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IN THIS ISSUE, you will find:
- Noteworthy Dates
- News
- Events
- Resources
Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom where our Mailing Address is listed. Some servers clip or truncate emails and you might have to click a link to "view entire message."
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14 February - Valentine's Day
20 February - World Day of Social Justice
22 February - Ash Wednesday - the beginning of Lent
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Planning? Check out these Resources
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Read the
Good News Stories?
Good News stories are now being saved and shared in the Resource Bank!
They are being saved by the month as they come in. Read previous month's stories to celebrate with one another and to glean ideas.
Do you have Good News to share?
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Thank You to the Theologies Team
Metropolitan Community Churches is grateful for all who served with the Theologies Team. The Team has concluded its work, though theology will continue to be done in MCC (stay tuned for details on MCC's future theological endeavors). Join MCC in thanking the people listed below who willingly and graciously gave their faithful labors to the Theologies Team. If any person is absent from the list or titles are missing or incorrect, we apologize profusely and kindly help us to correct the record.
Rev. Dr. Kelby Accardi-Harrison
Dr. Marcella Althaus-Reid (deceased, initial advisor)
Rev. Dr. Kharma Amos (chair)
Rev. Brendan Boone
Rev. Dr. Jim Burns (deceased)
Skip Casey
Dr. Patrick Cheng
Eileen Dalusong
Rev. Dr. Edgard Franciso Danielson-Morales
Rev. Dr. Robert Griffin
Rev. Dr. Elder Karl Hand
Connie Meadows (deceased, administrative support)
Rev. Elder Maxwell Reay
Dr. Bryce Rich
Rev. Elder Margarita Sanchez de Leon (retired)
Rev. Dr. Axel Schwaigert
Rev. Dr. Roland Stringfellow
Rev. Dr. Denise Sudbeck
Rob Walker
Rev. Elder Dr. Mona West (retired)
Rev. Elder Dr. Nancy Wilson (moderator & convenor)
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API
Friday, Feb. 17 at 6 pm PST / 9pm EST
Saturday, Feb. 18 at 10 am Philippines & Singapore.
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)
21 February 2023
9 pm EST, 8 pm CST, and 6 pm PST.
Meeting ID: 863 5628 0881 Passcode: 330367
God-Talk
Saturday, 25 February (meets 4th Saturday each month)
9am PST / 10am CST / 12pm EST / 5pm GMT
Conversations about the Divine and MCC Kinship Group.
Rev. Peter Trabaris and Rev. Brendan Boone invite you to join this Kinship Group. The goal of this ministry is to study and learn from our theology/ies, and what they teach us, as we learn from each other, and continue the work of “Transforming Ourselves, as we Transform the World." If you are interested or have any questions please contact: revpetertrabaris@gmail.com or Rev.Brendan.Boone@gmail.com.
Join Zoom meeting:
Meeting ID: 850 0238 8825 Passcode: 226946
PAD
If you identify as a Person of African Descent. Our February gathering is February 25th at 12pm EST/ 5pm GMT.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 847 0823 8825
Trans Kinship Gathering
4 March (first Saturday of the month)
11am PDT / 1pm CDT / 2pm EDT / 7pm GMT
Meeting ID: 898 0876 5091
Passcode: 381764
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Refugia Faith - An Evening with author Debra Rienstra
Thursday, February 16 - 7:00 - 8.30pm EST • Online
$10 event registration
$30 event registration including a copy of Refugia Faith
More information and to register here.
In the midst of climate crises, it is difficult for us to find what feels like solid ground and steadiness as the world around us shifts and changes, sometimes at a pace too rapid to process properly. We seek spaces — both physical and spiritual — where we can fortify our resilience and connect with deep community, spaces that can hold us in the midst of uncertainty.
In search of these spaces in her own life and in her Christian faith, author Debra Rienstra draws on the biological term refugia — meaning places of shelter that endure in times of crisis — to open a conversation on how people of faith can co-create these places of renewal and regeneration.
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The Council of Elders invites you to prayer on World Day of Social Justice. Check the chart below for times and language. The location and local time reflects the target area however you may attend any session that works for your schedule. Just look across the chart to figure out the time in your time zone.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 829 6604 3706
Passcode: 024781
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Social Justice Book Club
As part of the Strategic Plan for SunCoast MCC (Venice, Florida, USA), we are offering a monthly book club via zoom featuring social justice themes. Our first book will be The Invention of Wings, by Sue Monk Kidd. The book club discussion will be on Monday, February 20, 2023 at 7:00 PM EST via zoom.
This exquisitely written novel is a triumph of storytelling that looks with unswerving eyes at a devastating wound in American history, through women whose struggles for liberation, empowerment, and expression will move readers emotionally. So get your books and plan to join us!
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Tea Time with the Elders!
Tuesday, 21 February
THIRD TUESDAY MONTHLY
5pm EDT / 10pm GMT
Join us via Zoom
Meeting ID: 248 584 328
Password: 469464
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The Charter for Compassion's LGBTQIA+ Initiative is launching its first Global Virtual Festival! March 11-18
Learn more, submit your video, or purchase a ticket here
(MCC is a partner organization with the Charter for Compassion.)
OUR PRIDE Video & Arts Fest is a virtual film festival with its own unique festival village, complete with original programming, panels, director Q&A’s, workshops, and live networking, sponsored and hosted by FILMOCRACY.
- We are currently open for Submissions until March 1, 2023
- Video Genres: Short Documentary, Narrative, Music Video, Animation, PSA & News Story
- Video submissions must be 15 minutes or shorter
- Accepting submissions from people ages 13-35
- English subtitles are required for non-English submissions
- There are no costs involved with submitting your video. Use FilmFreeway Promo Code: PRIDE2023
2023 THEME is "LOVE WINS! Compassion, Resilience & Solidarity," with entries highlighting compassion, resilience, and solidarity in the global LGBTQIA+ community, featuring such topics as Social Justice, Human Rights, Current Issues, Mental Health, Personal Stories, Local Pride, LGBTQIA+ Community & History, and more.
Submissions are judged by youth peers, educators, and LGBTQ+ professionals. Winning entries will be announced in March 2023 with screenings throughout the year, including the International Children’s Film Festival at Comic-Con in San Diego. The top video entries will receive a variety of awards, prizes, and commendations.
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Refugia Faith Lenten Retreat
Thursday, March 23, 2023
10:00 am - 3:00 pm EST / 3pm - 8pm GMT • Online
$40 retreat registration
$60 retreat registration including a copy of Refugia Faith
A limited number of scholarships are available for this online retreat. Contact Program Director, Nicole Diroff, at nicole@thebtscenter.org to inquire.
Using Debra Rienstra's book as a conversation partner, The BTS Center is offering an online retreat for Lenten sanctuary, a spiritual refugium, for pastors and spiritual leaders concerned about the climate crisis.
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Online Centering Prayer - Tuesdays @ 5pm ET /10pm GMT
led by MCC of the Lehigh Valley (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA)
Join via Zoom with Meeting ID: 871 5093 0059
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Prayers for Peace
Wednesdays 8pm EET / 6pm GMT / 1pm EST
Living Water MCC in Helsinki Finland arranges every Wednesday a short prayer for peace. The sessions are bilingual: Finnish and English. The prayer sessions last about 15 min and are over Zoom. The link for them is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88413931856?
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Online Workouts
In March of 2020, Pastor Diane of Pike’s Peak MCC (Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA) began offering online exercise classes and nearly 3 years later, she is still going strong! Join her and a small group of folx for live exercise 3 days a week on Zoom. Most participants don’t even turn on their cameras or microphones—so no one has to feel self-conscious about how much they can do-and the difficulty level of all exercises can be modified.
Morning Workouts with Pastor Diane
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings
8:30 am Mountain Time (9:30 CST / 10:30 EST / 3:30pm GMT)
Meeting ID: 719 233 8982
Passcode: 654321
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Bilingual Praise worship hosted by Joy MCC (Orlando, Florida, USA) Thursdays at 7pm ET/midnight GMT
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Prayer Time with the Moderator
Most THURSDAYS (not 2nd Thursdays)
at 5:15pm EDT / 10:15pm GMT
Join the Moderator for a time of reflection and prayer on Facebook Live.
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Thriving in Ministry
Clergy are you familiar with the various programs of Thriving in Ministry? They are here to help you thrive in your local ministry. Reach out to Marie Tasker to learn more about how Thriving in Ministry could assist you. MarieTasker@MCCchurch.net.
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IS GOD CALLING YOU?
Check our listings for pastoral positions and laity positions. JOB OPENINGS
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Looking for something on the website?
It might be in the Resource Bank now.
Need help finding something?
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Created for you, the members and leaders of MCC! Visit the site and familiarize yourself with the menu and easy to access blocks. Use the quick link to get to the Resource Bank where you can search for the tools you need.
Remember, we also have our visitor website https://visitmccchurch.com/
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Check out all the great classes and resources still available at Sacred Space Online Learning (SSOL) including MCC specific classes. Yes, we no longer have the OFLD (Office of Formation and Leadership Development) but SSOL classes are still available.
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Metropolitan Community Churches
2775 NW 49th Ave. Ste: 205-327
Ocala, FL 34482
USA
© 2023 Metropolitan Community Churches
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