From: UfmccHq@aol.com Date: Thu, 1 Apr 1999 14:57:15 EST Subject: Press Backgrounder: UFMCC World Jubilee & General Conference From the News Service of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches PRESS BACKGROUNDER UFMCC International General Conference To Be Largest Gay Spirituality Conference Ever WHEN: July 11-17, 1999 WHERE: Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles, CA HIGHLIGHTS: -- 30th Anniversary Celebration of UFMCC -- Dedication of UFMCC World Centre Headquarters -- International Emphasis -- More than 60 Workshops and Seminars -- Gay and Lesbian Film Festival -- Extensive Children's Program -- Four All-Day Institutes -- Opportunities for International Networking GUEST SPEAKERS: Rev. Dr. Jimmy Allen Dr. Jimmy Allen is past President of the sixteen million member Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Dr. Allen is author of Burden of A Secret, subtitled "A Story of Truth and Mercy in a Family Faced with AIDS," in which he describes the death of a daughter-in-law and two grandsons due to complications from HIV/AIDS. Rev. Yvette Flunder The Rev. Yvette Flunder serves as Senior Pastor of the City of Refuge Community Church in San Francisco. This congregation combines powerful gospel ministry with Christian social action. Under the leadership of Rev. Flunder, City of Refuge has established three residential facilities for persons with HIV/AIDS, including the first-ever residential facility for African-American women living with AIDS. She also serves as President of the Black Adoption and Research Placement Center and President of the Northern California-Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ. Dr. R. Stephen Warner Dr. R. Stephen Warner is a professor of sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a past president of the Association for the Sociology of Religion. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Dr. Warner has taught and lectured at numerous colleges, seminaries and universities, and has served as a consultant to many organizations including the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Lilly Endowment. FOUR PRE-CONFERENCE INSTITUTES: Four intensive programs will be presented immediately preceding the World Jubilee. The cost for registration is $25 (US) per person for each Institute. --Becoming A Better Community Organizer This Institute offers advanced leadership skills for those experienced at working in the community, but who want to increase their effectiveness and expand the scope of their work. The program is led by David Fleischer, Senior Fellow of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute (USA). July 10 all day --Asian & Pacific Islander Outreach Institute This Institute, led by Rev. Elder Hong Tan, presents an opportunity to claim an exciting vision for outreach to Asian and Pacific Islander brothers and sisters. It includes both worship and workshops led by MCC Asian and Pacific Islander church leaders. July 9 evening, July 10 all day --Families Together: Children's Ministry Institute This one-day program will provide an opportunity for children and their special adults to discover some of the best of what MCC has to offer. It's a hands-on adventure to experience church together as children and adults. July 10 all day --Building Effective Teams For Ministry Team ministry seeks to maximize the creative potential of all individual gifts and talents towards achieving an agreed upon goal or objectives. Led by Senior Pastor Tony Freeman, this Institute will feature the successful team approach to ministry developed in MCC San Diego. July 9 all day, July 10 all day WORKSHOPS More than 60 workshops will be offered throughout the week to foster personal growth, encourage leadership development, provide resources to support local ministry and activism, and promote inclusive spirituality. For a complete list of workshops and the latest detailed information update, check out the World Jubilee section of the UFMCC's Website at http://www.ufmcc.com FOR PRESS INFORMATION, CONTACT: UFMCC Communications Department 8704 Santa Monica Boulevard, 2nd Floor West Hollywood, CA 90069 Tel: (310) 360-8640, Ext. 226 Fax: (310) 360-8680 E-Mail: Communications@ufmcchq.com (END) ============================================================== From: UfmccHq@aol.com Date: Mon, 29 Mar 1999 13:06:16 EST Subject: UFMCC World Jubilee and General Conference Celebrate A Jubilee of Joy! UFMCC World Jubilee and General Conference July 11-17, 1999 . Los Angeles, CA NEWS FLASH! Early registration fee extended to May 1! Join the Celebration! The 1999 UFMCC World Jubilee and General Conference Nineteen will be held at the beautiful landmark Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on July 11-17. The celebration will begin on Sunday morning in West Hollywood with the joyous dedication of the UFMCC's new World Centre and "mother" church, Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles. On Sunday evening, the magnificent ballroom of the Bonaventure will be filled with joy as a global convocation of thousands gathers in worship to celebrate 30 years of powerful witness and ministry. The week is packed with opportunities for worship, workshops, featured speakers, special events and even a few surprises. Don't miss this joyful Jubilee filled with inspiration, information and insight! Special speakers Rev. Dr. Jimmy Allen Dr. Jimmy Allen is past President of the sixteen million member Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Dr. Allen is author of "Burden of A Secret," subtitled "A Story of Truth and Mercy in a Family Faced with AIDS," in which he describes the death of a daughter-in-law and two grandsons due to complications from HIV/AIDS. Rev. Yvette Flunder The Rev. Yvette Flunder serves as Senior Pastor of the City of Refuge Community Church in San Francisco. This congregation combines powerful gospel ministry with Christian social action. Under the leadership of Rev. Flunder, City of Refuge has established three residential facilities for persons with HIV/AIDS, including the first-ever residential facility for African-American women living with AIDS. She also serves as President of the Black Adoption and Research Placement Center and President of the Northern California-Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ. Dr. R. Stephen Warner Dr. R. Stephen Warner is a professor of sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a past president of the Association for the Sociology of Religion. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Dr. Warner has taught and lectured at numerous colleges, seminaries and universities, and has served as a consultant to many organizations including the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Lilly Endowment. Workshops More than 60 workshops will be offered throughout the week to foster personal growth, encourage leadership development, provide resources to support local church ministry, and promote inclusive Christian spirituality. For a complete list of workshops and the latest detailed information update, check out the World Jubilee section of the UFMCC's Website at http://www.ufmcc.com Pre-Conference Institutes Take advantage of the opportunity for in-depth training in specific areas, as well as networking with those having similar ministry interests. Four intensive programs will be presented immediately preceding the World Jubilee. The cost for registration is $25 (US) per person for each Institute. --Asian & Pacific Islander Ministry Institute This Institute, led by Rev. Elder Hong Tan, presents an opportunity to claim an exciting vision for outreach to Asian and Pacific Islander brothers and sisters. It includes both worship and workshops led by MCC Asian and Pacific Islander church leaders. July 9 evening, July 10 all day --Families Together: Children's Ministry Institute This one-day program will provide an opportunity for children and their special adults to discover some of the best of what MCC has to offer. It's a hands-on adventure to experience church together as children and adults. July 10 all day --Becoming A Better Community Organizer This Institute offers advanced leadership skills for active clergy and lay leaders experienced at working in the community, but who want to increase their effectiveness and expand the scope of their work. The program is led by Mr. David Fleischer, Senior Fellow of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute (USA). July 10 all day --Building Effective Teams For Ministry Team ministry seeks to maximize the creative potential of all individual gifts and talents towards achieving an agreed upon goal or objectives. Led by Senior Pastor Tony Freeman, this Institute will feature the successful team approach to ministry developed in MCC San Diego. July 9 all day, July 10 all day Special Events An Opening Reception will be hosted by the hotel following the Sunday evening worship service. Enjoy meeting MCC friends from around the world as you view a spectacular sight of the city at night from the rooftop pool side plaza of the Bonaventure. A Gay/Lesbian Film Festival will feature some of the best gay/lesbian films of the twentieth century. Each film presentation will be followed by a discussion period. Celebrate a Festival of Tribute on Friday at a delightful soiree n the style of Hollywood to honor notable excellence and accomplishments important to our movement and community. The Junior Jubilee Children of all ages will love the Junior Jubilee. The daily program will include age-appropriate opportunities to learn about worship and the special ways in which children can participate. Children will be able to express their creativity at the on-site ceramics studio at the Bonaventure. All children will be able to experience two off-site adventures as well, including a day trip to Olivera Street which features the special Mexican heritage of Los Angeles, and to the Kids Museum of Los Angeles. Older children will visit Universal Studios. The cost of the Junior Jubilee is $50 per child with a maximum of $150 per family. These costs include all activities, except food and special purchases. Child Care Infant care will be provided for children aged birth to 2 1/2 on-site by a professional bonded childcare agency. The cost for infant care is $150 per child for the week. Trip to Disneyland Saturday 17 July, 3:00 PM Have fun under the sun, moon, and stars at Disneyland! We will ride, play, and have a gay old time from afternoon through evening, and then close down the park with Fantasmic! at night. Busses will leave the Bonaventure at 3 p.m. on Saturday, 17 July, and return at 1 a.m. Use the reservation form provided with your World Jubilee registration confirmation to reserve your space. No reservations accepted after June 15. Admission only $29 per person ($39 value) Transportation only $21 per person Full Package $45 per person Travel and lodging American Airlines is offering special air fares for the UFMCC World Jubilee. To make reservations, call 1-800-433-1790 (U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada) or contact your local American Airlines Reservations Office. You must provide the appropriate UFMCC Authorization Number when making reservations to receive the special fare. For travel originating within the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada, the UFMCC Authorization Number is 7079US. For travel originating within all other countries, the UFMCC Authorization Number is 7279US. All taxes, fees, and charges (and any related penalties and interest) imposed on any portion of passenger's travel are the responsibility of passenger, regardless of the date of purchase or travel, or any retroactive imposition of such taxes, fees, charges, penalties, and interest. A special hotel room rate is available at the Westin Bonaventure for reservations made prior to June 10, 1999. The rate is $89 (US) plus 14% tax per night for single/double occupancy; an additional $25 per extra person. Hotel guest parking with in/out privileges costs $18.50 per day. To receive this special rate indicate the reservation is for the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches' conference. For reservations call Westin Central Reservations at 800-937- 8461 or The Westin Bonaventure at 213-624-1000. NEWS FLASH! Early registration fee extended to May 1! More information: For more information on the schedule, workshops, special events, guest speakers and other features of the World Jubilee/General Conference visit the World Jubilee section of the UFMCC Website at http://www.ufmcc.com. OR contact: UFMCC 8704 Santa Monica Boulevard, 2nd floor West Hollywood, California 90069 USA Phone 310 360-8640 FAX 310 360-8680 REGISTRATION FORM (Fill out one form per person) Name: ____________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________ State/Prov _________________ Country ________________________________ Zip/PC ____________________ Phone (Day/Evening) ________________________________________________ Email ____________________________________________________________ Church Attended: ___________________________________________________ Services Requested: _______ Sign Language Interpretation _______ Child Care _______ Spanish Language Interpretation _______ Other If you will attend business sessions of the General Conference please check one appropriate following category. Pre and post-general conference business materials will be sent to the address above and are included in registration fees for delegates and official observers only. _______ Clergy Delegate (UFMCC credentialed clergy with an active license to practice) _______ Retired Clergy Delegate (Retired UFMCC Clergy) _______ Lay Delegate (UFMCC Commissioned or Chartered Church Lay Delegate) _______ Lay District Coordinator, Lay Elder, or Lay Coordinator of Church Extension _______ Alternate Lay Delegate _______ Registrant _______ Official Observer (Delegate of New Work/Special Ministry, Interim Pastoral Leader, Clergy Candidate) _______ Other: ________________________________________________ Clergy and Lay Delegates only complete the following local church information: _____ Chartered Church _____ Commissioned Church _____ New Work _____ Special Ministry Number of official delegates: _____ Clergy _____ Lay Registration fees: Fee includes all plenary sessions and workshops, General Conference business sessions and Jubilee events. Only one discount may be applied. Early Registration (postmarked by April 15) $205 Late Registration (postmarked April 16 through June 1) $245 On-Site Registration (at the Bonaventure Hotel) $265 Group Registration $195 each (Four or more from one MCC congregation; must be sent in together) [Mail in registrations will not be accepted after June 1, 1999] General Conference business materials for non-delegates $45 Youth/Young Adult Discount Subtract $40 Outside USA Discount Subtract $40 PAYMENT OPTIONS: _____ Check or money order made payable in US Funds to "UFMCC World Jubilee" _____ Visa _____ MasterCard _____ American Express Card Number: _______________________________ Exp Date ___________ Signature: ______________________________________________________ Please send payment with this form to: UFMCC World Jubilee 8704 Santa Monica Blvd., 2nd Floor West Hollywood, CA 90069 Fax: 310-360-8680 Please send information and forms for: _____ Volunteer Opportunities _____ Resource Expo _____ Scholarship Form _____ Formularios de Registration en Espanol _____ Children's Registration and Child Care _____ Music Ministry (END)