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 Sunday Morning Worship on November 14
9 & 11 a.m.
"Promises, Promises, Promises" Rev. Bill Young
For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth, and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord- and their descendants as well. Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent-its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord. Back to Top |
ASL interpretation for the 11 a.m. worship service is available upon request. For more information, please email Courtney Webster.
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 H2O ~ Living Water Worship
Sunday, November 14 at 2 p.m.
"Self Evaluation"
Rev. Karen Thompson
Romans 12:1-8
As so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all God has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind God would find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship God. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good an pleasing and perfect. Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
In grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Emily Parks and Bradley Smith will be leading our music this week. You'll get to sing many of your favorite worship songs like "I Surrender All," "Blessed Be Your Name," and "Change My Heart, O God."
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 MCC Austin Church Size SummitLed by Rev. Elder Ken Martin
Saturday, November 20
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - FREE!
Open to all members and friends of MCC Austin
Please email Courtney Webster or call her in the church office (291-8601) to register.
"What's Size Got to Do With It?"
That's a question the Elders have been asking all year! And without a doubt, we have discovered that, SIZE has everything to do with how a church behaves, structures itself and commits itself to ongoing transformation.
Most of you know that since December of 2009, the Elders have been facilitating a 2 day experience for churches that we call The Church Size Summits. These summits have a two-fold purpose:
- To offer thorough education to churches about Church Size Theory
- To do a thorough assessment of every church and offer one-on-one feedback and recommendations at the summit
We are VERY pleased with the level of participation on the part of our churches and based on the feedback we have received, believe this is one of the best things that has ever been offered to our churches by the denomination.
Key Things We have Learned:
- The dynamics of Church Size DEFINITELY explain why our churches are, by in large, stuck and gives concrete strategies for changing our trajectory from flat to growing!
- Of the churches we have assessed, when churches have a Stewardship Program with 3 key elements present, their per capita giving (per person per week) is $38.11 and when those key elements are not present, the per capita giving is $18.68. Do the math!
- Of the six key functions of the church, the amount and quality of programming and required staffing are the two areas where our churches have the greatest challenges.
- The collective Congregational Surveys that are part of the assessment process show clearly that our congregants are hungry for spiritual growth but perceive that our churches do not make it a priority.
- The role of the pastor, depending on size, changes so we must do a better job of matching the gifts and skill of the pastor with the appropriate size church.
According to Arlin Routhage, "Size is the most obvious factor affecting congregational life!" Please consider attending this summit at MCC Austin as we plan for our for our congregation's future. ~ Rev. Elder Lillie Brock
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 God in My Life Thursday, November 11 & 25 at 7 p.m.
This faith sharing support group is open to everyone, and meets every other Thursday evening in the Wray Education Building. If you have any questions, please email Carol Wagner.
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Vicki Genfan Concert
Friday, November 12 at 8 p.m.
FREE admission
Come see acoustic guitarist, VICKI GENFAN in concert! Amidst a sea of male, electric guitar competitors, Vicki and her incredible acoustic playing style WON the 2008 Guitar Player of the Year Award! Check out more information about her here and get ready to be blown away! Just when you start to wrap your head around her playing, she begins to sing...and then you totally give up trying to understand HOW she does it and just let yourself be carried away by WHAT she is doing. Amazing!!! A love offering will be collected during the concert. For more information, please email Emily Parks.
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Positive Perspectives
HIV/AIDS Support Group
November 16 at 7 p.m.
Held at a confidential location
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 usually in members' homes and sometimes at MCC Austin. 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. Please call the church office at (512) 291-8601 for directions and information about the meeting location.
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 TRANSGENDER Day of Remembrance
November 20, 2010 at 6:30 p.m.
Austin City Hall Plaza
Because One is too many...
Join with us to stop the hate, to end the violence, and to light up the night.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 kicked off the "Remembering Our Dead" web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester's murder - like most anti-transgender murder cases - has yet to be solved.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance serves several purposes. It raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgendered people, an action that current media doesn't perform. Day of Remembrance publicly mourns and honors the lives of those who might otherwise be forgotten. Through the vigil, we express love and respect for Transgender members of our community in the face of national indifference and hatred. Day of Remembrance reminds us that Transgender Americans are sons, daughters, parents, friends and lovers. Day of Remembrance gives allies a chance to step forward with the Transgender community and stand in vigil, memorializing those who have died by anti-transgender violence.
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"Imagine Inclusion" Bible Study
Starts November 21
Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
MCC Austin Wray Education Building
The "No Experience Necessary" group meets in the Wray Education Building from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. every Sunday morning. It's a diverse group of men, women, singles, and couples from ages 20 to 70. On November 21 we will begin a study entitled, "Imagine Inclusion." This study was used in conjunction with MCC General Conference 2010. No previous knowledge or study is necessary. We welcome you to join the conversation. For more information, please contact Jan Manning by email here.
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 JOURNEYSaturday, December 4
MCC Austin from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Registration required, only 25 available spots!
JOURNEY is an 8-hour experience to better understand and appreciate self, others and God. It is a retreat-like experience which deals with such topics as: Do I wear masks? Why? How can I better learn to communicate who I am and not just what I think? How can I grow in trust? Who is Christ? What does Church mean to me? Do I pray? Why? It is a non-threatening opportunity to really get to know yourself, others and God. To register contact Courtney Webster at the church office or by email . It will be facilitated by Carol Wagner and presented by a team from MCC Austin. It will be awesome! Lunch will be served - love offering only. Please be prompt and plan to spend the entire day. It will definitely be worth your time. Open to 21 years and older.
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 New Member Class
Sunday December 5
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Come learn about the history of MCC Austin, what our current ministries are, and where God is calling us as a church for our future. You will also find out how to get involved in ways that are meaningful to you. If you're interested in attending the class, please RSVP to Courtney Webster, by email or by calling the church [291-8601]. Please include your first and last name, email, and the best contact number for you. Back to Top |
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PRIDE BUILD 4 (PB4)
Join MCC Austin's PB4 Team
December 18
For the fourth year in a row, the Austin Pride Build is partnering with Austin Habitat for Humanity to embrace Austin's diversity by bringing together the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender community and our friends to build a healthy and affordable home for an Austin family in need. The 2010 build begins in October and once again the hard work and big hearts of Austin's LGBT community will come together to pull off another amazing Habitat for Humanity project. For more information on Pride Build 4 please click here.
MCC Austin is providing a team to go out on December 18 to dig in, help out, and show our pride for the community. So climb on board! No experience necessary, just the willingness to swing a hammer, slap some paint, spread some caulk and a variety of other tasks. If you would like to be on this AMAZING team and help MCC Austin represent, please contact Courtney Webster at church office or by email.
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BEYOND OUR WALLS: MCC News From Around the World
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News from MCC churches around the world.
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BEYOND OUR WALLS: News & Community Events
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Why We Need Progressive Christianity
The Center for Progressive Christianity eBulletin
We hope you are enjoying this Autumn season, when Nature begins her transformation. As we participate and celebrate this journey-the first signs of the transition toward death and new life-may we be open to all the wisdom that our teachers, our guides, and the universe presents....To read more click here.
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Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT)
Click here for our November Newsletter
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Capitol City Men's Chorus Holiday Concert
Saturday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m.
University United Methodist Church
More information here
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Austin Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) and the Basic Needs Coalition of Central Texas (BNC) are co-hosting Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week: Listen. Learn. Lend a Hand, a week of events designed to educate the Austin community on the root causes of hunger and homelessness in Central Texas. This week of events will be held Saturday, November 13 through Friday, November 19, 2010.
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Our Prayers...
- For MCC Churches around the world, and especially all who are currently clergy in care, preparing to become MCC pastors.
- For our Building Team and Board of Directors as they work with our new General Contractor in the next steps of the building process.
- For our GLBT brothers and sisters around the world who live in fear of violence and discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
- For all GLBTQ youth who face bullying and discrimination as they live out who they are, and for all families who support these youth.
- For all who are homeless and the many challenges they face.
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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
*We currently have 11 people in ministry or board leadership positions who have been with us for 3 years or less.
*For the past 3 years, our membership has increased by 11% each year to our current 431. That number includes a membership audit every October in which we move inactive members to the inactive roles.
*A full half of our Capital Campaign team consisted of members who had not previously served in any type of leadership position here at MCC Austin.
*Based on our goal amount and total pledges received, MCC Austin ended up in the most successful 6% of all churches in N. America who began capital campaigns in 2010.
*The leader of our (Re)Finance Team met this week with both lenders we have been working with regarding our refinancing and new building loan. Other than some information we are still collecting from our general contractors, both banks have now received all information they need for preparing a loan for us. Both have pronounced our loan applications (including capital campaign numbers) excellent. Both banks remarked on the large number of people who have pledged and the strong congregational support that demonstrates for our plans.
*This year we have introduced four brand new spiritual growth opportunities: Reflecting on My Journey, God in My Life, Holy Conversations, and a series of one-day retreats with Rev. Mona West. We also offered Creating a Life That Matters (CLM) for the first time in three years.
*We've added a third Sunday School class to our children's ministry, hosted paint ball and pizza gatherings for our middle school youth, and held exploratory meetings with college age adults.
*We've added six new people to our worship leadership as either Intercessors, Presiders, or both.
*We've continued to tithe to our denomination at 15%, and in that way we have contributed to church building, social justice, and acts of compassion literally throughout the world.
*We've given out over $6,000 in MCC Cares grants to both LGBT and non-LGBT organizations that share MCC Austin's core values.
*We have several new opportunities on the near horizon: Journey, a full-day spiritual growth retreat; an MCC Size Summit; and a new ministry for those >60 (and < too!).
After you've read through the list, I want you to do two things for me:
First, put a check beside all these items that you already knew about. Chances are high that you knew about the ones that you were a part of. That's great. But if you knew about them some other way, will you drop me a note and let me know how you knew? Was it because of an announcement made in church? Written in the bulletin? On E-Link? Word of mouth or casual conversation? Really, let me know because we want to offer you information in the way you would most like to receive it.
Second, pick one of the four Gospels, any one, and read it through before November 28, the First Sunday in Advent. I invite you to do that because it will help you prepare for our journey into Advent and our celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. And I also invite you to do that because it will put all those things I listed above in perspective. By themselves, they are good deeds, virtuous deeds. But when they are enacted by the people of God through the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, I'm pretty certain they're enough to make the herald angels sing!
Love and Peace, 
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