MBCC Blog

get your social justice on!

"Our (working) definition of Social Justice: 

    v.   a process, not an outcome, which 

    (1) seeks fair (re)distribution of resources, opportunities, and responsibilities; 

    (2) challenges the roots of oppression and injustice; 

    (3) empowers all people to exercise self-determination and realize their full potential; and 

    (4) builds social solidarity and community capacity for collective action."

The UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare is hosting a free and open-to-the public event to raise awareness of social justice issues and inspire people to act for social change through action-oriented workshops. 

The event will be held on Saturday, Feburary 6th at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. Click here for more information or to register. You can email Megan with any questions.

 

where my girls at?

Attention all Ladies of MBCC!  It's not too late to sign up for the annual Women's Retreat at Westminster Woods!!

The Woods is a PC(USA)-affiliated summer camp in Sonoma County, about an hour-and-a-half drive North of San Francisco.  Nestled among beautiful trees, rocks, and streams, the Woods is a perfect setting for reconnecting with God, nature, yourself, and your fellow LoM (Ladies of MBCC).

A group of lovely LoM will be attending the January 29-31 retreat led by Rev. Gail Doering. The theme is "Soul Food: Nourishment for the Mind, Body & Spirit." There is no doubt that it will be a weekend of fun, fellowship, music, the great outdoors, delicious food, and Jesus!! Can it get any better? I don't know if it can.

Don't miss it! Click here for more information and to register!

Making ministry real at the Excelsior Community Food Pantry

    

Last Saturday I had the privilege of FINALLY being part of the Excelsior Community Food Pantry that MBCC folks have been organizing the past six months.  Along with people from Ocean Avenue PC and some other churches and groups, this ministry has been gradually picking up steam and energy.  

The day was filled with great meaning for me as I simply participated in the well-oiled machine that is the ECFP.  I reveled in watching a few of our young folks find joy in the experience as they helped carry, sort and distribute food; I was touched when folks I knew personally came through the line bridging the awkwardness of the moment with a hug; and I was moved by the general sense of gratitude and thoughtfulness that everyone had in doing this important work in the community.

As I reflect on the big picture of this part of what we do as MBCC in this part of San Francisco, I do not forget that there are larger systematic issues that we must confront when it comes to issues of economics, hunger and the working poor, but I am also reminded that there is a great deal of power that will come from communities gathering together to distribute food, compassion and presence. 

For the small part that we are doing, I am grateful.

And now the ask . . .

• YOUR TIME - We would love to have more people involved and even to have a group take over a Saturday or two.  While there would be a good deal of work to be done, the SF Food Bank would LOVE LOVE LOVE for us to go weekly.  We are hopeful that we could do this, but only if we can guarantee the people-power to make it happen.
• YOUR MONEY - It takes less than $3.00 to feed each family.  Yep, three hundred buckaroonees,  a $300 donation, basically feeds 100 families for the week.  So, above and beyond what you would also give to other organizations and your church, please consider making a designated gift to the Food Pantry.

Here is the info that you need to make a difference:

• To volunteer, ask questions, be part of the Steering Committee etc: foodpantry at missionbaycc dot org
• To donate online (one time of regularly): eGive
• To donate via check/corporate matching:
  Mission Bay Community Church
  ATTN: Food Pantry
  32 Ocean Avenue | San Francisco CA 94112
• on Twitter: @ecfp
• on Facebook: FB Group

Lastly to those who, out of grappling with God's call on our collective lives, really helped this thing get off the ground and continue to provide energy as the ministry expands, thank you.  You know you who are!

Help . . . why is it so hard to ask for?

[image: blue out]

Greetings all.  I trust folks are doing well.  I am blogging from Montreat, North Carolina where I am on a three week blended vacation and moderator travel trip. 

Yeah . . . we'll see how that goes ;-)

In any case, I was thinking this week, as I scrambled to get some things done before I left, that I have a hard time asking for help . . . and I am pretty sure I am not alone.

In our culture of independence and self sufficiency, asking for help has got to be one of the most difficult things to do today.  Sure, we have friends, family and church community, but for some reason when it really gets down to it, we too often try to handle all of life's burdens on our own.

Dear Body of Christ, "Cut it out!"

Churches throughout scripture remind us that at the core of our being and living as the Body of Christ, we are to care for one another as well as the stranger.  Sure, sometimes this may turn into ONLY caring for ourselves, but too often I think we sometimes forget HOW to care for ourselves at all.

Now as I said,  I am not one to talk.  As much as anyone, I like to do things on my own, muscle through struggle and plant the flag at the top of the accomplishment mountain as much as the next person, but that is not what we are to be about.  Sure, we each follow God in our lives, but sometimes - more than we would like to admit - we can and shouldn't try to take everything on ourselves.  When we do, we will fail and in the process may do more damage than good.

So . . . as put together as we may sometimes want to seem at MBCC, sometimes we need to ask for help: help with the physical, the emotional and the spiritual parts of our life.

So, if you need some help.  Please ask. Your community will respond.  That's a big ol' reason we are here.

Have a great week!

Inspiration From Other Marchers

The weather cooperated today, so there was a huge crowd to cheer us on as we marched in today's SF Pride Parade.  In back of us was the contingent from Glide, so we had great music to accompany us the whole time.  An ordained minister from the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination served us Communion, as no PCUSA peeps were available to do it.  Also behind us was the Lutheran contingent and their Bishop, and the Episcopalian contingent and their Bishop, to show support from their respective denomination's leadership.

What was really inspiring in our contingent was the we had a marcher using a walker the whole route, and a marcher using a wheelchair the whole route.  We had lots of press coverage, because the press wanted to show the dedication and determination of these marchers.  No excuses!  Since I was one of the Contingent Monitors who had taken the safety training, I was up in the front of our group to ensure the safety of these two marchers (we did not want the walker leg to get caught on the metal grate of the subway ventilation shafts, for example).  Both marchers easily completed the whole parade route with us.  Truly an inspiration!

March with Presbyterian Peeps

As most of you already know, unlike past years there is no separate Presbyterian contingent in this year's SF Pride Parade, but we are marching with a multi-denominational group called United in Spirit.  And right after us will be Glide UMC, followed by the Lutheran and Episcopal bishops.  (No, PCUSA does not have bishops or popes!  You thought we did/  Make them march with us!)

Join us this Sunday at noon.  We are assembling on Beale St. between Folsom and Bryant Streets. Look for Contingent #205.  Be sure to use sunscreen and carry water (no glass) because it will be hot while we are waiting our turn to march.  See you there!

March in next weekend's parade?

As you know, sadly there is no PCUSA contingent in this year's SF Pride Parade for the first time in many years.  However, I am pleased to announce that we just got a new opportunity to march this year as part of a multi-denominational contingent that has marched for over 10 years.

Through the PANA and CLGS programs at PSR, we've been put in touch with the multi-denominational group called United in Spirit.  I contacted the minister organizing that group, and we are all invited to not only march, but also carry banners of our respective religious organizations.  You can check out http://tunyurl.com/unitedinspirit which is the link to their Facebook page.  It's lots of fun, and great publicity for the participating churches, because it's the biggest parade in SF.  Parade administration expects over 200 contingents marching this year.  Contact me marc@missionbaycc.org if you are interested in marching with us.

Also, don't forget to register onto our Presbyterian team at AIDS Walk San Francisco.  We need the registrations in advance in order to get a team table assigned to us, to use as a gathering place, and alsoto use for the BBQ that our team has after the walk.  www.aidswalk.net/sanfran --> register --> join a team --> join an existing team --> Presbyterians  is the link for online registration.  There is no registration fee.  We will have a display table at Tuesday's Presbytery meeting and a representative from the AIDS Walk office will be present for part of the meeting.

Staff transitions at MBCC

Dear MBCC Members and Friends,

Greetings.  We hope you are doing well.

We wanted to write to you today to let you know of some recent developments regarding the MBCC Pastoral Staff Team.  Effective June 15, 2009 Tiffany will no longer be serving as Pastoral Assistant for Music here at MBCC.  Tiffany has been on staff at MBCC for a few years now and has served with great care and devotion after the departure of our previous Music Pastor.  At this point however, due to our fiscal realities and Tiffany's own workload, we have agreed that this is a good time for a transition in this aspect of our ministry to take place.  Over the summer, Tiffany will take well-deserved break from direct leadership as she too transitions into what God may have in store for her ministry here at MBCC in the future.

Again, we are thankful for Tiffany's ministry and hopeful for where God may be leading us all in the future.   If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Bruce or Katina.

Peace,
The MBCC Session

Update on MBCC's 2009 Finances

Friends and Members of MBCC,

Cutting to the chase, as many of you know, like many places in the world, we are having to adjust to recent economic realities and struggles.  Below is a recap for those that were not able to attend the congregational meeting on Sunday.  Keeping in mind the energy and movement that has taken place where over the past few months in our new space, there is cause to be optimistic about our future, while at the same time being responsible with the funds that you all have given to the ministry.

A little recap of the meeting . . .

This past Sunday we had a congregational meeting to discuss our year-to-date finances and budget forecasting for the year.  MBCC's budget is available at [2009 MBCC INCOME and EXPENSE].  During our conversation, we were reminded that our congregation has faced tough times financially before.  We were also reminded that God is faithful, God does miracles, and that we should pray for the following situation. 

A recap of where we stand financially . . .

Big Picture
From a cash flow perspective, we started off the year with about $17,000.  We now have around $9,000 in cash.  In terms of income and expenses, at the end of April, we were at a deficit of $8,389.   This deficit arose because, although our expenses are coming in under budget, our income is also coming in well under what we had budgeted.  The major shortfall in our income comes from offering.  At the end of April we had hoped to receive around $40,000.  Instead, we have received under $25,000.  Roughly speaking, every week, we are collecting about $1000 less than we had anticipated receiving. 

How Did We Get Here?
Two reasons:  (1) 2009 has been a less than stellar year for the global economy and (2) we moved.  When we created the budget for 2009, we were operating based on income figures from past years.  This has been a tough year for markets worldwide and for many people in our congregation.  In the process of relocating to Ocean Avenue and switching to an evening service, some people who had been attending our church did not make the move with us.  Both of these factors had an impact on our offering income, which we haven't been able to recoup.

Where Do We Go Now?
If you have not yet pledged to MBCC but plan to start giving, plan to start giving later in the year, or plan to increase your giving, it would really help us to know about your plans so we can factor them into our budget.  If you have done so already, please consider giving through our secure online service [eGive], fill out a pledge card next time you are at church or e-mail Katina with your plan.

Also, Session is meeting on May 19 to take stock of our situation and re-budget.  If you have feedback, ideas, concerns, please, e-mail Katina.  Session will discuss your insight and your thoughts would be very much appreciated!

If you have any qusetions, please contact Katina or Bruce.

And they gathered, broke bread and slurped soup

[image: sonicwalker]

One of the best parts about our new location and time is the Community Meal we share every Sunday night after worship.  This has been a time for us to connect, welcome in new folks and take the time for conversation and fellowship.  With kids running around, food smells wafting and cleaning done together, this is but one image of what it means to be the body of Christ called the church.

But of course these things to not happen on their own.  There is some energy, fiscal and human, that must be put into the organizing of the meal. Here is where YOU come in and a few ways you can help to keep this important part of the MBCC experience alive.

Hilary White has been working hard to keep the dinner schedule up today, so if you are interested in any way to help provide a mean, please contact Hilary [hilary@missionabycc.org].

HOST A SUNDAY - This is by for the most exciting option in that we need folks to help host the Sunday Meal. There is no set menu or expectation of culinary genius, only that you provide/organize the sustenance around which our community gathers.  The general rule in terms of amount is about the equivalent of six frozen lasagnas and three gallons of soup, plus any dessert, salad, etc.  People have done a variety of things from simple to extravagant.  Heck you can just take "Pasta Night" and remind folks to bring sauce.  We are basically grateful that someone else has cooked ;-)  And please do not let money stand in your way, if you need to be reimbursed, simply let us know and we can do that.

MAKE SOUP - It takes about six gallons of soup to adequately feed this ornery bunch, so if you are feeling particularly motivated and can make three gallon rations of soup, we can use that to supplement meals when we need to.  IF you do this, just bring it up to the Living Room, mark it and put it in the freezer.

DONATE $$ - It costs about $100-$150 per meal if staff must go out and buy food for the meal.  Sometimes this must  be done, but if you would like to sponsor the costs of a Sunday meal, please feel free to drop a check in the offering basket or make a donation via eGive and note "Sunday Dinner" somewhere on the payment.

POTLUCK SUNDAY - Every last Sunday of the month is POTLUCK, so bring your favorite yummies to share with the crew!

Again, if you have any questions as all or want to take someting one, please contact Hilary [hilary@missionabycc.org].