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Greetings!
Another Sunday. Another wonderful time of worship! I'm so thankful for the move of the Spirit in our services. I'm also thankful to see some folks back in worship with us that have been away along with some new folks that are joining us! And, whoa! Didn't our Trans*Unity Ministry do an amazing job honoring Trans Day of Remembrance last Sunday? I was so moved, and I've heard many of your saying the same thing. One of the Trans Chorus members came to me after worship and related this: "This is the fourth TDOR event I've been to this week, and this is the one where I feel truly uplifted." What a blessing! Special thanks to Bam Noriega, Ina Serene, and Jasmine Luna for planning this special service!
Don't forget that THIS SUNDAY we will have a FRIENDSGIVING LUNCH AT 11:30 a.m. for both congregations (in-between the two services). Bring a dish to share with others, and let's have a festive time together after worship at 10:00 a.m.
This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, the day we focus on Hope. Our Advent theme and sermon series is entitled, Advent: What Did You Think? The first message is entitled, Hope: What Did You Think? I'll be using the scripture, Romans 15:30 (Voice Version), if you'd like to read ahead.
I do want to say THANK YOU to all who have helped decorate the church. It has been a labor of love and sacrifice, and I can't thank you all enough for your dedication to FMCC/ICMF.
Pastor Keith
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Reading is taken from Romans,
Chapter 15, Verse 13
(The Voice Version)
I pray that God, the source of all hope, will infuse your lives with an abundance of joy and peace in the midst of your faith so that your hope will overflow through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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Tomorrow, Sunday, November 30th is the first Sunday of Advent where the theme is HOPE.
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Sunday, December 07, 2025, is the Second Sunday of Advent. The theme is PEACE
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Tomorrow, Sunday, November 30th. Breaking Bread: We will have a Friendsgiving Potluck between services inclusive of both congregations. Please sign up with your participation and food selection.
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On Friday, December 12th, we will once again celebrate our Virgin of Guadalupe Day, with the Mariachi band, Arcoiris once again our special guests. We will once again have a taste of tamales afterwards.
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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.
Bam Noriega
Founders MCCLA
Student Clergy
(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: 11-23-2025: $6,341.00
Facility Rentals: $1,008.00
Bequest: $1,600.00
Tithing: $3,733.00
| | 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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Dean Coffey -
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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Inviting all MCC Trans and Nonbinary People of Faith to a Monthly Online Gathering
We held our first gathering last month (June) and it became clear that more of these gatherings are needed and welcomed. With the relentless attack globally on Trans and Nonbinary people, many emotions are being experienced within our global MCC community.
Rev. Elder Aaron Miller, on behalf of the MCC Council of Elders, is offering to host monthly meetings on Zoom with co-facilitators Rev. Elder Maxwell Reay and Rev. Dawn Flynn through the end of this year.
Discussion topics:
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WHAT is happening and WHAT we are feeling -- in the place and country where we live
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HOW can we be safe/er during these times
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WHERE do we find grounding and spiritual renewal
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WHERE do we (and can we) -- find God in the midst of this?
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WHAT do we need and HOW can MCC help?
Please consider joining us for this much-needed time to gather. We know, as people of faith and Beloved of God, we are stronger when we center in love and for love, together.
Upcoming Schedule - 2PM ET, on these dates:
(see other time zones)
Click Here for Zoom Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/719817716
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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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First Sunday of Advent
Elder Velma Garcia
Advanced Copy
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(Subtitles available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese)
Lift Up Your Heads, Your Liberation Is Near
Luke 21:25–28, 34–36 (NIV)
Hello Saints,
In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus paints a picture of a world in turmoil—signs in the heavens, nations in distress, people overwhelmed by fear. And yet, in the midst of this chaos, he offers a startling command: “Stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
This is not a call to ignore the pain of the world.
It is a call to face it with courage. To stay awake. To resist the temptation to numb ourselves with distraction or despair. Jesus warns us: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down… with the anxieties of life.” He knew how easy it is to grow weary.
To let injustice exhaust us. To let fear shrink our vision.
But MCC, we are a people who know how to lift our heads.
Not in denial of suffering. Not in avoidance of injustice. But in defiant hope. In sacred resistance.
In the deep knowing that God’s liberation is not a distant dream—it is near. It is unfolding.
It is embodied in every act of love, every cry for justice, every community that refuses to be erased.
At MCC, we know what it means to live in the tension of anguish and hope.
We’ve seen the signs—queer bodies policed, trans lives legislated, Black and brown communities targeted, disabled and neurodivergent siblings dismissed.
We’ve felt the trembling of the earth beneath our feet. And still, we lift our heads.
Because liberation is not just a future promise—it is a present movement.
It is the Spirit stirring in drag queens who preach with glitter and grace.
It is the gospel proclaimed in languages of protest and poetry.
It is Christ crucified and risen in every marginalized body that refuses to be silenced.
So today, we do not cower.
We do not shrink.
We stand up.
We lift our heads.
We look toward the horizon—not with fear, but with fierce expectation.
Because our redemption is drawing near.
And it looks like justice.
It sounds like freedom.
It feels like love.
Lift up your heads, MCC. Your liberation is near.
May it be so, Ashe, Aho, and Amen
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World AIDS Day 2025
Rev. Elder Cecilia Eggleston
Advanced Copy
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(Subtitles available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese)
Imagine a world where HIV is readily treatable, infection rates are decreasing and the impact of the HIV virus on the lives of individuals, communities and countries is diminishing.
Wouldn’t that be astounding?
That was the ambitious target set by the United Nations - to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
In statistics around HIV, there has been progress towards this goal. Infection rates have continued to decrease and the number of people who have access to antiretroviral therapy has been increasing. What is also true is that in every minute of 2024, someone died of AIDS related causes. In every minute of a whole year. HIV is still impacting millions of lives.
Now, because of huge cuts in the financial support offered to HIV projects around the world, this goal is unlikely to be reached by 2030. This is already having devastating impacts on those who are no longer receiving the healthcare that they need, on project workers who have lost their jobs and on whole communities, which will now be even more impacted, as both adults and children struggle with HIV.
The story of HIV/AIDS is the story of MCC around the world. From San Francisco to Johannesburg, Sydney to London and everywhere in between, MCC has embodied being the wounded healer. Our churches were often the only safe spaces where people could get information and support about HIV/AIDS, if they did not have access to other services or they weren’t out.
As the body of Christ with AIDS, we continue to support those within and beyond our church communities.
We need to continue to speak out against the injustices of prejudice, discrimination and these cuts in funding. We need to continue to feed those who are hungry and give a warm welcome to those who need somewhere where they can fully be themselves, regardless of HIV status. We need to tend to our own health and selfcare, so that we can live well and support others.
If we, as MCC, do not talk about HIV, if we are silent about stigma and do not support those of us who are living with HIV, we are diminishing part of what it means to be MCC.
When we show in our worship and on our websites, that MCC is out and proud to wear the red ribbon, we are offering hope and solidarity which will impact others in ways that we may never know.
On this World AIDS Day, let us once again commit ourselves to being and loving the body of Christ, in all its fullness.
God bless.
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World AIDS Day 2025
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During the 1980s and 90s, when the AIDS epidemic began, Metropolitan Community Churches became widely known as "the AIDS church." Its direct advocacy, community care, and spiritual support for those affected with AIDS. We officiated at funerals, offered spiritual guidance, cared for the sick, and advocated against the stigma and injustice surrounding AIDS.
Rev. Elder Jim Mitulski presided over nearly 500 AIDS funerals during his time at MCC in San Francisco. In 1988 it was believed that two-thirds of the men in his congregation were HIV positive. We continue to be the church with AIDS. MCC has lost more people than perhaps any other religious organization to AIDS.The World Aids Day theme for 2025 is "Rethink. Rebuild. Rise."
Rev. Elder Mitulski observes that, “World AIDS Day is both political and spiritual. It is a human rights issue. What is happening in the United States today is having a global impact on the spread of HIV/AIDS through the systematic dismantling of health care.
Since the beginning of the epidemic, 91.4 million people have been infected with the HIV virus and about 44.1 million people have died from HIV-related causes. (UN World Health Organization website) Rev. Elder Mitulski points out “if you sprinkle the AIDS virus onto a map it would reveal, where there is stigma, poverty, racism, sexism, lack of access to health care, there is HIV. HIV is more than a disease; it's a marker of human rights violations. It is global. Treating HIV will not bring an end to HIV, though it is an important aspect. Until we work at the root causes that contribute to its spread, we will never eliminate it. HIV loves secrecy and prejudice because these are the conditions in which it spreads and flourishes."
In Jeremiah 30:17 it is told, “For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, says the Lord, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion; no one cares for her!’
This is a time for MCC to reflect on our progress, rebuild our response and rise to meet future challenges with renewed commitment. We are committed to “transforming ourselves as we transform the world.”Today on World AIDS day we more than ever, we need MCC, we need to mourn our dead and channel our mourning into human rights action.
A Prayer for World AIDS Day
From the heart of MCC’s radical love and liberation,
Great Spirit, ‘Jehovah Rapha’ - God, Our Healer,
On this day of remembrance and resistance, we gather as queer bodies, beloved and bold, as allies and advocates, as survivors and mourners, as healers and hope-bearers.
We name Grief: for lives lost too soon, for the silence that kills, for stigma that wounds.
We name Resilience: of activists who marched, of lovers who cared, of communities who refused to be erased.
We name Sacred: in every vigil, quilt, and candle, in every whispered prayer and shouted demand, in every communion of care.
God of justice and joy, bless those living with HIV today— with strength, dignity, access to medicine, proper healthcare, and healing.
Bless those who labor for equity—researchers, caregivers, organizers, and truth-tellers.
Bless our churches, whether on-site or online, and our spiritual communities, —that we may be sanctuaries of affirmation, where shame is shattered and love is loud.
May we Remember, Rethink. Rebuild. Rise.
May we rejoice in the fierce beauty of our survival.
In your many names and in the name of Christ, who touched the untouchable,
who broke every barrier, who walks with us still—
Amen, Amém, Aamen, Amina, Amén
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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