2009 Fellowship Sunday Bulletin Insert - English - Eu

SUNDAY MCC Leadership Programs that will benefit from your gifts include: ■ Training for Interim Pastors ■ Lay Leadership certificate program ■ Spiritual formation and discipleship curriculum ■ REVM's (Readiness to Enter Vocational Ministry retreats) ■ Seminary partnerships and scholarships ■ Leadership mentoring programs

2OO9

Building Up Local Leaders in the Human Rights Church!

Dear MCC Friends and Family: Greetings this Fellowship Sunday! Each year on this day we reflect on the deep connection that sustains us, especially in challenging times, and we receive and dedicate a special offering to build up a core MCC ministry in the year ahead. This year, we are asking all MCC churches to support the work of our Office of Formation and Leadership Development globally. MCC is only as strong as our local churches; and our local churches are only as strong as the leadership they attract and develop!

Training for Interim Pastors “The most important part of the Interim Ministry program is the intentional nature….it provides a beginning, middle and end for the support of congregations in transition. …It gave me access to training and a framework and provides me with mentoring that empowers and encourages me to accomplish the tasks and goals as an Intentional Interim Pastor. The program benefits me as clergy and most importantly continues to benefit participating MCC congregations for many years beyond a pastoral leadership transition. The Interim Ministry program is a win-win for congregations, clergy and the denomination as a whole.” Rev. Rachelle Brown Interim Pastoral Leader at MCC Illiana

I believe with all my heart that there is not a country on earth, or even the smallest city, that could not sustain a healthy, vibrant MCC that we can all be proud of—the only thing we need is leadership—lay and clergy leadership. Forty years ago, MCC was celebrating its first anniversary, never dreaming that in 2009, people in China, Pakistan, Colombia, Jamaica, Gary, Indiana, Halifax, Nova Scotia and Melbourne, Australia would embody the future of God's radically inclusive love through MCC! We can do anything if we provide our leaders with the best possible tools and teachers. Thank you for giving generously. Grace and Peace,

Rev. Nancy L. Wilson Moderator

Tearing Down Walls. Building Up Hope.

1-866-HOPE MCC www.MCCchurch.org

2OO9

Building Up Local Leaders in the Human Rights Church!

From Rev. Dr. Mona West, Director of the Office for Formation and Leadership Development Blessings this Fellowship Sunday! Today I invite you to hear the stories of people just like you and me who are making a difference in the lives of our congregations because they are already involved in training programs we offer through the Office for Formation and Leadership Development. With your help today, we will create and strengthen the core programs MCC needs to sustain current leaders and raise up a new generation of leadership for MCC. Interim ministry training, REVM, CLM and our long planned lay ministry certificate program will all benefit from your vision and generosity. Read the stories. Be inspired. And give generously this Fellowship Sunday. Thank you!

Readiness for Entering Vocational Ministry Interim Ministry Program “I went through the introductory intentional interim training program which was a good foundation and provided excellent resources. … The interim pastor seeks to facilitate the congregation coming to terms with an honest assessment of their past, identifying the triumphs and acknowledging the grief and wounds. … Struggling with the past can be one of the hardest and most beneficial parts of the interim process. Once the congregation is relatively free of the ‘this is the way we have always done it’ syndrome, the interim pastor facilitates discussions about what this congregation would like to be in the next year, five years, and even ten years. Part of the visioning process is to assess the community needs and desires around spirituality and social justice issues. We also explore how we are connected with MCC and through MCC the rest of the world.”

“REVM Slumber Falls introduced me to the beautiful spiritual diversity of our MCC family but also to the unique opportunities we have in our ministries in MCC to reach those who have been marginalized and left behind. I learned at REVM that we never lose the potential to learn from each other and build each other up as we become more spiritually disciplined. On a practical level, REVM de-fogged the ordination process for me, equipping me with an explicit ministry action plan that outlines all of the vocational, educational, and denominational requirements I need for ordination in MCC.” DeWayne Davis MCC DC and REVM participant

Rev. Bob Bond, Intentional Interim Pastor, Safe Harbour MCC, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Leadership Mentoring Program

Creating A Life That Matters “CLM prepares you for leadership in MCC and in life by opening your eyes, your heart and your spirit to clarify and identify your relationship with God, yourself, and your ministry.”

“Mentors are a bridge from where we have been in ministry to where we are called to be. Mentors are companions who remind us of the gifts we bring and how to share them in new ways in MCC. Mentors walk with us, talk with us, pray with us and dream with us. Mentors sit with us at the Table, break open the bread of life, and show us that God is making all things new.” Rev. Joe Cobb provisional pastor at MCC of the Blue Ridge in Roanoke, working with the Would Jesus Discriminate? campaign

Marie Tasker Member of MCCLV (Las Vegas) Board Member, CLM Facilitator (for full testimonials, log onto www.ofld.mccchurch.org)