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Rev. Ceejay Ordination - Quezon City

MCCQC Affiliation

Ken Martin at Union Theological Philippines Campus

UT Seminary Professors

MCC’s 2011 Easter Offerings for Global Ministries

Welcome to our annual MCC Easter Offering, this year to be used for Global Ministries.

This is a wonderful opportunity for local congregations throughout MCC to receive a special, designated Easter offering to strategically advance MCC’s international ministries.

Our denominational goal for 2011 is to raise a minimum of $30,000 USD through local church Easter offerings!

UPDATE: Results of the 2011 Easter Offering!

In a time of economic uncertainty, MCC churches really came through this year for our annual Easter Offering!

65 churches gave $30,713.17 and 17 individuals gave $1,934.19 thus far to support key global projects:

• Reprinting a key publication on homosexuality and the Bible and human rights in Russian
• Supporting participation in the very first LGBT Christian Conference in St. Petersburgh, Russia
• Stepping up our support for LGBT activists and faith activists in Uganda, who are fighting for basic human rights, and whose lives and well-being are threatened; and providing safe space on the ground for the work to continue
• Providing training, support in a month-long on site program in the Philippines, designed to take our ministry there to the next level, as they become our base for connecting with groups all over Asia in the next several years.

Without your help, these projects would flounder and have to be curtailed or postponed. People in each of these countries are counting on us to understand the urgency of their needs, and their passion for ministry. We are so grateful that because of you, we could say “YES!” this year.

What is the Money Used For?

This year’s offerings will be invested in the following three ministry areas:

– (1/3) One-third of the offering will be used for the ministry of MCC’s new Global Justice Institute, in general, and to open MCC’s first safe house in Uganda, where LGBT Christians and activists face ongoing persecution.

– (1/3) One-third of the offering will be used to extend MCC’s ministry in Russia by supporting two vital projects. MCC published the first and only booklet in Russian on homosexuality and the Bible, theology and human rights issues. The first printing went quickly; now only two copies are left. MCC’s 2011 Easter Offering funds will be used to update and reprint this resource. Also, Russia’s first-ever LGBT Christian Conference will take place in St. Petersburg, Russia, in September. MCC Easter Offering funds will supplement grants we have received to insure that our leadership can train and inspire the many new groups and activists Russia.

– (1/3) One thrid of the offering will be used in follow-up to last year’s first-ever REVM in the Philippines, MCC’s Asia Pacific Initiative is sending a ministry team there for a month to support churches, leaders and new ministries exploding across the Philippines. To date, all funding for these efforts has been raised entirely by donors – this year we want to give MCC churches the opportunity to support our anchor efforts in Asia.

How to Participate

Participation is as easy as one-two-three!  MCC’s Easter Offering is taken in by our participating local church communities.  We will update the list of participating churches on this page as time progresses.

Local Churches…
If you are a leader in a local church, follow these steps to particpate!

1. Contact your pastor and board of directors to affirm your church’s participation in the 2011 Easter Offering.  (Let us know you will be participating by emailing us at Easter@MCCchurch.net.  DON’T FORGET to include your church name, city and state/province, and pastor name!)
2. Decide on the date(s) on which your offering will be taken up and collect your church’s contribution.
3. Send your offering in to MCC!  (Make sure to note “Easter Offering” on your check!)
   Send to:  Metropolitan Community Churches  |  MCC Easter Offering  |  PO Box 1374  |  Abilene, TX 79604

Local churches will receive updates and resources as part of their participation.

Individuals…
If you are interested in giving to the Easter Offering, but are not a member of a participating local MCC church, you can still participate!  MCC utilizes the low-cost donation options at PayPal to receive donations online.  You may donate online now or utilize our participating Pacesetter churches to give to this year’s causes.

Donate online:

 

 

Donate through a Pacesetter Church

1. Locate a participating MCC church by using the banner at the top of this page (click on the image for the church you wish to participate with) or the list on the right (click the corresponding link) and note their mailing address.
2. Send your contribution, payable to the local church name, with “Easter Offering” in the note section.
3. Notify the local church that your portion of the church’s Easter Offering is on its way!

This Easter season, you and your church can make a profound difference in our world through MCC’s 2011 Easter Offerings for Global Ministries.

Easter Offering Pacesetter Tools

Use the following downloads to enhance your talking points and encouragement to participate in your MCC Easter Offering!

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Preview the presentation available for download above online!

Offertory Sentences
For MCC’s Easter Offerings for Global Ministries

Offertory Sentence 1

As we prepare to give our offerings for God’s work around the globe through MCC, hear these words of the psalmist, as found in Psalm 24:1: The earth is God’s and everything in it; the world, and all who live in it!

Offertory Sentence 2

As we prepare to give our offerings for God’s work through MCC’s global ministries, remember the story of a young nun by the name of Teresa, who dreamed of building an orphanage in Calcutta. “How much money do you have?” asked her superior. “Three pennies,” answered Teresa, at which her superior scoffed, “What can you do with just three pennies?” “With just three pennies, nothing,” Teresa replied. “But with God and three pennies, we can do anything.”

Offertory Prayers
For MCC’s Easter Offerings for Global Ministries

Offertory Prayer 1

God of life and hope,

As we prepare to join our hearts and hands
with our fellow MCC congregations around the world
to receive our annual Easter Offering for MCC’s Global Ministries,
we pray You will bless our gifts,
that they might:

– Advance our vital work in the Philippines,
home of MCC’s anchor ministries to the continent of Asia;

– Support MCC’s life-saving work in Uganda,
where our brothers and sisters live with the daily reality
of persecution, violence and the threat of death;

– Provide urgently needed resources in Russia,
where LGBT people hunger for MCC’s message
of spiritual faith and social justice.

By our gifts,
through Your power,
with Your blessing,
may our sisters and brothers around the globe
experience the hope of the resurrection
as they carry out your calling in our world.

Offertory Prayer 2

God of Jesus, God of love and peace and resurrection life:
We lift our hearts in prayer.
We ask Your blessing upon ministries and lives
in the Philippines, Uganda and Russia that will be touched
by our giving through MCC’s Easter Offerings for Global Ministries.

We pray… for all in Uganda
who bring Your word of love
as a light to those who daily live
with persecution, violence and death.

We pray… for our sisters and brothers in the Philippines
who bring Your word of peace
to all who seek spiritual freedom.

We pray… for all in Russia
who bring Your word of life
to those who hunger
for the hope of Jesus’ resurrection.
God of love,
Lord of peace

Jesus of resurrection life:
May You be revealed in our giving,honored by our generosity,
and made known through our gifts.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

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