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 Sunday Morning Worship on December 12
9 & 11 a.m.
Christmas Can Still Change the World:
Give More
Rev. Karen Thompson
Matthew 1:18-24
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife.
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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, December 12 at 2 p.m.
We invite you to join us as we complete our study of Romans and our series of H2O gatherings. Look for new offerings in the New Year!
"God's Longings"
Rev. Alycia Erickson
Romans 14:1-8
Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it's all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don't. And those who don't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn someone else's servants? They are responsible to God, so let God judge whether they are right or wrong. And with God's help, they will do what is right and receive God's approval.
In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. Those who worship God on a special day do it to honor God. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor God, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please and give thanks to God. For we don't live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it's to honor God. And it we die, it's to honor God. So whether we live or we die, we belong to God.
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For more information please contact Courtney Webster.
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 Annual MCCA Christmas Concert and
First Christmas Open House
Sunday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m.
MCC Austin's Music Ministry ensembles are hard at work in preparation for the annual Christmas Concert on Sunday, December 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. The program will feature special readings and musical numbers presented by the Sanctuary Choir, Chime Choir, and various soloists.
Please stay afterwards for refreshments and fellowship at our first MCC Austin Christmas open house, hosted by our MCC Austin Deacons.
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 Christmas Cookie CollectionWe are in need of cookies for the Blue Christmas Service and the Christmas Eve Services. If you are able to donate cookies please label them "Christmas Cookie Collection" and drop them off in the kitchen at the Sunday services or any time during the normal office hours. For more information contact Courtney Webster at the church office or by email. Thank You and Merry Christmas!
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 Deacon's Christmas Tree
Each year the deacons help make Christmas brighter for low-income people in our community. This year the Deacon's Tree will assist residents of Maggie Johnson's Nursing Home in East Austin, the Austin Children's Shelter, and families and individuals known to our congregation.
This is the last Sunday you may take an ornament that has a name on it from the tree. It will have a Christmas wish or needs list on it. Purchase all or some of the items, wrap the gift, attach the ornament to the gift, and place it back under the tree by December 19. Thank you for your generosity, MCC Austin!
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Order a Poinsettia
You can purchase your a in honor or in memory of someone special in your life and help us complete our holiday decorating of the sanctuary at the same time. If you would like further information, please call the church office at 291-8601.
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"Imagine Inclusion" Bible Study
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 began 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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God in My Life
Thursday, December 9 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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PRIDE BUILD 4 (PB4)
Join MCC Austin's PB4 Team
Saturday, December 18 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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 our denomination.
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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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 Volunteer Healthcare Clinic
In continuous operation since 1966, and operated by over 400 volunteers, the Volunteer Healthcare Clinic (VHC) was founded for the purpose of providing healthcare services to people in Austin who have nowhere else to turn for this care. Over the years the Clinic has grown and evolved to meet community needs but our steadfast goal has remained the same, to effectively provide healthcare services to those individuals who would otherwise have to go without. With continued volunteer and community support, we look forward to many more years of service to the Austin community. To find out more click here.
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Capitol City Men's Chorus Holiday Concert
Saturday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m.
University United Methodist Church
To purchase tickets online for $20, please click here.
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Our Prayers...
- For MCC Churches around the world.
- For our Building Team and Board of Directors as they work with our 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 who struggle with the blues during the holiday season.
- For all who have a chronic illness, that they may find healing, peace and courage.
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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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Quick Links
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Pastor's Message
When I first started teaching about Christian stewardship and tithing, I went searching the web to see what people think about giving financially to churches. I want to share two perceptions with you that represent a great majority of peoples' thoughts. 1. "I don't give more to my church because I don't trust that the money will be spent wisely." a. Part of our obligation is to be "wise stewards," and to that end we should educate ourselves about and involve ourselves in the financial stewardship of our local church. We should find out about how our budget is created, what our priorities are, and what processes ensure that the budget and spending are managed properly. We can discuss areas of concern with leaders and gain confidence in how the church is "stewarding" our individual giving. b. Remember the bottom line: Our giving is to God, not to less-than-perfect institutions. Part of our stewardship is to trust that God works in and through and with us. If we stay alert and informed as mentioned above, then we can let go and trust that God will fulfill God's promises through us and the church. We can trust that "all things work together for good for those who love God" and that "God, at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine." c. Take this statement to heart: "Giving is what we do after we say 'I believe.'" For many of us, what we do after we say we believe is to expect our pastors and our churches and the Holy Spirit to nurture and sustain our belief-to "feed" us. Instead, we need to "jump into" our faith the way we jump into our other important relationships and passions. We should worship, pray, serve, witness, and give of our time, talents, and treasure. Teaching Sunday School, serving as a Deacon, sharing our musical talents, and volunteering our time to maintain the church property is all wonderful. Still, those things offer evidence that we acknowledge God as God of our church. When we prioritize and estimate our monetary giving, we acknowledge God as God of our lives. 2. "When the Church starts offering food to the hungry and shelter to the homeless, then I'll give more money to the church. I won't give more money for a building or higher salaries or 'overhead.'" I'm going to let these comments from members and recent visitors help you decide if God is providing hope, healing, and "home" through MCC Austin. --"Thanks for all MCC does and the people that keep it going from the inside. It feels like home and I am so blessed to have found such a warm & welcoming place." JC --"I have been for the life me trying to decide why I missed Texas so much. I found this out when I walked into the doors of MCCA for the first time in 4 years. MCCA is why I miss living in Texas! Even though MCCA is not exactly the same as I left it 4 years ago it has not lost the feeling of being home! I have never been to a church like that and it is what I miss the most. It is a place to be loved, welcomed and wanted....I will always be forever indebted to MCCA for helping learn what I call G squared (God and Gay) can indeed exist and that the gay community is not always hateful and mean. May God bless you and MCCA as you move forward in the love and peace of Christ." BC --"I just wanted to e-mail you and let you know that I was SO pleased with my visit to MCC this morning. Even though it was not the typical Sunday service my life was truly changed....I am so excited to come back this next Sunday and worship the Lord with you and the church. I felt so much love and compassion for God and others while worshipping with you this morning." JB --"God only knows where me and my family would be without the church. I just know for certain that the guidance and teachings and leadership have made us better people." JH "We at ________ are so grateful to MCC Austin for your generous MCC Cares grant. The last few years have been a time of fear and "scarcity" for many who won't consider giving to a charity organization like ours. God bless you as you continue to be leaders in generosity." --"Sunday after Sunday we come ...knowing we will sing songs we've both loved growing up in the church, knowing that there will be a message that at times feels written for one or both of us and always knowing that we've found a home. A home...we looked for such a long time to find just the right place for us!" KL Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, we live in a world economy. Our faith and passion and God's providence help us to imagine ministry opportunities, but money allows us to create and sustain those ministries with human and material resources. One question: What is my faithful response to God's faithfulness in my life? I can't wait to worship with you Sunday! Love, Blessings, & Possibilities,
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