MCC of Corpus Christi
E – Newsletter
March 24th 2010 – March 31st, 2010
www.mcccorpuschristi.org
This Week
Movie Night—On Saturday, March 27 at 7:00 p.m. it's movie night. We will be watching a 2009 animated flick about an American astronaut who lands on a planet and wants to get back home. Note the new time: 7:00 p.m.
Dessert Auction! – On March 28th, we will conduct one of our famous Dessert Auctions! Bring your baked goods, your appetite and your checkbook and enjoy the fun of a live Auction to raise funds for our General Conference expenses.
Splash Day—On Sunday, March 28, after worship we will have a meeting to discuss our plans for Splash Day. Please come and share in the exciting new things we are doing!!!
Cell Phone Recycling! - We will be sending off a batch of old cell phones next week. If you have an old cell phone that you no longer need or want, bring it to church Sunday. It does not have to work and does not have to have a battery with it. We will receive anywhere from $0.50 to $35.00 for each cell phone we recycle. And it is better for the environment since they will not end up in a landfill.
Coming Soon
Holy Week Services—We will be holding special worship services on Thursday, April 1 at 7:00 p.m. This will be our annual Maundy Thursday service. On Friday, April 2 at 7:00 p.m. we will have our Good Friday Service. Please plan on attending. Because of these two special services, there will not be a Wednesday night Bible study on Wednesday, March 31.
Special Easter offering--During worship on Easter Sunday, April 4, we will take up a second offering so that worldwide representatives can attend the General Conference of the Metropolitan Community Church. Many of these leaders are doing some of the most difficult, even dangerous work, in some of the most isolated conditions. The additional training and support that they will receive by attending Conference will make a huge difference in our worldwide MCC ministry effectiveness. Please give as you are able.
Day of Silence—TAMU-Kingsville will be holding their annual Day of Silence on Friday, April 16. This is an event that witnesses to the silencing of gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual people. If you are interested and able to attend, please contact Pastor Carol.
Board of Directors meeting—On Sunday, April 18th at 1:00 p.m. will be our next Board of Directors meeting. Everyone is welcome to come and observe.
Awards Nomination Forms— forms to nominate people for an award to be presented at the Annual Awards Banquet are available on the table in the sanctuary. Please fill them out and turn them in to Lisa or Sharon. If you can't find Lisa or Sharon, put them in the Suggestions Box. Thank you!
Annual Awards Banquet – The 3rd annual Awards Banquet will be held on Saturday, May 1st, 2010 at MCC of CC. The suggested admission price is only $1 per week, or $52. This promises to be a fun filled night with excellent food. See Pastor Carol or the Mortgage Retirement Committee for more details. All proceeds will go to the Mortgage Retirement Fund.
This Month
Toilet Paper: Please bring Toilet Paper to church with you! We are collecting these items to give to the Food Pantry patrons who need them. Thank you!!! As always, grocery bags are greatly appreciated!!
Ongoing
Transgender Support Group—A monthly transgender support group meets here. Each third Saturday of the month, our Transgender brothers and sisters are invited to come and learn more about who we are as people of faith. This is a closed meeting and all participation is confidential. To learn more about the group please speak with Lisa B. Lancaster. She will be glad to assist you.
The Christ-Centered Prayer group: A prayer group focusing on quiet listening is held on Fridays at 9am. Yes, in the morning!!! Come and increase your peace.
Bible study is at 6:30 every Wednesday night. There are now two parts to the Bible Study. For those who wish to continue studying the book: How to Want What You Have, half of the Bible Study will be devoted to this book. If you want to discuss a daily Lenten meditation, that material will be available as well. We continue to enjoy a meal together afterwards.
Sound System: Would you like to assist with the sound system or the PowerPoint presentation (Especially when Tom and Andy are out of town)? Please see Pastor Carol, Tom, or Andy to sign up. Tom, Andy or Howie will train you before you're expected to fly solo.
T shirts: We are selling T-shirts for $10 each. The sizes run fromSmall-3x to raise money for the Conference fund. See Andy or Pat. They make a great gift. We have 2 styles available, ask to see them!
Facebook group page: Our church now has a "Facebook" group page. A good place to post church photos, prayer request, events, etc... The possibilities are boundless. Login to Facebook and search for MCC of Corpus Christi
MySpace page: MCC of CC has a MySpace page! Find us at http://www.myspace.com/mccofcorpus
MCC of CC Blog! This newsletter is posted in a blog each week. Go to http://mccofcc.blogspot.com/ We are also posting UFMCC notices there. This week, 4 items were added. One of these 4 is below in the "Fellowship News" section of this newsletter.
FINANCES
As it says in Mark 12:42-44: A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."
Thank you!!—On Sunday, March 21, we collected over $800. toward our general fund. We are about $1200. short of our goal to pay all our bills this month. Thank you so much for your generosity!!
Donate online! -If you have a paypal account, simply send money to treasurer@mcccorpuschristi.org. If you do not have a paypal account, you can use your credit card at https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=Y8BQY6ARBK9C4
Support MCC of CC with your everyday purchases! Turn your everyday spending into meaningful donations. With our custom credit card, cash donations for every purchase you make—plus a $50 first purchase bonus—will be donated to MCC of CC. Go to https://www.cardlabconnect.com/mccofcc to apply or learn more!
Good Search--Did you know? Each time someone does a search using Good Search, a charity gets 1 cent. If you put MCC of Corpus Christi in the "Who do you GoodSearch for?" box, MCC of Corpus Christi gets that penny. You can set Good search as your homepage and/or default search engine. You can also download and install a Good Search toolbar to ensure MCC of Corpus Christi gets donations when you buy online! Visit http://www.goodsearch.com/nonprofit/metropolitan-community-church-mcc-of-corpus-christi.aspx for more details!
Need some suggestions to search? Since this is Lent, try these: Lent, Temptation, Fasting, Prepare, Sunday, Prayer, and Locher Food Pantry. You never have to buy anything for MCC of Corpus Christi to get the credit. Happy searching!
Goodshop.com: Goodshop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 % of each purchase to your favorite cause! More than 1000 great Stores including Old Navy, Dell, Expedia, Best Buy, eBay, Macy's, and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with Good Shop and every time you place an order, you'll be supporting your favorite cause. Be sure to put MCC of Corpus Christi in the "Who do you support?" box. And if you download the toolbar from http://www.goodsearch.com/nonprofit/metropolitan-community-church-mcc-of-corpus-christi.aspx you will ensure MCC of CC gets credit from every store available when you shop online!
Fellowship News
Metropolitan Community Churches Tearing Down Walls. Building Up Hope.
In This Issue
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE
Calling Volunteers
Hotel Reservations
Affinity Groups
LMC Award Nominations
GENERAL CONFERENCE
EARLY BIRD RATES STILL AVAILABLE!
REGISTER TODAY!
Volunteer at Conference
As most of you know General Conference happens because of the generosity and support from so many people. It is the countless number of volunteers from all over the denomination who willingly give of their time to support the many programs, worship services, activities and operations of General Conference. This year's conference is no different. We are looking for many volunteers to help in many areas of General Conference. If you would like to sign up to be a General Conference volunteer or would like more information, please contact our General Conference Volunteer Coordinator: Kareem Murphy at murphman72@yahoo.com or Melissa Smithee at melissa.smithee@yahoo.com.
Book Your Room
Our home for the 2010 General Conference will be the beautiful Fairmont Acapulco Princess. This award winning resort is situated on 480 lush, tropical acres, this is one of the premier resorts in the world, encompassing 1017 rooms and suites, two challenging 18-hole golf courses, eight tennis courts, four swimming pools, a variety of restaurants and bars, a fitness center, a children's center and a Willow Stream spa. We have secured a great, low rate of US$125 (+tax)* per night for up to four people in a room.
To reserve your room call 1 (800) 441-1414 (from the US or Canada) or (506) 863-6301 and mention our group name UFMCC 2010 General Conference to lock in our group rate. Online booking is available by CLICKING HERE -> https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=96276 .
Call for Affinity Groups
General Conference is a great time to meet other MCCers with similar interests and passion as you. We allow time during the conference for our many wonderful affinity groups to gather. The groups allow open discussion and networking on many topics, including, People with Disabilities; Asian Pacific Islanders (API); Pastor's Spouses; Latin American Gathering; P.L.A.Y.; Transgender and more. Now is the time to begin planning an affinity group meeting. We will have limited space this year and request that you contact our Affinity Group coordinator Rev. Aaron Miller at rev.aaronmiller@yahoo.com to request a room for your group.Deadline for submissions is April 2, 2010.
Lay Ministry Awards Nominations
The Lay Ministry Council is now accepting nominations for the 2010 MCC Laity awards to be presented at General Conference in Acapulco, Mexico. These awards are presented to Lay Leaders who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, dedication and outreach within and beyond our communities. If you would like to nominate an individual for many of the available awards, please submit your entry by Clicking http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=vrLka8odGEx3SODG/lU9lpeACw1yds53rCylZvG7/Yk%3d& and completing the online form. Nominations must be submitted by May 15, 2010 deadline. For questions please contact the Lay Ministry Council at LMC@MCCchurch.net
Register for Conference
Want to save on your registration? Then be sure to register before 30 April 2010! Registrants can receive a discount on their registration fees when they book early. Our pricing structure is based on the World Council of Churches sliding scale model which considers income level and cost of living expenses to determine a fair cost to all who wish to come. For more information or to register, please click http://www.generalconference.mccchurch.org/?page_id=17 Early bird registration will close on 30 April 2010, so be sure to register today!
Join Our Mailing List
If you received a copy of this newsletter from a friend and you want up to the minute General Conference news and information, get in the loop by clicking the button below and joining our mailing list! http://www.mccchurch.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Events/SignUp/Newsletter_Signup.htm
CALLING ALL MUSICIANS, DANCERS AND ARTISTS
Worship with us at General Conference where we are featuring excellent speakers, dance, praise music, art, hymns, choirs and orchestras, new music, pop music, and creative use of multi-media. All of this to usher us into the eternal presence of the Creative Force that calls us all to IMAGINE! Don't miss out and register today! Are you a Musician, Dancer or other kind of Artist? We have several opportunities for the many talented people in MCC to express their artistic gifts for the 2010 MCC General Conference. We have space available to showcase your talent in the General Conference EXPO, Pre-Service Music Celebration time and General Conference Worship Services. General Conference EXPO is a wonderful way to connect with others in the fellowship and showcase your gifts and promote your work. If you have an accompaniment CD or a pianist, we will schedule a slot for you or your group to perform! Space is limited, we will be assigning space on a first come, first serve basis. All entries must be submitted by the April 15 deadline. Submit your request and/or questions along with any links or samples of your music to Rev Stedney Phillips at stedneyphillips@MCCchurch.net.
Pre-Service Music Celebration will feature groups, bands or soloists 15 minutes prior to the start of worship services. Space is very limited; to submit yourself or your group for consideration, email your request and/or questions along with any links or samples of your music to Daniel Arredondo at generalconferencechoir2010@yahoo.com.
Dancers & Other Artist... If you are a dancer or have other artistic gifts such as drumming, rap, spoken word, or visual arts then we would like to hear from you. Please contact Rev Wes Mullins at revwmullins@gmail.com and include links or samples of your work to be considered. MCC General Conference Worship Team looks forward to hearing from you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE
Traveling internationally requires extra steps and preparation, to help you with your travel plans we have put together a list if tips and resources to make your journey to conference and back home as easy & trouble free as possible. Since the safety and security of our members, staff and guests is of the utmost concern to us, we want you to know that all MCC Conferences are continuously being evaluated by our conference security team, conference hotel management and government agencies to ensure that all of our guests have a safe and pleasant experience. It was brought to the attention of the MCC Conference Team that various Mexican cities, including the city of Acapulco, have recently experienced incidents of violence related to Mexico's struggle to control drug trafficking. We have evaluated the incidents and can assure you that the safety of our conference and of all our guests is not compromised by these incidents. The Acapulco Fairmont Princess Hotel is an extremely secure venue with security officers monitoring all entrances at all times. The hotel is host to many high profile events events such as the 2010 Mexico Open Tennis Tournament which recently ended. The hotel is located in the upscale resort section of Acapulco which is located approximately 40 miles (60 kilometers) from the location of these incidents. These incidents did not involve any tourists or civilians, all that were affected were individuals involved in Mexico's drug trafficking struggles.
Specific questions and concerns regarding the safety of this conference may be sent to conferences@MCCchurch.net or call us with your concern at (213) 447-2953 or (310) 489 3899.
Support our Sponsors & Benefit MCC
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 a General Conference sponsor, EveryQ.com will give MCC $1 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.
MCC | PO Box 1374 | Abilene | TX | 79604
Is anyone up for a road trip? Equality Texas is hosting a Project Training on March 27th. Here is the link for further information:
http://www.equalitytexas.com/content.aspx?id=581®ion=9
A Letter about assisting refugees who are LGBT. I (Pastor Carol) received this letter recently in my email. I include it for your information.
Dear Reverend Lowe –
Warm greetings from the San Francisco-based Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration – ORAM.
ORAM has quickly become the foremost organization advocating for and representing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) refugees in the international arena. We are currently conducting a campaign to educate key community leaders, religious leader, decision makers, law experts, and academics regarding these highly vulnerable individuals. Central to our efforts is reaching the Christian community, which has a history of extending compassion to those most in need. I am writing to you in your capacity as a community leader with a call to join with us in ameliorating the plight of LGBT refugees worldwide.
As you may know, eighty-five nations criminalize same-sex relations. Seven apply the death penalty for homosexual acts. These human rights violations propel thousands to flee their countries. Many LGBT refugees have fled execution, "moral cleansing" or "honor killing" by their own families. Some may already have sought a home in your community.
The responsibility to assist and make known the plight of LGBT refugees belongs to all persons of conscience. However, persons of faith have a particular call to carry out this important work of offering refuge to the oppressed. Together with you and your congregants, we can make enormous strides to alleviate the suffering of our LGBT sisters and brothers.
I am enclosing a recent media piece from WorldFocus covering ORAM's groundbreaking work on behalf of LGBT refugees. As you can see, ORAM is forging boldly into areas never before addressed by the international humanitarian system and seldom addressed by the LGBT community itself.
Please consider spearheading your congregation's involvement in ORAM's work. Members of your group can donate funds or their skills to ORAM, and you can also "adopt" one or more at‐risk ORAM LGBT refugees. Groups participating in our Adopt-a-Refugee project commit to raising funds through individual contributions from their congregants. Funds collected provide direct support, free legal representation, advocacy and public education on these refugees' behalf.
We are inviting you to host a guest talk by ORAM's Executive Director Neil Grungras. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact us at piros@oraminternational.org or call us at the telephone number below.
I look forward to staying in touch with you and to working with you.
With best regards,
Neil Grungras, Esq.
Executive Director
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