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By Rev. Laurie McHugh  Pastor, Windsor UMC    Camp Noah is a nationally acclaimed, 20-year-old preparedness and resiliency program for children, hosted across the U.S. in communities that have been impacted by disaster and trauma – and it is coming to Redding, Chico, and Santa Rosa this summer, thanks to a partnership involving Lutheran, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and United Methodist congregations around Northern California.    Engaging the story of Noah and the Ark, children at the one-week day ...

By JB Brayfindley  Contributor to Instant Connection    “Get away from seeing new people as “visitors”; visitors are unexpected, but … guests are prepared for,” explained presenter Jason Moore during a May 4 workshop hosted by the Healthy Church Initiative of the California-Nevada Annual Conference Office of Congregational Development.     Moore, from Midnight Oil Productions (and formerly animator/illustrator and member of the worship design team at Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church), led a ...

A page devoted to resources in support of the 2019 Annual Conference Offering has been created. It's located under Quick Links on the California-Nevada Annual Conference Session 2019 site. (Look for the ACS logo under "Bishop's Message" on the right-hand side of the cnumc.org home page, to find ACS 2019 site.)  Resources available now:  A 1:36 message from Global Missionary Carmen Scheuerman, explaining the importance of the Conference Offering to the Davuilevu Theological College in Fiji;...

  A grouping for Mealtime Events has been added to the California-Nevada Annual Conference Session 2019 site. To find the listing of all mealtime events scheduled so far, along with registration information where applicable:   Click on the link to California-Nevada Annual Conference Session 2019, located on the right-hand side of the cnumc.org home page, immediately below “Bishop’s Message” (identifiable by the logo for this year’s session), and  When the site loads, you'll find "ACS Meal ...

Six videos – resources to help prepare for this year’s Annual Conference Session – have been posted to the California-Nevada Conference website (cnumc.org). The videos will be included in the training provided at pre-ACS Orientations, taking place May 18 and June 1.   While particularly relevant to voting members, the videos will be helpful to anyone interested in the life of the conference. They were created to assist in an understanding of several key topics that will be a part of the June ...

“You may have noticed [that] our neighbors at St. Peter's Episcopal Church have been doing extensive landscaping in the front of their church building, including installing a new labyrinth walk,” reports a spokesperson for First United Methodist Church of Carson City.    “The walk is finished and the community has been invited to join with the congregation of St. Peter's this Saturday to dedicate the labyrinth.”    Download flyer (suitable for printing as a bulletin insert) for details.

By Cate Monaghan  Interim Communications Director, CA-NV Annual Conference  “Are you a Methodist?”   YES!   “Are you a Christian?”   YES!   “Are you a disciple?”   YES!  The rallying cry from Conference Lay Leader Micheal Pope (right) and its attendant enthusiastic response concluded the speakers’ remarks as Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño wrapped up a grueling schedule of 12 Post-General Conference Episcopal Visits that included stops in each district of the California-Nevada Conference and covered...

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary has announced that Rev. Dr. Mai-Anh Le Tran has been named Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean. This is a historic appointment as Dr. Tran is the first woman of color in the seminary’s 166-year history to be named Academic Dean.   Dr. Tran is an ordained elder and member of the California-Nevada Conference of The United Methodist Church.   Read press release on the seminary’s website.

In accordance with the Standing Rules of the California-Nevada Annual Conference that state, “The Conference Secretary shall mail a nominating ballot to all eligible clergy on May 1 of an election year,” Conference Secretary Mark Wharff yesterday emailed nomination ballots to deacons and elders, associate members, and local pastors. If you are in one of those categories, please check your Inbox.    Ballots must be returned or postmarked by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4 to be eligible for ...

A Certified Lay Minister (CLM) lunchtime gathering has been scheduled for Wednesday, June 19 during Annual Conference Session at the DoubleTree Hotel in Modesto. A head count is being taken now.   Download flyer for details.

The Episcopal Church – United Methodist Dialogue Committee has agreed to send a resolution for full communion to be considered by the Council of Bishops and for possible consideration by the 2020 General Conference of The United Methodist Church. Read press release.

The El Camino Real District hosted the final Bishop’s Confirmation Rally of the year, last weekend (Saturday, April 27, 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.) at Almaden Hills United Methodist Church in San Jose. There were 24 confirmands – representing First UMC, San Jose; St. Paul UMC, Fremont; San Ramon Valley UMC in Alamo, and Campbell UMC – along with 14 chaperones and 11 staff members.    Bishop Minerva Carcaño and the California-Nevada Conference Office of Camping and Retreat Ministries and Young People's ...

Monday, April 29, 2019 12:07 PM Friends,  I am sincerely sorry that I find myself once again writing to you to offer my condolences following an attack on a synagogue. The attack on Saturday in Poway was an attack on all that is decent. The FBI stands with the Jewish community here in Sacramento and nation-wide in the fight against hate crime.  I did want to let all of you know that, at present, we are unaware of any links between the Poway incident and the Sacramento area. We also have no ...

Immigration is the main topic of the Contemporary Issues Forum to be held in May at Davis United Methodist Church. The weekly events are for the general public as well as church members and are hosted Sunday mornings from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. at the church.    Guest speakers include members from church and interfaith delegations who have visited various locations of advocacy concern.    First, on May 5, Emily Henderson, who traveled to Douglas, Arizona/Agua Prieto, will speak on “Resilience on the...

Buena Vista United Methodist Church in Alameda will hear from an international, interfaith delegation this Sunday (May 5) about the root causes of migration from Honduras.   Earlier this year the delegation met with organizations working and advocating for the rights of migrants, and explored factors that are forcing migrants to flee. These include violence, environmental degradation, drug cartels, organized crime, corrupt security forces, and impunity for ongoing human rights violations.   Rev....

SPECIAL PRESS RELEASE NOTE:  The Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops (WJ COB) has published an open statement in response to the Judicial Council rulings made on April 26, 2019. At the request of Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, the press release has been made available to the California-Nevada Annual Conference and can be found below.   ------------------------ COPY OF PRESS RELEASE BELOW ------------------------   April 26, 2019    A STATEMENT FROM THE WESTERN JURISDICTION COLLEGE OF BISHOPS  ...

Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño has announced the opening of the nomination process for this year’s Bishop’s Awards. These awards recognize laity who exemplify the best of personal and social holiness by:   attending to their spiritual growth;    providing leadership in their local church; and   taking their discipleship out into the world to make disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world.                                                                The Bishop’s Award is presented at ...

Medical professional and non-medical volunteers are needed to sign up for the upcoming Volunteers in Mission (VIM) program based in Guatemala this summer. With only the basic number of doctors and nurses signed up so far, the team leaders are asking for more than just the bare minimum of participants be involved in this important medical mission assignment.    There is critical need for volunteers who are willing to do more than medical procedures. There are openings for volunteers who are ...

Katherine Parker, a water micro-biologist serving as a United Methodist missionary in Nepal, will be visiting churches in her home conference, California-Nevada, in May and June. A few weeks ago, Cate Monaghan, the conference's interim communications director, sat down with Katherine for a visit. Watch their conversation here (includes information about when Katherine will be in specific areas and to learn how to arrange a visit.               Katherine was commissioned in 2008 and served in ...

For Immediate Release   The Council of Bishops is inviting the people of The United Methodist Church to be in prayer for the Judicial Council, which is in session this week. The Judicial Council will be discussing the constitutionality of matters related to the Special Session of the General Conference held in February.   “In our residential areas, in the midst of voices we have heard around these decisions and for the sake of the whole church, we lift these elected members of the Judicial ...

The United Methodist Judicial Council is meeting this week. Its docket includes a petition to rule on the constitutionality of legislation passed at the 2019 General Conference. But – what is the Judicial Council? Who serves on it? How are the members elected? What are their duties? A quick overview provides answers to these questions and more, in the first video of a new "What is…?" series from United Methodist Communications (UMCom).     Watch “What is… The Judicial Council?” video here.  ...

If you spend time in the pulpit, you’re invited to spend a day with members of the Sermon Brainwave podcast team, Matthew Skinner and Karoline Lewis, thinking about how and why you preach.    Two weeks from today, at The Table at Central United Methodist Church in Sacramento, you and your colleagues in ministry will have a chance to consider how sermons that are attentive to biblical passages and their nuances can lead people of faith into rich reflections on God, the gospel, and the contexts in...

By Fel Cao  Director of Camping and Retreat Ministries and Young People’s Ministry, CA-NV Conference   The Great Northern District hosted the second Bishop's Confirmation Rally of the year on March 30, 2019 at Lake Tahoe United Methodist Church and Retreat Center. Bishop Minerva Carcaño, joined by District Superintendent Rev. Blake Busick and Micheal Pope, Conference Lay Leader, welcomed and engaged the confirmands and their mentors and pastors for an experience of hearing the voice and call of ...

Clergy of the California-Nevada Annual Conference are to take Clergy Boundary Training once a quadrennium, and registration closes next week (Friday, April 26) for the next course – Clergy Boundary Training 201, being offered May 1, 2019, at Davis United Methodist Church. Prerequisite: Clergy Boundary Training 101, formerly known as Clergy Sexual Ethics Boundary Training. This training will focus on maintaining healthy boundaries with the Internet, social media, finance, attraction, and/or ...

A California-Nevada Volunteers in Mission (VIM) team that is going to Guatemala in July still is in need of medical professionals and others. As of now, the basic number of doctors and nurses needed for the mission has signed on, but team leaders would prefer to have more than the bare minimum.     In addition, there is a critical need for other volunteers, who could help with things such as interacting with the children and adults of the communities to be visited, assisting the medical team ...

By JB Brayfindley  Contributor to Instant Connection    “Christ pulls us into His Body … making space for all of us,” Bishop Minerva Carcaño told members of the Great Northern District attending the sixth of 12 Post-General Conference Episcopal Visits within the California-Nevada Conference of The United Methodist Church (UMC). “We all believe in Christ.”   The April 9th event was at First United Methodist Church in Yuba City, where the Rev. Dr. Lois Black serves as pastor.    Around 70 people ...

“Can a small and aging congregation reach out to locals?”   “Can a church in which many of its members have mobility issues serve its community?”   “Can a church with limited resources present new ways of looking at reality to those who are struggling?”   Since his appointment last June, these questions kept arising for Peter Hyun Ho Park, pastor of San Ramon’s Grace United Methodist Church. He wanted his new church to reach out and serve the community in the San Ramon area, so in order to ...

By Fel Cao Director of Camping and Retreat Ministries and Young People’s Ministry, CA-NV Conference   The stories of Jesus walking from one town or city to another and climbing up a mountain several times may give us inspiration to commit ourselves to a lifestyle of health and wellness. Of course, walking was the primary mode of transportation during Jesus' time, and therefore was a necessity. But if Jesus hadn't been put to death because of injustice and the imperial power that ruled his ...

Faith and Wesley United Methodist Churches in Sacramento are hosting “Living the Spirit-Filled Life” early next month at Wesley UMC. The purpose of the event is to equip persons and faith communities through the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. It will take place on Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “We will gather together in prayer and worship—hearing teachings rooted in Scriptures and brought to life through personal experience; activate and practice spiritual giftings, and grow in ...

The Conference Claimants Endowment Board (CCEB) has announced an addition to the staff. Marsha Bryan will serve as legacy advisor, spearheading the revival of the board’s Fund Development program. The refocus “harkens back to the days of Harry Shaner, Al Thomas, and John Espie,” according to the press release. Bryan will focus on creating a culture of philanthropy and generating funds to further the mission of The Endowment Board. She comes to CCEB with more than two decades of experience in ...

Bishop Minerva Carcaño continues her Post-General Conference Episcopal Visits next week. Twelve (12) stops, scattered throughout the California-Nevada Annual Conference, were scheduled during March and April. Next week’s visit, to First United Methodist Church in San Leandro on Tuesday, April 16 (6:30 to 9 p.m.) marks the beginning of the second half of the tour. The bishop will be accompanied by other members of the conference executive team and of the delegation, who will share their ...

Have you ever thought you could educate children in Africa by riding a bicycle or hiking? A group of United Methodist cyclists and hikers have challenged themselves to do just that, and all California-Nevada UM churches are invited along for the ride. The Kumi Benefit Ride/Hike (KBR) is a joint mission venture, spearheaded by Oakland Chinese Community United Methodist Church, Castro Valley UMC, and Wayside UMC to raise funds for Kumi Christian Visionary School (KCVS) in Uganda. The primary ...

Generational poverty doesn’t have to be something we simply accept – nor should we accept it, as Christians! Some United Methodist churches are taking a unique approach to tackling this issue, and you can join them by attending an orientation in Watsonville, CA in just a few weeks.   Most churches provide some form of assistance to poor hardworking families, but the NETworX program teaches congregation members to actually befriend and walk with the poor. Through this approach they can provide ...

Sunshine School will celebrate its 40th year of serving families with preschoolers in Sonoma on April 28. The preschool, located at 109 Patten St., is an Outreach Ministry Program of Sonoma United Methodist Church. Its success “demonstrates how the vision of a few people has blessed generations of students in the Sonoma Valley,” notes Kandi Weider, Los Rios District coordinator of Lay Servant Ministries. The Sonoma Index-tribune highlighted the preschool in a story about the celebration of its ...

The Ukiah Daily Journal published a feature on Ukiah United Methodist Church and its spring "Attitude of Gratitude" celebration, this week. The fête will take place this Saturday, April 13, from 5:30 to 10 p.m.  Read article

Over the past year, First United Methodist Church (FUMC) of Sacramento has opened its doors to local artists and community members as part of the popular 2nd Saturday Art Walk. This month – Saturday, April 13, 4:30-9 p.m. – a special exhibit will connect global to local with Gaza in Color: Stories from Behind the Wall.   The exhibit showcases original works by six Gaza artists. Many of the pieces had to be hand carried to the United States, past the blockade and over border crossings. Despite ...

The Healthy Church Initiative of the California-Nevada Annual Conference Office of Congregational Development this week announced a partnership with the Fuller Youth Institute to help congregations learn how to “grow young.”   From its detailed research with churches in more than 80 denominations, Growing Young has concluded that there are some essential keys that help congregations reverse decades-long decline and experience new vitality. The Committee on New and Vital Congregations is pleased ...

The 2019 Annual Conference Session site at www.cnumc.org has been updated with a listing of additional hotels in Modesto you may want to consider, if you’re planning to attend Annual Conference Session in June and have not booked lodging already.    In addition to the Doubletree, where ACS will take place June 19-22, and the Best Western, the California-Nevada Conference has a block of rooms at the Clarion. You may register there using this link.     Download information about the alternate ...

District Conferences and Pre-Annual Conference Session Briefings will take place on May 18 and June 1, 2019.     Los Rios District  Date and Time: Saturday, May 18 – from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.    Location: Pinole UMC, 2000 San Pablo Avenue, Pinole, CA 94564  Event Page    Great Northern District  Date and Time: Saturday, May 18, 2019 – from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Location: Loomis UMC, 6414 Brace Road, Loomis, CA 95650  Event Page    Bay District  Date and Time: Saturday, June 1, 2019 – from ...

Bishop Minerva Carcaño will continue her series of 12 Post-General Conference Episcopal Visits next week, with trips to Epworth United Methodist Church in Berkeley and First UMC of Yuba City. She will be accompanied by other members of the conference executive team and of the delegation, who will share their experiences and perspectives as well.    There will be time devoted to questions and answers.    The bishop has written that these visits will be “times of prayer and seeking God's way ...

Jason Moore from Midnight Oil Productions (and formerly from Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church) will lead a series of events across the California-Nevada Annual Conference this month and next, sponsored by the conference Office of Congregational Development and its Healthy Church Initiative.    In his Creative Worship workshop, Moore will work with clergy and their teams, focusing on how pastors and worship leaders can develop compelling and inspirational worship each week through dynamic ...

Did you know that more than 20,000 Native American people are part of The United Methodist Church? Native American Ministries Sunday celebrates them and directly supports the 157 Native American congregations that are part of the UM denomination. Your special offering on May 5 will help in these churches’ efforts to authentically minister with their communities and will provide scholarships for Native American seminary students. Through gifts shared on this Special Sunday, United Methodist ...

In response to some of the Post-General Conference questions about where our General Church Apportionment dollars go, the GCFA has prepared a Q&A document that will be updated weekly. Download "Recently Asked Questions: Response to Inquiries About Delegate Counts, Cost of the Special Session, Expenditures in Central Conferences, and the Commission on the Way Forward" here.

A Place to Hear God's Call On February 16, 2019, Bishop Minerva Carcaño led the Bishop's Confirmation Rally for the Central Valley District at United Japanese Christian Church (UJCC) in Clovis, California. The bishop, together with the Rev. Debra Brady, District Superintendent for the Central Valley District, welcomed the confirmands, mentors, and clergy: A total of about 65 people. Bishop Carcaño led the worship in the morning and gave a message on personal holiness, love, and the call to ...

Sunday is UMCOR Sunday (formerly known as "One Great Hour of Sharing"). This Special Sunday supports the overhead costs for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). When there is a disaster, UMCOR is able to respond immediately through its network of trained disaster response teams and local partners.  We hope your worship services on March 31 will have a clear message about the important impact that UMCOR makes in communities such as Paradise, California that must rebuild after a ...

We Have a Place for Them Registration is available online for nomination to the Youth and Young Adult Delegation for the 2019 Annual Conference Session (ACS) of the California-Nevada Conference of The United Methodist Church.   Information The youth and young adults’ inclusion and participation in the Annual Conference Session is a radical way to make The United Methodist Church the faith community where young people can grow as disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.   ...

Earlier this month, the youth and young adults of the California-Nevada Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church generated a statement of support for members of the UMC community “failed” and “harmed” by the recent actions of the General Conference. The three dozen+ persons who signed, including Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño and other youth and young adult leaders along with the young people themselves, also promised, “We will stand by you on the difficult road ahead and we will support and ...

The Pentecost Circuit of the Los Rios District, California-Nevada Annual Conference, had another successful Rise Against Hunger event on Sunday (March 24) at Sacramento’s Japanese United Methodist Church. More than 130 volunteers, ages 5 to 96, from the circuit’s churches – including a Girl Scout troop – participated to put together meals for people without access to food. Rise Against Hunger is an international relief organization that distributes food and life-changing aid to the world’s ...

Higher Education and Ministry NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The board of directors for the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry announced plans to appoint the Rev. Greg Bergquist [of the California-Nevada Annual Conference] as the agency's acting top executive. Bergquist will take charge after the retirement of the Rev. Kim Cape, who recently shared her intention to retire in June as head of the agency. Bergquist currently leads the agency's Division of Ordained Ministry. Read press ...

By JB Brayfindley President, CA-NV Clergy Spouse Association "When I am by the ocean, I immediately breathe easier–losing stress with each breath," reported Ray Jellison, one attendee at the Clergy Spouse Retreat last weekend at Villa Del Mar Retreat Center in Santa Cruz. More than a dozen clergy spouses from the California-Nevada Annual Conference attended to build connections with each other and to be refreshed spiritually. "It's so wonderful to share, relax, listen, walk, laugh and eat!" ...