All posts by Our Beloved

June preachers at Beloved, Sunday nights at 6

As Beloved continues our search for a pastor, we will welcome incredible guest preachers from our community to share wisdom, guidance, and encouragement for our lives.

Join us Sunday evenings at 6 pm for the message, the company of Beloveds, and the music of our own Beloved Community Orchestra!

Sunday, June 5th, 2016: Rev. June Boutwell, Southeast Conference Minister of the United Church of Christ

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June began her ministry with Southeast Conference in March 2014 bringing experience in local church ministry in Maine, Oregon, and California. Her hope is to listen to as many stories as she can about individuals and churches in the Conference and to explore where the Spirit is leading us in our mutual ministry. She will join us to celebrate our 16th anniversary!

Sunday, June 12th: Rev. Bud Precise
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Bud is an ordained UMC minister with dual Standing in the UCC as the former Pastor of Pilgrim Church UCC. He currently serves as their director of Christian Education. Bud will share the Lord’s Supper. All are welcome!

Sunday, June 19th: Father’s Day Cookout + Rev. J.R. Finney

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Rev. J.R. Finney is pastor of Covenant Community Church UCC in Center Point, AL, our sister congregation. CCC and Pastor J.R. have been the subject of an award-winning documentary entitled The Congregation.” His ministry philosophy is “To lead our LGBT and progressive community in a faith that builds healthy, wholesome relationships with God through Jesus Christ that makes a practical difference in the daily living of their lives, proclaiming loudly ‘the inclusive love of God without the guilt of religion.'”


Sunday, June 26th: Rev. Carolyn Foster

carolynRev. Foster is a deacon in St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Birmingham, and also serves as the Faith in Community Coordinator with Greater Birmingham Ministries. She coordinates the interfaith Alabama Faith Council and also organized the recent Moral Revival in Birmingham. Her favorite quote is from Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “In God’s family, there are no outsiders, no enemies.”


Join us Sunday nights at 6 pm or Wednesday nights at 7 pm – all people are welcome and all people are celebrated as Beloveds.

 

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99 Films presents Bastards of the Party, Thursday, June 28th, 7 pm

Bastards of the Party is a 2005 documentary film produced by Alex Demyanenko and directed by former Bloods gang-member Cle Sloan.

The film explores the creation of two of Los Angeles’s most notorious gangs, the Crips and the Bloods, from the perspective of the Los Angeles community. The film also denounces gang violence and presents meaningful solutions from former gang-members to stop this problem.

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99 Films are presented by Birmingham Institute for Social Change and Magic City Agriculture Project. These films are chosen to inspire, critique and educate the public about racial justice and community development.

RSVP and more info on Facebook.

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Beloved’s 16th Anniversary Celebration Sunday, June 5th

A celebration of our Beloved Community in our 16th year. Featuring fantastic gospel, R&B, and sacred music. With special guest preacher Rev. June Boutwell, conference minister for the Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ.

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All Beloveds new and old are welcomed to join us for a celebration of word, music and song, followed by a potluck supper.

Featuring musical guests David Sea of the Temptations Review, Gold record artist  Roscoe Robinson, Christ Will Enter In, LeNard Brown of the Controllers, Leah Clements and the Beloved Community Orchestra. (Below: photos from last year’s anniversary!)

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See you there, Beloved!

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Guest preachers this month at Beloved: Sunday nights at 6

As Beloved continues our search for a pastor, we will welcome incredible guest preachers from our community to share wisdom, guidance, and encouragement for our lives.

Join us Sunday evenings at 6 pm for the message, the company of Beloveds, and the music of our own Beloved Community Orchestra!

Sunday, May 1st, 2016: Rev. Brandon Harris

Rev. Dr. Brandon Harris serves as Senior Pastor for our neighboring Avondale UMC. A Birmingham native and an Auburn grad, Rev. Harris helped our church when we needed a home after the tornado destroyed our roof in 2014. Rev. Harris will soon be moving to Rainbow City FUMC, and we are glad to have one last chance to hear his message for us.

Sunday, May 8th: Jennifer Sanders
This Mother’s Day, join us to celebrate women who impact our lives: mothers, godmothers, aunties, stepmothers, leaders, teachers, mentors, nurturers and friends. Join us to celebrate the amazing women in our lives! We hope you will join us with an important woman in your life.

Sunday, May 15th, 6 pm: Rev. Kelley Hudlow

An Episcopal deacon and Director of Community Relations with our neighbor The Abbey, Rev. Kelley also serves as chaplain of the Alabama Iona Ministry School for bi-vocational priests, lay leaders and deacons.


Sunday, May 22nd, 6 pm: Hector Black

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An activist against the death penalty, Hector will share his powerful story about his daughter’s murder, a story of hope, anger, acceptance, pain, forgiveness and friendship.Read more about Hector here.

 


June 29th: Rev. Rodney Franklin

Rev. Dr. Rodney Franklin is pastor at First Congregational UCC in Birmingham, which is Birmingham’s oldest congregational church, founded in 1882! He will preach on the “Faith of an Outsider” found in Luke 7:1-10.

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April preachers at Beloved: Sunday nights at 6 pm

As Beloved continues our search for a pastor, we will welcome incredible guest preachers from our community to share wisdom, guidance, and encouragement for our lives.

Join us Sunday evenings at 6 pm for the message, the company of Beloveds, and the music of our own Beloved Community Orchestra!

Sunday, April 3rd: Rev. Katie Nakamura Rengers

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Rev. Rengers is associate rector for outreach and young adults at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. You may have seen her in action at The Abbey, our neighboring coffee shop, or during our recent Palm Sunday processional!

Continue reading April preachers at Beloved: Sunday nights at 6 pm

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Holy Week and Easter at Beloved: Join us Sundays at 6 pm!

Beloved is welcoming a series of guest pastors during this holy season.  We are also celebrating in several joint services with neighboring congregations, including fellow UCC churches, for many holy week observances.

We hope to see you Sunday nights at 6 pm – and throughout this holy week – to share in the message, music and joy of Beloved!

Continue reading Holy Week and Easter at Beloved: Join us Sundays at 6 pm!

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Beloved Community Church seeks pastor

Beloved Community Church (UCC) is an open and affirming, vibrant church comprised of mission-oriented congregants in Birmingham, Alabama. Our small, diverse congregation is honored and proud to serve as sanctuary for people who have not felt at home in traditional churches while encouraging people from all walks of life to grow in relationship with one another and with God.

We welcome all people who join us in worship as our Beloveds and have a regular attendance of approximately 40 people. Sunday evening worship includes inspiring pastoral teaching and soulful music from our Beloved Orchestra followed by food and fellowship.

Whether it be through our Care Team Ministry that provides support for congregants in need, our Brown Bag Ministry that feeds 50+ families each month, our Family Promise Ministry that helps provide food and shelter for homeless families, or our willingness to stand in solidarity with immigrants seeking better lives, Beloved cares about our congregants and our community in word and deeds.

We are looking for a teaching pastor, who is informed and responsive to community needs, able to coordinate and energize lay leaders to fulfill mission responsibilities, able to maintain administrative duties and assist in growing the church, all while embodying our Beloved Community Church covenant:

With the help of God

We will walk together

In the ways of Jesus,

Creating a community

And striving for a world

Where no one is an outcast

And no one is a stranger,

Where all people are

Celebrated as precious children of God,

Where we joyfully share

With one another

Hope for the living,

Comfort for the dying,

Dignity for those in struggle,

And freedom to ask and to

Seek and to grow more fully

Into the persons

We were created to be.

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February preachers at Beloved (6 pm Sunday nights)

As we search for a new pastor, we will hear from guest preachers each week. Please stay tuned to our email newsletter for weekly updates on who will be preaching and what all is happening at Beloved Community!

Sunday, February 7th: Rev. Chris Hamlin

Sunday, February 14th: Mark Kelly

Sunday, February 21st: Rev. R.G. Wilson-Lyons

Sunday, February 28th: Rev. Dollie Howell Pankey

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99 Films Presents Gaining Ground: Tuesday, Feb. 16th, 7 PM

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On January 19, we screened “Holding Ground: The Rebirth of Dudley Street.” This is the followup of that award-winning documentary about community vision, struggle, and change in the Roxbury Neighborhood of Boston. We will continue the discussion about the development of one of the most successful community land trusts in the nation, and how the City of Birmingham can learn from Dudley Street.
Led by Susan Diane Mitchell, founder of Birmingham’s first ever community land trust, the Dynamite Hill-Smithfield Community Land Trust.

Magnolia BBQ and Fish will have a hot dog stand out front.

$5 suggested donation.

RSVP and more info on Facebook.

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What’s Ahead for Beloved: 2016 Ministry + Mission

Dear Beloveds,

Last night we said farewell to our Beloved pastor Angie Wright, and we are so thankful for all of you who were able to be there with us. For those of you who missed it, we will be sharing the video soon.

We will have the following guest preachers over the next month. We hope to see your face, hear your voice and give you a warm embrace!

Sunday, January 17th: Jennifer Sanders preaching
Sunday, January 24th: Sally Harris preaching
Sunday, January 31st: Leah Clements preaching

 

The ministries and work of the church are still run by lay leadership including church council and care team. The church and its people will continue our mission while the search committee goes about its business of finding a new pastor.

Below, we have listed 3 ministry opportunities at Beloved: Care Team, Family Promise and Brown Bag ministry. These opportunities span every day of the week and most hours of the day – so everyone should be able to find some hours in the week that might work for you. With the upcoming Martin Luther King Day of Service, this week is a great time to connect and commit yourself to some of these opportunities.

Continue reading What’s Ahead for Beloved: 2016 Ministry + Mission

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