 Celebration Sunday Worship 
June 13 at 11 a.m.
Please note: There will be only ONE service at 11 a.m. this Sunday.
"Bring It On!"
Rev. Karen Thompson
Malachi 3:10-12
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. I will rebuke the locust for you, so that it will not destroy the produce of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not be barren, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will count you happy, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.
Directions to Akins High School from MCC Austin:
Exit left out of Church parking lot going south on first street. Go 2.62 miles, Akins High School will be on the left. Enter the parking lot and the parking attendants will direct from there.
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 New Faith Sharing Group:"Guiding My Life"
This new faith sharing support group is open to everyone. We will meet every other Monday from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Social Hall beginning June 7th. If you have any questions, please email Carol Wagner. |
 INCREASING ACCESS TO JUSTICE: Advocating for LGBT Victims of Crime Workshop Saturday, June 12, 2010
8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. at MCC AustinJoin One Love Ministries (OLM) and the Texas Advocacy Project as we host the workshop "Increasing Access to Justice: Advocating for LGBT Victims of Crime." The workshop will explore issues seldom discussed in the LGBT community: domestic violence and interpersonal violence. Other topics include building allies, public policy and its impact on the LGBT community, and ways to advocate for LGBT victims of interpersonal violence. This event is free and our community partners from allgo, Equality Texas and Texas Legal Aid will lead us through an awareness-building workshop. If you are interested in attending the workshop, please sign up by sending an e-mail by June 9, 2010. For more information, please contact Adama Brown, OLM Representative.
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 New Member Class on June 19If you are interested in becoming a member of MCC Austin please sign up for our next New Member class which will be held on Saturday, June 19, 2010 from 9 - 11:30 a.m. We will offer a light breakfast. If you have any questions or would like to register, please email Courtney Webster or by calling the church office (291-8601). |
 "Singing About Freedom"
Juneteenth Celebration
Sunday June 20, 2010 12:30 p.m. (between the 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. services)
One Love Ministries invites you to attend a celebration of Juneteenth, a holiday observed annually on June 19 that marks the end of slavery in the United States.
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in designated Confederate states that had not returned to the Union, effective January 1, 1863. However, slaves in Texas were not told about their freedom until June 19, 1865. Juneteenth originated in Texas and became a state holiday in 1980.
The theme of the OLM celebration is "Singing About Freedom." The commemoration includes a multimedia presentation, special music by an ensemble of OLM members, refreshments and informal group discussion. The presentation tells a story of the journey from slavery to emancipation through Negro Spirituals and images created by artists and publications during the slavery and Civil War era.
The Juneteenth celebration will be held on Sunday June 20, 2010 at 12:30 p.m. (between the 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. services). "Singing About Freedom" will leave you feeling humbled, yet excited and perhaps a little bit changed. Everyone is invited and welcome to participate. Please contact OLM if you would like additional information. |
 Blues On The Green:
Carolyn Wonderland
Wednesday June 23, 2010 7:30 p.m.
Zilker Park
A few days ahead of the official kick-off of Antone's annual anniversary festivities, KGSR and Antone's will celebrate the 35th Anniversary of Austin's Home Of The Blues. Carolyn Wonderland was one of Clifford Antone's favorite performers and she'll headline an evening of blues and traditional rock 'n' roll that will also feature special appearances from a pair of Antone's mainstays- Derek O'Brien and Malford Milligan.
Wonderland is a triple threat- a distinctive songwriter a soulful singer, and a serious guitar goddess. Her last record- Miss Understood- was produced by 9-time Grammy-winner, Ray Benson, and recorded in Austin. It featured 6 new songs from Wonderland, as well as choice selections from Bruce Robison, JJ Cale, Terri Hendrix and Rick Derringer. For more information or directions click .
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BEYOND OUR WALLS: MCC News & Updates
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| Moderator's Report to General Conference 2010
We are almost there, to Acapulco, to our General Conference, and our global MCC family reunion! I pray that our passion for the radically inclusive gospel of Jesus Christ will be evident and will guide our experience together.
The years since we last met for a General Conference have been filled with many joys and challenges. Together we have faced an unprecedented global economic crisis, organizational change, and increasing demand for our ministry in communities where MCC has been established for a long time as well as in many parts of the world where MCC is just beginning to make an impact. My report of the changes, advancements, and challenges MCC has undergone over the last three years is now available. Clergy and Lay Delegates, please pay special attention to this report, as you will need it for our business meeting in Acapulco! The report is available in three parts:...to continue click here.
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Moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches
Calls All U.S. Congregations to Immediate Action:
Mobilization to End DADT Now!
To All U.S.-based congregations --- Today, I learned that the week ahead will be critical in ending the antiquated and discriminatory policy known as "Don't Ask Don't Tell" {DADT}.
We expect that the Senate Armed Services Committee will act on a mark up of the Defense Authorization Bill and that in the House of Representatives; the Bill will actually be moved to a floor vote. We also believe that an amendment to repeal DADT will be introduced on the House floor at that time. Read the complete article here.
Secure the Passage of ENDA
Today, as we mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia {IDAHO} and MCCers around the globe join in demonstrations, dialogues and prayer vigils seeking a world where discrimination and violence against LGBT people is a thing of the past, I call on our Churches and Congregants in the United States to join me in taking action to ensure the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act {ENDA}. Read the complete article here. Back to Top______________________________________________________________ |
BEYOND OUR WALLS: News & Community Events
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Free College Planning Workshops:
Free College Planning Workshops will be held at Akins High School and Murchison Middle School this June. The workshops focus on how to develop a plan today to cover all college expenses for your family. They are intended for the parents of high school juniors and sophomores, but all grade levels are welcome and students are also welcome. The Akins High School workshop will be held Tuesday, June 15 at 7 p.m. in the Library. The workshop at Murchison Middle School will be held Thursday, June 17 at 7 p.m. in the Theater Arts Room/Room 121. Reservations are necessary due to limited space. To reserve your seat to these free workshops please call (512) 250-8682.
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Our Prayers...
- For our GLBT brothers and sisters around the world who live in fear of violence and discrimination for the sexual orientation or gender identity.
- For everyone involved in helping clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and for all the communities along the coast who are affected by it.
- For all MCC Churches as we prepare for our General Conference at the end of June.
- For MCC Austin as we bring our pledges for our "Being Church ~ Building Community" Capital Campaign this weekend and celebrate the next step of our Building Campaign.
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 E-Link Submissions
If you have information to share through our E-Link, please email it to the editor no later than Monday evening of the week you would like it published.
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Pastor's Message
For the last six weeks the capital campaign executive team, steering committee, and dozens of other volunteers have been heeding the teaching of St. Ignatius by "Acting as if everything depended on [us]." But now it's time to focus on the second part of Ignatius' teaching and "Trust as if everything depended on God."
As you prepare to make your individual commitments to the Being Church~Building Community campaign, I encourage you also to focus solely on the "Trust as if everything depended on God" words of St. Ignatius. Be bold and be brave as you get nearer the time of actually writing a number on that pledge card.
I know that's easier said than done...boy, do I know it. This capital campaign has pushed and pulled and stretched me in ways I didn't know I still needed to grow. I've been anxious about giving significantly to the campaign with two daughters in college. I've wondered how our family can contribute faithfully to the campaign while honoring the pledge we made along with many of you last fall to move toward a full tithe. I wonder if our church will be able to pay all our bills during this time of upfront costs, of growing financial commitments to programs and staffing, and of ever increasing enthusiasm for directing gifts towards our new building.
You know what? It's enough to make me tremble, tremble, tremble.
But in times like these, I've learned to turn to my spiritual teachers. One of those, and the one whose words have been speaking most directly to my heart lately, is Henri Nouwen. One of his entries in The Inner Voice of Love is called "Keep Choosing God." Here's what he says:
"You are constantly facing choices. The question is whether you choose for God or for your own doubting self....The root choice is to trust at all times that God is with you and will give you what you most need. Your self-rejecting emotions might say, 'It isn't going to work....' And on and on. It is hard not to listen to these voices. Still, you know that these are not God's voice. God says to you, 'I love you, I am with you, I want to see you come closer to me and experience the joy and peace of my presence. I want to give you a new heart and a new spirit....All that is mine is yours. Just trust me and let me be your God.'"
I just keep reminding myself that that's the way to get through these next four days. In fact, that's the way to get through all my days. The only way...
Love and Blessings,
Rev. Karen Thompson
Sr. Pastor
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