1401 Travis St
Wichita Falls, TX 76301
Phone: 940-322-4100
E-Mail:
Web:
Dear Friend,
Greetings from Wichita Falls Metropolitan Community Church!
Wichita Falls MCC is a growing community of faith serving the needs of people in the Wichita Falls, Texas area who struggle to find a place to worship with authenticity and full acceptance of who they are. We are a church that does not discriminate against any person who seeks to join us on this journey of full relationship with our Creator. In addition to offering worship services on Sundays, we are proud of our outreach through youth programming, seasonal spiritual development opportunities, and service opportunities throughout the year.
Our building is available to local community groups, and we host seasonal program activities such as self-improvement classes, and prayer circles. Over the years, we’ve developed quite a reputation for not only being a haven for the marginalized in our community, but also a community so dedicated to inclusion that any person or family may find welcome.
You may not be aware that our church is also in need of your help and support.
Our close-knit community has resiliently survived the absence of (ordained) pastoral leadership in six of the last ten years. This has both formed a truly dedicated group of lay leaders who attend to the outreach and community of our church, and created a challenge to our future growth economically. Knowing that a pastor-led church tends to be a growing church, our Board of Trustees and Pastoral Search Team sought out, interviewed, and guided the larger church community in calling myself, Rev. Melanie Martinez, to our church. I began service in January 2012, and through regular membership classes and a 40% increase in programming, we have seen an increase of 12% in one calendar year to our covenanted (and generous) membership!
There is still much work to be done, however, and our church is in need of help from the community we live in and serve to do it. In order to fund additional programming available to the Wichita Falls community – such as spiritual development classes, studies of theology and scripture, youth outreach, missions and service – as well as to fund the improvements to our facilities - such as roof repairs, air conditioning repairs, painting, and structural repairs - we are asking you to consider investing in this church’s vital presence in Wichita Falls.
Our goal is to raise an additional $50,000 to support our budget needs for April 2013 – March 2014 (our fiscal year). I hope you will become one of ten generous benefactors for our church, by offering a gift of $5,000 to this cause on or before April 1, 2013. Your participation is welcome as a one-time gift, or an ongoing yearly pledge while this community recovers and reclaims our role in the spiritual leadership of Wichita Falls. In return, you will receive regular updates as to our progress, have a voice in the trajectory of outreach and programming through consult with the Pastor and Board of Trustees, enjoy a regular check-in with me as pastoral leader, and, of course, receive the gratitude and inclusion of this faithful community of believers which you are welcome to make your own.
In addition, your participation in this fundraising effort will be presented to our congregation at our yearly meeting, March 24, 2013, in order to further motivate our lay leadership by assuring our members and friends that we do have community support for our work. If you’d prefer to give anonymously, we will honor that request, as well.
In a secular community where attention to marginalized people is hostile, whether they are…
-Individuals suffering the effects of bullying at work and school,
-Those identified (correctly or incorrectly) as “gay” and are discriminated against or abused,
-Persons struggling under the weight of economic downturns,
-Among those suffering with illness (such as HIV, AIDS, cancer, etc.) without health insurance or proper care,
-Couples living within an interracial loving relationship or marriage,
-Children who are loved and supported by variant family groups,
…the presence of an all-inclusive, welcoming church such as ours is necessary and part of the command of Christ to “love our neighbor as we love ourselves.” With your help, we hope to embody the gospel of love and grace and inclusion that Christ gave us as example.
Your ongoing support of the mission of Wichita Falls MCC is deeply appreciated. If you have questions, concerns, or just want more details about this important community of faith and how your gifts might help, please contact me at or via telephone at 940-322-4100.
Sincerely,
Rev. Melanie Martinez, M. Div.
Wichita Falls Metropolitan Community Church