life through Jesus Christ. Pastor Robin (to reply, write RevRobinG@mccrichmond.org )
JUNE 16, 2005
MCC Region 3 Gathering at General Conference
Each region will be having a time to get together at General Conference. It will provide us the opportunity to network with each other, discuss issues and share some wonderful refreshments. If you are attending conference be sure to mark your calendar for July 22 from 10:30 - 12 Noon. Hyatt Imperial Ballroom 3.
MCC Region 3 Stewardship Institutes A Great Success
Representatives from 21 MCC attended the two institutes. They were a wonderful success with 76 people attending the two events led by Mark Vincent. In response to the institute a number of our pastors have invited Mark to come to their local churches to facilitate the training with their leadership. A special thanks to Rev. Robin Gorsline and MCC Richmond and especially Bubba for helping to make the institute such a success most recently in Richmond. And, a special thanks again to Rev. Beth Goudy and MCC of the Lehigh Valley and especially Melissa for making the Allentown Institute such a success.
Prayer Requests
Jacquie Ackerman - partner of Rev. Elder Arlene Ackerman has developed extreme weakness in her legs and hands. Doctors have yet to determine the cause.
Rev. Debbie Coggin - pastor of Vision of Hope MCC continues to heal following her surgery and a medical procedure that followed the surgery. Because of the complication Debbie will be delayed in returning to work.
Rev. Elder Ceci-lia Eggleston Region 4 Elder is still recovering from being attacked with injury to her writing hand. She will not be able to return to her ministry until later this month.
UFMCC STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE - Input Needed
Dear MCC Members and Friends, As we come to the end of our Strategic Planning Process, the Board of Elders would like to ask that you take a minute to fill out one final survey. You will find that the survey invites you to rate statements and ideas, each of which are currently in the Strategic Planning Document. We want to make sure we have aptly represented the whole body as much as we possibly can.The survey won't take much of your time but this plan represents our future so please help us as we seek to articulate all that is ahead for our movement! You may access the survey through the MCC website at http://www.mccchurch.org/. Just click on the survey link on the homepage.
Many thanks, The Strategic Planning Team
MCC Board of Elders
International Prayer Guide
Rev. Dr. Sandy Bochonok, founder of SoulFoodMinistry.org, has created an international prayer guide for healing homophobia one prayer at a time. It looks at a number of countries and gives lots of statistics...but most of all it has wonderful prayers that are country specific! I highly recommend it as a prayer guide. You can find it at the following link: http://www.soulfoodministry.org/docs/English/Int_Prayer_Guide.htm
EXCEL Weekend Brings Many Blessings
A small group of 9 team members and 5 participants attended the Excel weekend June 3-5, 2005. The Excel of the Rainbow Light weekend was very spiritually uplifting for those in attendance. There was music, singing, worship, informative talks by the team members, group discussion, and so much more. Everyone agreed it was an awesome weekend! Many thanks to the team members from Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia who gave up their time to show Christ to the attendees.
The next Excel weekend will be held outside Montgomery, Alabama the weekend of October 7-9, 2005. If you are interested in attending contact Kathy Loveland for more information at 304-262-8608 OR go to the website at http://www.erzebra.com/
Important Resource
Book: Preventing Sexual Abuse in Congregations: A Resource for Leaders
Published by the Alban Institute, 2004
Many of our churches offer children and youth programing plus some of our churches have people attending who have had a history of child abuse. All of our clergy and lay leaders are candidates for accusations of sexual harassment. This book takes a serious look at all of these issues and many more and makes recommendations to keep our children and leaders and congregations protected. This is a must read for boards and clergy.
Elders Note
As summer approaches and vacations become a priority remember that your local church continues to be faithful in serving those who remain. Whether you are on vacation or staying home this summer or heading to General Conference remember these three things:
1. Pray daily for your pastor and local church leadership and remember too the Board of Elders.
2. Your financial offerings need not take a vacation. If you are going to be gone for a Sunday or two mail your check to the church before you leave or better yet, do what I do, setup a direct pay through your bank. This way you will never be late.
3. God has uniquely gifted you for ministry. Ask yourself if you are serving in the ways that you believe God is calling you to? If not, what do you need to do to move in the direction of your call? Take the next step.
You remain in my daily prayers,
Rev. Elder Arlene Ackerman
June 28,2005
Annual Church Reports
I want to thank all of the Region 3 churches who have completed and sent in their Annual Report.
These reports are important for a variety of reasons: 1. They communicate with MCC leadership contact information, 2. It ensures that each church does an annual risk management audit, 3. It asks important questions for self evaluation. Lyle Schaller says, "One of the most important roles of the middle judicatory (region) is to ask the right questions." That is the motivation behind the report.
All of our growing churches were able to complete the annual report in a very short period of time. Why? Because they had already worked through their core values, mission and vision and have taken a serious look at how they did during the previous year and have a ministry plan for the upcoming year. They have up to date financial information and do an annual risk management audit because they see the value of it. So, they just needed to compile this work and send it in. However, for churches who don't think these things matter for the health of their church the report does take much longer.
Lessons learned - Here are just a few examples of what some churches learned in the process of doing their report. Two churches discovered that their incorporation had expired, one church discovered that they didn't have a year end financial statement and a couple of churches have never looked at what their mission, vision and core values are nor had they set any type of goals, needless to say evaluating their progress was most difficult. A few churches had never done a risk management audit.
Is doing the report a pain? For some yes. Is it important - YES! One benefit is that all leadership people are added to the Region 3 E-Newsletter so that they can learn about what is happening around the MCC Region. It also helps me as your regional elder to see what needs our local churches have as well as what they have to offer. Remember, your regional office has a great many resources to help you with every area that the report asks about.
To the few churches that have not submitted your report, remember it is not too late. Please submit your report ASAP. Again, thank you to all the churches who have submitted them.
Rev. Mike Hydes Elected Pastor of New Light MCC
After serving as Interim Pastor of New Light MCC in Hagerstown, MD for six months the congregation overwhelmingly voted to elect Michael as their new senior pastor. Congratulation Mike! You can email Mike at michaelhydes@hotmail.com.
Rev. Ron Helms New Associate Pastor In Florida
Ron was recently chosen to be the new associate pastor of MCC Pensacola, FL. The senior pastor is Rev. Sandy O'Steen. Ron will move from Rochester, NY to Pensacola following General Conference. Congratulation Ron. You can email Ron at Revronhelms@aol.com.
General Conference Business Packets Available Online
Follow the directions below to download and print a copy of the business packet for General Conference and bring it with you if you are attending conference. How to access the Business Packet: It is found on the MCC website. Go to http://www.mccchurch.org/ , click on Inside MCC, then click on MCC General Conference Business Packet.
Current Church Planting Efforts in MCC Region 3
Binghamton, NY
Rev. Miller Hoffman continues to work at building up the core group to at least 35 before beginning worship. They already have a strong core of 10 - 15 and recently had a lot of exposure during their first local gay pride events. This is a plant sponsored by MCC New York and MCC Region 3. You can email Rev. Hoffman at revmillerjen@earthlink.net. Also, thank you to MCC Fredericksburg for receiving and sending them a $400 offering of support and to Imago Dei MCC for sending over $600 in support of this new plant.
Williamsport, PA Feasibility Study
Rev. Roben Waddel, transfer clergy from MCC of the Spirit, Harrisburg, PA, has recently been given the go ahead by our regional Elder to proceed with the feasibility study. There already exists a group of people who have been hoping and praying for this new church plant to begin. You can email Rev. Waddell at robensroost@comcast.net.
Want to Learn More About Church Planting
If you are interested in learning more about Church Planting within MCC plan to attend the Church Planting Institute at General Conference, July 23, from 11 - 5:30. The institute is designed for people who are interested in planting, local church leadership (lay and clergy) who are interested in parenting a new church plant, current church planters who might be interested in being a mentor for a new planter, Regional Elders and Regional Church Planting Teams.
Children's and Teen Programming, MCC General Conference 2005
Dear Parent:
We are in the final phases leading to an incredible General Conference this year, and have planned what has promised to be an excellent child and teen conference.
We have experienced a challenge to carry out our children's program: we have not received many responses from parents enrolling their children for the conference. Without timely pre-enrollment, it is impossible for us to plan and execute conference of the kind of quality we hope to achieve this year.
Our planning deadline is June 22, and we need to hear from you by that date -- and to have your child pre-registered -- to make this a well planned event.
To register today, or if you have any questions about the conference, please contact me by e-mail at cacker56@yahoo.com or 510.798.7429.
Cindy Acker, Children's and Teen Programming
Closing Thought
I have written a lot in this issue about church planting. Some writers today believe that all growing churches have in their strategic plan a clear idea of how often and how many church plants their church will sponsor or support over the coming five years. WOW! This is still a new thought in MCC but just maybe it shouldn't be. We all remember what life was like before we found MCC. Yet, there still exists many places within Region 3 and beyond that don't have a MCC within a 35 minute drive and for some they could travel for days and not find one of our churches. Of course maybe it isn't very important to plant new churches, especially since you and I have found our church to attend. Gee, I wonder what Jesus is calling us to do?
Rev. Elder Ackerman's Schedule
June 1 - 2 office
3 - 4 Region 3 Stewardship Institute - MCC Richmond
5 New Light MCC - Hagerstown, MD
6 - 7 days off
8 - 10 office
13 - 17 office
18 - 19 MCC Holy Redeemer, MD - Board training, worship, leadership tr.
20 - 21 days off
25 - 26 Open Door MCC, Boyds, MD - Board Training, worship
July
1 - 4 office closes
5 - 8 office
9 - 10 MCC Rehoboth, DE - worship, training
15 - 19 vacation - driving to Calgary
20 - 26 General Conference - Calgary
27 - 7 vacation - driving to PA
8 - 12 office
15 - 18 office
19 Small Church Pastors Gathering - Mountville, PA
25 - 29 ICM Cristo Sanador, Puerto Rico - pastoral search, worship, training
Arlene Ackerman