| Office of Outreach Staff Team 
Rev. Elder Diane Fisher Email: RevDianeFisher Skype: revelderdiane Twitter: @RevDianeFisher  Jason O'Neill Email: JasonONeill Skype: mccjason Cell: 1-508-246-8416  Angel Collie Email: AngelCollie Skype: angel.collie |
| Justice Survey Results Thank you to all the churches who participated in our survey earlier this year. The part that we found the most amazing was the stories of what these 90 churches are doing, how they are touching people and changing lives in their communities and beyond. Here is a summary of the results: 1) The most common justice or compassionate ministry outside of our congregations is that associated with feeding (i.e. food pantry, homeless programs, etc.). 2) The primary method our churches use to fund these ministries is an annual drive or fundraising event(s). 3) The primary method used by our churches to mobilize for specific justice ministries is ad hoc efforts when requests come in. 4) The most common method used to communicate what the local church is doing: a) To the local church: Announcements during worship. b) To the denomination: Denominational newsletters. c) To the community: Website (with links to other websites) 5) Over half the churches want more information or resources on LGBTQI Youth programs. 6) Nearly all our churches are interested in collaborative connections with churches engaged in similar justice ministries. 7) For nearly 40% of our churches, only 10-24% of the congregation participates in outreach activities. |
International News
Rev. Elder Diane Fisher and MCC staff member Florin Buhuceanu will be traveling to Russia, 13-21 September 2011. Please pray for this Russian LGBT Christian Conference. While they are in Russia, you can follow the events via Diane's Twitter account @RevDianeFisher. Please pray for MCC staff member Sharon Ludwig, members of Good Hope MCC in South Africa and the LGBT community as they protest the appointment of a chief justice who is also an associate pastor at a church that advertises they can "heal" homosexuality. |
| | | | Introduction to the Office of Outreach
MCC's Office of Outreach is excited to introduce our staff, teams and programming! This new office is led by Rev. Elder Diane Fisher, with staff support provided by Jason O'Neill and Angel Collie. The primary initiatives of this office are ecumenanical/inter-religious, partnerships, health and wholeness, emergency relief, trans ministries, global justice for local churches, and outreach to colleges/universities. Continue reading for in-depth explanations of some areas of focus, as well as for information regarding our justice survey results. |
| Partnerships
The Trevor Project National Suicide Prevention Week, 4-10 September 2011
Equality Forum LGBT History Month - October |
| Health and Wholeness Team
We are pleased to introduce you to the newly formed Health and Wholeness team: Rev. Elder Diane Fisher, Jason O'Neill, Angel Collie, Carol Stevens, John Adams, Danny Gladden, and Rev. Marcio Retamero da Silva. We believe that health and wholeness is an essential part of being an effective witness in this world. This team is bound together by our collective passion for the connections between physical, spiritual, emotional and mental health. We seek to create a healthy community of faith whose lives are "walking their talk."
The Health and Wholeness team will work to provide information and connect MCCers with resources regarding HIV/AIDS, various cancers, heart disease, gender transition, emotional health, spiritual health, sexual health, and physical health in general. We will address issues around addictions, smoking, food, and exercise, just to name a few.
We will be encouraging everyone to get up, get healthy, and get out in the world to be living examples of love and wholeness. Here are some helpful links: Gay & Lesbian Medical Association World Professional Association for Transgender Health International AIDS Conference 2012 Are there topics you would like to see discussed and explored? Do you have specific questions? Nothing is too risque or taboo. Let us know by writing Angel Collie. Deconstructing Meth Metropolitan Community Churches, with support from the Elton John Foundation, is pleased to present a video on crystal meth. The use of methamphetamines is still prevalent and continues to impact our communities, sometimes attributing to HIV infections. This video documents one person's journey with addictions and the role a local MCC played in his life. MCC will be presenting a webinar on how to use this video in your local church and community in the fall. It's a great discussion starter around addictions, hospitality and justice. Click here for the promotional video. Click here for the full twelve-minute video. Click here for a sampling of discussion questions. |
| Emergency Relief
Part of our calling is to love our neighbors, and there is often no time of greater need than after a disaster. For example, despite the destruction and devastation in Joplin, Missouri, there has been an outpouring of support and generosity from MCCers. We have been able to provide monetary resources and hands-on support in the clean-up and recovery process. Special thanks go out to Linda Beckstead, the Heartland Network co-lead, and to Rev. Carol Trissell and Rev. Kurt Krieger, for coordinating the clean-up efforts and for their support and leadership. Do you want to make a difference and give to those in times of need? You can donate anytime here. |
| Trans Ministries
Angel Collie, Lead of MCC Transgender Ministries, spent the last few months as a member of the planning committee for the Trans Faith In Color Conference sponsored by the Unity Fellowship Church Movement and the Freedom Center for Social Justice. The 3-day conference was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 29-31. The conference meets a gap in that it is geared towards those marginalized within the mainstream transgender community by reaching out to transgender people of color, people of faith, and their allies. MCC was well-represented with members from California, Las Vegas, Texas, and other parts of North Carolina! Rev. Brendan Boone of St. John's MCC and Rev. Catherine Houchins of MCC Charlotte both participated in the conference. In addition, Angel was honored with the Rising Star award for "bold and creative work in promoting healthy and whole living for the transgender community." In addition, Angel and other MCCers led workshops and remained visible throughout the conference. The collaboration between the Unity Fellowship Church, the Freedom Center for Social Justice, and MCC is unique and very important. As a member of the Office of Outreach, it was a great opportunity for Angel to pass out over 200 Transgender Ministries booklets and spread the word about the Transformative Church Ministry Program, as well as MCC Ministry in general. Please join us for the 2012 Trans Faith in Color Conference taking place in Charlotte, North Carolina, in July.
If you would like to be added to the TRANSformative mailing list, please email Jason O'Neill with that request. |
| Outreach to Colleges/Universities
The Office of Outreach recognizes that to sustain and ensure a healthy future for MCC, we must begin to reach out and appeal to a younger population. We believe the students at colleges and universities need the message of MCC, and MCC needs them! We are beginning intentional outreach, and we are working to understand church for young adults in new ways. We believe church doesn't always have to happen in a building with an altar and a pulpit. We know that church and witness can happen in classrooms, at athletic events, and even in clubs and coffee shops, and we need the message of MCC represented in these places. We understand many people come out before and during college and are often more likely to lose connections with their spiritual communities as a result of moving to a new area. We believe that coming out in a strong, supportive, community of faith could help young adults dealing with being in a new place, coming out, and the stresses of higher education. Are you an MCC with connections and ministries in colleges and universities? We would love to hear from you and have you serve on the College and University Outreach Team. Please email Angel Collie for consideration. |
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