Letter from Rev Elder Ken Martin

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to announce that on December 5, 2009, CRAVE MCC, Paddington, Australia, will become a fully affiliated member church of Metropolitan Community Churches.

CRAVE MCC was founded one year ago with a one year charter as a Mission under the auspices of MCC Region 1. In consultation with Reverend Elder Ken Martin, the founding leadership team, led by Reverend Karl Hand, Penny Davis and Natasha Holmes, agreed to spend one year addressing four Developmental Goals. They were:

• 1. Attract at least 35 new people to become part of your MCC Mission
• 2. Develop effective ministries that meet the needs of people in the community
• 3. Develop the Mission as an organization.
• 4. Prepare to offer excellence in public worship.

During the past year I have visited the church and have monitored progress of the developmental goals. On November 11, 2009. a final reveiew was conducted via Skype with the three leaders of the founding team and it is clear that the goals have been met.

Faithfully,

Ken

Reverend Elder Ken Martin
Metropolitan Community Church - Region 1
refkenmartin@MCCchurch.net

Welcome to CRAVE Metropolitan Community Church

CRAVE MCC is a church plant from Region 1 of Metropolitan Community Church. We started in November 2008 and continue to grow and expand. Our church is an independent Community in the denomination of UFMCC. We have strong relationships with other faith communities and ministries in Sydney, from various denominations.

CRAVE MCC @ Christchurch is a part of our community and shares the same pastor and Board as us. This relationship began officially at the beginning of 2009. They are an incredible community of believers who are growing and building networks in New Zealand.

"Recently, I was worshipping with CRAVE in Hawaii and I felt the spirit come over me in a way that had not happened in a long time. In that moment, I knew that the new, fresh and relevant voice of God was embodied in these young, vibrant people of faith. I believe that CRAVE is the beginning of a movement of God’s spirit that we have not seen in a very long time. I left my experience with them CRAVING the God of their understanding." Rev. Elder Lillie Brock

Imagine a faith community who love God and the rest of creation in passionate and reconciling ways:

Seeking the transforming grace of God to be all they can be.

Touching the heart of Christ through prayer, fellowship, scripture, sacrament and worship.

Living in the Spirit with integrity, purpose, and passionate outreach. Standing in the stability of a community committed to loving each other through the good and hard times in life.

An authentic, welcoming and inclusive community who believes that everyone is worthy of the Gospel. When they gather for services, it is with dynamic, inclusive and progressive worship, that inspires deep adoration of the divine. A vibrantly worshipping community that is evolved in their faith and unafraid of intelligent discourse about God and scripture. These creative expressions of worship, along with its inclusive nature are forging new frontiers in the Christian Church.

Proud of our MCC heritage, and working in co-operation with the broader fellowship, reaching out to UFMCC and particularly the Asia-Pacific region, to train and raise up strong Leaders equipped to re-create this emergent church expression. We work towards being a faith based social justice movement, who seek everyday opportunities to love and bring wholeness to a broken creation.

CRAVE MCC Core Values

• God and Creation; Word and Sacrament

• Health

• Kindness

• Wisdom

• Flexibility

• Integrity

Service times & locations

Services on Sunday’s @ 3pm at the Paddington Uniting Church, 395 Oxford St, Paddington.

Parking

Feel free to use the The Uniting Church Car Park @ 24 – 28 Gordon Street. Click here to see a map.

Public Transport

Paddington Uniting Church is on the main bus route to Bondi Beach. Check the Sydney Buses website for route times.

Crave Music

CRAVEMCC.com Music Memberships

We are getting closer to launching the Crave Music Memberships section of our site!

In 2009, you will be able to sign up to our member's section and download new songs with helpful resources such as mp3s, sheet music and more every month!

We will be offering yearly memberships for churches and communities worldwide who are eager to gain access to fresh & vibrant resources!

Crave MCC is a church passionate about Dynamic, Inclusive and Progressive Worship and we are dedicated to creating a platform for music that expresses these values. Already songwriters, musicians & artists are uniting together to launch a new freedom in the way we worship. In 2009 we will see the launch of more events to support these networks.

Check out the artists that support the CRAVE MCC music cause here and a list of recommended music links! You can also see some of our worship multimedia on YouTube!

To enquire about CRAVEMCC.com Music Membership, please contact Natasha.

The following resources can be dowloaded. Right click on each link and choose "Save target as"

UFMCC Resources Link
On Radical Inclusion (PDF)
Seeking Right Relationships (PDF)

Download Ben Myers preaching on "What Profits it?" from the 19th July Service

Download Pastor Karl Hand Preaching on CRAVE & Pentecost from Sunday the 5th June Service.

Download Pastor Karl Hand Preaching on Mary Magdalene's discovery of the open tomb from Sunday 24th May Service.

Download Reverend Elder Ken Martin Preaching on the Road to Emmaus from Sunday 17th May Service.

Religious

• UFMCC
• Crave MCC @ Christchurch
• MCC Melbourne
• MCC Good Shepherd
• MCC Sydney
• New Coast MCC
• MCC Auckland
• MCC Brisbane
• Imagine Baptist

• Gay Christian Network
• Freedom [2]b[e]
• Freedom [2]b[e] [youth]
• Uniting Church in Australia
• United Theological College
• Uniting Network NSW
• Acceptance(GLBT Catholic)
• Dayenu (Jewish GLBT group)
• Gay Church.org

Welfare

• Australian Psychological Association (Find a psychologist with Medicare rebates available)
• Financial Counseling (A free service)
• Lifeline
• Alanon
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Narcotics Anonymous
• Sydney Sexual Health Centre
• Salvos Community Services (Financial Assistance)
• Homeless Persons Info line - Toll free: 1800 234 566
• DoCS Domestic Violence Line - Phone: 1800 656 463 (24hrs, 7 days)
• Kids Help Line - Toll free: 1800 55 1 800
• NSW Rape Crisis Centre Phone: (02) 9819 7357 (Sydney metropolitan) Toll free: 1800 424 017 (24hrs, 7 days)
• Dympna House: Child Sexual Assault Counselling and Resource Centre Ph: (02) 9797 6733 (Sydney metropolitan)
  Rural Freecall: 1800 654 119 (outside Sydney metropolitan)
• Immigration Advice and Rights Centre Inc. Advice Line: (02) 9262 3833 (Between 2.00-4.00pm Tuesdays and Thursdays only) Admin Line: 9279 4300. If you need an interpreter, call 131 450
• LawAccess NSW Freecall: 1300 888 529
• Sydney City Council

GLBTQI

• PFLAG Australia (Parents And Friends of Lesbians And Gays)
• Twenty 10 (Queer youth organization)
• Gay & Lesbian Counseling Service
• Aids Council of NSW
• Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW Phone: (02) 9268 5544
• Domestic Violence in Same Sex Relationships Website
• The Gender Centre Inc. (02) 9569 2366
• Rainbow Babies: contact Kerry or Wendy on 9745 2990 or email Wendy
• Gay Dads Australia

Please note that CRAVE MCC does not endorse the content found on any of the above links and that they are provided only for your convenience.

If you find a dead link or would like to see a link added, please contact the Webmaster.

Crave MCC Home Groups.

To accomplish his mission, Jesus formed a small group community (Mark 3:13-14). Through out his three years of ministry, Jesus instilled within his small community a commitment to himself and each other. Christians need a community to help them develop into maturing disciples of Christ. Small groups are a helpful part of that community and process and are also an excellent way of building strong relationships with others in your church. Come join us as we spend time studying scripture, praying and sharing meals.

Home Groups are now operating within the following greater Sydney metropolitan areas and Christchurch NZ.

Location	Host	Testimony
Inner City	Russell & Bec	"It's exciting to find the desire for spiritual development alive in my fellow group members, because that provides me with a place for soul growth that I have long needed. Apart from this I am faith filled by the promise I have from God, in Ezekiel 36: 8-10, that this group will bear fruit; that people will come to us, be built up by God, multiply and rebuild the waste places of their lives."
Western Sydney	Ali & Jules	"The Westie home group gathers together every Tuesday over dinner to strenghten and encourage existing and new friendships within our faith community. As we explore the bible together, we listen and share our stories and come to know each other in more meaningful ways. We also have a HEAP of fun whether its kicking a ball around or having a swim on those hotter days! For those who are not always able to make it to the service on Sundays this is an awesome way of getting to know others in our community and feeling really connected to something special."
Northern Beaches	Karl & Mark	This is a relaxed prayer/study group with a spiritual mission – to support each one on their own journey with God. Join us as we cafe crawl, beach pray, and listen to God’s word in the Bible and in our lives.
Wollongong	Jemma & Annemarie	The Wollongong Home group gathers at our home every Saturday morning at 11am. The people who come to this group are from different faith backgrounds, but what we have in common is a desire for a deeper knowledge of Scripture, an intimate relationship with our God, and trusting, caring friendships. We love to go out to movies, meals or coffee together, and our door is always open to people wishing to join us.
Christchurch - St Francis Street	Marion & Pierre	We are a great bunch of people who get together every week to pray, study scripture & spend time together over coffee.
Christchurch - MOWing	John	The MOWing group meet weekly in Linwood over a cuppa and an occasional meal. Using the SOULSHIFT program as our base we're exploring our spirituality and seeking knowledge and growth. We are a group of people commited to seeking Christ’s heart and building great friendships with each other.
Christchurch - Thursday Thirsters	Valerie & Lola	“Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse” is for people who have been abused and oppressed by religion, have been hated and rejected by their own parents, family, and friends, and who have suffered under the whip of distorted and manipulated uses of the Bible to condemn, humiliate, and invalidate them.

Click on a hosts name to send them an email for more information about that group. Otherwise please contact our Ministry Leader Penny Davis for more general information about the church and home groups.

Kid's @ CRAVE

CRAVE MCC values children as special members of our community who are encouraged to participate in the life of the church. We are in the process of starting a Monthly Kids ministry which will involve parents and families in a creative and community space on Sundays before our services. Stay tuned for details. All kids and their parents/guardians are very welcome at our services and events.

Paddington Families

CRAVE MCC in partnership with Paddington Uniting Church and Paddington Children’s Centre is involved in the Paddington Families project. Paddington Families aims to build a supportive, nurturing community for families.

The following values are upheld by Paddington Families:

• Faith - being open to the positive value of spirituality in developing children, parents, families and communities.
• Inclusiveness - we have an inclusive definition of "family". We welcome all kinds of families, including single parent and same-sex couple families.
• Justice - we seek to make a better world, for ourselves and our families, for society, and the environment.
• Creativity - we encourage families, parents and children to enjoy and express themselves creatively, through music, movement, art and craft.

Paddington Families Activities

Every 2nd Friday evening @ 6.30pm we meet for a meal, discussion and children's activities. The discussions focus on topics of interest for parents and families, including parenting, social issues, creativity, sustainability and spirituality.

Every other 2nd Sunday morning @ 10.00am we get together for family activities and brunch. The activities are creative and fun for kids and parents, ranging from yoga, art and drumming to cooking. Families with children of all ages are invited to participate in either or both the Friday evening and Sunday morning groups.

Pastor Karl Hand grew up in an "old-school" Pentecostal background, where he spent his High School years focused on ministry. Since coming out at 21, he has done church in many different settings - from Evangelical to High Church, to living in Franciscan Community. Karl became involved in the CRAVE journey in early 2007 when he became the interim pastor of MCC Sydney. He is passionate about Jesus, people, spirituality and grassroots theology. He is the Senior Pastor of CRAVE MCC.

Click here to send Pastor Karl an email.

You can also call him on his mobile: 0425 220 635

Penny Davis is a candidate for ministry within MCC. Her role as ministry leader at CRAVE MCC includes pastoral care, leadership, worship coordination and administration.

Click here to send Penny an email.

You can call Penny on her mobile: 0402 676 372

Natasha Holmes is the music and worship leader at CRAVE MCC organising music teams, leadership and worship.

Click here to send Natasha an email.

You can call Natasha on her mobile: 0410 564 783

Spiritual Leaders info coming soon! Stay tuned!

Service Times & Location

Sundays, 3pm @ Paddington Uniting Church

395 Oxford St, Paddington

Parking

Feel free to use the Uniting Church car park

24 - 28 Gordon Street (see map below)

Public Transport

Paddington Uniting Church is on the main bus route to Bondi Beach. Check the Sydney Buses website for route times.

Map and Address Information

Address:

395 Oxford St

Paddington NSW 2021

(Paddington Uniting Church)

Postal Address:

PO Box 379

Paddington NSW 2021