11/12/2014
November Happenings
November 2014
It's our
Passing of
the Peace
Coffee
(1/2) hour!
Come join
us at 9:30 a.m. for some coffee
and light treats in our office
before worship service each
Sunday and get to know the
many faces of MCC New
A Note from Rev. Alisan
The Best Gifts
I have a confession to make. I love to give
my family nice gifts at Christmas. I have
heard many pastors and spiritual leaders
encourage everyone to resist becoming
involved in the consumerism of the
holidays. And I would agree that when the
holidays become simply an opportunity to
shop or to receive nice gifts, then we are missing an
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Orleans. Please do not bring
any food or drinks into the
sanctuary.
The first Sunday of every
month is Potluck Sunday. Please
join us after service on Sunday,
November 2 for food and
conversation. Bring a favorite
dish to share.
Ready...Set...Paint
Channel your inner artist at the
MCC New Orleans Paint N
Party fundraiser! Join us on
Saturday, November 15 from 3
p.m until 6:30 p.m. in the
church fellowship room. The
$45 registration fee includes a
canvas, art supplies, artist
instruction, and refreshment.
Seating is limited, so call 504270-1622 to reserve your spot.
If you would like to sponsor
someone who would not
otherwise be able to attend
the event, contact Rev. Alisan.
Click here for more
opportunity to experience the holiday season in a meaningful
way. However, I believe that most of us want to experience
something significant and transformational during Advent and
Christmas. I think the reason why so many more people
volunteer of their time and donate their money during the
Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is that they have an inner
longing, especially during these holidays, to connect to a
deeper love, peace, and sense of community.
In spite of our tendency to get distracted by the latest or
shiniest toy being marketed to us during the holiday season, I
believe that most of us long to give and receive gifts that may
at first seem less tangible to us; gifts of hope, peace, joy, and
love. These may seem like the type of gifts that cannot be
wrapped and placed under a Christmas tree. But what if we
really can give these types of gifts to our family, friends, and
loved ones? What if we really can give those gifts to people in
our community and our world who are desperately in need of
them? I believe that, in fact, we can! I hope you will join us
during the Advent season for our sermon series about the
"Gifts We Really Want to Give and Receive" as we consider
the gift of hope on Nov. 30, the gift of peace on Dec. 2, the
gift of joy on Dec. 14, and the gift of love on Dec 21. I also
hope that you will invite your friends and family and join us
for our candlelight Christmas Eve service on Dec. 24 at 8:00
p.m. I know that we will have a memorable evening as we come
together to remember and celebrate what the birth of Christ
means to each of us.
I personally have found that when I am intentional about
preparing my heart for the holiday season, the experience of
Christmas is more spiritually profound. With that in mind, I
will be offering a spiritual discussion series during the season
of Advent. We will meet for 4 weeks on Wednesdays at 7 pm
(Weds 11/19, 12/3, 12/10, and 12/17). I'm so excited about
how we can learn from each other as we await Christmas.
I am eagerly anticipating my first holiday season here in New
Orleans and the opportunity I will have to experience the
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information and check out the
event on Facebook.
Congregational Meeting
Generously Using Your Talents
as a Board Member or Lay
Delegate
The annual Congregational
Meeting will be held on
November 16, 2014 following
worship. At this meeting we will
discuss and vote on the
proposed budget for the next
church year, elect Board
members, Lay Delegate, and
Alternate Lay Delegate. If you
would like to run for these
positions, please complete the
appropriate application below
and send to Rev. Alisan at
[email protected]
Board Member Application
Lay Delegate Application
For more of Rev. Alisan's
thoughts on using your talents
generously, click here.
traditions and the festivities here that are uniquely yours!
I continue to enjoy the many blessings that I receive from
each of you as we seek to reach out together to our
community with the message of God's inclusive and
unconditional love for all people.
My warmest wishes for an upcoming holiday season filled
with love and gratitude,
Rev. Alisan Rowland
Rev. Alisan Rowand's Installation
Please join MCC New Orleans for Rev.
Alisan Rowland's installation as pastor on
November 9th at 10 a.m. This will be a
meaningful event in the life of the church
when MCC New Orleans and Rev. Alisan
Rowland formalize their decision to move
Rev. Tony Freeman
forward in ministry together. Rev. Tony
Freeman, who is currently the Director of the Office of
Church Life and Health for Metropolitan Community Churches,
will be present to officiate the installation. Rev. Freeman has
served MCC for 18 years in many roles, including as a Senior
Pastor, Interim Pastor, church consultant, chair of the
Structure Review Team, and member of the Governing Board.
He has served at churches of various sizes including pastor,
program, and corporate size churches and has an excellent
understanding of what is needed for churches to grow.
Rev. Freeman was Rev. Alisan Rowland's first pastor with
Metropolitan Community Churches, and also led a caravan of
donated supplies out to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina to
support our local churches. We hope you will join us in
welcoming him at the service and the reception to follow.
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Peanut Butter & Jelly
Sunday
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sunday is
November 23. Join us after
service to make PB&J
sandwiches as we continue to
live the call of the Gospel to
"clothe the naked, feed the
hungry...." We also assist
Ozanam with donations of clean
used clothing. There is a large
box in the church office where
people can drop off clothing
any Sunday. Especially needed,
if you are able, are packages of
(new) underwear and socks.
Thank you for your
enthusiastic support of this
ministry! Click here for more
information.
Worship Planning
The next Worship
Planning meeting will be held on
Monday, November 17 at 7 p.m.
Board Meeting
The International Transgender Day of Remembrance was set
aside to memorialize those who were killed due to antitransgender 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. Transgender Day of Remembrance is November 20.
For more information, visit
http://tdor.info/about-2/.
Our Denomination is offering A Chance to Go Deeper this
Advent... Join us for a Virtual Advent Retreat that will last
throughout the season of Advent. This is an opportunity to
invest in your spirit as you experience this season of
anticipation for Christmas and the coming of Christ into your
life, relationships, and community. Join MCC minister, blogger,
author, and internationally respected retreat leader Chris
Glaser for this Advent adventure on the theme of Nativity
Stories.
This program offered FREE of charge. Simply email
[email protected] to signup. For more
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The MCC New Orleans Board
of Directors meets on the 3rd
Tuesday of every month, and
all church members and
attendees are welcome to
attend. The meeting this month
is on November 18 at 7 p.m.
information, click here.
What is PrEP?
Scott Arno, a medical student from Tulane, is hoping to
inform the community about the availability of a new
medication to prevent HIV/AIDS. He approached the
leadership of our congregation in the hopes that we could help
to provide education for our community.
Our fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches also
believes that we should be aware of this new medication and
educate ourselves. You can read their statement regarding
PrEP here.
According to Scott Arno:
The Music Department
rehearses each Thursday night
at 6:30 p.m. in the church
sanctuary. Everyone is welcome
to come lift a joyful noise.
Contact our Music Director
with any questions.
Do You Follow MCC New
Orleans on Social Media?
Do you follow MCC New
Orleans on social media? This is
a great way to stay connected
with our church and get
updates on real-time
information. We offer many
ways for you to connect with
"PrEP is an HIV prevention tool including the use of oncedaily Truvada, a safe, well-tolerated drug. When taken daily,
Truvada is effective at preventing HIV infection. PrEP also
requires regular HIV testing and visits to your doctor.
Because this medication cannot protect people from other
sexually transmitted infections, it should not replace condoms.
Please contact your doctor or [email protected] for more
information."
As a community of faith we continue to encourage
responsible behavior and pray for a cure.
What Does it Mean to be MCC New Orleans?
Core Values
Welcoming
We cherish and invite all to share in our spiritual community.
Acceptance
We celebrate and encourage you no matter where you are on life's
journey.
Open and Affirming
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us!!!
Facebook,com/MCCNewOrleans
Twitter.com/MCCNewOrleans
Links
Visit our website
Calendar
MCC Worldwide
Prayer request
Donate to MCC New Orleans
We confirm the diversity of creation and are called to
minister to the LGBTQ and marginalized communities.
Love
We are motivated by Christian love in how we speak, act
and live.
Open Communion
We recognize and defend that God's table is open to all.
Vision
With God at the center of everything we do, MCC New Orleans
is a dynamic force for spiritual growth, social justice, and
support for youth and the marginalized. This is accomplished
through loving kindness for one another, educating ourselves and
the wider community, and providing a powerful worship
experience in our own space. We are a diverse program size
church building on our strong foundation and partnering with
constituents throughout the New Orleans metropolitan area.
Church Staff
Pastor
Rev. Alisan Rowland
Music Director
Ryan LeJeune
Administrative Support
Andre Monte
Mission
To offer a safe and holy place where
everyone -with particular outreach
to the gay, lesbian, bisexual,
transgender, queer / questioning and
marginalized communities-can
worship, receive affirmation, and
celebrate God's love.
Board of Directors
Anthem
Mark Vaughn
Vice Moderator
Bob Skaggs
Treasurer
Mike McDonald
Secretary
We are MCC New Orleans: Celebrating God's love for
everyone.
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Matt Moreland
Member at large
Johnny J. Smith
Member at large
Stay Connected
Visit our Website
MCC New Orleans | 504-270-1MCC (1622)|
http://www.mccneworleans.org
6200 St. Charles Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70118
MCC New Orleans is a member of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches - a
worldwide fellowship founded by Rev. Troy Perry in 1968 to proclaim God's love to those who had
previously been denied a place in Christ's church. MCC is at the forefront of transforming churches into
places where all are valued and celebrated, including our initial outreach to the LGBT community.
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