Just over a week ago I returned to the Region 3 office following General Conference and two weeks of a much needed vacation. I came home to almost 600 emails and a very long list of phone messages. (If I haven't answered yours please be patient or try emailing again.)
General Conference was in my opinion the best General Conference I have ever attended. That is saying a lot since I have not missed a conference since 1976.
By now you have already seen the list of accomplishments at this conference. The wonderful tributes to Rev. Perry and the election of our new moderator, Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, and the overwhelming response to the new MCC Strategic Plan. All of these and more are incredible but these aren't the reason that I say this is the best conference yet. Now I could say it was because my daughter sang an incredible song with an amazing choir, while true it isn't the reason. I could say it was best because of the Church Planting Institute had a record 100 people in attendance, double of two years ago, but this isn't the reason either.
The reason I believe this is the best conference yet had more to do with the maturity of our people and the integrity of how we came together in community. For years we have celebrated our diversity in MCC but the truth is that all too often we don't live out that celebration when it counts. At this General Conference we came together with so many different perspectives whether the subject was worship, workshops or business. I attended many of the forums, and listened as people expressed their views. In the business meeting we heard from many different sides, this year, I watched as people took the time to listen to each other, many times agreeing to disagree and then moving forward together. I am not implying that we didn't have difficult issues to deal with. What I am saying is that something has shifted, we took the time to hear one another, discuss, make decisions when needed and really celebrated our time together. For me, this made everything else we did of greater value. I watched as the youth taught us something about their experience, I heard speakers who stretched my thinking and others who validated my positions. We worshiped together, oh how we worshiped. We met new people and networked with new ones. Hopefully we all came home with new ideas, creative juices flowing, highly motivated to move forward in ministry that makes a real difference in people lives! I am so proud to be part of this movement called MCC! We do have a Future and a Hope!!!
Rev. Elder Arlene Ackerman
Couples from Region 3 Married in Calgary - Congratultions!
Rev. Jeff Jordon & David Pickett
Rev's Maria and Marty Luna- Wolfe
Rev. Lisa Belongia & Tina Webb
Elaine German and Jo Shirley
If you were married in Calgary please let me know so that we can share your wonderful news.
Prayer Requests
Rev. Kathy Baker's mother passed away recently following an illness. You can email Kathy at kathy1baker@earthlink.net
Mary & Larry Homsher, Region 3 office Assistant Mary and her husband Larry were in a car accident. Mary received a severe whip lash and Larry has a separated shoulder and compressed disc in his neck. Mary has been out of the office for the past three weeks.
Rev. Gail Hicks - is home recovering from a joint replacement surgery in her hand. You can email Gail at mawbarker@verizon.net.
Congratulations To Newly Approved Ordination Candidates
The following were approved for ordination just prior to General Conference: Skip Jordan & Mark Byrd of MCC Washington, Roben Waddell & Judy Ruppert of MCC of the Spirit, Pat Farham of New Life MC.
Rev. Debbie Coggin Accepted in the Doctoral Program
The pastor of Vision of Hope MCC, Mountville, PA has officially been accepted at Lancaster Theological Seminary in the doctoral program and will begin this fall.
MCC Resource Pamphlets Now Available
Our denomination unveiled a series of new and revised pamphlets providing information on the Bible and homosexuality, MCC, and LGBT spirituality as a resource for local MCC churches. These are now available for sale (write melaniemartinez@mccchurch.org)
Congratulations Open Arms MCC - We are proud of you!!!
Open Arms MCC Pays Off Debt
Because of the generous memorial gifts in Duane Ocke’s memory which were applied to our debt to our Building Fund, and to the decision of the Board of Directors to pay off the rest of the loan, we find ourselves DEBT FREE. In June of 2003, we were $31,000 in debt. Through the generosity of the community of Open Arms MCC and the strong stewardship of the Board of Directors, we had managed to pay off all external debt in one year. The Board set up a 3-year repayment plan for our debt to ourselves. We didn’t need that time. Congratulations! It feels so good to know that we are free and clear and can apply any funds left over from our budget needs to our building fund for whatever our coming journey of relocation brings.
Rev. Durrell Watkins Published Book About Prayer
A Treatment A Day... is "A progressive, New Thought, interfaith approach to prayer." In this new book, Pastor Durrell "offers thoughts about prayer and models of prayer for people who practice spirituality on the margins, and for those who have not identified with a particular spiritual path. "A Treatment A Day: A Book of and About Prayer can be purchased for $17.00 plus shipping. Simply go to www.cafepress.com/kweerspirit
A Treatment A Day...is meant for not only the religious but also the questioning, and even for the passionately non-religious! People who pray daily and people who haven't prayed in years will both find something of interest in A Treatment A Day. And people who are struggling with religious questions and doubts may find A Treatment A Day to be a practical resource to help them pray through their questions and find their own answers.
A Treatment A Day...is written by Rev. Durrell Watkins, the pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of Christ the Liberator in Central New Jersey.
21 SEPTEMBER: CHURCHES TO PRAY FOR PEACE IN ASIA AND THE WORLD
World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
In 2005, for the second year running, churches representing over 560 million Christians world-wide are being invited to mark the UN International Day of Peace, 21 September, as an International Day of Prayer for Peace.
Launched in 2004 by the World Council of Churches in the framework of its Decade to Overcome Violence: Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace (2001-2010), the initiative calls on Christian churches all over the world to arrange for services or vigils on 21 September, as well as to include prayers for peace in their services on the Sunday before or after that day.
The theme for this year's International Day of Prayer for Peace is "Building communities of peace for all". Churches from Asia, the region chosen as the special focus of the Decade to Overcome Violence during 2005, have proposed this theme.
The theme conveys a "spirit of celebrating diversity," says Hope S. Antone, executive secretary for Faith, Mission and Unity of the Christian Conference of Asia. In that spirit, she adds, "we Asian Christians would no longer see the other as the mortal enemy, or as the unsaved doomed for hell, or as the poor heathen to convert. We would instead look at them as brothers, sisters, partners, whom God also loves, to whom God has also revealed truths, from whom we can learn about life, living and relating, and in whom we can also find the image of God."
Christian churches world-wide are therefore invited to include especially Christians and faith communities in that vast and diverse continent in their prayers of intercession on that day.
More information and prayer resources are available at www.overcomingviolence.org/peace2005
Rev. David Glasgow Staring In Play
MCC’s own Rev. David M. Glasgow will again be taking the stage in the title role of Theatre Harrisburg’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar, to be presented at the Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, September 9-18. The musical, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, portrays the last week of Jesus’s life as seen through the eyes of Judas, and compares the “Jesus phenomenon” to contemporary pop-culture idol worship. You won’t want to miss this powerful, entertaining, challenging look at the man behind our faith—especially because, if you purchase your ticket directly from Pastor David, a minimum of 20% of your ticket price will benefit New Covenant MCC!
Show times and ticket prices vary. For details, please visit http://crackedwindow.blogspot.com/2005/08/jesus-christ-superstar.html or call Rev. David at 717-580-2432. To publicize this event among your congregation, please download and print the poster available at https://home.comcast.net/~crackedwindow/JCSflierNCMCC.pdf for duplication and sharing!
A Reflection
We have a neurotic dog. (taken from the Weekly Web of MCC Richmond)
August 21, 2005 By Donna Copley
We have a neurotic dog. Now those of you who are not dog people are thinking, oh no, not another dog story. But those of you with dogs are probably thinking, well you think your dog is neurotic, you should hear about mine!Angel, whose full name is Angel Flake Coconut, is 11 1/2 years old and weighs about 105 pounds, often drawing comments like "that's the biggest bird dog I've ever seen" or "I had no idea Pointers got that big." He's got the softest coat, the saddest big brown eyes, painful joints in his old age, and so many lumps that our vet swears that he's trying to clone himself. He is the perfect height to back right on to the couch and sit on it human-like -- butt on the couch, feet on the floor. He has an insatiable appetite for bread and lettuce and well, basically anything. When we vacuum or during a thunderstorm , he hides in the back of our walk-in closet.
One of his most annoying habits is hiding his food. If there is food in his bowl and he doesn’t want it, he tries to make sure it will be there when he does. He scoots it, sometimes spilling it, under the bed or under other pieces of furniture. Anything laying on the ground -- a pair of slippers or socks, dog toys, perhaps a shirt draped over a chair -- is fair game for camouflage material. I’ve watched him stand on his dog bed and try to scoot it to cover the food, never realizing it’s not going to move because he’s standing on it. We just can’t get him to understand that there will always be enough dog food for him. He doesn’t need to hide it, horde it or worry. We will always provide for him because we love him. He is part of this family. How do you think God feels when we try to do things on our own? When we question if God is really with us all the time? When we forget all the past times God has guided us through something tough and think that it might not happen again? When we question God’s unconditional love for us? We’re supposed to know better.
MCC Richmond - FINE ARTS MINISTRY
Revealing the presence of God in our lives through the Arts
Rev. Elder Arlene Ackerman Schedule
While away Arlene can be reached via cell phone for emergencies
August
25 travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico
26 - 29 ICM Cristo Sanador - leadership training, pastoral search, worship, etc.
30 travel day
31 day off
September
1 office
2 - 6 vacation - labor day weekend
7 - 9 office
10 - 11 MCC Pittsburgh - leadership training, worship
12 - 13 days off
14 office
15 Holy Redeemer MCC, College Park, MD - Board Training
16 office
17 - 18 MCC Philadelphia - leadership training, worship
19 - 20 days off
21/22 Vision of Hope MCC - Mountville, PA - leadership training
24 Region 3 Resource Team meeting
25 MCC Lehigh Valley, Allentown, PA - worship & leadership training
October
3 - 6 office
7 travel day
7 - 9 Tribute to Rev. Perry - Los Angeles, CA
10 travel day
11 - 12 days off
14 - 16 Vision of Hope MCC - 25th anniversary with Rev. Troy Perry
17 day off
18 - 21 office
22 - 23 MCC Richmond, VA
24 - 25 days off
27 travel day
28 - 29 Installation events for our new moderator - Washington, DC