| MCC European Network Newsletter October 2010 In this Issue Reflection "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it. 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.'
This is probably my favourite quote from the gospels. And on the face of it, it sounds fairly simple. But actually it's pretty challenging to fulfil love in the way Jesus has asked us to.
I suppose there is some use in defining what we understand love to be in its fullest and most powerful sense. It's certainly not about fluttery first love, and it's definitely not about the undervalued thing our modern society has turned it into. So I suppose, in an holistic context, love is about respect and value and trust; it's about honour and faith and hope; and it's about acceptance and dignity and integrity.
But even with this as an understanding, there remains the capacity to distort the love of which Jesus spoke and demonstrated. In our human frailty there can be tendencies to love for what we can get, rather than what we can give; for what we can achieve, rather than what we can share. There are also times when we want to change people to fit our own concept of love, or to convince them that we're right and they're wrong. This latter, I suppose, is particularly true for those of us within MCC who continue to struggle with those who don't believe that God loves all humanity equally.
However, we know that Jesus' mission was to include everyone within the divine nature and love of God, and he passed this mission on to his disciples. As his disciples in this day and age, and because we love him, and continue to feel and understand more about his love for us, it is also our mission. The way we go about it though will reveal the calibre of our love.
The truth is, it isn't easy. But we have an example of its truest and purest form, and while we may not reach the heights or the depths of love that Jesus did, we have, in his example, the foundations on which to build our fragile attempts. May God uphold us in faith and in the life-changing love we seek to know and share. Amen.
Rev Kieren Bourne
Network Leader River of Life Service of Dedication & Celebration River of Life MCC, Dorchester UK, will be holding a service of Dedication & Celebration on Saturday 16th October 2010, at 4pm at the River of Life Centre.
The service will celebrate the two year anniversary of River of Life MCC & dedicate their new building.
People from all faith groups will be taking part in the service, along with many from the local community. This service will bring their ethos of creating a centre that truly reflects the diversity of Dorchester, to fruition.
All are invited to come along and celebrate with members and friends.
The River of Life MCC website, will have more information nearer the time. www.river-of-life.org.uk MCC Theologies Team Welcomes New Members It's with great joy that we share with you the good news that Rev Margarita Sanchez De Leon (of MCC East London) has accepted the invitation to join the Moderator's Theologies Team for MCC.
Along with Margarita, the team also welcomes Rev. Patrick Cheng and Bryce Rich.
Patrick, Bryce, and Margarita will join returning team members Axel Schwaigert (Salz der Erde MCC, Stuttgart), Skip Chasey, Jim Burns, Mona West, and Kharma Amos.
Of course, the team also includes our Moderator, Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, and our staff supporter (and excellent contributor in her own right) Connie Meadows. New Pastoral Search resources We are excited to introduce a new Pastoral Search resource for local churches! The comprehensive new tool was developed by Rev. Elder Arlene Ackerman, with consultation from MCC Elders and staff, more than 20 pastors and members of Pastor Search Teams. It provides both an overall framework for the Pastoral Search process and practical, step by step details with samples of key forms that can be used "as is" or customized for use in your church.
Rev. Arlene says, "We all understand that the selection of your next pastor is quite possibly one of the most important decisions your church will make. If your pastoral selection is a "good match" it will be the beginning of an exciting time of growth and development and effective ministry that will touch the lives of many people in a positive way."
This MCC Pastoral Search Process contains our denominational recommendations and pastoral search protocols, designed to help search teams identify and achieve that "good match". The process overview document lays out the framework. Click here to review the new pastoral search resources. PINK Sunday for MCC Bournemouth MCC Bournemouth are hosting Pink Sunday on Sunday 3rd October @ 2.30 pm
Why not trot along with your friends and join them as they go to the monthy Pink Sunday event at the Patisserie Angelique in Westbourne for a cuppa and some fab pastries!
For further details, please contact MCC Bournemouth on: +44 1202 430888 or visit their website: www.MCCBournemouth.co.uk
Happy Birthday MCC Bournemouth MCC Bournemouth will be turning 31 years old, during the weekend of 23rd & 24th October.
If you feel like celebrating with the folks there, you'd be very welcome.
For further details, please contact MCC Bournemouth on: +44 1202 430888 or visit their website: www.MCCBournemouth.co.uk
Youth, a Faith that Fits 'Youth a Faith that Fits' is a book on teens in church; it is available as a resource for churches with Youth Programmes. The book is $50.00 plus shipping and it can be purchased on line.
There is a shorter booklet available and Marina Laws can email copies of this to any churches that would like a copy.
If you would like to receive a copy of the booklet, please email Marina at:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
'; document.write( '' ); document.write( addy_text38383 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Our Tribe - in Edinburgh Transcendence Our Tribe's transgender spirituality group continues to meet on the last Wednesday of each month from 7 - 8.30pm. Meetings for the next few months are on the following dates: - 29 September - Reflections of Transgender Stories
- 27 October - Planning for Transgender Remembrance Day (Nov 20th)
- 24 November - Mindfulness Meditation for Beginners
- No meeting in December
- 26 January - theme to be confirmed.
Transcendence is open to all transgender and gender queer people of any faith or none, and is a space to explore spirituality and gender identity.
Special Event - Transgender Remembrance Day Vigil Saturday 20 Nov Our Tribe will be holding an overnight vigil starting on the evening of Saturday 20 November and ending at breakfast time on the morning of Sunday 21 Nov. Further details will be available soon, but please put this date in your diary.
For further details about any of these events, or to subscribe to the Our Tribe & AUC newsletter, please contact the team at the following email address:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(back to top) MCC Transgender Ministries
MCC Transgender Ministries is pleased to announce the release of our local church focused-ministry program entitled "MCC TRANSFormative Church Ministry Program". This resource is designed for local churches and organizations to enhance ministry to and with transgender and gender-variant people, or to begin a successful ministry from scratch. Featuring our "Local Church Focused Ministry Plan Workbook", this program walks churches through the identification of leaders, the intentional planning of a new or existing ministry, and quarter-by-quarter ministry planning. Also, a variety of tools engaging the topics specific to Transgender and Gender-Variant people, such as educational workshops, year-round liturgies, fundraising tools, and partner organization trainings, enhance ministry efforts and support volunteer and professional leadership.
Get your copy of the MCC TRANSFormative Church Ministry Program for FREE until October 1st! If you place your order before October 1, we will provide a printed copy of this full resource (approx. 200 pages), as well as a disc of all resources for printing in-house. Your order includes rights to print and edit resources as needed for use in your local community for original MCC Transgender Ministry materials. After October 1, this resource will incur a fee of $25 to cover the cost of printing and shipping only.Learn more about this ministry program, the variety of tools available, how to order your copy, and the benefits for your church by clicking here!
What is MCC Transgender Ministries?
MCC Transgender Ministries (MCCTM), co-lead by Angel Collie and Mel Martinez, supports the ministries and relationships to/with local churches and organizations intent on making a difference for transgender and gender-variant people. Since the ministry's inception in 2005 (originally the MCC Transgender Resource Team), Angel and Mel have coordinated the creation of and distribution of resources, created new organizational partnerships, and offered consult with MCC members and leaders. This year (September 2010) Mel and Angel release their first Ministry Program - MCC's TRANSFormative Church Ministry Program - with endorsements from Human Rights Campaign, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Welcoming Resources Program, Southerners on New Ground and (in Africa) Gender Dynamix. This program is an ongoing, regularly enhanced program designed to build on current transgender ministry and walk local congregations/organizations through beginning such ministry.
Past efforts of MCC Transgender Ministries include: yearly observance and resources for Transgender Day of Remembrance, facilitation of "Gender Identities and Our Faith "Communities" HRC program, attendees at Gender Odyssey conference, and workshops/affinity groups at General Conferences 2007 & 2010. |
