MBCC Blog

Wednesday Word: Cycles

Today Abby and I spent the morning shopping at IKEA getting the needed furnishings for our upstairs area at 32 Ocean Avenue. Now known as "The Living Room" and "The Office" respectively, the place is starting to take shape!

As she and I traversed the aisles planning shelving, dreaming about what things may look like and otherwise helping to create a sense of home for the MBCC crew, I was reminded more than once of the very same trips done throughout the life of MBCC as we have moved, grown and matured as a community.

And as proud as I am about the $10 steal we got the in the scratch-n-dent section - see pic - I am most proud of our ongoing willingness to follow God's calling upon our lives and risk moving and growing into new stages of our life together.

While this move to a different setting, neighborhood and time certainly seem like huge shifts in our life, the next transition is even more exciting and profound.  In a few months, Mission Bay Community Church will become an officially chartered congregation in the Presbyterian Church (USA). 

What?  What were we before, you ask? 

Well, officially, we were a "New Church Development" a fellowship that was given support and safety lines so we could form a community of people committed to serving Christ through a particular congregation.  Now that we have moved to a place where we can set some roots, we are getting close to fiscal stability and we have a good critical mass for growth, we think we are ready.

So . . . on December 14th at our service, we will be chartered, Elders will be ordained, I will be "installed" and we will, from that time on, be an officially recognized congregation.  Whew . . . a ton of church-ese there, and functionally not much will change, but there is something about this step that says we are continuing to grow, mature and I trust, grow into who God hopes us to become.

There will be plenty of time to talk about what this means, answer questions, etc.  so if you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and/or contact me.  I'll be posting more about this as we move into this new phase of our life together.

Peace all

Yelp is no longer on notice ;-)

This past Sunday, we had at least two newer visitors attend because they had seen our reviews on Yelp.com.  One of the premier ways that folks find services and activities in the city, the MBCC listing has, what I think are some compelling and honest reflections and reviews about MBCC.  Imagine our surprise when we tried to change our address and soon our listing showed up as "Business Closed".  Eeek.

Well, all is right in the world again as today Yelp Support sent me a note saying that they took care of our address change.  So THANK YOU Yelp crew . . . now if we could just get them to add "The Excelsior" to their list of neighborhoods . . . for another day.

And if you have not yet left your review, if you have a few moments, please do!

The stretch'ish run

So . . . we are getting there slowly but surely with getting settled at MBCC.  But . . . there are plenty of small projects that need to get knocked out if you can spare an hour or two this week: day, night, whatever.  Bruce is in town for the next two weeks, Abby is here all day on Wednesday, so BRING IT ON and lets get this bad boi finished!

This week feel free to come on by . . .

• Monday after 6:00 [Contact Bruce - eMail or Twitter]
• Tuesday AM and after 6:00 [Contact Bruce - eMail or Twitter]
• Wednesday after 1:00 [Contact Abby]
• Thursday?Friday TBA

Thanks to so many who have put so much time in already.

Jesus says, "Come and follow Mii"

The Fall New Members Class is set to begin. We hope you will join in.

Once again, we will be holding a three-week course on exploring involvement in MBCC and possibly even becoming members of it. Each week the classes will be held before worship. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend one or all three. Here are the details:

Time: 4 - 5:20 pm
Location: Education Building (behind 32 Ocean Sancutary)
Dates: Sundays, November 2, 9, and 16

Themes:

Nov 2 - Wii Want You at MBCC: Explore what makes MBCC what it is and why people are drawn to it.
Nov. 9 - How Can MBCC Include Mii?: Find ways to be involved in the life and ministry of MBCC.
Nov. 11 - Mii + MBCC = Wii: Discover if membership at MBCC is right for you.

For more information or to sign up for the classes, please email Leslie - leslie at veen dot com

Candidates Forum, Congregational Meetings and the Romans

Hope everyone is doing well this crisp cool Monday morning.  Once again, thanks to those who have been helping out so much with our transition into 32 Ocean Avenue as well as getting many of our systems up and going so we can run smooth like butter ;-)

A few links for your Monday AM perusal.

DISTRICT 11 CANDIDATES FORUM

We are now located in District 11 where there is a wide open race for supervisor.  The Excelsior Action Group, the local neighborhood association is hosting a forum on Thursday, October 23, 7:00-8:30 and the Mission YMCA.  For more information please contact cristy@eagsf.org or give her a call 415.585.0110. Confirmed candidates include: John Avalos, Mary Goodnature, Eli Horn, Randy Knox, Myrna Lim, Julio Ramos and Ahsha Safai

CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 - Please mark your calendars for a few important dates coming up that are important to the life of MBCC.  First, on November 2 we will be having a brief congregational meeting to talk about our relationship with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and our ongoing movement towards becoming fully self-sufficient and a chartered congregations.  I know a lot of church-talk, but we'll explain more on the 2nd.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14 - If the way be clear from denominational offices, MBCC will be recognized and chartered as an official congregation in the Presbyterian Church (USA).  At this service we will ordain elders, I will be "installed" as the permant pastor and a gret deal of other Presby pomp will take place.  And while for all intents and purposes this will not change the way we engage in being church, it is a step forward in our life as a congregation.

"PEACE . . . OH SHUT-UP"

For those at church this Sunday, here is the clip I used as we explored Matthew 22:15-22 and what we give back to Ceasar.

CROP Walk this Sunday! 1:30 PM 10/19/08

CROP Walk is this Sunday!  Get sponsors (or sponsor yourself) and walk around Crissy Field to raise funds for SF Food Bank, SF Interfaith Council, and Church World Service, to fight hunger both locally and worldwide.  MBCC is set up as a team.  See www.cropwalksf.org for more info.  If you can't join us at Crissy Field, the www.cropwalksf.org website has an online donation link in the lower right corner.  (Select the MBCC team.)

Here's a special offer for the MBCC Community!  The first 10 persons who contact marc@missionbaycc.org to register for this walk (free, and no minimum fundraising) will get a free CROP Walk tshirt at the event!  This collector's edition tshirt shows MBCC and the other sponsors of the walk.  If you are not one of the first 10 to respond, we have some tshirts still available for $10.  Contact marc@missionbaycc.org if you have any questions.  Register now and join us on Sunday!

Wednesday Word: Home

[more pics from our first Sunday]
While we know that the church is not about the building, the setting or even the time . . . let's be honest, many were a tad bit nervous about this new endeavor of moving over to 32 Ocean Avenue.  And while one service does not a pattern make, I was unexpectedly touched by the feel and tone of our first service.

Not only did Nick and crew get the sound system installed in record time, but Abby and the rest created a space that both felt authentic to MBCC's mojo and at the same time honored the traditional space in which we now live. 

And while I certainly loved our last space, I found myself feeling like this was home.  Our blend of heritage and innovation felt genuine and true to who we are as a community.  Taking place after spending the day at the Excelsior Street Festival engaging the surrounding community more than ever at 1040 Mariposa, this day was a gift, a reminder and a marker for a new day in the life of MBCC.

If you were not able to make this first service, please do come on by this Sunday @ 5:30 for service with a potluck mean to follow.  If you are going to bring something, please contact ABBY.

Getting a little closer each day

First, mucho kudos to Abby, Nick and Shannon who have been putting is some good time here at 32 Ocean Avenue to get us unpacked.  Things certainly are moving along.  Nothing ever goes as smoothly as we hope, but Shannon has all of us so organized that we have bought some time to deal with the unexpected.  While I do feel a little guilty about not being as involved in this move as i would like, when I got back from my trip to Salt Lake City this evening I made a beeline to 32 in order to get some time in and start my own unpacking  my little corner of the MBCC Administrative area.

There is till plenty to do, unpack, sort, get the sound system set up and oh yes, start having our worship services again!  Hope that you will be able to be part of the ongoing transitions.  Again, this Sunday come on by starting around 11:00 through the rest of the days to pitch in.  [MORE INFO]

Goodbye 1040 Hello 32

This is a video put together as MBCC leaves 1040 Mariposa and begins a new life at 32 Ocean.  And yeah, we did go there. "Packing up the dreams . . ."

Wednesday Word: NKOTB

[image: timo7151]

This Sunday MBCC officially begins its life in the Excelsior District as we get settled into our new home at 32 Ocean Avenue.  As I think about this transition, I wonder how we will do as the new kids on the block - no, not those NKOTB - and start building relationship without new neighbors.  I remember those first days of school when the new kid walked in.  Sometimes the new kid was bold and just started talking to folks and sometimes that first appearance was filled awkward stares, nervous glances and inevitably the one kid who takes a chance stood up and showed the new kid around the school. 

As we begin our time in our new community, we will need to be both that bold kid that makes the first gesture of friendship as well as the one willing to be shown the ropes.  As we enter into a new community we must both be confident that this is where we have been called to live and humble enough to let those in the community take our hand and show us the ropes.

One way to begin this journey is to join us for the Excelsior Festival that will take place this Sunday from 11:00-5:00 right in front of 32 Ocean Avenue in the Persia Triangle.  This will be a great opportunity to see what is happening in the community, meet our neighbors and spend a great day outside in SF!  MBCC will also have a booth, be handing out information and generally meeting people in the community.  We will follow that celebration with a brief World Communion Service at 5:30 in the sanctuary.

Hopefully folks can spend the day with us either hanging out at the booth and/or continuing the unpacking process.  If you can take a booth shift, please contact Bruce and if you want to spend a few hours helping to unpack, contact Abby.