Rev. Terri Steed’s homecoming filled us with joy and inspiration. You can watch videos from the weekend’s services here.

Videos

Saturday’s 7:00 pm Kick-Off Healing service
Sunday’s 8:45 am Jubilation worship service
Sunday’s 11:00 am Celebration worship service

Audio only Podcasts

Saturday’s 7:00 pm Kick-Off Healing sermon
Sunday’s 8:45 am Jubilation worship sermon
Sunday’s 11:00 am Celebration worship sermon

July 4th Picnic!

Come join us for our Fourth of July picnic after the Sunday Worship service. St. John’s will have a picnic full of food and fun immediately following the 11:00 am worship service. We will have hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, all the fixings, chips, potato salad, slaw, etc. and drinks provided for all.

Volunteers are welcome to bring their fabulous, delicious, delectable delicacies to share with everyone or to help set up and tear down. We welcome and appreciate all the help you can give! Signup sheets for volunteers and to let us know which items you would like bring are located near the Sanctuary entrances. We look forward to seeing you there!

For more information, contact Scott Driver.

Do you see those boxes of facial tissue at both ends of each pew in the St. John’s MCC Sanctuary? We try to make sure they are never more than a few arm lengths away from us – especially when Terri Steed is preaching. We have had a “Tissue Ministry” at St. John’s for a long time, but it has never been needed more than when Pastor Terri preaches.

You see, Terri was one of the women who earned her Master of Divinity degree with Languages from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in nearby Wake Forest in 1991 – a time shortly after power-hungry religious politicians first took over the school. She was one of hundreds of gifted and Spirit-filled women who were told that they could only serve a church as a pastor’s wife or children’s Sunday school teacher. There was absolutely no way that she would be granted a place in any church’s pulpit. That didn’t make any sense to Terri, because she knew she still loved Jesus and Jesus still loved her.

Terri grew up in a progressive and very active Southern Baptist church in northeast Charlotte called Midwood. Active as an infant because her parents were so involved, Terri became a vibrant part of the youth program and everyone liked her.

She felt a call to do something more in the effort of spreading the Gospel, so she enrolled with a full scholarship at Southeastern Seminary after her college education in Religion at Mars Hill, a Baptist college in western North Carolina. Since she wasn’t allowed to serve a church, Terri became quite an expert in the eye care field – working with one of the Triangle’s largest eye care providers.

On the third Sunday in November of 1994, someone invited her to see what was going on at St. John’s MCC. She summoned all her courage and walked inside the church’s doors. You know what happened then. She fell in love with the place, and she fell even more in love with Jesus.

Over the years and just as she did at Midwood, Terri became more and more involved in the life and work of St. John’s. She established and taught the original Topics at Ten Sunday morning bible study class beginning in January 1998. Terri was a noted facilitator in that class who was never afraid to let silence fill the room when people needed to think. During those classes, Terri continued to feel a tug from the Holy Spirit who continued to tell her, “There is more for you, my child!”

Former St. John’s Pastor Wayne Lindsey asked Terri to preach for the very first time on April 18, 1998.

When we needed a worship coordinator to help organize our worship services, Terri was a logical choice. She knew everybody and actually enjoyed recruiting people to serve. Even then, the Spirit kept saying, “You should be on the other side of a pulpit, Terri. You have a LOT to say for Me!”

Terri was given more opportunities to share her story, and more and more of her trusted friends affirmed her calling to pastor and preach. She finally gave in and admitted her calling to the Gospel ministry. On the first Sunday of 2005, she turned over her Topics duties to me – of all people, since I was such an infant in my spiritual journey at the time – and began exploring that call.

Terri did her Administration training at St. John’s and got more experience in preaching and ministry during her internship at New Life MCC of Hampton Roads in Virginia from October of 2005 through June of 2007.

During the summer of 2007 and in obedience to God’s demand, St. John’s MCC ordained Terri as a Minister of the Gospel through Metropolitan Community Churches. Since September of that year, the Rev. Terri S. Steed has served as Senior Pastor for MCC Charleston in South Carolina.

Scenes from Terri Steed’s Ordination at St. John’s MCC
(Click on above images to enlarge.)

When you come to the Praise Service that is a part of our Revival and Spiritual Awakening Weekend on Friday, June 18th, you’ll see Pastor Terri seated very near a box of tissue. Her gratitude for God’s love and power in her life will flow from her inmost being.

When you fellowship with Terri and all her friends at the Bowling Party at AMF Pleasant Valley Lanes on the following Saturday afternoon at 1:00, you’ll see how much fun a healthy life of loving Jesus can be. (Click here for advance ticket information and more details.)

When you come to the Healing Service that Saturday evening at 7:00 in the St. John’s MCC Sanctuary, you’ll feel God’s love pouring out through Pastor Terri directly into you.

And when you hear her story and God’s amazing message to us at the 8:45 and 11:00 Worship Services on Sunday morning, June 20th, you’ll know – without any doubt – why we have a Tissue Ministry at St. John’s. We will also have a Potluck Lunch immediately following the 11:00 service.

All of Pastor Terri’s friends will be there. We hope you’ll be there too. Don’t miss it. Invite a friend!

Welcome home, Terri!

Boxes of facial tissue are never too far away from anyone who worships at St. John’s.	Normally, one box of tissue sits on the aisle side of the front pew....
(Click on above images for closer views.)

To make sure ALL of Terri’s friends know about her homecoming this month,
we encourage you to email a link to this page to any friend who may not have heard.
Please click on the envelope icon  at the top of this article to send the link to them.

Everybody knows just how much our Senior Pastor loves bowling. Our Revival guest speaker, Terri Steed, has been known to roll a ball or two as well. This Saturday, June 19th, we’re going to find out just how much fun a bowling party with all of Pastor B’s and Pastor Terri’s friends can be! The Party will be at the AMF Pleasant Valley Lanes from 1:00 until 3:00.

If you have not purchased a ticket for the bowling event, you can still join us. There is no cost if you are not planning to bowl. If you would like to bowl, the cost is $5.50 per game (each game approximately 15 minutes) and $4.50 for shoe rental.

The AMF Pleasant Valley Lanes are at 5501 Commercial Avenue in Raleigh. That is close to the intersections of Glenwood Avenue with Duraleigh and Millbrook Roads. Click here for a Google map and directions.

Even if you don’t bowl, this is going to be one of the most fun events of the summer. Come and share in the friendship and fun. But, if you’re a bowler, let’s see what you’ve got!

Click here to add the Party to your Outlook calendar. See you there!

In the May 29th print edition of QNotes, the newspaper’s editors revealed that St. John’s MCC received the most votes, naming our church as the “Best LGBT-Affirming Faith Institution in the Triangle.” Our sister congregation in Durham, Imani MCC, was also honored.

You may review all the honorees included in The QList 2010 by visiting this link. A pdf version of the print edition is available by clicking on the issue cover on the right or by visiting the GoQNotes.com website.

Thank you for your faith in us to keep spreading the message of God’s love to all people as we Live OUT Loud in our worship, our work, and our witness.

Rev. Terri Steed is Coming Home!

After three years away from us, our own Rev. Terri Steed, who is now the Senior Pastor at MCC Charleston in South Carolina, will return to St. John’s MCC to lead our weekend of Spiritual Renewal and Revival on from Friday through Sunday, June 18th through 20th.

On Friday, June 18th, we will start the weekend with a special music service beginning at 7:00 in our Sanctuary.

On Saturday from 1:00 until 3:00, we’ll go bowling at the AMF Pleasant Valley Lanes, 5501 Commercial Avenue in Raleigh. The alley is close to the intersections of Glenwood Avenue with Duraleigh and Millbrook Roads. Tickets for 2 hours of bowling for $10 (which includes shoe rental) are available beginning Sunday, March 30th. Tickets for the event must be purchased by June 13th. Please see David Ray or Fred Cannady for tickets and more details.

Later, on Saturday evening beginning at 7:00, Rev. Terri Steed will lead in a revival healing service in the Sanctuary.

Then on Sunday at 8:45 and again at 11:00, Pastor Terri will preach at both worship services. A pot luck lunch follows the 11:00 service.

Make plans now to be at all of the weekend’s events.

Morning Workshop: “Reconciling Sexuality and Spirituality”
Afternoon Workshop: “Proposed MCC Strategic Plan”

Five MCC congregations sent representatives to the first NC/SC Network Gathering on Saturday, May 15th. The staff and members of St. John’s MCC served as hosts to leaders from Imani MCC of Durham, MCC of Winston Salem, MCC Sacred Journey of Asheville, and MCC Charleston as the festivities began with worship at 9:30 am.

The Rev. Elder Ken Martin discussed the New Strategic Plan for the MCC which will be considered during the denomination’s triennial conference to be held at the end of June in Acapulco, Mexico. The Rev. Elder Martin answered questions raised by the Network’s churches during the afternoon session.

Following morning worship and before the lunch break, the Rev. Elder Martin led a workshop that challenged our Network to lead the way in “Reconciling Sexuality and Spirituality.” His presentation to the Network – the first of several workshop seminars on the subject – helped us understand how flesh and spirit became thought of as two separate human entities that are purportedly at war with one another. After helping us identify the damage that the flesh/spirit duality causes, he then helped us imagine how we can help God restore in us the unified human that God created us to be.

To hear the Rev. Elder Ken Martin’s presentation on Reconciling Sexuality and Spirituality and view pictures from the Gathering, please click Read More….

We honored 21 mothers who worshiped at St. John’s MCC
on Mother’s Day Sunday, May 9, 2010.