Greeting from Archbischop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
You are created in God's image!
| Region 4 News |  |  |  |
| Monday, 11 September 2006 02:00 | |||
| The Electronic Newsletter for Metropolitan Community Churches in Region 4 In this Issue:
Count Down to Conference!Delegates have already started their journey to gather in Hannover for our joint regional conference with Region 5. Over 95 people are due to attend the conference from over 11 different countries! If you havent packed yet, then here are some things to remember!
Fundraising SuccessThanks to the generosity of different congregations and individuals in the region, we have raised over £1200 to support three delegates from South Africa to get to conference. Two people have not been able to come to conference and have donated their registration fees, which have also been used to support this venture. Money also continues to come in for our ministry in Eastern Europe. Salz der Erde MCC, Stuttgart, Germany raised over 2000 for ACCEPT, the main lgbt human rights organisation in Romania and MCC South London has collected £114 in pennies to donate to MCCs work there. A huge Thank you to you all! Region 4 Web site is LaunchedHave you visited www.mccchurch.org/region4 yet? If you use the blue bar on the left hand side, you can visit different parts of the web site including resources, reflections and contact details for regional staff. Rev. Chris Dowd is compiling events from around the region for a regional diary, so if your church is hosting an event that will be open to other congregations, please send the details to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it MCC Outreach to Other ChurchesJanine Preesman, Interim Pastor of Glorious Light MCC, Pretoria, South Africa, was recently invited to prepare and lead a devotional service for the Pretoria City Centre Forum a gathering of local churches from many different denominations. The theme she was given was The church as a battered woman. Rev. Kerri Mesner, Pastor of MCC Edinburgh, Scotland and Shirley Seabury, one of the church leaders, were invited to present to the Church of Scotland's Mission and Discipleship Council Sexuality Group. The Sexuality Group has been convened to explore the issues of sexuality and civil partnerships raised in the Church of Scotland's last General Assembly, and MCC Edinburgh was invited to talk about experiences of ministering within the lgbt community as well as offering some personal perspectives. Kerri said The group listened very intently to what we had to say. They were particularly moved by Shirleys story, as she had been active in and then had left the Church of Scotland. Outreach to the CommunityGood Hope MCC is organising a series of special worship services designed to attract particular members of the community. In June, the church held a special Youth Service, to link with the 30th anniversary of the SOWETO uprising, when schoolchildren and young people protested against the injustices of apartheid and many were killed or injured in the bloodshed that followed. In August, over 40 personal invitations were sent out to women who had attended Good Hope MCC, inviting them to a service celebrating women and attendance was really excellent! More such services are planned for the rest of the year, including a Thanksgiving service. Holy Ground Breaks New GroundEvery year, the national lgbt organisation in Denmark organises a beach party to celebrate the summer solstice the longest day. Rev. Mia Andersen and members of Holy Ground were invited to lead a short worship service. The them they chose was God Blesses Gods Rainbow People. Mia used pop music and a story telling approach to get her message across, then offered a simple communion. After that, small candles with rainbows on were passed around the crowd, with some information about Holy Ground. This is a project aimed at those people who do not find spiritual meaning in traditional church. Revd. Sarah Jones plays MCC ManchesterAs well as being an Anglican priest in the Diocese of Hereford, Rev. Sarah Jones is also an acclaimed folk singer and transsexual. She recently spoke about her faith journey and transition at the UK Christian festival, Greenbelt. Sarah will be giving a concert, organised by MCC Manchester, at 8pm on Saturday 14th October. The cost will be just £5 you can buy the tickets in church (or you can email Rev. Andy Braunston, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and he will reserve you one). There will be light refreshments on the night and Sarah will also be selling her CDs. You can find out more information via www.bluebearmusic.demon.co.uk ResourcesHuman Rites Worship Resources for an Age of Change compiled by Hannah Ward and Jennifer Wild 0264-67334-4. This is an excellent compilation of resources for every possible event in human life. The sources vary, so there is a variety of styles. Many people come to MCC, looking for a spiritual experience that celebrates and embraces all aspects of their life. This book is a rich source of inspiration for both joyful and difficult moments where Gods presence can be recognised. Walking through the Valley Robert. L Randall These books have both been recommended by colleagues, either in dealing with depression themselves, or as a pastoral resource to support others. Regional DiarySeptember will be a month of transition for Region 4. At the regional conference, we will vote on the election of a new Elder. Once the results of that election are known, more information will be sent out about support for local church leaders and contact details for the new regional office. Rev. Elder Cecilia Eggleston will finish her time in post at the end of the month and the regional office in Bath, England will be closed down. From 1st October, any emails for Cecilia should be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Her mobile number will remain +44 (0) 7941 224657 13th 17th September Regional Conference in Hannover, Germany Countries in Region 4(Bold shows where we currently have congregations) Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Denmark, Egypt, England, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, The Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Portugal, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Wales, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. God Bless Cecilia Rev. Elder Cecilia Eggleston Phone: +44 (0)1225 320833
|
