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E-Link Newsletter
News from Metropolitan Community Church of Austin
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 June 1, 2011
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From Your Pastor
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Reprise '09
It feels like I've been working harder than usual this week. I've been poring over lyrics, listening to choruses, and watching film adaptations of musicals. Now, for those of you who are wondering if I've picked up a second job, the answer is "No." I've been right here, in my office, preparing for our upcoming sermon series, The Bible on Broadway.
Some of you might be thinking that it sounds like I haven't been working at all! You're wondering how you can find a gig that'll pay you for immersing yourself in the best that Broadway has to offer. Others of you (and I do know who you are) are thinking there's not enough money in the world to make Broadway appealing to you.
People from each extreme and every point in between will come to MCC Austin this month expecting to worship God in a way that offers renewal, rest, joy, forgiveness, and meaning to your life. Whether you can sing every word of Beauty and the Beast's ballad "Home," or you think Hairspray only comes in aerosol cans or spray pump bottles, you will come expecting that God will meet you here.
Take me at my word: God will.
And even though most of us would say that that's enough, the truth is, most of us want more....
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What's Happening at MCC Austin | | |
June
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Sunday Morning Worship
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June 5 at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.
"Life Journeys: The Wiz"
Rev. Karen Thompson
I Chronicles 28:2-10
Then King David rose to his feet and said: 'Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had planned to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool of our God; and I made preparations for building. But God said to me, "You shall not build a house for my name, for you are a warrior and have shed blood." Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my ancestral house to be king over Israel for ever; for he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father's house, and among my father's sons he took delight in making me king over all Israel. And of all my sons, for the Lord has given me many, he has chosen my son Solomon to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
He said to me, "It is your son Solomon who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be a son to me, and I will be a father to him. I will establish his kingdom for ever if he continues resolute in keeping my commandments and my ordinances, as he is today." Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and search out all the commandments of the Lord your God; that you may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you for ever.
'And you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve him with single mind and willing heart; for the Lord searches every mind, and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will abandon you for ever. Take heed now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary; be strong, and act.'
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| MCC Austin's 4th Annual Broadway Series | | |
 June 2011: Life Journeys
Join us beginning June 5 as we bring you our 4th annual Broadway series, a careful and reverent exploration of themes and music from Broadway woven into our Sunday morning worship services. This June we will share "Life Journeys" from four of our favorite musicals:
- June 5 - The Wiz
- June 12 - Pippin
- June 19 - My Fair Lady
- June 26 - The Fantastiks
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| SOUL Connection Luncheon | | Sunday June 5 after 11 a.m. service
 Join us for lunch at China Harbor Buffet, located in the strip mall at the southwest corner of the intersection of William Cannon and I-35. Yolanda Buchman from Austin Police Department will speak about volunteer opportunities with APD. All SOULs are welcome! |
| Operation Bingo | | 
Did you know that MCC Austin is the sponsor of Bingo three nights a week? We are, and this provides us with a significant source of revenue each quarter to support our mission. Our bingo games are held on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings. The games are played at Lucky Lady Bingo, 1107 North I-35, Austin, Texas 78702 (going north it's on the right hand side of I-35 at 11th Street). If you have the opportunity to take in an evening of bingo during one of our games you will not only be having fun, and (hopefully) winning prizes, but also helping MCC Austin finance its operations and outreach.
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| Sunday Morning Study Group | |  Sundays from 9:30 - 10:30 in the Education Building
This Sunday, June 5: Church Size Summit
Debra Hallum will be offering the "Church Size Summit" material this Sunday, June 5th during the regular Sunday Morning study group @ 9:30 in the Wray Education Building.
New Study for the Sunday Morning Study Group beginning on June 12.
JT Hicks will be leading a study on the 12 Steps of AA through the lens of scripture.
The group meets from 9:30 to 10:30 in the Wray Education building. The class is a diverse group of singles & couples, aged 30s-70s. The class is discussion based & informal. Come join us...there's room for you!
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| Twelve Step Study - Part 2 | |  This Saturday, June 4 from 1 - 4 p.m. at MCC Austin
This Workshop is an overview study of the Twelve Steps. Its focus is not on the drug of choice, but rather the disease of addiction. It is an open meeting, so whether you're an addict, have experience with Al-Anon, or would simply like a better idea of how the Twelve Steps work, all are welcome.
This Step Study is divided into four parts over the course of a year. Part II examines Step 4, 5 and 6. Each session begins with focused meditations, prayers and introduction of the speakers. Next are the specific sessions on each Step with insightful readings on the Step. A guest speaker will share personal experience on the Step followed by an open Q & A and sharing time. Finally, each attendant will receive a handout that follows this entire series and includes questions that are intended to help focus personal reflective writing.
To register, please email Courtney Webster in the church office. Back to Top |
| MCC Austin Church Size Summit | |  Sundays June 5 & 12 at 1 p.m. Free!
"What's Size Got to Do With It?"
The dynamics of Church Size explain what happens as a church grows in worship attendance and membership. MCC Austin has received an assessment in 6 key areas of church function and has learned that inadequate facilities, too few programs, and too few staff to increase our program offerings significantly are the three areas in which MCC Austin faces the greatest challenges. According to Arlin Routhage, "Size is the most obvious factor affecting congregational life!" Come see what size theory says about MCC Austin and our strategies for the future.
Open to all members and friends of MCC Austin.
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| Vacation Bible School Invitation | | |
 Hosted by Central Presbyterian Church
Central Presbyterian Church invites our children to Vacation Bible School again this summer. Some of our children have attended for several years and a good time has been had by all. So SAVE THE DATE of July 25 - July 29 for Vacation Bible School at Central Presbyterian Church located downtown. To register, please click here.
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| New Member Class | |  Saturday, June 18 from 9 - 11:30 a.m. at MCC Austin Come learn about the history of MCC Austin, what our current ministries and spiritual growth opportunities 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 register with 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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Fundraising Planning Session
| |  Sunday, July 17 at 1:30 p.m. at MCC Austin New Year's Eve Party Fundraising Planning Session David Ferguson is searching for individuals who would like to plan and organize MCC Austin's next fundraising event. The Board of Directors have approved a New Year's Eve Party and we will be inviting everyone in Austin and surrounding communities to attend this fun and exciting party. Please be aware that the planning and organizing of this fundraising event may require a moderate amount of your time and energy, so if you are interested in being a part of this team, please plan on attending a meeting at the church on Sunday, July 17, at 1:30 p.m. Back to Top |
Help Feed Hungry Central Texans
| |  We receive donations to support the Manor Food Bank. The donation box is by the rear door. Please bring healthy, non-perishable items with intact, unopened and non-breakable packaging. Items must also be within the expiration date on the package. The best items to bring are canned meats, tuna, stews and chili (pop-tops preferred), beans, canned vegetable, healthy cereals, pasta and pasta sauce.
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| Randalls Good Neighbor Program | |
 Randalls believes in working together with customers to support programs that improve the quality of life in communities. They are committed to assisting non-profit organizations that are important to customers and their families.
Randalls offers customers a way to direct its donation dollars to customers favorite churches, schools or other non-profit organizations. Since the program began in the fall of 1996, Randalls/Tom Thumb has donated nearly $35 million to over 8000 participating organizations. Through the Good Neighbor Program, organizations sign up to have an exclusive account number. Members of an organization can then link the account number to their Remarkable card. The more people who link their card to the organization's account number, the more money the organization will raise.
The next time you're at Randalls, pick up a Remarkable Card application at the courtesy booth to fill out and link your card to our account # 391. Randalls will pay us a percentage of your account total, so please be sure to use your card every time you shop.
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| Our Prayers... | |
- For the people of Joplin, Missouri as they continue to recover from the terrible tornado last week. We especially lift up our brothers and sisters of Spirit of Christ MCC, whose church and parsonage were destroyed.
- For all whose farms, homes, or work places are threatened by the flooding Missouri River.
- For GLBT people in Uganda.
- 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 our church as we discern next steps for our building and/or building search process.
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| From Your Pastor, continued |
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We want God to meet us here in the sanctuary in the manner in which we're most comfortable, or in the manner we find most appealing. Some of us want God to meet us in jeans and t-shirt, smelling like Grandma's kitchen, gathering us up in loving arms and assuring us everything is gonna be alright. Some of us prefer that our worship service be like an audience with royalty: We like to see our God as Christ the Victor, wearing robes and crown and ushering in God's dominion. Some prefer to greet Jesus on a colt, entering triumphantly amidst our shouts of praise and waving arms. Some of us wouldn't recognize God in any of these forms but can always find God in the swirl of baptismal water or the glow of a candle's flame or the nuanced rhythm of silence...
As we worship together these next four weeks, I invite you to open yourself fully to the possibilities for meeting God in the words and music and messages of the musical stage. Remember, Broadway may not be your cup of tea, but to others, it's music to their ears.
Praying for You Always,
Rev. Karen Thompson
Senior Pastor
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| Beyond Our Walls: News from MCCs Around the World | | |
MCC Impact: News from Churches Around the World
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MCC Action Alert: Uganda
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MCC Headline News: News from our Denomination
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MCC Update Regarding Disaster Relief in Joplin, Missouri
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| Beyond Our Walls: Community News & Events | | |
FLOURISH The Evangelical Network 2011 Conference
July 7-10, 2011, at the Omni Austin Hotel
The 2011 conference is designed to educate and inspire every Christian to FLOURISH in their individual lives, relationships, and ministries. The conference workshops and sessions focus on helping better understand, develop, and further our God-given gifts for greater ministry in the body of Christ. The 2011 conference will feature four days of transforming teaching, intimate worship, and building relationships.
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Caring Family Network (CFN)
Foster/Adoptive Parent Recruitment
Information Session
Where: Caring Family Network
1812 Centre Creek Dr. Suite 200Austin, TX 78754
When: June 21, 2011
Time: 6:00-7:00pm
Caring Family Network (CFN) is a private non-profit child placing (foster care and adoption) agency licensed by the State of Texas. Through extraordinary work, dedication, and commitment by our licensed foster parents and experienced treatment teams, we provide therapeutic services to nearly 400 abused and neglected children. We have offices in Austin, Kerrville and Brownwood and families all over Central and East Texas.
Central Texas is in need of more foster homes to provide care for this vulnerable population. Currently in Travis County, there are 416 children in foster care 60.6% of those children were placed out of county due to there not being enough foster homes available in Travis County. In Williamson County, there are 212 children in foster care 70.8% of these children are also placed out of county.
What does this mean? This means a child in foster care is not only taken from their parents they are taken from their friends, school, and city they live in. This can also delay DFPS ability to reunify families.
Please join us on June 21, 2011 to learn more who we are and how you can help by becoming a foster/adoptive parent. Refreshments will be provided.
For more information: Sarah Gomez, Community Relations: Phone :( 512) 719-3222; Fax: (512) 719-4073; E-mail: sgomez@cfntexas.com
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