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Greetings!
I am so pleased to welcome Raul Radilla to our staff as Pastoral Leader of Spanish-Speaking Ministries here at Founders MCC/ICM Fundadora. Several months ago, I met with the 1:30 members to get their input as we searched for a Pastoral Leader for this ministry. I took their suggestions, worked with the Board of Directors and Pastor Bam to come up with a job description, and asked all of us to be in prayer. I don't take this appointment lightly. As many of you know, Raul is formally engaged in the path to Ordination in our denomination. I look forward to working with him and watching him grow as a Minister of the Gospel. Just as we will expect his support for us, we want to make a commitment to support him in his leadership. Welcome, Pastoral Leader, Minister Raul Radilla!
I hope you are still enjoying this year's Recovery Sermon Series with the theme, One Day At A Time. Every time we prepare for this series, I get new inspiration and insights from the 12-Step program. This Sunday, I will bring the message based on the Steps 8, 9, and 10 from Alcoholics Anonymous. It is entitled, ...what Jesus said. If you'd like to read ahead, check out Matthew 18:15-20 (Message Version).
I'm also thankful for the personal testimonies of those who live the 12-Steps. Thanks, Mark Talgo, for sharing your story last Sunday. This Sunday, we'll hear from another member in recovery.
I'm so thankful, also, for the times we gather and the Spirit is so evident. Let's come expecting that same Spirit to bless us more and more!
God bless!
Pastor Keith
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1st Reading is taken from
Alcoholics Anonymous,
Steps 8 through 10.
Step 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Step 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Step 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Second reading is taken from
Matthew, Chapter 18, Verses 15 through 20
(The Message Version)
Jesus said, "If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell them—work it out between the two of you. If they listen, you’ve made a friend. If they won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If they still won’t listen, tell the church. If they won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront them with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.
“Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, God goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”
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A fun and delicious time was had by all who went to Casita Del Campo on Tuesday, September 15th. Be sure to join us at our next Breaking Bread, details to come soon!
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Collecting needed items for SELAH. This month: New undergarments (especially for men) and socks.
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The Wednesday session has been moved to Thursdays.
| | Our Founders MCC Podcast entitled "Queer Christian Faith" Podcast is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Iheart Radio, audible and our YouTube Channel MCCLATV mcclatv - YouTube | | Thank you to all who showed up Saturday the 12th to help in the Trans*Unity yard sale. Please be advised that while appreciating all congregational donations, such donations are now paused while potential new storage locations are under review. | | Last Sunday we welcomed Raul Radilla as our Pastoral Leader for our Latino congregation. Congratulations and welcome Raul! | | Tomorrow, Saturday, September 19. Annual church clean-up day, starting at 9 am. Remember, "many hands make light work." | | Tuesday, Sept 22nd. FMCC/ICMF will once lead the weekly prayer vigil at the downtown federal building, 300 N. Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, CA. Noon to 1pm. Let's show up and represent FMCC/ICMF well. If you are able, wear your FMCC/ICMF t-shirts. | | |
Our Church Anniversary is coming up in a couple of weeks on October 4th. This year to celebrate, we will have a combined-congregations worship service at 11 am, followed by an anniversary lunch, followed by a special concert featuring some guest artists, one being the Silverlake Community Chorus, along with a few of our talented members. This will be a fun and meaningful day you won't want to miss in person.
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With the ICE, Homeland Security, and Border Patrol raids occurring so frequently here in Los Angeles, we at FMCC/ICMF realize the fear that many of our congregants have in leaving their homes. We are initializing an immediate ministry called, ANGELS. This ministry is for those who may be fearful of going to the grocery store, the pharmacy, and the department store and need to reach out to an ANGEL for help. It is also for people who may be willing to run these errands (for those too fearful to leave home currently) to let us know you're willing to BE an ANGEL. So, if you need an ANGEL, or if you're willing to be an ANGEL, please contact us at care@mccla.org and we'll match you up if at all possible.
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Rapid Response Network Launches Hotline to Protect Immigrants From ICE Raids in Los Angeles, 888-624-4752
There continues to be a need for a "White Wall" to help protect the attendees of our 1:30 Spanish-speaking service. Please see Pastor Keith.
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Join CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) and other social justice groups who have been gathering weekly in Los Angeles to pray for the return of family members who have been detained or deported.
We invite people of all genders to accompany them and hold our disappeared community members in prayer. We are hurting along with them, and we have their backs.
This vigil takes place every Tuesday, Noon at the Los Angeles Federal Building.
Pastor Bam Noriega
Founders MCCLA
(480)773-0527
| | Order your shirts today from Lulu Madrid for only $25! | | We need additional volunteers to help in the sound booth (see Don Mueller) and broadcast booth (see Sandra Contreras) | | |
Thank you to all who have given so generously through our online giving portal. Our church cannot function without your generosity!! Feel free to continue giving through our website (on PushPay) or simply sending a check in the mail (4607 Prospect Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027). Again, thank you.
Grand Total For Week Ending: 09-13-2026: $4,965.00
Pastor's Discretionary Fund: $601.00
Facility Rentals: $511.00
Building Fund: $511.00
Tithing: $3,342.00
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| Interested in Church Membership? Or, maybe, you just want to know more about our church's core beliefs and history. Set up an online meeting with Rev. Steve Swafford at membership@mccla.org for an individualized study! | | Join us before and after worship for a time of Hospitality in the church courtyard. Martin Miny is heading a team of people to get coffee, juice, and pastries ready each Sunday. Volunteers are always welcome! | |
As we continue to cope with Covid-19, we are changing our protocols. The new protocols are in line with the rest of LA County. Until further notice, here are our guidelines:
1. We will no longer require vaccinations and boosters for church attendance, though we highly encourage them.
2. We will make wearing masks optional. Please feel free to continue wearing masks as you feel comfortable.
3. We ask people that have symptoms of (or tested positive for) Covid, flu, monkeypox, or any other easily communicable disease to please refrain from attending until they are well.
As we have from the very beginning of the pandemic, we will continue to keep in line with the advice of the LA County Public Health Department. Thank you so much for your patience as we navigate new guidelines.
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Rev. Keith Mozingo (Moderator)
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Cesar Maldanado -
Spanish Speaking Ministries
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Patricia Wahle -
Vice Moderator
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Ed Shaughnessy - Treasurer
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MCC Kinship Groups
Kinship Groups offer a safe space of connecting with other people of similar struggles and challenges. We have groups for Trans, PAD, API, God-Talk, and Latinx.
If you have any questions, are interested in a particular Kinship group, or interested in forming another Kinship group, you may email Rev. Hector Gutierrez.
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Let’s Get CONNECTed: Invite More MCCers to Subscribe to this Newsletter!
As the recent General Conference 2025 has just been concluded, and as the spirit of connectedness within our denomination is still in the air, we encourage you to invite more MCCers to subscribe to our denomination’s newsletter.
We are delighted to grow our community by sharing our good news and stories with one another via this platform.
We invite all MCCers to subscribe to our denomination e-news by clicking on the following link: bit.ly/connect-mcc
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Language is a Matter of Justice!
Justice Statement on
Inclusion and Non-binary Language
(Galatians 3:28
and MCC’s Core Value of Inclusion)
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As the Council of Elders of Metropolitan Community Churches, we affirm that language is a matter of justice, liberation, and pastoral responsibility. The words we choose in worship, preaching, pastoral care, and community life shape who is welcomed, who is affirmed, and who is fully seen in the Body of Christ. In this moment—when gender-diverse, trans, and non-binary people face erasure and harm—our call is clear: our language must reflect God’s boundless welcome and the dignity of every person.
Inclusive language in the MCC congregations is what sets MCC apart from other denominations because MCC is the only denomination that offers truly inclusive language to its congregations.
We ground this commitment in Paul’s proclamation in Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
This verse is a declaration of radical equality. Paul dismantles the categories used to divide, rank, or exclude human beings. When he proclaims that there is “no male and female,” he is not erasing identity—he is erasing hierarchy. He is announcing that in Christ, the binaries used to limit human worth lose their power. This liberating vision calls the Church to speak, bless, and lead in ways that honor the full spectrum of gender identities present in God’s beloved community.
Inclusive and non-binary language is one of the most powerful ways we embody this value. It is not merely a stylistic choice—it is a spiritual discipline, a justice practice, and a pastoral commitment to the flourishing of all God’s people.
We encourage pastors, deacons, worship leaders, and lay ministers across our global movement to:
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Use language that affirms all genders, pronouns, and expressions of self
- Review liturgies, sermons, rituals, and communications for gender expansiveness
- Speak of God in ways that transcend restrictive binaries
- Model the liberating love that MCC has championed for more than five decades
Our theology proclaims that God’s love is vast, creative, and unconfined. Let our words be the same—opening space, healing harm, and proclaiming a Gospel where every person is named, seen, and celebrated in the fullness of who they are.
In Peace, the MCC Council of Elders:
Elder Hattie Alexander-Key
Rev. Elder Mark Byrd
Rev. Elder Nokuthula Dhladhla
Rev. Elder Cecilia Eggleston
Elder Velma Garcia
Rev. Elder Rich Hendricks
Rev. Elder Aaron Miller
Rev. Elder Elaine Saralegui Caraballo
Rev. Elder Stuart Sutherland
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