International Newsletter of Metropolitan Community Churches with the focus on MCC congregations all over the world.

In this Issue

• News from Kenya
• Way to Go
• Capital Campaign
• Every Q
• Building Community Bridges
• Church News
• Working Together
• Anniversaries
• First Harvey Milk Day

News from Kenya

Rev. Michael Kimindu addressed a gathering of sexual minorities at the National Museum in Nairobi, Kenya, during the assembly for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.  He talked about what MCC is doing to curtail religiously-based condemnation of the LBGTI community.  This was the first time the media had been allowed to attend such a function.  Click here for the entire story in The Daily Nation.  

Because of his speech, new people have begun to come to church and he was able to perform a Holy Union for a lesbian couple.

He knows that telling someone the location of the worship service over the phone is dangerous, because he never knows who is listening on the line, but he takes the risk to spread God's inclusive love.

Way To Go!

Linda Baumann, the clerk at MCC Christ the Liberator (North Brunswick, New Jersey) is the office manager of Fellowship in Prayer, a nonprofit organization created to promote the practice of prayer and meditation among all faiths.  They are hosting a conference on their 60th anniversary, to which MCCers are invited.  It will be 24-27 June on the campus of Princeton University.  www.fellowshipinprayer.org

Rev. Dr. Robyn Provis has been named the co-chair for the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force's Creating Change Conference to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota in February 2011.

Jim Ulissee was the preacher for the annual MCC worship service at the International Mr. Leather gathering in Chicago, Illinois, last weekend.

Rev. Dr. Cindi Love is writing Huffington Post articles and usually tries to weave MCC into those posts.  www.huffingtonpost.com/religion.

Capital Campaign

The Being Church ~ Being Community capital campaign at MCC Austin at Freedom Oaks (Texas) will conclude with a special event on 13 June.

Instead of asking for donations and collecting money during their campaign, they are asking for a three year commitment of sacrificial giving in order to construct their new building.  The 60 people in leadership positions in the church have already pledged $601,200 (USD).  

They will begin collecting funds on First Fruits Sunday, 20 June, focused on each one giving one-tenth of his/her three year pledge, taken from the biblical teaching of returning the first fruits to God.

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Every Q

EveryQ.com is a website for everyone in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community: singles, couples, youths, the mature, and families. EveryQ puts information into the hands of the user community. It is a place where everyone can come together to interact and share views.  

As an MCC General Conference sponsor, EveryQ.com is donating to MCC $1(USD) for every person that signs up!

It is free and easy to sign up so join today and start interacting with other LGBT people in your city and around the world! Visit http://www.everyq.com/?idAff=20 for more information and to register today.

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Building Community Bridges

Last October, MCCL allied itself with the city's Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia Working Group alongside the Canadian Auto Workers Union, the City Police Department, the Cross Cultural Learning Centre, the AIDS Committee of London, and other community partners.  It is the only faith organization to be represented. The HBT working group organized events for IDAHO at the central library, police headquarters and school board headquarters.

Rev. Paul Whiting co-founded a local clergy group for those who pastor LGBT welcoming congregations. Currently seven congregations are involved with several others expressing interesting. They hope to revive the annual Interfaith Pride Service and have already specifically addressed inclusion of trans people, linking their information to the TG London website at www.transgenderlondon.com.
On 13 June MCC London will conduct a pilgrimage around the places that have been "home" (seven in total) during its thirty year history.  Then 4-5 September, Rev. Elder Troy Perry will be the honored guest at the final 30th Anniversary celebrations.

Church News

MCC North London (England) participated in and hosted a stall at London Deaf Day, which was held at the City Lit College in Central London, in order to invite more people who are deaf to come visit their church.

St. John's MCC (Raleigh, North Carolina) is already planning for their Faith in Action Sunday in August.  They will hold their morning worship service in a public place and then participate in service projects, which will benefit their community, before returning for a time of praise and worship in the evening.

MCC NOVA (Fairfax, Virginia) will have a Blessing of the Graduates during worship on 6 June to recognize their seniors graduating from high school, as well as those who are receiving bachelor's, master's, or other advanced degrees.

MCC of the Rockies (Denver, Colorado) will be sharing about their church with an information table and booth at the People's Fair, a city-wide event, the first weekend in June.

Jesus MCC (Indianapolis, Indiana) wants to be as diverse in age as they are in ethnicities and gender, so they are going to begin a focus group on 13 June for all those who are 35 and younger.

Get that exercise!  MCC Manchester (England) is organising a Church Walk for 19 June. It will be a moderate one ... eight miles, taking around four and a half hours.  "It's a good way to get to know each other better and to help us get fitter!"

Gentle Shepherd MCC (Phoenix, Arizona) had 34 people join them for worship last Sunday via the Internet.

Folks from Open Arms MCC (Rochester, New York) will participate in the AIDS walk this month and the Pride Parade next month.

At Church of the Trinity MCC (Sarasota, Florida) they partner with Booker Elementary School to provide school supplies and other things that the students need.  Knowing that many of them rely on the free lunch program at school to be their only meal of the day, MCCers are creating baskets filled with peanut butter, jelly, crackers, canned meat, and other easy to open non-perishable food for the students to take home on the last day of school.

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Working Together

Since September 2008 faith communities in Omaha, Nebraska, have served 17,000 free meals to residents of the Park Avenue neighborhood, and provided clothing, basic needs and social security services to their neighbors.  The 15 groups now incorporated as Neighbors United include MCC Omaha and those from Baptist, Catholic, and Christian, Greek Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Unitarian, and nondenominational churches.

"Neighbors United has become a dynamic local leader in collaborative, neighbor-driven action and holistic development. Neighbors United has worked hard to be inclusive, authentic and community-based and it has paid off -- we have a lot to celebrate!"  

Anniversaries

Salz der Erde MCC (Stuttgart, Germany) will have a combined celebration for their 10th anniversary and the graduation and ordination of their pastor, Rev. Dr. Alex Schwaigert, on 12 June with a service of thanksgiving and a reception.

MCC Richmond (Virginia) will celebrate 32 years of ministry 11-13 June.  On Friday there will be aspecial night for children, teens, and young adults.  Saturday features a reception and silent auction, while Sunday will see them enjoying a potluck picnic after worship.

MCC Lubbock (Texas) will celebrate their 30th anniversary 19 - 20 June.  There will be a catered dinner on Saturday with entertainment by Marvin Matthews, a multimedia presentation of 30 years of memories, and a dance. Rev. Elder Troy Perry will preach for the service on Sunday morning.

FirstCoast MCC (St. Augustine, Florida) just celebrated with an Anniversary Fiesta, an evening of dancing, feasting, and frolicking.

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First Harvey Milk Day

On the eve of the first annual Harvey Milk Day of Service, Los Angeles, California, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa honored the late activist for his public service, unwavering championship of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, and dedication to social change across a wide-range of issues including education, low-income housing, and public transportation.  The Mayor met with a coalition of LGBT community leaders and activists, including Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk), Equality California Marriage Director Marc Solomon, and Rev. Dr. Neil Thomas, senior pastor of MCC/ICM Los Angeles and president of California Faith for Equality.

"All of the Abrahamic faiths teach us that it is our responsibility to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God," Rev. Dr. Thomas said.  "Let us commit ourselves to follow Milk's example and do all in our power to make hope a reality for all our oppressed brothers and sisters in this world."

To commemorate the first annual Harvey Milk Day in California, community and LGBT organizations from across Los Angeles joined together for a day of service and action, such as a community garden clean-up, neighborhood canvasses, and a "Coming Out" rally.

Transitions

River of Life MCC (Dorchester, England) has moved into a former Salvation Army building and will open it for community events.

MCC Illiana (Portage, Indiana) will have the dedication of their new building on 6 June.  The building has over 2500 square feet, seats almost 100, and sits on 2.5 acres of land.

MCC of Greater Dallas (Texas) has packed up all their belongings and put them in storage.  They will be doing "church out of a box" at the Holiday Inn this month and move into their new home in Carthage next month.

Emerald City MCC Seattle is the new name for MCC Seattle (Washington).  Not only have they rebranded themselves to recognize that they are now a very different church than in the past, but they have also changed their worship time to 11 am and will move their worship location to the chapel of University Temple United Methodist on 4 July.