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In the wake of disastrous wildfires within the California-Nevada Annual Conference, the devastation wreaked by Hurricanes Maria and Florence and, more recently, Hurricane Michael – among other natural disasters – are you feeling led to get involved? Even as we await the go-ahead from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to assist the Southeast, there’s something you can do very soon.   An Early Response Team (ERT) training has been scheduled for Saturday, November 17, 2018, 8:30 a.m....

By Sonja Edd-Bennett Director, CA-NV Annual Conference Disaster Response Ministry   The California-Nevada Annual Conference recently participated in a milestone event: a summit for United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM), Conference Disaster Response Coordinators (CDRC), and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Held October 8-11 at the beautiful Alton L. Collins Retreat Center just outside Portland, Oregon, it was the first ever UMVIM/CDRC/UMCOR meeting of the Western ...

You’ve probably shaken your head at some point, wondering sadly if there’s really anything that can be done about systemic poverty. Perhaps you’ve heard of a program called NETworX but have dismissed it as “just another thing someone’s trying.” Or maybe you’ve even thought about taking the training, but haven’t been motivated to do so yet.   Perhaps the following will inspire you.   Maria, a young mother, is a "Champion" in the Carson City, Nevada NETworX program. (Champions are people who want ...

In 2015, four lives lost; 1,300 homes destroyed; 76,000 acres burned. In 2018, another devastating fire.   Where is hope in the midst of seasons of despair?   In the case of Middletown, California, hope has come in the form of Hope City, created by several area churches and affiliated with the Hope Crisis Response Network. The mission: to help rebuild homes in a community of high unemployment, that has a 25-percent local poverty rate, and where approximately 45-percent of the population is ...

By Cate Monaghan Interim Communications Director CA-NV Annual Conference of The UMC   Sunday, October 7, 2018 was radiant with golden sunshine in California’s gold country, while an occasional soft breeze stirred branches not yet ready to flaunt fall colors.   At Colfax United Methodist Church, it was a day of celebration. Not a golden anniversary, not even a platinum jubilee, but a sesquicentennial, marking 150 years of ministry.   I was told that it is, in a sense, the oldest church in town. ...

By Leslie Carmichael UMVIM Team Leader Los Altos UMC   Hurricane Maria, one of the most powerful hurricanes in history, devastated the Island of Puerto Rico in 2017. Aware that recovery would be long and challenging, members of the California-Nevada Annual Conference contributed an astonishing $80,000-plus to aid that recovery, by giving to The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico (MCPR) through this year’s Annual Conference Offering.   We would like to continue to help. One way is by joining our ...

The Table at Central United Methodist Church and co-pastor the Rev. Linda Dew-Hiersoux have been awarded a Lilly Endowment 2018 National Clergy Renewal Program Grant. The $50,000 grant – the maximum for which congregations were eligible to apply – will allow the Sacramento, California pastor to explore the intersection of art and congregational growth over a three-month period in the fall of 2019, while providing support to the church in her absence.   The Center for Pastoral Excellence at ...

Here are some stats on the historic Hurricane Michael. pic.twitter.com/OWd39Gl5xQ — NWS Tallahassee (@NWSTallahassee) October 11, 2018 The Southeast is getting hammered again as Hurricane Michael, now a tropical storm, is producing flash flooding across portions of North Carolina and south-central Virginia. Tropical storm-force wind gusts were occurring over portions of northeast South Carolina and eastern North Carolina at 11 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time today, according to the National ...

Marcha-West, in partnership with First United Methodist Church in Selma, California, is hosting a resource fair “to empower … local communities and the Hispanic/Latino population to make smarter and healthier choices” for their families.   With a DJ, Zumba demonstration and other entertainment, and a raffle, the Hispanic/Latino Community Outreach Resource Fair will include information about health care, immigration, safety, personal finances, education, and job training. Lunch will be provided. ...

Grass Valley United Methodist Church will host “Everybody Sing! A Musical Day with Jim and Strathdee” on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.   A “spirited congregational sing-along for all ages” in the morning will feature songs of faith, hope, compassion, and justice, along with music for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. After lunch, the focus will be on choir anthems with an emphasis on the coming season.   A $5 donation will cover expenses.   Call the church office at 530-272-1946 ...

Just three months into his new role as Executive Director of Congregational Development for the California-Nevada Annual Conference, The Rev. Craig S. Brown says he doesn’t mind at all if your reaction to hearing his name is – and continues to be – “Craig who?” It’s the churches he wants to be front and center, he told me, when we sat down to get acquainted. A transcript of our conversation follows, edited slightly for readability. – Instant Connection editor     Instant Connection: The Office ...

Merced College students examined the momentous topic of sexual assault and violence toward women in the #MeToo era, when they gathered for Wesley Club on Thursday, September 27. They also discussed the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who has been accused of committing a sexual assault when he was in high school and of other aggressive sexual conduct.   At Wesley Club students spend the first half of the meeting sharing their life issues and challenges, ...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Bishop Christian Alsted of the Nordic and Baltic Episcopal Area doesn’t see the current debate over homosexuality as a reason for the church to split. He feels the church is able to continue God’s mission, even amid disagreement. Alsted spoke with United Methodist News as part of “Seeing a Way Forward,” a video series featuring different perspectives of church leaders on the work of the Commission on a Way Forward.  Watch Bishop Alsted videos   Louisiana Area Bishop ...

The wildfires of October 2017 had a dramatic impact on the entire region. Dozens of lives were lost; thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed, as were crops; and countless families were displaced as the Northern California firestorm – as the 250 fires came to be known – cut a swath across some 245,00 acres in six counties.   Among the most affected were the children. And in order for children to rebound from trauma and continue to grow and thrive, they require safe spaces and ...

There is still time – but not a lot of it! – to apply for an Ecumenical Grant of up to $2000 from The Advocacy and Justice Committee of the California-Nevada Annual Conference.  The committee has a small budget available to support ecumenical and interfaith social justice advocacy initiatives that meet the following criteria: Such organizations must include meaningful participation by one or more United Methodist churches, committees, or task forces as well as other faith communities. The ...

The Guatemala Mazatenango Medical mission is looking for licensed medical personnel, specifically doctors and pharmacists, to join the team for its July 2019 mission. Last year the mission was not able to fully field a team, due to the departure of some valuable physicians.   A working knowledge of Spanish is welcome but not required, as translators are available.   There are some openings for non-medical personnel, as well.   The Guatemala Mazatenango Medical mission has been underway for more ...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Sept. 26, 2018 | Discipleship Ministries | – United Methodist youth and young adults attending the Global Young People’s Convocation (GYPC) adopted a Statement of Unity declaring their love of the church, “the unity it offers and how it welcomes all people, regardless of who they are and what they do in life.”   The unity statement was drafted by GYPC delegates during a gathering of UM youth, young adults and adult workers from all over the world in Johannesburg, South Africa, ...

FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE - Bishops in Africa have resolved not to support any proposed legislation that calls for splitting The United Methodist Church over the issue of human sexuality, according to a statement released on Monday, September 24, 2018.   “We do not support any legislation that calls for the dissolution of The United Methodist Church. We uphold our values as a connectional and worldwide church committed to ‘Making disciples of Jesus Christ, for the transformation of the world’,” the...

The Table at Central United Methodist Church in Sacramento is one of only 12 churches chosen to receive a $15,000 grant as part of a year-long partnership with the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary. The grant will help the churches research and design new forms of youth ministry “that take theology and young people seriously.”   The Institute’s Log College Project is an initiative that aims toward a deeper understanding of faithful and innovative forms of youth ...

NETworX Orientation Set for November 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 Auburn, CA in November.   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 ...

The school year has started and that means California-Nevada Annual Conference Campus Ministries are in full swing. The Conference supports eight active Campus Ministries, and many local churches are engaged in ministry to college students at nearby universities. This is an important time in the lives of our students, and colleges and universities provide United Methodists with a rich opportunity to make disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world. See what’s happening at the Cal ...

United Methodist Communications Office of Public Information   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 19, 2018   Nashville, Tennessee – This fall, The United Methodist Church is deepening its involvement in Hispanic and Latino communities in a concentrated way. The advertising campaign “The United Methodist Church: Your faith. Your culture. Your place.” specifically targets Hispanic and Latino seekers – those who identify themselves as spiritual, socially conscious and seeking meaning in their lives, ...

Being a nurturing, supportive community is important to members of Memorial United Methodist Church in Clovis, California, and they don’t let distance limit their outreach.   The congregation’s two-year-old missions ministry “Friends of the United Methodist University of Liberia” (FUMUL), recently provided $30,000 worth of educational and medical equipment for the institution - located 7,000 miles away.   The donations, given just before the start of the fall semester, include 41 desktop ...

The Commission on the Annual Conference Session has begun its work of preparation for the 2019 session, with the Rev. Gary Pope-Sears (left) taking the helm as new commission chair.   At the group’s fall meeting this week, Pope-Sears facilitated a discussion about the feedback concerning this year’s ACS that was gathered through the Evaluations form, and leaders responsible for the various components of the session offered their reflections – along with early ideas for refinements.   The 2019 ...

By the Rev. Anne Schlesinger   My responsibility at the Annual Conference Session (ACS) each year is the pages and marshals. At the Sept. 18, 2018 meeting of the Commission on the Annual Conference Session, one of our tasks was to review the feedback from the June ACS. By and large the feedback was positive, but there were some valid questions about the role of pages and marshals that I’ll be happy to address.   Before I get started, however, I want to say that I am always looking for ways to ...

Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, Episcopal Leader of the San Francisco Area, will be one of the keynote speakers at Breaking Barriers HIV and AIDS Ministry Conference, Oct. 25-27 at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, IN. She will preach at the opening worship Thur. Oct. 25 at 8:30 p.m. Scholarships – covering registration and/or lodging – are available and should be applied for before registering. If you’re interested in attending and need financial assistance, please apply for a ...

Blessed as we are with diversity in the California-Nevada Annual Conference, it’s especially appropriate that we celebrate the rich cultural contributions of our Hispanic/Latino members during Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15-Oct 15).   Although certainly a time when many Hispanic/Latino people remember their traditions and acclaim their families’ countries of origin and their independences, this special month is also a time for congregations that are predominantly of other ethnicities to enrich...

The Human Resources Team for the California-Nevada Annual Conference has named an interim communications director following the departure of Dr. Larry Hygh, Jr., Conference Director of Communications since 2013. Larry left the position Aug. 31 to become Senior Communications Manager for the Black AIDS Institute.   Cate Monaghan, who served in the communications office from 2006 through 2012, rejoined the Conference Sept. 12 to function as interim director while a search for Larry’s permanent ...

A new edition of the Book of Discipline 2016 Errata is now available and includes changes to paragraphs 408.3, 410, and 422. These changes were tied to a constitutional amendment on Paragraph 50 of the Constitution that was passed by the 2016 General Conference and subsequently ratified by the members of the annual conferences. The ratified amendment was published in the Errata in May 2018, but the paragraph changes were not included at that time.   The 2016 General Conference approved three ...

The Advocacy and Justice Committee of the California-Nevada Annual Conference has a small budget available to support ecumenical and interfaith social justice advocacy initiatives. Ecumenical or interfaith organizations may apply for Ecumenical Grants if they meet the following criteria: Such organizations must include meaningful participation by one or more United Methodist churches, committees, or task forces as well as other faith communities. The project for which funding is sought must ...

World Communion Sunday, one of The United Methodist Church’s six churchwide Special Sundays with offerings, calls on us to reach out to all people and model diversity. It is observed on the first Sunday in October (Oct 7, this year) and provides funding for:   World Communion Scholarships (with at least half the annual amount going to ministries beyond the United States), the Ethnic Scholarship Program, and the Ethnic In-Service Training Program.   The treasurer of the General Council on ...

Our faith calls us to welcome the stranger, express hospitality, and serve the least of our brothers and sisters. A great resource to help develop this aspect of our Christian walk is "Faith on the Move," a presentation by Dr. David Vasquez-Levy, President of Pacific School of Religion, on Sunday, Sept. 30 at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Merced.   Eleven faith groups, including Wesley Foundation of Merced and United Methodist Church of Merced, are participating in this ecumenical ...

United Methodists in the California-Nevada Annual Conference are “passionate” about disaster relief and recovery, according to Conference Disaster Response Director Sonja Edd-Bennett. Her metric? People declare their passions “with their feet, and with their checkbook,” she says – the latter illustrated by the sums  given to disaster relief through the Conference so far this year: $76,000 to the Conference’s Disaster Relief Fund, $107,000 to Puerto Rico disaster relief (through the Annual ...

By the Rev. Felicisimo “Fel” Cao Director of Camping and Retreat Ministries and Young People’s Ministry California-Nevada Annual Conference   Would you be surprised to find a 35-year-old young adult in Young People's Ministries? You just might!   Our Book of Discipline 2016, Paragraph 256, article 3 states in part, "Young People's Ministries – The term young people is inclusive of all persons from approximately twelve through thirty years of age in the United States and thirty-five in the ...

Cal-Nev’s Michelle Chun Is One of Ten Young People Selected   WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Council of Bishops has selected 10 (ten) young adults as part of its continued strategy to lead The United Methodist Church (UMC) into living more fully in Christian unity and deepening interreligious relationships.   The 10 participants selected for United Methodist Ecumenical and Interreligious Training: Young Adult Network (UMEIT: YAN) will be trained in group leadership skills, the history and theology of ...

Rev. Elizabeth (Liz) Marrero is a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church serving as coordinator of the Western Jurisdiction’s Hispanic/Latino Ministry work. Commissioned at the Peninsula-Delaware Conference session in June 2018, she is based in the California-Nevada Conference Center in West Sacramento, Calif.  The position relates to the denomination’s National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry. She recently sat down with California-Nevada ...

Registration for NorCal Chrsitmas Institute (CI) 2018 opening soon! Visit norcalci.org for more information! NorCal CI 2018 Theme: When the Fight Calls WHO WE ARE: We are a loving community unified by faith, putting into practice the connectional aspect of the United Methodist Church in youth, young adults, and their respective communities through year round activities culminating in an annual retreat for the five days after Christmas. WHY WE EXIST: We exist to strengthen the lives of youth and ...

On Saturday, August 25, 2018, La Trinidad UMC and Peace UMC in San Jose are holding a mobile health clinic in partnership with the Lion's Club. The mobile clinic will offer screening for hearing, vision, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Representatives of Gardner Family Health Network will be present to provide information about the medical and dental services their clinics offer. We look forward to serving the community in three languages - English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Although a Korean United Methodist Church said farewell to their children and youth ministry director last June, they have now gained new families and friends in another district as a result of his new appointment. Pastor Peter Hyun Ho Park, a newly appointed local pastor at Grace United Methodist Church in San Ramon, had been the Director of Children’s and Youth Ministry at Berkeley Korean UMC in Oakland for the last five years. What began as a casual conversation between Pastor Park and Rev. ...

On September 1, 2018, join us at El Sobrante UMC for a day of celebrating the power and importance of singing together as we honor the opening of The Center for Congregational Song (CCS), the resource and outreach arm of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada (THS). Our plenary speaker will be the Rev. Donald Schell, founder of Music that Makes Community and co-founder of St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church, San Francisco. Other events will include worship, a presentation on the CCS,...

How can we extend unconditional welcome and acceptance in a world increasingly marked by bigotry, fear, and exclusion? How can we create spiritual communities that are big enough for everyone? What is the path forward in days that seem more hostile to diversity? Pastor John Pavlovitz, author of A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community, will address these questions on Sunday, August 19, at Los Altos United Methodist Church as the guest preacher at the 5:00pm ...

Sonja Edd-Bennett, director of disaster response for the California-Nevada Conference, has the following update as it relates to the fires and our efforts:   Carr Fire (Redding/Shasta) – This is currently the most aggressive and dangerous fire in Northern California. As of 6 a.m. Saturday morning, officials report about 80,000+ acres burning and just over 28,000 people evacuated with no identified date for repopulation. Over 500 homes have burned with many more having been damaged. Though not ...

Please join us on September 1, 2018 at El Sobrante UMC, 670 Appian Way, El Sobrante, CA, for a day of celebrating the power and importance of singing together. This event is one of the last of many events during a year-long nationwide tour to celebrate the opening of The Center for Congregational Song (CCS), the resource and outreach arm of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. The leadership will include some of the most skilled and forward-thinking song leaders and composers from ...

New facility at Hope's Corner will provide case management, food, showers and job training By Kevin Forestieri / Mountain View Voice  Ambitious plans to transform Trinity United Methodist Church into a hub for homeless services will move forward next month, thanks in large part to a $1 million contribution from Mountain View's largest tech company. Google officials announced the company's major financial support, which had been in the works for close to a year and kept secret until this week, ...

This is the third year the Fijian Youth Summer Camp has been held attracting campers from a diverse group of youth in the California-Nevada Conference and beyond.    “FJY18” acronym for Fijian Youth 2018, was held form July 10 to 13 at Camp Lodestar.  This year’s theme was based on Mathew 5:16 “Let you light shine.”   Though run by the Fijian Caucus of the Conference, classes are conducted in English by the speakers.  This year’s speakers include El Camino Real District Superintendent the Rev. ...

The beginning of the new conference year gave First Taulanga U Tongan United Methodist Church (FTTUMC) of Sacramento much to celebrate. FTTUMC welcomed 11 new members and celebrated the baptism of two babies. In addition to welcoming the people, FTTUMC celebrated their new call as the stewards of the former Oak Park UMC building. FTTUMC and its new members will continue the ministries of Oak Park UMC, including Oak Park Fix-It Café on the 3rd Saturdays of every month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and...

What began a few years ago as a project of the Watsonville First United Methodist has turned into a backpack giveaway Sunday sponsored by the Las Santa Beclaras Circuit that includes Aptos UMC, Boulder Creek UMC, Gilroy UMC, Hollister UMC, Morgan Hill UMC, and the UMC of Santa Cruz.   Pastor Robin Mathews-Johnson from Watsonville First UMC describes the project:   We gave out about 80 plus backpacks filled with school supplies in August on backpack Sunday last year to children, youth, and some ...

A dozen people typically attend council meetings in Dixon, a small town 30 minutes outside Sacramento. On Tuesday night, some 300 people showed up to speak out against a city official’s newspaper column that celebrated “straight pride" and disparaged LGBTQ people. Councilmember Ted Hickman spoke publicly for the first time on Tuesday about his article in a local Dixon paper. He stopped short of apologizing. Pastor Catharine Morris from Dixon UMC was first to speak out against Hickman at Tuesday ...

Emma Kerr-Carpenter won unanimous approval among Yellowstone County commissioners Tuesday to complete the unexpired term of a representative in Montana’s House District 49 seat. Kerr-Carpenter served on the Conference Youth Council from 2003 to 2007 and was elected a delegate to the 2016 Western Jurisdictional Conference.  She was a Mission Intern, now called the Global Mission Fellow program, at the General Board of Global Ministries. Kerr-Carpenter served in Brazil with the Shade and Fresh ...

On June 22, The Endowment Board presented their annual grants to Board of Pensions and the Retired Clergy Association at Annual Conference Session. Board of Pensions accepted a check for $1,700,000 (a $100,000 increase from prior year), and the Retired Clergy Association accepted a check for $111,000 (a $5,000 increase from prior year). “We really wanted to express our commitment to the Conference and fulfill our mission, “ said Executive Director Cory Parish, “We were blessed to be in a place ...