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Dear Founders,
Wow! Another Spirit-filled service last Sunday! Whew!!! I'm telling you, the Spirit has been truly blessing us each week, and I'm so thankful! Seems each week, there has been - well, LIFE! - that needed more energy and encouragement. I'm so thankful for the move of the Spirit here at FMCC that gives me what I need to meet every challenge!
This Sunday is one of my favorites during the year - we award the Christine Daniels Scholarships! This year, there are five $1000 scholarships and one $500 scholarship being awarded. I want to thank our Trans*Unity ministry for the hard work they do all during the year to raise the money for these scholarships! Special thanks to Ina Serene and her team for advertising and promoting these annual scholarships, as well as evaluating all the applications that come in. Great job, all!
This Sunday, I'll be speaking about a familiar scripture to many of us: Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego who were thrown into the fiery furnace. The message is entitled, Third Man Syndrome. If you'd like to read ahead, check out Daniel, chapter 1 (Message version). Come expecting another move of the Spirit!
By the way, don't forget to plan your route to church Sunday based on the street closures for CicLAvia this Sunday!
Pastor Keith
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The reading is taken from Daniel,
Chapter 3, Verses 13 through 23
(The Contemporary English Version)
King Nebuchadnezzar sent for three young men and said, “I hear that you refuse to worship my gods and the gold statue I have set up. Now I am going to give you one more chance.
If you bow down and worship the statue when you hear the music, everything will be all right. But if you don't, you will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace. No god can save you from me.”
The three men replied, “Your Majesty, we don't need to defend ourselves. The God we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace. But even if God doesn't, we still won't worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up.”
Nebuchadnezzar's face twisted with anger at the three men. And he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. Next, he commanded some of his strongest soldiers to tie up the men and throw them into the flaming furnace.
The king wanted it done at that very moment. So the soldiers tied up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and threw them into the flaming furnace with all of their clothes still on, including their turbans. The fire was so hot that flames leaped out and killed the soldiers.
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Interested in Church Membership? Or, maybe, you just want to know more about our church's core beliefs and history. Set up an online meeting with Rev. Steve Swafford at membership@mccla.org for an individualized study! | |
Special Announcement from Founders MCC Board of Directors | |
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Roof Replacement Update
Building Hope For Our Future
As of August 16,
given with match for New Roof:
$51,179.00
Remaining Needed by August 15:
$26,924.00
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Greetings everyone,
August 17th we will meet virtually from 9- 10:30am
To join the meeting on Google Meet, click this link:
https://meet.google.com/tsc-rmph-eub
Or open Meet and enter this code: tsc-rmph-eub
Virtually, we will meet for an hour followed by a 15 minute meditation that you can enjoy in your home or car or any other quiet place you have accessible. Lastly, we will leave the last 15 minutes of group for any questions or additional need for support.
I look forward to seeing you all virtually this month.
Warmly,
Patrice Ford
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Sunday August 18th 10 am service.
The Christine Daniels Scholarship Awards to be presented Sunday
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Street Closure Notification for Founders Metropolitan Community Church - Sunday, August 18 | |
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I'm writing to let you know about an upcoming street closure taking place on Sunday, August 18 for CicLAvia—Meet the Hollywoods.
In case you're not familiar, CicLAvia closes streets to cars and opens them for the community to bike, walk, skate, and enjoy the street as a public park for the day! This event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public.
The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic from approximately 7am-6pm on Sunday, August 18:
- Hollywood Blvd (between Virgil and Orange Dr)
- Highland Ave (between Hollywood Blvd and Santa Monica Blvd)
- Santa Monica Blvd (between Highland and San Vicente)
During this time, motorized vehicles will not be able to access the route. Parking will not be allowed on the route starting at 1am that day in Los Angeles, and 4am in West Hollywood. Cars will be permitted to cross the route at 11 different major intersections (see attached route map).
Though your church is not directly on the route, please note that there may be additional traffic congestion during the event hours, and you may need to take a different route to church that day. Please plan accordingly and allow additional time to drive.
A street closure notification flyer (in English/Spanish/Armenian/Thai/Russian) and a postcard are attached for reference. We would appreciate it if you could spread the word to your congregation!
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. Thank you for your time!
Best,
Aerienne
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Aerienne Russell, Production Manager, Outreach & Engagement (she/her)
c: 323.510.6533 | o: 213.355.8500 | CicLAvia.org
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Book Study on the Book of Revelation
Tuesdays at 7:00 PDT, we are holding a book study over Zoom using Dr. Patricia Wahle’s books: "A Revelation to Patricia and Taking Revelation Back."
Next Bible Study on Revelation will be this coming Tuesday August 20th, at 7 p.m.
Zoom link: https://bit.ly/RevelationZoom
Jesus said,“ ALL Scriptures hinge on loving God and loving one another.”
(Matthew 22:34-40) If we reread Revelation with the understanding that it MUST, according to Jesus, be a message of loving one another, we realize that it doesn’t say what we’ve been told it says. We will point out how, in the book of Revelation , God is not active in any of the scenes of destruction and torment. God is trying to call our attention to ways we hurt one another when the churches stray from God’s message of love and equality and doing good deeds.
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MCC/UCC in the Valley is having a concert on Aug 31 called Night of Praise & Worship,and Founders Praise Team will be participating.
Instructions: Go to:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/night-of-praise-worship-tickets-991480393547?aff=ebdssbdestsearch, then search for Night of Praise & Worship. The event will come up as the 1st or 2nd choice. The food and the concert is free. MCC/UCC are asking that folks sign up on Eventbrite so they know how many total to expect for the dinner."
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Attention U.S. Pastors, Pastoral Leaders, Network Leaders, and Lay Delegates:
This Message is for YOU!
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Being MCC in Politically Perilous Times in the U.S.A.
Moving from Independence to Interdependence
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While on our journey of faith, those who live in the U.S. now find ourselves in politically perilous times. And, we know that MCCers are always STRONGER TOGETHER when we share our journey in faith, prayer, and love.
So we, the Council of Elders, invite you to join us as we explore what we carry in our ‘spiritual backpack’ on this journey and choose to move from independence to interdependence through listening, prayer, action, and hope. We are indeed stronger together and even stronger with love.
The first meeting will include an introduction and invite feedback. We hope you will join us:
Zoom Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87363356214?pwd=TzhldUkyZmJsWkNPNi9pd3dERTREZz09
Future meetings will be held on the following Saturdays, same time, using the same Zoom link:
August 31 / September 21 / October 26 / November 16
(a post-election debrief).
If you believe this is a good idea but are unable to attend, please let us know by emailing the Council of Elders at: [coe@mccchurch.net]. And, we welcome your suggestions regarding what is important and helpful to you on this journey toward the U.S. elections.
Please note: this U.S. gathering is the first of several that are being considered globally.
Faithfully, the MCC Council of Elders:
Rev. Elder Cecilia Eggleston, Moderator
Elder Hattie Alexander-Key
Rev. Elder Mark Byrd
Rev. Elder Nokuthula Dhladhla
Elder Velma Garcia
Rev. Elder Rich Hendricks
Rev. Elder Aaron Miller
Rev. Elder Elaine Saralegui Caraballo
Rev. Elder Stuart Sutherland
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Greetings, dear MCC friends.
I am Reverend Elder Aaron Miller and I bring you greetings from the MCC Council of Elders, Governing Board, and staff as well as a spirit of love and joy from MCC Hartford in Connecticut USA.
The MCC Statement of Faith includes this verse-- referring to Jesus, “You restore the joy of our relationship with God, even in the midst of loneliness, despair, and degradation.”
I am sure it comes as no surprise when I say we are in a time of uncertainty and our LGBTQI+ community is a target of political, religious, and social animus, globally. This, of course, is added to our individual lives with all that we face personally. It certainly is not always easy to find our joy in the midst of this. Amen?
Instead, we may have feelings that seem to separate us from God and we might even lose our way. And yet, we remember that Jesus left the 99 for the 1. Yes, sometimes that one – is us.
That said, the Gospel of John (15:11) reminds us Jesus said “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” and in (John 16:22) “…you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” this scripture reminds us that in the middle of whatever we face and feel -- we can trust in Jesus.
“Joy,” “rejoice,” and “joyful” appear 430 times in the bible, compared with “happy” or “happiness,” which appear only 10 times. So, again, scripture reminds us that happiness is affected by outside influences and is often fleeting; but, joy resides within us -- always.
Clearly, by sacred Word and text, we are meant to feel joy, rejoice, and be joyful --- as a gift from God. So, HOW can we find this joy --- amidst the hardship, suffering, and injustice we might experience?
The truth is, we already have joy that is full – joy that cannot be taken from us. True, we may forget this at times, so it is important that we remember that Jesus restores and renews our relationships --- with ourselves, God, and others----with love---love that holds the power to free us and release our joy once again.
We may experience the spirit of Christ leading us to places of beauty, songs that open us, caring people who affirm us, and other ways that help us to let go of anything that comes between---and interrupts us from loving and being loved.
So dear friends, I pray your joy is full and released for God’s unconditional love is still and always -- Good News that is indeed good.
This is God’s gift, Jesus’ promise, MCC’s Statement of faith, and truly our joy now, always, and forever—as God’s beloved. Amen, dear friends, Amen.
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Latinx Conference 2024
September 27 to 29, 2024 • MCC San Antonio, TX, USA
This event is designed to: Inspire latino/a/e/as/xs leadership development to build vibrant latinxs faith communities that are empowered to transform the world.
We are MCC Latino/a/e/os/as/xs people and allies who bring robust life, faith and social experiences called to...
- Provide training, mentoring and resources.
- Enhance strengths and skills while embracing cultural heritage.
- Cultivate a culture of holistic wellness to uplift our latinxs
- identities.
Those interested in going, please let Pastor Keith know as soon as possible.
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Latino/a/e/as/xs Survey
Metropolitan Community Churches is looking to be more dedicated to seeking, forming, instructing, and empowering Latino ministry within our local congregations.
Take The Survey
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A Year From Today...
General Conference 2025!
View as Webpage
EXPERIENCE A DESERT OASIS!
In one year, we will be in the middle of our Transformational Weekend, which will be held 3-6 July 2025! General Conference will again take place in two parts:
Part 1: Business Discussion Circles, Forum and Meeting
In the months leading up to General Conference, there will be many Discussion Circles, webinars, documents and emails to inform you of the business of General Conference. There will be many opportunities for you to provide input.
At a meeting in June 2024 between the Governing Board and Governance Committee, the Governing Board voted to hold both the General Conference Business Meeting and Business Forum online. The Business Forum will be held on 31st May 2025 and the Business Meeting will be held 7th June 2025. Watch for more information about the content of these sessions.
Part 2: Transformational Gathering
The 2025 conference will definitely have a retreat feel lasting 3 days instead of our typical 5 or 6-day conference that commingled business with worship and learning. In addition, there will be pre and post-conference activities to enrich and extend your experience. As mentioned above, all business will take place online and not during this in-person gathering. This creates a perfect opportunity for many different members of your congregation to retreat in the desert. Elements of this conference will be live streamed, recorded, and online allowing a hybrid experience for those unable to travel. Our conference app will bridge the online and in-person participants and increase involvement, engagement, and communication between everyone.
TRANSFORMATIONAL WEEKEND SCHEDULE
We are excited to announce the broad schedule for the Transformational Weekend!
Thursday, July 3, 2025
- Afternoon: Check-in and Welcome Reception
- Evening: Grounding Worship & Social Time
Friday, July 4, 2025
- Morning: Opening Worship
- Afternoon: Plenary, Small Groups, and Free Time
- Evening: Reception & Social Time
Saturday, July 5: 2025
- Morning: Worship and Plenary
- Afternoon: Small Groups and Free Time
- Evening: Dinner Church Style Worship (included in your registration)
Sunday, July 6, 2025:
- Morning: Closing Worship with Installation of the Moderator, blessing over the incoming Governing Board, current and outgoing Council of Elders.
- Afternoon: Optional Excursions
Before and after General Conference, several institutes will take place. Watch for more details on those before airline tickets become available.
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Hotel Information
The in-person portion of the conference is taking over Scottsdale, Arizona, USA at the Embassy Suites Resort. It is walking distance from the historic district, Old Town Scottsdale, and the arts and entertainment district.
Our host hotel is an amazing, accessible resort. It is beautiful with incredible views of Camelback Mountain, two refreshing outdoor pools, large suite style sleeping rooms, tennis and pickle ball courts, large conference center, onsite restaurant and bar, and beautiful landscaping. We searched to find not only an accessible hotel for physical accommodations, but also a financially accessible hotel. The Embassy Suites Scottsdale Resort is offering us an amazing rate of $119/night which includes free made to order breakfast, daily cocktail hour, and a complimentary shuttle to hundreds of local shops, restaurants, and activities. Every suite has a living room (with a pull-out couch), and kitchenette which easily accommodates multiple parties to maximize savings.
You can book your room today by following this link:
BOOK YOUR ROOM!
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REGISTRATION
Although registration will not open until October, we want to help you plan and budget. Below are the Early Bird (first 90 days) and regular registration rates for General Conference:
In-Person Rates:
Sponsor Rate: $425 USD; €395; $7710 MEX; R$2370
This rate is for those who want to help subsidize other registration rates making it more affordable for others to attend General Conference.
Early Bird Rate: $325 USD; €305; $5880MEX; R$1810
This rate is the Early Bird rate for General Conference which includes dinner one night. This rate will be available for the first 90 days when registration opens.
Regular Rate: $400 USD; €370; $7255 MEX; R$2225
This rate will be after the 90 days Early Bird rate.
Online Rates:
Sponsor Online Rate: $300 USD; €280; $5445 MEX; R$1670
This rate is for those who those who want to help subsidize other registration rates making it more affordable for others to attend General Conference and only have access to the online portions of the General Conference like worship, plenaries, and online social connections. Note: We will not be hosting a 24-hour all-access conference like 202.
Online Rate: $200 USD; €185; $3630MEX; R$1115
This rate is for those who will only have access to the online portions of the General Conference like worship, plenaries, and online social connections. Note: We will not be hosting a 24-hour all-access conference like 2022.
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SEE YOU IN SCOTTSDALE!
More details about speakers, pre and post-conference institutes, worship, and content for the business meeting will be shared in the coming months. In the meantime, mark your calendars, book your hotel, and get ready to have some fun in the sun (or in the air conditioning) with us!
If you have any questions, you can always email us at: conferences@MCCchurch.net to ensure you get all of the information about this next General Conference. Click the button below and add your email if you haven’t already!
COUNT ME IN
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Commitment forms for 2024. | |
Join us before and after worship for a time of Hospitality in the church courtyard. Martin Miny is heading a team of people to get coffee, juice, and pastries ready each Sunday. Volunteers are always welcome! | |
Monkey Pox Vaccine Available | |
Change In Covid-19 Protocols | |
As we continue to cope with Covid-19, we are changing our protocols. The new protocols are in line with the rest of LA County. Until further notice, here are our guidelines:
1. We will no longer require vaccinations and boosters for church attendance, though we highly encourage them.
2. We will make wearing masks optional. Please feel free to continue wearing masks as you feel comfortable.
3. We ask people that have symptoms of (or tested positive for) Covid, flu, monkeypox, or any other easily communicable disease to please refrain from attending until they are well.
As we have from the very beginning of the pandemic, we will continue to keep in line with the advice of the LA County Public Health Department. Thank you so much for your patience as we navigate new guidelines.
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HThank you to all who have given so generously through our online giving portal. Our church cannot function without your generosity!! Feel free to continue giving through our website (on PushPay) or simply sending a check in the mail (4607 Prospect Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027). Again, thank you.
There are no details on tithes and offerings this week. Updated figures on tithes and offerings will be available next week.
Founders MCC Treasurer
Grand Total For Week Ending: 08-11-2024: $30,885.00
Tithing: $6,711.00
Christine Daniel's Scholarship Fund : $1,500.00
Roofing Challenge Matching Gift: $22,130.00
Building Fund: $544.00
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Rev. Keith Mozingo (Moderator)
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Dean Coffey (Vice Moderator) | |
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Ed Shaughnessy (Treasurer) | |
Ina Serene - Trans* Unity | |
Children's Hospital has so graciously volunteered up to 10 spaces for us to park. It is a small lot off Sunset Blvd., just beyond the Metro Station entrance. | | | | |
