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)
September 29, 2004
Prayer Requests
I am sorry to announce that the mother of Rev. Roberta Dunn, pastor of MCC Pittsburgh. passed away this week after a very short illness. Her mother recently celebrated her 80th birthday. And, last month Bobbie's partner's father passed away. If you would like to send a note to Bobbie you can email her at mccpghrev@aol.com.
I am also sad to announce that the mother of Rev. Emma Chattin passed away following an extended illness on Sept. 20 in Richmond, VA. If you would like to send a note to Emma you can email her at shnvalgirl@aol.com.
Rev. Ana Vargas and her partner Minerva have moved to Boynton Beach, Florida the Friday before the hurricane hit the island. She has been selected as interim Pastor of Church of Our Savior MCC.
Praise God - So far I have not heard of any serious damage to any of our churches or members in Region 3 from hurricane Ivan.
Rev. Rob Taylor MCC Ordained and Installed At Open Door MCC
On September 19, the Rev. Rob Taylor was both installed as pastor of Open Door MCC and celebrated the transfer of his ordination into UFMCC. The church was filled with people from Open Door MCC, MCC of the Spirit in Harrisburg (Rob's Teaching Church) and his former Methodist congregation. His mother and children and friends also came in support of this great celebration. This marks a new day for Rev. Taylor and Open Door MCC. Rev. Eva O'Diam and Rev. Elder Arlene Ackerman co-officiated the service. The photo below is of Rev. Rob Taylor and his partner Rob Apgar.
Theocracy Watch Presentation at MCC of the Spirit
Presentation at MCC Church of the Spirit: Religious freedom is one thing, but religious extremism is something completely different. Join us for a presentation on the rise of the radical religious right by Theocracy Watch, a project of the Cornell University Center for Religion, Ethics, and Social Policy, on Saturday, October 23, 2004, 7:00 - 9:00, at Metropolitan Community Church of the Spirit, 2973 Jefferson St., Harrisburg, PA. Families welcome; there will be activities for children. Call 717-236-7387 for directions or additional information.
Small Church Pastors Gathering Meeting
In mid August the pastors of the churches in Region 3 whose average attendance is under 50 met to share resources, network and support with their regional elder. Top row: Rev. Jim Mulcahy, Open Arms MCC, Rochester, NY; Rev. Wayne Schwandt - MCC of the Chesapeake, Annapolis, MD. Lower row: Rev. Becky Steen - Merciful Grace, MCC, Falston, MD; Rev.'s Khara Us & Jill Farnham - MCC of the Hudson Valley, Albany, NY, Rev. Stephanie Burns - MCC Fredericksburg, VA; Rev. Lance Mullins - Christ Covenant MCC, Columbia, MD. Not present was Rev. Durrell Watkins, Christ the Liberator MCC, North Brunswick, NJ and Rev. David North - Holy Redeemer MCC, College Park, MD. Thank you Vision of Hope MCC for providing space.
Stewardship
A few months ago each church was sent a binder and CD with all the information needed to launch the God's French Fries tithing program. I am encouraging you to take another look at it and give it a try in your church. Let the region 3 office know if your church has used it or is planning to.
Excerpt From the Alban Institute Weekly
What do congregational leaders need to succeed and what causes them to fail? It's a lot more than what they know or even how they preach. One piece that is essential is the ability to relate with people--or emotional intelligence.
Resource
Emotional Intelligence Is ... -------------------------------------------------
"EQ is not destiny--emotional intelligence is a different way of being smart. It includes knowing your feelings and using them to make good decisions; managing your feelings well; motivating yourself with zeal and persistence; maintaining hope in the face of frustration; exhibiting empathy and compassion; interacting smoothly; and managing your relationships effectively. Those emotional skills matter immensely--in marriage and families, in career and the workplace, for health and contentment." -- Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence
"Emotional intelligence is a way of recognizing, understanding, and choosing how we think, feel, and act. It shapes our interactions with others and our understanding of ourselves. It defines how and what we learn; it allows us to set priorities; it determines the majority of our daily actions. Research suggests it is responsible for as much as 80 percent of the 'success' in our lives." -- Freedman et al., Handle With Care: Emotional Intelligence Activity Book.
"If we lack emotional intelligence, whenever stress rises the human brain switches to autopilot and has an inherent tendency to do more of the same, only harder. Which, more often than not, is precisely the wrong approach in today's world." --Robert K. Cooper, Executive EQ: Emotional Intelligence in Leadership and Organizations Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, states that persons having EQ exhibit the following common attributes:
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Impulse control
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Self-esteem
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Self-motivation
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Mood management
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People skills
When It Comes to Emotional Intelligence, How Savvy Are You? ---------------
The HayGroup, Emotional Intelligence Services (EI), whose mission is to provide information, resources, and tools to enable individuals to improve personal effectiveness and organizational performance, offers a quick online quiz to provide you with an introduction to emotional intelligence. Take this quiz to see if you are EI savvy! http://ei.haygroup.com/resources/default_ieitest.htm
Leadership Thoughts of the Week
Deacon's Note: (taken from the Open Arms E-Newsletter)
Yo God,
Sometimes in all this stuff called life, I forget about you.
When the phone's ringing, the dog's barking, I've got dinner burning on the stove and the dryer alarm is going off who thinks about God?
When I've got three places to be, I'm stuck at the light, the oil light goes on and the gas tank reads almost empty, who thinks about God?
I need to be thinking more about you God and less about life's to do list.
I need to remember that you are there with me, at work, on the highway, at home, you are there.
Thanks for being there God.
Today let me remember that you are with me and relax a little as the phone rolls over to voice mail.
Today let me slow down a little and even smile while sitting at that damn light again.
Today let me say thank you to the gas station person who's face clearly shows how much they hate their job.
Today let me begin the day with a prayer of thanksgiving and end with a prayer of praise.
After all you took the time to be with me God, let me remember to take the time to be with you.
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"Leaders are pioneers -
people who are willing to step out into the unknown.
They are people who are willing to take risks,
to innovate and experiment
in order to find new and
better ways of doing things."
James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. Posner
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