News

Online Registration Opens for 2012 Summer Camps

Registration is open now for this year's summer camps at Monte Toyon, Lodestar, and the Urban Camp in San Francisco. Click on the Registrations tab on the Home Page of the Conference website at www.cnumc.org and select "Youth Event Registrations," or visit the Camping section of the website (www.cnumc.org/camping) to register and to access: Online child and youth camp registration Online volunteer registration Camp formsBrochures Maps Everything else you...

2012 Bishop's Confirmation Retreat Registration Opens

Registration has opened for the 2012 Bishop's Confirmation Retreats – scheduled March 9-10 at Monte Toyon and May 18-19 at Camp Lodestar. Each retreat is an opportunity for confirmation candidates to engage in a high-energy, hands-on event through worship, workshops, and fellowship with Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr. (resident bishop of the California-Nevada Annual Conference), workshop leaders, and other United Methodist youth. This can be a faith-deepening experience before, during, or...

Godly Play Training Event at Central UMC, Stockton in October

The Godly Play Program at Central United Methodist Church in Stockton is hosting a weekend "Godly Play Certified Training," with Sally Thomas, in October.  There are a lot of things to be learned from a lecture, but Godly Play is best learned from the inside out. By blurring the lines between teacher and student, participants will experience and learn Godly Play stories in a collegial, prayerful setting. Godly Play Foundation's talented trainers will deepen the participants'...

Veteran Scout Leader Available to Help Churches Expand Youth Ministries

LOOMIS, Calif. — Frank Bailey, a 52-year veteran of scouting and a scouting ministry specialist, has been named scouting coordinator for the California-Nevada Annual Conference. The father of three adult children says his scouting career began as a Cub Scout in1958. He attended the national jamboree in 1964 and he became an Eagle Scout in 1967. The following year, he led a Loomis troop on a 50-mile hike in Desolation Valley and served as a security guard for the National Jamboree...

Just ONE Camper

By Kelly Newell Director, Young People's Ministries and Camping With camp season just around the corner, and camp registration in full swing, I was thinking ... what if every church sent us just ONE camper? That alone would be approximately 365 children and youth in our camp programs and at our camp sites.   We offer a wide variety of programs, from Urban Camp (brand new this year! Read related story) to Children's and Jr. High  Camp, to a variety of programs for senior...

Confirmation Events 2011

By Kelly Newell Director, Young People's Ministries and Camping The spirit was alive and well at our Bishop's Confirmation events this spring. More than 175 young people participated in this important event which highlights, celebrates, and commissions our young people who have made the confirmation decision in their faith journey. We had some new churches join us and a few familiar faces, and a great time was had by all.   We had three different events: overnight retreats at...

Golden Threads: A Resurrection Story

By Kat Teraji Since April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, I am writing this for all of you who have been touched by one of our nation's biggest hidden epidemics.    I had always looked up to my father. He was an amazing person in many ways, gifted with a golden voice like Bing Crosby, a poet, and an artist who could always answer the most difficult questions on Jeopardy.   But I understood from age seven that my silence about our family secret was what held our...

Children and Disasters Resource List Is Updated

The General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) has updated its resource list for helping children cope with images and feelings in the aftermath of disasters, according to Melanie Gordon, Director of Ministry with Children in the Leadership Ministries Division. You'll find the resource list under "Children's Ministry" at gbod.org....

Annual Conference Session Childcare Looking for Preschool Director

Do you enjoy preschoolers? If so, Annual Conference Session Childcare could use you! Program Director Helen Mansfield is looking for someone to run the preschool room June 15-18. An honorarium is paid for the position. Please contact the Rev. Helen Mansfield at 209.744.9354 or helenmansfield55@gmail.com for more information and to apply....

Everything You Need to Register for Summer Camp Is Now on Line!

Registration is now open for this year's summer camps at Monte Toyon, Lodestar, and the Urban Camp in San Francisco. Click on the Registrations tab on the Home Page of the Conference website at www.cnumc.org, or visit the Camping section of the website (click on "Camping" under "Areas of Interest" on the right side of the Home Page) and click on "2011 Summer Camps" to register and to access: Online camp registration Online volunteer registration ...

Bishop's Confirmation Retreat Registration Opens

Registration has opened for the spring Bishop's Confirmation Retreats – taking place March 11-12 at Monte Toyon, April 8-9 at Lodestar, and May 14 at a location to be determined (May 14 is a one-day worship, Communion and commissioning service). Click on the Registrations tab on the Home Page of the Conference website at cnumc.org, or visit the Young People's Ministries section of the website (click on "Young People's Ministries" under "Areas of Interest" on the Home...

Faith Leaders Invited to Take Part in Conference Call With First Lady on Nov. 29

Faith and community leaders are invited to take part in a national conference call with First Lady Michelle Obama – Monday, November 29 at 11:30 a.m. Pacific time – to mark the formal launch of "Let's Move: Faith and Communities," the First Lady's initiative to address the challenge of childhood obesity. Her goal is to eradicate the problem within a generation. The conference call will include announcement of a new toolkit to support action, highlights of exciting...

Faith Groups Asked to Support Adoption Activities

United Methodist and other churches, along with mosques and synagogues, are being encouraged to attend and support National Adoption Month and National Adoption Day efforts, "to help facilitate adoptions for God's children in California." November is National Adoption Month. Communities and counties across the state of California are promoting adoption and calling attention to the needs of foster children through a series of activities and events – culminating in the...

Conference Camp: Not Just a Time-Killer for Kids

By the Rev. Kristen Marshall* Camp is not just a cutesy time-killer for those two long months of your kids' summer vacation. Camp is a life-changing, disciple-making, faith-building, relationship-strengthening, spirit-empowering, and fun experience that can be one part – and a vital part – of your youth or child's walk with Christ. And if you don’t believe me, just listen to what some of our high school youth have said about the summer camps our Conference has offered in...

Good Nutrition Program at L.I.F.E. Receives Peace with Justice Grant

Two times annually Peace with Justice Grants are awarded to various ministries in the California-Nevada Annual Conference. This year one of those grants went to the Life Is for Everyone, Inc. (L.I.F.E.) Good Nutrition Program, located in the East Salinas Family Center United Methodist Fellowship. L.I.F.E. is a not-for-profit after-school program to prevent gang involvement, improve students' nutrition, provide safe recreation opportunities, and improve English language verbal, written, and...

A Story Needing to Be Told

By Chaplain Sarge Wright John Taylor, now a retired United Methodist minister living near Shingle Springs, California, has been a longtime friend and colleague. He has a zest for living and an intense life mission that has been both interesting and productive.   John was introduced to Heifer Project International by the Rev. Bill Beck in 1970. His first service opportunity was to deliver pregnant cows to Korea in 1971. This experience introduced John emotionally to HPI, but also led...

Bread for the World President Appears on PBS on Friday, July 16

Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, a faith-based organization which lobbies Congress to increase foreign aid and make it more efficient, will appear on PBS on Friday, July 16 on the public affairs show, "Need to Know." Jon Meacham, program host and editor of Newsweek, interviewed Beckmann about how our domestic farm policy may be harming malnourished children in the developing world. He appears in the second segment of the show....

Family in High Def! Sign up for August 14 Retreat at Walnut Creek UMC

Walnut Creek United Methodist Church invites you to attend a retreat that "could transform your life, your parenting, and your children": The High Definition Family Retreat for Parents, Saturday, August 14, 12:30-4:30 p.m. Led by Pastor Sayer Strauch of Vancouver, Washington – speaker, coach, and author of The High Definition Family – the retreat offers you the chance to grow in your own adventure of knowing, experiencing, and participating with God. You are invited...

Congregations - Help Illustrate Your Work With Poor, for Display at ACS

Each year at Annual Conference Session, the Conference Committee on Children and Poverty looks for ways to highlight the work of congregations which are effectively walking with the poor. Beyond writing checks or sending kits (which also are important), walking with the poor means working in partnership with the poor in your area to build the Beloved Community. This year, CCCP invites you and your congregation to prepare a visual display (one per church) exhibiting the ways your congregation...

Placerville Church Raises $5,000 for Water: Children's Mission at Federated

By Jodie Regan Children's Minister, Federated Church Every April is "Children's Mission Month" at Federated Church in Placerville. Federated Church is made up of people from the United Methodist tradition and the Presbyterian tradition, and all faith seekers.   We just completed our 3rd Annual mission month with the joyful result of meeting our goal to raise $5,000 for water!   All this learning and giving is a result of many influences. Our church family is...