News

50 Ways to Welcome a New Pastor

WASHINGTON (UMNS) — Paul Simon sang about 50 ways to leave a lover. The Rev. Bob Crossman, minister of new church starts and congregational development in the Arkansas Annual (regional) Conference, offers advice for a far happier scenario: 50 ways to welcome a new pastor. This essay is offered by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at United Methodist Wesley Theological Seminary. Read list here.  ...

New Website Powers United Methodist Young Adults

  DETROIT (UMNS) — A collaboration among United Methodist agencies and local ministries has produced a new website, revgo.org, to help connect young adults in "spiritual discernment through missional engagement." United Methodist-connected ministries that engage young adults as interns, missionaries, staff and ministry leadership teams can use REVGO as a platform for fundraising, story sharing and recruitment. Visit revgo.org for more information.      ...

How Old is Too Old to Join the Clergy?

HOUSTON (UMNS) — A proposal from the Texas Annual (regional) Conference to discourage people over 45 from becoming candidates for ordination and people over 60 from licensed local pastors is igniting debate across the denomination. Read full story here....

Clergy Peer Groups Offer Support, Education

 By Vicki Brown* Interaction with other clergy from diverse backgrounds, support for taking risks, and a better understanding of current trends in worship and church attendance were among the benefits of clergy continuing education peer groups.   Three groups in three annual conferences – Virginia, New York, and West Michigan – formed as part of the Nurturing Innovative Clergy Leadership program, a pilot continuing education program sponsored by the General Board...

Clergyperson Awarded Outstanding Service Award

The Rev. Andrew Bear has been awarded the VITAS Leadership Outstanding Service Award for Chaplain in 2012. VITAS is the nation's largest hospice care company with around 6,000 employees.  The 2012 Leadership Outstanding Service Award was given to 14 employees who VITAS feels deserve national recognition for their leadership in the area of their discipline. In Bear's case, it was chaplain. He received the honor in Miami earlier this month at an awards event near the company's...

Training for Clergy IN Cross-Cultural/Cross-Racial Appointments

A gathering for clergy in cross-cultural/cross-racial appointments will be held on Thursday, May 2, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the California-Nevada Conference Center, 1276 Halyard Drive, West Sacramento 95691. The event is for persons going into a new cross-cultural/cross-racial appointments and persons currently serving in such appointments.   The theme for the event is "Following Jesus into Samaria: I Must Take this Journey God Has Given Me."   The session will be...

Clergy Transition Workshop

The 2013 Clergy (and Spouses) Transition Workshop will take place April 30 to May 1 at the United Methodist Conference Center, 1276 Halyard Drive, I-80 at Harbor Blvd., West Sacramento, CA 95691. If you are transitioning to a cross-cultural appointment, plan to also attend the Cross-Cultural/Cross-Racial Training with Dr. Shan McSpadden on Friday, May 2.   The events will begin at 3 p.m. on Wednesday and conclude at 3:30 p.m. on Friday and is sponsored by the California-Nevada Annual...

Retired Clergy Spring Fling

The Retired Clergy Association of the California-Nevada Conference will host its Spring Fling May 1 to 2. The theme for the event is "Where Are We Headed?" Speakers will be retired United Methodist Bishops Roy Sano and Melvin Talbert. The Rev. Don Lee, pastor of First United Methodist Church Sacramento, will be the song leader, and John Auer, will serve as the worship leader. Cost for persons who stay on campus is $115 by April 1 and $130 after April 1. Cost for first time attendees...

Clergy Spouse Association Annual Retreat

The Clergy Spouse Association of the California-Nevada Annual Conference will hold their annual retreat April 12 to 14 at Mercy Retreat Center, 535 Sacramento Street, Auburn, Calif. 95603. The theme for the event is "Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God." The speaker will be Pastor Dawn Pidlypchak.   Cost is $185 and the deadline is mid-March. First time attendees get a 50 percent discount. There are a limited number of scholarships...

San Francisco Pastor Named Next Bridges District Superintendent

Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr. has announced a cabinet change, effective July 1, 2013. After six years, the Rev. Renae Extrum-Fernandez (upper right) will be completing her service on the Cabinet. Rev. Extrum-Fernandez is superintendent for the Bridges District. Bishop Brown spoke highly of Extrum-Fernandez's tenure saying, "I am extremely grateful for Renae's creative and faithful leadership during these times of change in the California-Nevada Conference." Bishop Brown says that...

Clergy Retreat Refreshes Body, Mind, and Spirit

The Gathering of the Orders will take place Oct. 2-4, 2012 at Mount Hermon Retreat Center. By the Rev. Dave Bunje, Retreat Design Team   Imagine Christ's living water gushing up freely in you: Your heart is light with calm confidence. Your gifts are well utilized. Fellow servants team up in transformative mission. You speak with clarity and grace on the issues that bedevil our people, enlisting a response that uplifts the city.   This is not our expectation – in fact, we...

The 'Dings' of Life

By the Rev. Elmar R. DeOcera On my way to the parking lot after shopping at one of my favorite stores here in the Bay Area, a well-dressed 40-something woman in an electric blue BMW pulled into the space next to my car. As I opened my door, I accidentally touched my car door to her door. It didn't make any dent – just a tiny "ding" sound.   In a split second, the woman went over the top. By her reaction, you'd have thought I had taken my car keys and written, "I...

Clergy Effectiveness Is Critical for UMC, Says GBHEM

By Vicki Brown* A pilot project involving some 100 churches attempts to assess how well United Methodist pastors perform, while helping churches and clergy join in a covenant that will lead to more effective clergy and more engaged congregations.   "Clergy effectiveness is a critical issue for The United Methodist Church and every Annual Conference. We need clergy who can meet the adaptive challenge of leading churches in a changing world," says the Rev. Meg Lassiat, director...

Getting Away and Finding the Living Water

By Susan Grace Smith Don't miss the Gathering of the Orders, Oct. 2-4, 2012   I have just returned from a few days of camping at Pinecrest with a group of friends. It was hectic trying to get my son and myself packed and ready to camp while trying to attend to committee meetings, summer program reviews and clean-up, and plans for the coming school year at the church. At times, I thought, "Why am I doing this? It would be so much easier to stay home and keep...

Early Bird Registration Is Open Through August for AAPIC Biennial Meeting in Late October

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. (I Cor. 12:12) The Asian American and Pacific Islander United Methodist Clergywomen Association (AAPIC) has scheduled its biennial meeting, "Connect, Commune, and Continue in Christ," for Oct. 29-31, 2012 at Cabrini Retreat Center in Des Plaines, Illinois.       Dr. W. Anne Joh, associate professor of systematic theology...

The Living Water Lives in Us: Attend the Gathering of the Orders, Oct. 2-4

By the Rev. Anne Schlesinger Have you ever completely felt God's love for you? I have. I have told this story often, because it is the story of a moment of transformation in my life, and I feel compelled to share my story with anyone who is interested. Perhaps we are bound to witness to moments of God's transformative power whenever we have them.   Once, while attending Annual Conference Session, all of us took one morning off from the business of the church to do the mission of the...

New Email Addresses Needed for Vital Signs Reporting

Pastors: If you have a new appointment and your previous church is using your personal email address for Vital Signs reporting, please notify that church to provide the Conference Communications Office with a new email address for Vital Signs. The information should be emailed to Jane Horstman at janeh@calnevumc.org or Cate Monaghan at catem@calnevumc.org. By the way, because of itinerancy, it is preferable that each church have an email address that links to the church, rather than to the...

Baltimore-Area Event to Focus on Cross-Racial, Cross-Cultural Ministry

Register Today: Registration ends July 12 Washington, D.C. — Clergy committed to cross-racial and cross-cultural ministries can benefit from an exciting event to help them engage the new landscape of transition in church pews and communities, and connect with colleagues who see a similar vision.   "Facing the Future: A Clergy Network for Cross-Racial/Cross-Cultural Appointment and Ministry" is an event that clergy across the denomination asked for, to help them...

Gathering of the Orders: Early Bird Discount Expires Sunday!

By the Rev. Susan Smith Chairperson, Order of Deacons Sunday (July 15, 2012) is the last day to register for the 2012 Gathering of the Orders, "The Living Water Lives in Us," and take advantage of the early bird discount.   Save $25 on any of three registration options by going to www.cnumc.org/register before end-of-day on Sunday and signing up to attend the Oct. 2-4 retreat.   Jesus gives us the good life. We live knowing that we are loved, worthy, and gifted. We...

Achieving Vitality Goals Is Objective of 'Leading Beyond the Walls' Workshop

By Dave Bunje We are reporting service, giving, and attendance patterns each week through Vital Signs, and have submitted our goals for growth over the next four years through Vital Congregations: Now how do we engage members of our churches to help achieve these goals?   That is the objective of the Leading Beyond the Walls workshop being offered at the First United Methodist Church in Loomis, June 8 and 9. Hosted by the Great Northern District and (Foothills) "Circuit on the...