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Dear Tory,
Peace and Greetings to you!
This Sunday as we come together, we enter into the season of Pentecost, also called Whitsunday, and known as the Birthday of the Church (Pentecost from Greek is called pentecostē, or the “50th day”) and a major festival in the Christian church, celebrated on the Sunday that falls on the 50th day of Easter. It also commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other disciples following the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and the Ascension of Jesus Christ (Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2), and it marks the beginning of the Christian church’s mission to the world.
The Jewish feast of Pentecost (Shavuot) was primarily a thanksgiving for the first fruits of the wheat harvest, but it was later associated with a remembrance of the Law given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. The church’s transformation of the Jewish feast to a Christian festival was thus related to the belief that the gift of the Holy Spirit to the followers of Jesus was the first fruits of a new dispensation that fulfilled and succeeded the old dispensation of the Law.
In the early church, Christians often referred to the entire 50-day period beginning with Easter as Pentecost. Baptism was administered both at the beginning (Easter) and end (the day of Pentecost) of the Paschal season. Eventually, Pentecost became a more popular time for baptism than Easter in northern Europe, and in England the feast was commonly called White Sunday (Whitsunday) for the special white garments worn by the newly baptized. In The First Prayer Book of Edward VI (1549), the feast was officially called Whitsunday, and this name has continued in Anglican churches. In Catholic and other Western churches, priests often wear red vestments during Pentecost to symbolize the “tongues of fire” that descended on the disciples from the Holy Spirit; members of the congregation also wear red in some traditions, and the altar is commonly dressed in a red frontal cloth.
Over the past month we have been engaged in a series, which has been connecting us to all the blessings we have in our lives and how we should be returning those blessings ten-fold back out into the world. We’ve been concentrating on the most popular blessing of them all, which can be found in Numbers 6. The blessing that God gives to Moses and instructing Moses to tell Aaron and his descendants how they and the Israelites will receive this blessing, passed down from God.
So, how do we live out a life of authentic worship? The answer lies in the Hebrew word for worship that translates into our daily living. It is the same definition that Paul used when he wrote the letter to the Romans in Romans 12:1: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.” It is the six days and 21 hours outside of a church service that makes worship authentic.
Join us this Sunday for Worship at 11:00AM at Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church, as we come together and continue to be the Vibrant, Inclusive, Progressive (VIP) Body of Faith that we are! Come where you are welcome, just as you are! This Sunday as we gather, we conclude our series: Blessing No. 10 with “Authentic Worship!”
Our “new” church shirts are available for purchase, just in time for PrideFest and the Pride Parade this year. Move further down in this Weekly for details and how you can get your “new”
Milwaukee MCC Polo Shirt. If you’ve pre-ordered a shirt, they will be available for pick-up THIS SUNDAY following worship. Additionally, please take time to stop in the Narthex and sign up to help work our booth at PrideFest 2023 as well as march (or ride) in this year’s 2023 Pride Parade.
As always, please take a moment to scroll down for these announcements and the many other special announcements, in the life of our congregation and community, as we continue to be the vibrant, inclusive and progressive community of faith that we are.
I look forward to seeing and greeting you all this Sunday in Worship!
In Christ,
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Scripture: Acts 3:1-13
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they all met in one room. Suddenly they heard what sounded like a violent, rushing wind from heaven; the noise filled the entire house in which they were sitting. Something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each one. They
were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as she enabled them. Now there were devout people living in Jerusalem from every
nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled. But they were
bewildered to hear their native languages being spoken. They were amazed and astonished: “Surely all of these people speaking are Galileans! How does it
happen that each of us hears these words in our native tongue We are Parthians, Medes and Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus
and Asia, Phrygua and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya around Cyrene, as well as visitors from Rome – all Jews, or converts to Judaism – Cretans and Arabs, too; we hear them preaching, each in our own language, about the marvels of God!” All were amazed and disturbed. They asked each other, “What does this mean?”
But others said mockingly, “They’ve drunk too much new wine.”
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Join us for IN-PERSON WORSHIP
this Sunday 11:00am
as we continue our new series:
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How do we live out a life of authentic worship? The answer lies in the Hebrew word for worship that translates into our daily living.
It is the same definition that Paul used when he wrote the letter to the Romans in Romans 12:1: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.” It is the six days and 21 hours outside of a church service that makes worship authentic. Join us Sunday as we conclude with: “Authentic Worship!"
REMEMBER ...
You can also connect with us for Virtual Worship on our Facebook Page or YouTube Channel, Sunday afternoons through our
links below to our Facebook and YouTube pages.
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ORDER YOUR 2023 Milwaukee MCC Shirt for PrideFest
& Pride Parade
Our "NEW" Milwaukee MCC Polo Shirt which we will wear for PrideFest 2023 and the 2023 Pride Parade are now available for purchase.
Shirts are $25 each in sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra-Large, 2XL and 3XL. Shirts are made from 100% polyester interlocked, moister-wicking and UV protection performance fabric.
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Order and Shop with SCRIP and Make it a WIN-WIN for Both You and Our Congregation!
Continue to shop with SCRIP, making it simple and easy to shop virtually.
By purchasing and shopping with
SCRIP Cards, you can continue to shop in your normal way, whether in person or virtually, while continuing to support Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church.
Order forms can be obtained by clicking below on the SCRIP ORDER FORM LINK below. You can mail your payment to the church by using one
of your tithing envelopes or going online and using our online giving portal, noting in the comments that your payment is for SCRIP Cards.
SCRIP Orders will be mailed to you once received.
This month's ORDER DEADLINE is:
THIS Sunday, May 28, 2023
Drop your forms and payment in
the basket on Sunday mornings, or you can send them in the mail to
the church.
MCC SCRIP ORDER FORM
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DON'T FORGET TO HELP
Pack the Pantry
THIS Sunday, May 28, 2023
Remember, every Fourth Sunday of the month has been designated as
PACK THE PANTY SUNDAY.
Pack the Pantry Sunday is a time for
you, the people of the church to come together and help support our partnered organizations Food Pantries.
Our Pack the Pantry donations
will go towards supporting:
VIVENT Health Care
Food Pantry
Bring your items to church SUNDAY, May 28th and place them on the pantry table in the Narthex.
Don't have time to shop? No worries! Make a monetary donation toward
Pack the Panty and we'll do the shopping for you!
If you forget to bring something this Sunday, you can bring your items on any other Sundays as well! You can
also make arrangements to drop things off at the church by contacting the church office to set a drop-off time!
Click below to obtain a list of Pack the Pantry items:
Click Here for Pack the Pantry Shopping List
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Church Office Closed for Memorial Day Holiday
May 29, 2023
This Monday is Memorial Day, a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States armed forces. Let us remember and give thanks for those who have served and continue to serve this great nation.
As a reminder, the church office will be closed, Monday, May 29, 2023, in observance of the Memorial Holiday.
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Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church
Board of Director Meeting Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Come learn what is happening in and around our Church. You're invited to come to our monthly Board of Directors Meetings and experience and see your board in action.
Our next meeting is Tuesday, June 13th, starting at 7pm.
Lots of great things are happening
in the life of our community of
faith as we start resuming worship and programming in person! Come get the info first hand and be in the know with the happenings of your church!
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SIGN UP to HELP WORK OUR BOOTH AT PRIDEFEST
and
MARCH IN THE 2023 PRIDE PARADE
ALSO A LIMITED AMOUNT OF DISCOUNTED ADMISSION TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR PRIDEFEST
Make sure to sign up this Sunday in the Narthex to help work at our booth during PrideFest either Friday, June 2nd or Saturday June 3rd. Shifts are approximately 3 hours starting at 3p on Friday and 12p on Saturday. Come help spread the news about our amazing community of faith and invite those to join us to experience being involved in the "original" affirming church that accepts everyone!
For those helping us supply coverage at our booth will receive free admission into PrideFest. You'll see to see David H. on Sunday for your tickets. We only ask that you are committed to be at the booth for the entire shift and to not just get tickets and then not show up, as the church has paid for these tickets.
If you are planning to attend PrideFest either Friday or Saturday and you need to still purchase tickets, you can purchase them Sunday at a reduced price of $20 (Regular price $25/day). There is a limited amount available, so first come first served.
We are also taking sign-up for folks to March (or ride) in the parade on Sunday, June 4th! Sign up in the Narthex as well to be a part of our contingency as we March down 2nd Avenue let the community know that we are alive and well and still serving our great Milwaukee LGBTQI+ Community!
A reminder that worship begins ONE HOUR EARLIER on SUNDAY, JUNE 4TH at 10:00AM. Following worship we will once again have our Traditional Pride Pizza Lunch before heading down to the parade route to line-up for the parade.
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NEW Contemporary Style Worship Service to Begin
First Sunday of the Month
starting August 6, 2023
Beginning Sunday, August 6th and EVERY FIRST Sunday of the month join us as we engage in a Contemporary Style of Worship. Something a little different than we have been accustomed to, but a way to experience worship in a different way.
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ALL Church Picnic Scheduled for
Sunday, August 6, 2023
Join us following worship at 12:30pm on Sunday, August 6th for our ALL Church Picnic as we celebrate the launch of our NEW Contemporary Style of Worship. Come enjoy the some good traditional Church Picnic food, fellowship and fun!
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Church Asset Protection “CAP”
2023 Capital Campaign
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We are excited to be underway with our 2023 Church Asset Protection campaign, CAP for short, our 2023 Capital Campaign fundraiser to help raise funds for repairs, on the church building.
Maybe you worship with us occasionally, or every Sunday. You may participate in or support one of the many programs we provide in the Milwaukee community.
For more than fifty years your support has allowed us to be one of the first LGBTQ+ organizations to own a building. We are proud that with so much support we can also report we own the property free of any mortgage or debt. With this great blessing comes the great responsibility of maintaining the building.
Over the last several years we have been able to replace the HVAC and all but three of the old wooden windows. The inside of the building has been refreshed and all repairs have been completed. Now we find ourselves with many needed repairs to the outside of the building.
We are launching our 2023 Church Asset Protection campaign to raise funds to complete necessary repairs to our building that provides us the foundation to provide these support services. The funds will be used to complete the following:
- The two chimneys need to be removed. A new roof needs to be installed.
- The flat roof in the back of the building is pulling away from the side of the building and needs to be repaired.
- The gutters are original from when they were attached to the city storm sewers and needed to be replaced and the rotting wood behind them repaired.
- The last three wooden windows need to be replaced.
- Lastly, the attic insulation needs to be replaced.
So, how can you help?
- Donate to the campaign
- Donate your time to help complete the repairs.
- Share the campaign with friends and family to help us achieve our goal more quickly.
- Do all 3!
Whichever you choose, your support is meaningful and makes an impact! For your convenience you can make your donation online by clicking on:
2023 Capital Campaign
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If you auto-give, through your financial institution, or already give online, we THANK YOU. But, if you have typically placed your gifts in the offering plate each Sunday, we also offer other options when giving to the church.
There are several ways YOU can make either a one-time donation or even a recurring donation. Here are the ways you can make that happen:
- Through our Secure Online Giving Portal, or either of our two PayPal links. You can go to our Secure Online Giving Portal and/or our PayPal Giving Link for your regular offering or one time giving. You can also go through our regular PayPal Link if you’re wanting to start and set-up a recurring monthly giving for your offering. Click on either of the links below to make that happen.
- You can mail your offering via check or credit card by using one of the pre-printed offering envelopes that have been distributed to all our members. Simply insert your check in the envelope or complete the information on the inner flap, should you choose to donate by credit card, and return it by mail. If you are in need envelopes, please contact the church, either by leaving us a message or emailing us at [email protected]. We will be happy to send some to you.
- You can send your offering via check in a regular addressed envelope to: Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church, 1239 West Mineral Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204.
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You can go to our website at www.milwaukeemcc.org/giving to do your giving.
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Click link above to do a regular
offering or one time gift through our Secure Giving Portal
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Click link above to do a regular
offering or one time gift
| Click link above to set up a monthly recurring gift | | | |
Our April/May Sermon Series | | | |
STAY CONNECTED with us on Facebook and YouTube | |
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DONATE NOW
It’s easy to give to Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church online. We accept CHECK/ACH, MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover cards through ONLINE Giving.
Just click on one of the Donate now button below now
to get started:
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Reverend Tory V. Topjian (Moderator)
David Huibregtse (Vice-Moderator), Mark Mickelson (Clerk),
Allan Hauth, Dan Nelson, Chris Stockdale and Britt Saunders (Members at Large)
Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church
1239 West Mineral Street
Milwaukee, WI 53204
414-383-1100 • [email protected]
Website - www.milwaukeemcc.org
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From our Denomination
Our denomination is doing vital work around the world.
Check out some of the ways you can get connected.
Click on the image below
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As a reminder - you're receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in MILWAUKEE METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH. Don't forget to add [email protected] to your address book so
we'll be sure to land in your In Box!
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