The e-Newsletter of MCC NOVA │ December 2004 Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia Website: www.mccnova.com                   email: info@mccnova.com

IN THIS EDITION:

1. From the Laptop of Rev. Kharma
2. MCC NOVA News and Upcoming Events

v      4^th Annual Evening of Lights

v      Men’s Holiday Dinner

v      Journey Rhythms Drumming Circle

v      Christmas Eve Service

v       Poinsettia Sale

v      News From the Congregational Meeting

v      And a Note From Our Treasurer

v      From the Children’s Ministry

v      News from Micah Ministries

o        NOVAM Adopt-A-Family Gift Drive

o        NOVAM Christmas Ornaments

o        Contribute Mind, Body, and Spirit: Summer 2005 Service Project

v      Save the Date: Virginia Lobby Day

v      Save the Date: Spiritual Retreat

v      Save the Date: MCC General Conference

 

3. Spotlight on Ministry
4. Important On-going Activities
5. Community Notes, Etc.

 

1.From the Laptop of Rev. Kharma

A Winter Rant…

We haven’t even had our first flurries of the season here in Northern Virginia, and yet I feel as if I’ve been pummeled with snowballs this week. 

 

The first one hit early in the week, as the United Church of Christ began showing some new television advertisements as a part of their national identity campaign.  The ads intend to emphasize the church’s welcome embrace of all people, regardless of ability, age, race, economic circumstance, or (gasp!) sexual orientation.  I am still in shock that two major networks (CBS and NBC) refused to air the ads, stating that they were “too controversial.” 

 

The debut 30-second ad features two muscle-bound “bouncers” standing guard outside a picturesque church and selecting which persons are permitted to attend services.  Among those turned away are two men one might assume to be a gay couple, and a number of other minority persons.  Among those admitted are a white, well-dressed, male and female couple one might assume to be newlyweds.  Written text interrupts the scene with the words, “Jesus didn’t turn people away.  Neither do we.”   A narrator then proclaims the UCC’s extravagant welcome, “No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.”  (You can view the ad online at: www.stillspeaking.com) 

 

The reason that this is “too controversial,” says CBS, is that the ad implies acceptance of gay and lesbian couples, among other minority constituencies.  The network even sites the Executive Branch’s recent proposition of a constitutional marriage amendment as justification for censoring these ads.  I couldn’t agree more with the UCC’s President Rev. John H. Thomas, when he asked in amazement, “What’s going on here?”  He rightly notes the irony that “after a political season awash in commercials based on fear and deception by both parties seen on all the major networks, an ad with a message of welcome and inclusion would be deemed too controversial.”  Something is seriously wrong with this picture.

 

And, as if this didn’t leave me feeling cold enough, the next snowball came on Friday, when Rev. Elizabeth Stroud, the openly lesbian pastor of a Philadelphia area United Methodist Church, was tried, convicted, and defrocked for violating the church’s ban on homosexual clerics in non-celibate relationships.  The United Methodist Church’s slogan is: “Open Hearts.  Open Minds.  Open Doors.”  Well, apparently, not really!  Not only did this denominational indictment cut short the vital ministry of Rev. Stroud in a congregation that supported her and affirmed her giftedness and calling, but it also sent a very clear message to the thousands of GLBT individuals, couples, family members, and friends still active in the Methodist church that their ministry is not fully welcomed.  Again, something is seriously wrong with this picture.

 

I would be less than honest if I didn’t tell you that all this leaves my spirit feeling a bit withered and weary — like some character in a snow globe that’s been turned upside down and shaken, and has yet to fall back into place.  And yet, ‘Tis the Season of Hope, after all, … when we lift our voices to sing, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” … and wait to experience again the healing touch of God-With-Us, in the flesh.  Oh, but how we need that touch! 

 

And, I do still have hope; don’t get me wrong, I really do.  In fact, I think maybe it’s only at those times when our need becomes so clear and pronounced that our hope and our faith are able to be at their strongest.  I still have faith in that ancient vision of an earth made fair, where the wolf shall live with the lamb and the lion and young calf will lie down together in peace, where we humans will no longer destroy one another with petty rivalries and jealous greed but instead comfort and support one another in justice-love, … and, yes, where the act of loving extravagantly is not considered controversial no matter who’s doing the loving.  It could happen.  And in fact, it is the persistent claim of this particular season that it will happen, even as Christ is born anew in us.  I just needed to be reminded of that.  I also probably needed to be reminded that the ministry of communities like MCC NOVA continues to fill such a vital need by vocalizing this hope and by affirming the possibility of a better, more loving and just world — one in which all of God’s children are loved and celebrated.

 

This Advent, I pray that you are reminded of whatever will help you sustain hope and strengthen faith.

 

Peace & Joy,

Kharma

 

Come, God.  Let the fires of your Holy Spirit warm us from the chill of injustice and inspire us to put your love in action until your reign of peace is established.  Amen.

 

▼

 

CAN YOU COOK?   If yes, the Care Team is asking for you help.   As Sheri and Andy continue to put life back together, they are in need of prayer, friendship and our tangible support.  We are looking for volunteers to both prepare a meal and deliver it, or preferably prepare the meal and stay for dinner with Sheri and Andy.   If you are interested or would like more information, please call Gail or Ginny on 703-648-9327.

BASKET AUCTION REQUEST   Did you contribute baskets and/or goodies to the basket auction?  If so, please provide the church with an itemized list of your contribution and the approximate value so the treasurer can provide you an in-kind contribution letter.  Everything contributed to the auction is tax deductible. Thanks again for making this years auction the best ever!

 

▼

2.    MCC NOVA News and Upcoming Events

 

 

4TH ANNUAL EVENING OF LIGHTS   A Christmas Celebration featuring: The Music Ministries of The Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia, Gaetano R. Lotrecchiano, Director Friday, December 17, 8:00 pm, MCC NOVA.  Join us for an evening of song, storytelling, ritual, and of course FOOD! Bring your favorite Christmas treat to share!  For information call 703-691-0930. A goodwill offering will be taken during Evening of Lights to be used again this year to support the Music Ministry and Overall Ministry of MCC NOVA.  It is split 50/50between the designated music and general funds

 

 

JOURNEY RHYTHMS DRUMMING CIRCLE

 

Saturday, December 18, 7-9 pm.   MCC NOVA presents a sacred/community-drumming circle. All are welcome. No experience is required. Circles are scheduled quarterly around the time of the Solstice. Indigenous people all over the world have used drumming for thousands of years as a powerful spiritual tool. In recent years, thousands of Community Drumming Circles have come into an existence as a way for people in our time to capture some of the concepts and practices of the ancient tradition and experience the benefits of it. These circles typically borrow some of the concepts and traditions of the ancient traditions, but are more flexible and require no special training or talents to participate. Our circle is based on this concept.  Please feel free to invite others who might be interested. The more the merrier.

 

MEN’S HOLIDAY DINNER

 

December 19 - Come and celebrate the season with the men of MCCNOVA on Sunday, December 19.  A potluck dinner will be held at Scott and Chris' house in Falls Church (please call 703-691-0930 for directions).  They will provide the turkey and beverages and they ask that you bring your favorite side dish or desert.  There will be a gift exchange/game (maximum value $20).    Bring a gift to participate.  We are looking forward to celebrating this joyous time of year.

 

POINSETTIA SALE

 

Dedicate a poinsettia to a loved one and help decorate the sanctuary for Christmas! Poinsettias are on sale now through this Sunday (Dec. 12) only! They will be on display in the Sanctuary beginning Dec. 17 at the Evening of Lights, through Sunday, Dec. 19. Flowers are $15.00 each.

 

 

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE Join us for a traditional service of lessons and carols on December 24 at 8 pm.

      NEWS FROM THE CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

Congratulations to Sharon Bohlender, Cindy Giese, and Gail Minnick who were elected to serve on the Board of Directors; to Jean Gralley, who was elected Lay Delegate; and to Jane Bennett, who was elected Alternate Lay Delegate.  We appreciate your willingness to serve!!

 

 

   AND A NOTE FROM OUR TREASURER

 

Financial Recap & Request

 

I would like to thank everyone who has helped over this past year manage the finances of MCC NOVA; from the folks who count the offering every week to the 2005 budget committee.  Thank you for your time and skill and energy!

 

For those of you who could not attend the recent Congregational meeting, the 2005 budget of $210,040 was unanimously approved.  Yeah!  To recap, the line item budget was presented in 5 different categories.  At a summary level, the new budget breaks down as follows:

 

1 - Outreach to the World:                 $40,463

2 - Care of Our Community               $21,281

3 - Creating the Worship Experience $66,826

4 - Administration and support          $62,434

5 - Investing in our Future                 $19,035

 

In support of this new budget, the Stewardship Team also reported that we have received so far a total of 43 pledges for a total of $126,632.  Thank you!  Your generosity in support of this community and our ministry demonstrates our collective commitment to “imagining the possibilities in 2005”.

 

As you can see, we are still a little short by about $83,000 and we will continue to accept pledges.  If you have not pledged yet, please consider doing so.  Stewardship packages are available on the literature table.  If you have any questions or would like more information on pledging, please do not hesitate to contact Tracey Kennedy at crkscrw@msn.com.

 

Also, as reported for fiscal year 2004, we are about $6,000 in the hole.  As of the end of November, our total collections were approximately $169,000 and our total expenses were around $175,000.  Please continue to pray that the spirit of giving and abundance during this Christmas season will help to reduce this deficit. 

 

And finally, I do have a question for you.  I need feedback on what kind of financial information you would like to receive on a regular basis; for example, what format, data, and frequency.   I would like to provide financial information to you that you would find helpful in knowing the financial status and health of our community.  But I need your input on what that might look like.  Please feel free to drop me a line (gailminnick@msn.com) or give me a call on 703-648-9327 or catch me after service on Sunday.

 

Let me close by saying, that it has been a privilege this past year to serve as your Treasurer.  God bless and please continue to keep MCC NOVA in your prayers.  Gail Minnick.

 

 

FROM CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

 

The Children's Ministry is excited about the holidays and teaching our children about the real reason for the season -- Jesus' birthday!  The children will be hearing numerous books about Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus.  The children will be playing with a children's Nativity scene to reenact the wondrous night! 

 

We are in need of one more teacher to teach a lesson once a month.  When you are a teacher, you can either write your own lesson based on the NEW curriculum or we will write a lesson for you.  There are always two adults in the room -- for all those creative little ones.  If you love children and feel inspired to teach the word of God to our littlest members, please call (703-330-1298) or email (dravvorn1@aol.com) Lisa and Sharon Dravvorn.

 

The Children's Ministry would like to welcome our newest teachers, Scott B., Marvin G. and George T.  These gentlemen are a terrific addition to our team!  Thanks for volunteering your time and talents, guys! We'd also like to thank Kathleen F. who was a guest teacher and taught the children a wonderful lesson and craft!  You're the best!

 

NEWS FROM MICAH MINISTRIES

NOVAM Adopt-A-Family Gift Drive:  A tree is in place for our family—three children ages 10 (m), 13 (f)), and 16 (f).  Choose an ornament bearing a gift request and return the gifts to the church. A gift-wrapping party will take place on Dec. 12 following worship to wrap all the gifts.  If you would like to participate and can not get to the Church by the deadline to pick up a tag or can not make the 12^th deadline for delivering the present can contact me directly at sbohlender@cox.net. Click on the attachment to see a short movie!

NOVAM Christmas Ornament Sale:  Angel ornaments are on sale for $15 following worship. All proceeds benefit Northern Virginia AIDS Ministries. Makes a great gift!

Contribute Mind, Body, and Spirit-Summer 2005 Service Project:  There's so much need in this world, it's hard to know how to give or where to start. This year, consider throwing your time and talent into a service project in Beard's Fork, West Virginia. Join us next August for an intensive week of building, home repair, and education projects in this impoverished mining town. Volunteers of all ages can be very useful on all of these projects, regardless of skill and background. Interested? Watch this space for more details or see Cindy A. for details (cindalee8@yahoo.com).

SAVE THE DATE!  Equality Virginia Lobby Day January 13, 2005.  Details will come later, but the Stand Up For Equality Coalition (which includes MCC NOVA and numerous other Northern Virginia GLBT groups/organizations) will be scheduling some buses to provide transportation and lobby training.

SAVE THE DATE! Spiritual Retreat Save the date now! May 6-8, 2005. The next MCC NOVA Spiritual Retreat will take place at Sevenoaks Pathwork Center in Madison, Virginia, website http://www.pathworkmid-atlantic.org/. This takes into account the desires clearly expressed in the retreat survey that we hold the retreat in the Spring and try a different retreat facility. This may be the best retreat ever! You won't want to miss it.

 

▼

4. Spotlight on Ministry

Each week in Catch the Rainbow, we take time to say ‘Thank You’ to ministers in our congregation by focusing our “Spotlight on Ministry” that is being done by so many people in so many ways.  The following were recognized this month:

v      Special thanks to Jenny B. and Gail S. for their organization of our Thanksgiving Food Drive for F.A.C.E.T.S … and to all of you who so generously donated food.

v      Special thanks to Micah Ministries for hosting the reception for our community’s World AIDS Day service this week, to all of you who donated food, to Daniel for providing us with AIDS ribbons for last week’s worship, and to Miguel for the wonderful poster, flyers and pins.

v      Thanks to InCluesion for providing musical leadership for our worship Nov. 21.

▼

5. Important On-Going Activities

Sacred Places:  First Sunday of Each Month. Sacred Places is an evening meditative service designed to encourage individuals to explore sacredness &spirituality in ways that may be new to them. It is specifically designed to facilitate meditation on a selected topic. Our Creator has blessed us with many gifts. This is a time to reflect on them and all of their blessings.  Join us for a time of meditation and reflection. For more information contact Ginny Reed (703 648-9327).

Children's Ministry: Each Sunday. Children of all ages are invited to convene in the Children's Room for a special time together.  Children are released at the beginning of the sermon and rejoin our corporate worship in time to receive communion with their families.  Teachers and Teaching Assistants are working with children during this time to create meaningful and age-appropriate learning opportunities through exciting lessons and hands-on activities.  For more information about the children's ministry orto volunteer to teach or assist, please contact Sharon or Lisa Dravvorn.

Choir Practice: Tuesdays at 7:15 pm.  Join in the Song! You need not be a member of our church to sing in our choir. All are welcome to join in this ministry of musical praise and celebration. If you are interested on singing with the choir, please join us.  For more information contact Guy Lotrecchiano at 301 931-8764.

Congregational Care Team: Need someone to talk to? Would you like a visitor when ill? Or are you just looking for someone to be present with you? The Congregational Care Team is here for you. We are a ministry of Prayer &Presence for our community. If you have a need, or just need someone to listen, please contact any of the Congregational Care Team members listed in Catch the Rainbow or call the church office at 703-691-0930.  We are here for each of you, please call.

InCluesion: Thursdays, 7 to 9 pm.  InCluesion, the band formerly known as "Clueless" has come a long way in developing a different style of music ministry, ranging from folk to contemporary Christian. It is comprised of a variety of singers and musicians who wholeheartedly endorse the command to "make a joyful noise!" If you have a musical inclination you would like to share, or just want to come check out what the group is all about, drop by or call Gail Minnick at (703) 648-9327. Although most current members do, you need not play an instrument to come and sing with us. We hope to see you - and hear you! - soon.

Prayer, Praise & Abundance: Each Sunday at 9:30 am.  The group gets together each Sunday morning for a time of PP&A – Prayer, Praise, and Abundance! If you have a specific prayer need this week, or would like to offer praise for blessings and abundance - drop in!  Come and experience the power of prayer.  For more information contact Jeanne Bailey at 703 352-5426.

Sound Team Opportunity: We need volunteers to serve on the Sound Team, which monitors and adjusts sound for our worship services.  We know that all the knobs and buttons and lights on soundequipment can be intimidating for newcomers.  Don't worry ... we will provide training, and those with experience will work with you until you’re familiar with the procedures. Contact Peg at703-765-1161 or by email at pegwen@allvantage.com for more information.

Welcome Team: This ministry focuses on greeting folks when they enter, wishing them well when they leave the church, acting as a resource to answer questions, and encouraging people to feel comfortable at MCCNOVA. As a result, we create a friendly atmosphere, as well as, a home for those seeking shelter in their journey.  Each week volunteers spend a few minutes before and after service to make that personal contact. If you love people, meeting new folks, and enjoy interacting with our community, please come join this exciting ministry. For more information, please contact Leslie on Sundays, or call the church office at 703-691-0930.

Worship Assistants: The Worship Planning Team truly desires to have as many different people participate as leaders in our communal worship as possible. Each week, a schedule is put together of people to lead the call to worship, read scripture, lead prayers of the community, assist with communion by holding the elements or offering prayers of blessing, etc. We would love to add you to the list of worship participants! If you'd like more information or training on any particular aspect of worship, we will be happy to provide that as well.  Please see Rev. Kharma, or call the church office at 703 691 0930.

COMMUNION: SPECIAL NEEDS?
If you have any special needs to fully participate in our celebration of Holy Communion, please contact Rev. Kharma to discuss.

▼

6. Community Notes, Etc.

SEEKING ENTHUSIASTIC MINISTER OF MUSIC

As you know, Guy Lotrecchiano will be leaving MCC NOVA as our Director of Music as of 12/24 of this year in order to accept a call to serve another community. We are currently in the process of seeking a new minister of music to lead us into the future. If you know of qualified individuals, please contact the church office so that we can send them a full job description and invitation to apply. Also, if you are aware of appropriate locations to post this opening, please contact us for a job posting. For more information, see Rev. Kharma.

Rainbow Freedom Chorus Rehearsals

 

The newly formed Rainbow Freedom Chorus -- a group of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and allied singers from Northern Virginia -- will begin Fall rehearsals Monday nights from 7:15 - 9:00 pm in the MCC NOVA sanctuary. All who are interested are welcome to attend and join in the music making -- just show up and start singing! For more information or to schedule an audition (don't worry; not a big deal), contact the chorus director, Rev. Jeremy McCleod, at chorus@equalityfairfax.org.

Area PFLAG Gatherings (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays

1. Manassas --Bull Run Unitarian Universalist Church, 9350 Main St. Every 4th Monday at 7 pm. 
2. Reston --Washington-Plaza church, 1615 Washington Plaza (Lake Ann). Every 1st Tuesday, 7:30-9:30

▼

... AND FINALLY, AREMINDER:  The very latest news and information about MCC NOVA, as well as our ongoing calendar of activities and opportunities, can be found on our website at www.mccnova.com.  Check it out!  Seriously.

Please feel free to forward this to others who might be interested.  If you received this from someone else, and want to be on our email list, please send an email to MCCNOVACOM@earthlink.net with SUBSCRIBE in the subject or body of the email.  We welcome your feedback so that we can make sure we are meeting the needs of our community.

If you received this email in error or no longer wish to be on this list, please reply to this address with PLEASE REMOVE ME FROM THIS LIST in the subject or body of the email.

~ MCCNOVA ~

Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia

Stretching, Connecting, Celebrating...People on a Spiritual Journey

10383Democracy Lane, Fairfax, VA  22030-2505 

 (703)691-0930                http:\\www.mccnova.com

---

 (END)