News

Bishop's Connectional UMVIM Trip to Fiji

It is Monday, Oct. 17. Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr. and 25 others are on a connectional United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) trip to Fiji. Christopher Klein writes: The sweet sound of soft song enfolds us from behind – honored, as we always are, with the first row. We await the start of morning service back at Centenary. This "Lotu" is for the office staff and nearby ministers. The men and women now sing in call and response. It will be another full day...

UMCOR Relief Supply Kits Are Needed Now

By Phil Bandy Interim Director, CA-NV UMVIM Office The distribution of United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Relief Supply Kits has been successful this year. The sad news is that many were in great demand because they were shipped to assist people in crisis from the many disasters this year, and now supplies are running out. Brian Diggs, Director at the UMCOR West Depot, says, "We need kits and supplies of almost every type." He will be restocking the warehouse this winter...

Western Jurisdiction UMVIM Mission Strategy

By Phil Bandy Interim Director, CA-NV UMVIM Office The Western Jurisdiction has developed a United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) strategy. It includes: offering more local projects; urban ministry projects; and projects specifically for youth.  In recognition of the power that risk-taking mission brings to congregations, UMVIM is creating a series of projects that offer to double the impact. Focusing the UMVIM experience on our own congregations offers the...

Haiti Plan Changes, Job Opportunity

Phil Bandy, coordinator for United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) for the California-Nevada Annual Conference, has announced some changes to the Haiti Relief Plan. Small volunteer teams (4 to 6 persons) are now being authorized to go to Haiti. (In the past, only large teams of 7 to 10 people were allowed.) Small teams need $2500 to qualify for a matching grant; large teams still require $3500 matching funds.    Youth groups are now invited to go to Haiti, as well. The...

Lodestar Mission Experience, Sept. 12-16

By Cynthia DeLand Lynnewood UMC "We are small, but we are mighty," as our leader, Steve Elliott, said. Six of us from three Tri-Valley United Methodist churches spent five days working on the two top maintenance items at Camp Lodestar, one of two retreat centers for The United Methodist Church's California-Nevada Annual Conference. Our team consisted of Donna Lundquist from San Ramon Valley UMC, Cynthia DeLand from Lynnewood UMC, and Dick Crawford, Steve Elliott, Roger Everett, and...

Mountain Circuit VIM Team Helps Fill Gap in UMCOR Kit Donations

By Scott Wylie Pastor, Susanville UMC On September 1, five volunteers from Susanville United Methodist Church – joined by Elsie Wesley of Greenville UMC – will embark on a mission trip to the United Methodist Committee on Relief's "UMCOR West" Office and Depot in Salt Lake City.   After delivering some cleaning buckets and more than 100 school kits (destined for children from Joplin, Missouri to Minot, North Dakota to Africa), these Volunteers in Mission will...

Register Now for Volunteer in Mission Early Response Team Training in August and October

Register now to attend one of the following Volunteer in Mission (UMVIM) Early Response Team training events: August 27, 2011 (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church 902 Danville Blvd. Alamo, CA 94507   October 15, 2011 (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) Pinole United Methodist Church 2000 San Pablo Avenue Pinole, CA 94564   The mission of an early response team is to provide a caring Christian presence in the aftermath of a disaster. Taught by authorized United Methodist...

Two Volunteer in Mission Team Leader Training Opportunities Available

Register now to attend one of two upcoming UM Volunteer in Mission (UMVIM) Team Leader Training classes: Saturday, August 13, 8:30 – 4 p.m., at Pinole United Methodist Church, 2000 San Pablo Ave., Pinole, CA 94564 Saturday, September 17, 8:30 – 4:30 p.m., at Hope United Methodist Church, 6161 Valley High Dr., Sacramento, CA. 95823 The United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) program grew out of a desire to put faith into action. Thirty years of wisdom...

Conference UMVIM Teams Plan Return to Japan

By Phil Bandy Interim Director, CA-NV UMVIM As a result of recent planning meetings in Japan, future United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) team leaders from the California-Nevada Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church are making plans to return to Japan for disaster response. A small planning and assessment team traveled to Japan May 9-20, 2011 and met with various people involved in the Church's disaster response after the early March earthquakes and tsunami.    ...

UMW Takes to the Road to Serve

By Judy Church CA-NV UMW The UMW (United Methodist Women) of the California-Nevada Annual Conference is taking its focus on serving others literally to the road!   If you've wanted to have a short term mission experience, this one will suit beginners as well as seasoned volunteers. Sixteen team volunteers (to be formed through the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, or UMVIM, office) will travel to Salt Lake City September 2-10 to spend five days in a mission setting. At...

New Blog Post From Japan Assessment Team

The assessment team from the California-Nevada Annual Conference which travelled to Japan on May 9 will be blogging at intervals during their trip. The Rev. Motoe Yamada has posted the group's first entry.   To follow the team's reflections, visit http://cnumc.org/blogs. (To locate specific posts, click on author's name.) And while you're there, read the Haiti blog posts from Julia Hastings!...

Cal-Nev Team Heads to Japan on Monday

On Monday (May 9, 2011) a three-member team from the California-Nevada Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church will travel to Japan to assess needs in the wake of the early March earthquakes and tsunami. The Rev. Motoe Yamada, senior pastor of Japanese UMC in Sacramento and a World Council of Churches Central Committee member, will head the team. Accompanying her will be Phil Bandy, interim director of the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) program for the Conference, and...

Ongoing Haiti Mission Connection Project Being Developed

The California-Nevada Annual Conference's United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) director, Phil Bandy (in head shot below), is traveling to Haiti this week to develop the details of a new project, described as an Ongoing Haiti Mission Connection. The project is being developed by local church volunteers and will be presented to Cal-Nev congregations in coming months with an invitation to participate. It is outlined below. All those wishing to support the project, or who desire more...

General Orientation Meeting for UMVIM Teams to Japan Is This Saturday

The United Methodist Church response to the massive earthquake disaster in Japan soon will include volunteer recovery teams. A general orientation meeting for people who may want to go to Japan will take place at Sacramento's Japanese United Methodist Church this Saturday (April 9) from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.  The meeting program will include a general introduction to the culture and language of Japan. Participants will be introduced to the UMC response plan for Japan recovery and plans...

Fundraising Concert for Japan Relief Is at Sacramento's Japanese UMC This Saturday

Hear world-class Japanese artists perform in a concert for Japan relief, this Saturday (March 26) at 3:30 p.m. at Japanese United Methodist Church in Sacramento. The artists include internationally known soprano Miwako Isano, performing "Pie Jesu" from Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Requiem in memory of the earthquake and tsunami victims, and a selection of Japanese folk songs (including "Akatonbo," "Hamabe No Uta," and "Biide Biide"); soprano Leena Shiokawa...

'Mission Possible' Fundraiser at Wesley UMC, San Jose to Benefit VIM Teams

You are invited to attend the "Mission Possible" Concert and Silent Auction on Saturday, March 26, 6-8:30 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church in San Jose. The gala evening, taking place in the church's Fellowship Hall and Sanctuary, is a fundraiser to support all mission work trips.   At 6 p.m. bidding will open on 200 silent auction items. Musical entertainment will be provided by a trio consisting of Ted Hasegawa, Darryl Noda, and Wesley UMC pastor, the Rev. Keith Inouye....

In Wake of Earthquakes, Tsunami, 'Celebration of Our Faith Continues'

By the Rev. Motoe Yamada Japanese UMC, Sacramento "Did you hear about the earthquake?" My sister's shaking voice over the phone was when I learned about the largest earthquake in Japanese history and the fourth largest in the world. I called her to brainstorm ideas for my mother's birthday gift, and my heart sank hearing she could not get hold of our family. Phone lines were intermittent throughout Tokyo, and it took some time to reach both of my parents. My...

Young Adults 'Come Back a Different Way' From UMCOR West

By Delilah Fakalata Centennial UMC, Sacramento A United Methodist Volunteers-in-Mission (UMVIM) team, made up of young adults from four congregations and led by Mary and Giles Popish, took a faith journey this month to serve at the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) depot in Salt Lake City, Utah. The team – from Elk Grove UMC, Point Pleasant UMC, Centennial UMC and the Tongan UM Fellowship– headed to "UMCOR West" on Monday, Jan. 3 and returned on Friday (Jan....

Cambodia Trip Postponed

A California-Nevada United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) trip to Cambodia, scheduled for February, has been postponed until next winter. The VIM team will work together with members of O Kroch Methodist Church to build a fence for a parcel of land owned by the church, located in a rural Kuy community north of Phnom Penh, in Kampong Thom Province.   Interim UMVIM Director Phil Bandy says the trip is being postponed in order to fund the project properly. Original plans were to...

UMVIM Presence in Haiti to Double in 2011; Cal-Nev Teams Have Openings

By Phil Bandy CA-NV UMVIM Interim Director As we start the new year, I want to update you on the Methodist volunteer response in Haiti. This last year United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) teams traveled to Haiti and made good progress, and we have great plans for the year ahead. We need your ongoing support in this ministry – and even more, we need you to join us in traveling to Haiti.   By the end of 2010, thanks to the UMVIM Haiti Response Plan, 82 volunteer teams...