News from Metropolitan Community Church of Austin

The Electronic Newsletter of MCC Austin at Freedom Oaks

March 10, 2010

From Your Pastor

If you prefer straightforward, get to the point writing from me, you're going to want to skip down to the other articles. This is a ramble...unorganized, unplanned, and unapologetically delivered.

This all started last week when I saw the cover of the Austin Chronicle: "Better Living through Binary." Well, I know enough of math and computers to know they were referring to 0101010.... And if you saw the article, you'll know there were some helpful articles, even one dedicated to how computer technology has helped those of us in the LGBTQ community to find community.

Now, here's my first big leap; I promise, there's no segue within 1,000 lines of text.

I saw this "binary" story, and I started thinking about Simon Peter. Really....

What's Happening at MCC Austin

March

14 Worship at 9 and 11 a.m., and H20 at 2 p.m.

Sunday School Children's Choir Rehearsal

16 Positive Perspectives

21 Worship at 9 and 11 a.m., and H20 at 2 p.m

The Red Carpet Ministry Luncheon

23 2010 Census Town Hall Meeting at 7 p.m.

24 New Member Class at 6:30 p.m.

31 Seder Meal at 7 p.m.

Sunday Worship on March 14

9 & 11 a.m.

"Were You There When Peter Denied Him?"

Rev. Karen Thompson

Luke 22:31-34; 54-62

"Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." And he said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!" Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me."

Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house. But Peter was following at a distance. When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, "This man also was with him." But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him." A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, "You also are one of them." But Peter said, "No, I am not!" Then about an hour later still another kept insisting, "Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean." But Peter said, "No, I do not know what you are talking about!" At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.

H2O ~ Living Water
2 p.m. March 14

Receive, refresh, and renew as we explore together...if the dominion of God is within me, what's the next step? What can I do about it?

"Whoever is thirsty, let her come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" Rev 22:17

Daylight Savings Time 2010 begins this Sunday, March 14.

It's time again to spring ahead an hour for Daylight Savings Time, and as clocks spring ahead, it's a reminder to:

Saturday night March 13, before you go to bed, set your clocks ahead one hour. For example, if you go to bed at 9 p.m. then you should set your clocks ahead to 10 p.m.

As we spring forward let us not forget the blessings, trials, and the grace that has brought us this far.

Positive Perspectives
Meets March16 at 7 p.m.

Positive Perspectives is a monthly support group with an emphasis on the spiritual aspects of life with HIV/AIDS. Positive Perspectives meets on the third Tuesday in members' homes and occasionally at weekend activities. They focus on information sharing in a confidential setting for those affected by HIV & AIDS, while providing support for one another by letting each individual discuss what is on his/her mind. With members at various stages of the disease, this group offers a tremendous amount of first-hand knowledge, experience, and support of life for those infected & affected by HIV/AIDS. The next meeting is Tuesday, March16. Please call or email the church office for the confidential meeting location.

March 2010 New Member Class

If you are interested in becoming a member of MCC Austin please sign up for our next New Member class which will be held on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. If you have any questions or would like to register, please contact Courtney Webster.

National Black Church
Week of Prayer for HIV/AIDS
The Black Faith-based Health Initiative (BFHI) strives to increase awareness and build capacity within the African American community to address issues surrounding HIV/AIDS and other serious health disparities.

HIV/AIDS continues to spread out of control in the black community. African Americans are less than 8% of the Austin/Travis County population, but 50% of the all reported HIV/AIDS cases. African American women are becoming the new face of AIDS accounting for 54% of all females living with HIV infections and AIDS.

This year marks the 20th National Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS (Sunday, March 7, 2010 - Saturday, March 13, 2010). There is a Citywide Unity Service Wednesday, March 10, 2010, at 6:30 p.m. at Greater Mt. Zion Baptist Church located at 1801 Pennsylvania Avenue, Austin, Texas. You are invited to join One Love Ministries at the Citywide Unity Service Wednesday March 10th. The group will meet at Greater Mt. Zion Baptist Church at 6:15 p.m. After the service, we will gather at Hoover's Restaurant which is located at 2002 Manor Road, about five minutes from Greater Mt. Zion. Click here for map and information about the restaurant.

Rev. Karen Thompson and One Love Ministries strongly encourage you to attend the March 10 prayer service. Our common concern over the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in our communities creates a natural bridge for relationship building between the black and LGBTQ communities, two communities that have not bonded around common causes in the ways we might hope and expect. For more information, send an email to olm@mccaustin.com

Celebrate Passover at Traditional
Seder Meal 7 p.m. on March 31

We will celebrate the traditional Jewish Passover meal with ritual foods that serve to remind us of God's deliverance of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. Please RSVP to Courtney Webster, Director of Programs, in the church office (512-291-8601) or by email by Sunday, March 28 if you plan to attend. Children are welcome to come with their families.

Sunday School Children's Choir

The Sunday School Children's Choir will sing at the 11 a.m. service on Palm Sunday. Practice will be held every Sunday at 11 a.m. in Sunday School starting March 7. Come join us.

The Sunday School is accepting donations for the Easter Egg Hunt to be held on Easter Sunday. The following donations will be much appreciated:

large plastic Easter eggs,
Individually wrapped candies
Empty Easter baskets
Money to buy needed items.

The Gardening Angel's Brunch on March 13

The Gardening Angels & Kay Steadman would like to have a meeting with all of those who have adopted an island or garden. We would like to meet with you over brunch to discuss planting, safety, watering, and other assorted information before anyone really starts working on their adopted islands & gardens. Please join us Saturday, March 13th at 10:45 a.m. for brunch. We ask that at least one person from every team be there. Please contact Donna Scott to let her know if you'll be attending, and also to let her know the e-mail addresses of other people on your team.

Your participation in the 2010 Census is critically important!

Austin Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday, March 23

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

At MCC Austin

MCC Austin, Equality Texas, Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (AGLCC), Austin Gay and Lesbian Pride Foundation (AGLPF), and the U.S. Census are hosting an Austin LGBT Town Hall meeting.

Come learn about important changes made by the U.S. Census Bureau that will affect how lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are counted. This will be an opportunity for you to learn how you can help make this 2010 Census successful and beneficial to our community. The Census Bureau recently announced a policy change. When gay and lesbian couples indicate they are married or unmarried partners on the 2010 form, the Census will count them as married. This makes the Census Bureau the first Federal agency to recognize marriage of gay and lesbian couples.

While the Census does not ask anyone for sexual orientation, it is important to note that knowing which "boxes" to check on the Census form will directly affect the counting of LGBT households. It is also important that you have your questions about privacy and safety answered. Come learn all about the new changes and ask your questions at the Town Hall meeting.

This will be an opportunity for you to learn how you can help make this 2010 Census successful and beneficial to our community.

March is Women's History Month:
Honoring Women's Achievements and Place in History
Some Things You Might Not Know about Women's History:
You probably would guess that a woman invented the Barbie Doll, but did you know that a woman invented Actar 911, the CPR mannequin? Sure, you might think that the vacuum cleaner, dishwasher and washing machine were invented by women. But did you know women invented the street cleaning machine, the circular saw and Kevlar, a steel-like fiber used in radial tires, crash helmets, and bulletproof vests. Of course, you know that women are intelligent. Are you aware that in 1903, only two years after the Nobel Foundation was established, the first Nobel Prize was awarded to a woman? And women have been receiving Nobel Prizes since then.

Read more about women's achievements at these websites:
Ingenious Inventions by Women, Women Who Left Their "Stamps" on History, Famous Lesbians and Bisexual Women, Frequently Asked Questions about the Equal Rights Amendment and The Fight for Women's Suffrage - History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts.

Red Carpet Ministry Lunch

Everyone is invited to attend the Red Carpet Ministry Lunch. This month's Red Carpet Luncheon will be the third Sunday of the month, March 21st, rather than the 2nd Sunday as normally scheduled. The March 21st luncheon will be at the Tres Amigos at Slaughter and Manchaca and will be hosted by Rosalind (Roz) Diggs. Please make plans to join Roz for this luncheon. We especially welcome visitors and others who are new to the church to come join us so you can get to know more people in our church family. For more information, email Red Carpet Ministry.

See Susie Brenner & Linda Beckstead in concert at MCC Austin, April 17

"Our mission in our ministry is to share our stories with others so that they may experience the love that God has for everyone. Our ministry was formed in January 2005 when we decided to answer a call that had been tugging at our hearts for several years. We share our personal journeys with Christ through our music and stories!"

Susie is a singer-songwriter and released her newest CD in 2009. She is a recovering alcoholic celebrating ten years of sobriety and some of her music reflects her journey in recovery and her relationship with God. Linda retired from teaching in May 2009 after twenty-two years at a public high school. She is a storyteller and uses the journeys she's experienced to bring humor and thoughtful moments to the words she shares. To learn more about Brenner-Beckstead Ministries, check out their website.

BEYOND OUR WALLS: MCC News & Updates

MCC General Conference 2010 News Update

Following the theme of this year's General Conference - IMAGINE, we will be offering four plenary sessions that build on this idea of "Imagine." Also, be sure to register before 30 April 2010! Registrants can receive a discount on their registration fees when they book early. Read Our Full Newsletter to find out more about these and other MCC General Conference News.

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MCC Headline News E-Newsletter:
$10,000 Gift from Metropolitan Community Churches To Housing Works Builds Up Hope for People LivingWith HIV/AIDS in Haiti

New York, NY - Following the devastating January 12th earthquake in Haiti, Metropolitan Community Churches around the globe mobilized to offer not only prayerful but financial support. Read Full Newsletter...

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Moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches
Hails Historic Step by Senate Leader
To Repeal "Don't Ask Don't Tell"

On Wednesday, March 3rd, as the nation celebrated the institution of marriage equality in its capital, one more historic step toward full equality for LGBT Americans was taken with Senator Joseph Lieberman's introduction of the "Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010." Read full article...

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BEYOND OUR WALLS: News & Community Events

Be Part of PRIDE and History
The Austin Gay and Lesbian Pride Foundation (AGLPF) invites you to be part of its exciting future and forever a part of its history by adding your name to the Proud 100,the one hundred founding supporters of AGLPF.

The AGLPF formed in 2009 for the purpose of educating, resourcing, and connecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in Austin, Texas. The AGLPF strives to do these things in ways which strengthen the LGBT community, serve to lessen discrimination against the LGBT community, and provide opportunities for the LGBT community to participate in and contribute to the greater Austin community.

In addition to educational outreach and community strengthening events, the AGLPF will conduct fund raising events throughout the year to support its largest single event, Austin Pride. Austin Pride has historically attracted more than 5,000 attendees to the annual festival, and more than 40,000 spectators at the annual parade in downtown Austin. In addition to the festival and parade, AGLPF is sponsoring a 5K race as part of Pride weekend begi and will showcase local musicians, local businesses, and local theatrical performance groups.

For a minimum donation of $1,000, Austin's GLBT people and their straight allies can add their names to the Proud 100 list and make a lasting contribution to Austin's LGBT community. Contributions to the Proud 100 will give the organization the financial stability it needs to be successful. For your contribution, members of the Proud 100 will receive a plaque, will be recognized in the printed Official Pride Guide every year from now on, listed on the Pride website, and will receive two VIP passes to Austin Pride 2010.

If you would like to be part of Austin's GLBT Proud history or would like more information about being listed in the Proud 100, please contact Chad Peevy, President of AGLPF.

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CROP Hunger Walk

CROP Hunger Walk is an annual nationwide event sponsored locally by AAIM. Twenty-five percent of the funds raised stay in Austin to support food needs in local agencies. The rest go to more than 80 countries to alleviate hunger worldwide. Austin has consistently ranked among the top 6 cities across the U.S. in CROP Walk fundraising! Visit www.cropwalk.org or click here to sign up and begin raising dollars to help end hunger.

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Our Prayers...

For all the people in Haiti as they continue the process of recovery from the recent earthquake.
For our GLBT brothers and sisters around the world.
For the people of Chile who are struggling to recover from the recent earthquake and tsunami and all those coming to their aid.
For MCC Churches as we study and respond to a proposed change in our organizational/leadership structure.
For all those who will help lead our Capital Stewardship Campaign.