News

Electronic Book Explores Promise of Campus Ministry

Campus ministry can provide vital insights for United Methodists in interpreting and living their mission and ministry in a rapidly changing world – and a new electronic book from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry explores that role with six essays from campus ministers, chaplains, theologians, historians, and agency staff. The Promise of Campus Ministry: Theological Explorations, available for free downloading at www.gbhem.org, resulted from a consultation on campus...

Annual Conference Session Resources Posted

A resource page – to aid your preparation for Annual Conference Session – has been created on the California-Nevada Annual Conference website at cnumc.org. You'll be able to access the new Annual Conference Session Resources page by clicking on "Resources" on the main navigation bar at the top of the Home Page.   You also may access it by going to the main Annual Conference Session page and clicking on the link, Supplementary Material...

Bishop Schnase's New Book Is Available

Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations has helped hundreds of churches clarify their mission to transform the world. Now, Bishop Robert Schnase is re-visiting those Five Practices by drilling them down to a personal faith level. In his new book (just released), Five Practices of Fruitful Living, Bishop Schnase provides a guide to the individual spiritual journey. While the focus of the Five Practices – Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk-Taking...

Spanish-Language Ministry Resources Available

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) – "El Cristiano como Ministro," the Spanish-language edition of "The Christian as Minister," completes the list of 12 Spanish-language resources published by the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry for people exploring ordained or licensed ministry in The United Methodist Church. Fliers and brochures about ordained ministry are also available for downloading at www.gbhem.org/bom. A subtitled DVD with first-person accounts...

Introduction to Media Resource Center Now Available as DVD

By Pat Strandburg, Director NorCal EMRC The Northern California Ecumenical Media Resource Center (EMRC) has produced a DVD that introduces the Center, relating its history and purpose. This DVD is being circulated among MRC non-member churches of our sponsoring denominations to invite them to take advantage of the great resources available at the MRC by becoming a member. We are offering a free three-month trial period so that Christian educators and pastors may become familiar with our...

Resource Helps Churches to Support Returning Combat Veterans

About half of all service members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are members of the National Guard or Reserves, which means they return to their home communities and churches after deployment – and often churches do not know how they can help. "How they reenter daily life after combat is a significant question for local churches," says the Rev. Tom Carter, director of endorsement and pastoral care for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry's United Methodist...

Gold Country Seniors Alive Calendar

Exploring Positive Aging Gold Country Seniors Alive is dedicated to providing quality educational, consulting and supportive services to seniors and mid-life individuals throughout the Gold Country and Sacramento regions. Believing that later life can be a time of healthy growth and active engagement, Gold Country Seniors Alive offers simple and enjoyable strategies for aging well physically, socially, intellectually and spiritually.   Download March-December Classes and Programs (in...

GBOD Website Lists Church Vitality Questions

On the General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) website, Director of Music Resources Dean McIntyre notes that "vital" is one of the most desirable adjectives we'd like to be able to use to describe our congregational worship and singing, since it means "full of energy and life, vigorous, animated." "To determine if our worship and singing are vital, we might measure things such as volume, tempo, expressiveness, responsiveness of the people, level of the people's...

'Heartsongs' End of Life Planning Group to Meet April 18

Location for meeting changed to Nevada City UMC By Judith Pruess-Mellow Gold Country Seniors Alive   About two months ago, George and Louise Carter of Nevada City United Methodist Church talked to me about their idea and felt need for a group/class which would explore end of life matters, such as wills, trusts, advanced health care directives, ethical wills, and downsizing – in a manner conducive to mutual support in actually getting these tasks done.   A few of us met...

Online Survey Seeks Black Church Worship Styles, Practices in Hymnal Study

By Tom Gillem* NASHVILLE, Tenn.|GBOD — The distinctive worship styles and practices of 2,370 black United Methodist Churches in the United States are being identified in a study which is underway to determine if an official hymnal is needed to serve the more than 400,000 United Methodists of African descent in North America.   Lay members and clergy of black churches are being asked to complete an online survey as part of the broader Africana Hymnal Study, which is the joint work...

GCORR to Church: Membership Decline Connected to Impact of Racism

The latest statistics show a declining membership within The United Methodist Church – and racism continues to permeate the denomination, inhibiting the growth of the Church. That's the report from the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) Board, which met March 10-12 in Arlington, Virginia.  "The decline of the Church can be set side by side against the demographics of the Church. A Church that is 91 percent white in a country where non-whites are rapidly...

Order Resources NOW for Native American Ministries Sunday on April 18

Without help from Native American Ministries Sunday, Ray deZafra never would have found his way to the Third Sunday Native American Fellowship. For the first time in his life, the Potawatomi Indian feels that he belongs – not just to a tribe, but also to a community of Christians. The offering on this Special Sunday educates Native American seminarians, plants Native American churches, and cultivates Native American outreach to seekers such as Ray. Call toll free to 888.346.3862 today to...

Black History Month: Songs of Protest

February is Black History Month, and this week marks the 50th anniversary of the start of non-violent sit-ins designed to desegregate Nashville, Tennessee, department store lunch counters. The student sit-ins and the arrival of Freedom Rider buses from the North (February 13, 1960) launched a chain of events which are detailed in a timeline on the General Board of Discipleship's (GBOD) Worship website. There were demonstrations, buses, beatings, arrests, jail sentences, speeches, and marches...

Small Church Leadership Institute Is March 8-12

Sign up Now for Early Bird Discount It's time to register for the upcoming Small Church Leadership Institute, March 8-12 at Mount Sequoyah Conference Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Space is limited – so register today! You'll also save money: An Early Bird discount is offered until February 15.    • Are you frustrated that your church is stuck at 25, 50, or 100 on Sundays? Are you saddened that your worship attendance is slowly declining each year? Does your heart...

Summer Camp Registration Information, District Newsletters Now on Line

Summer Camp information for 2010 has been uploaded to the Youth and Camping Ministries site on the California-Nevada Annual Conference website at www.cnumc.org. You'll find a link to the site under "Quick Links" on the left side of the Home Page. Click on "Camping" on the landing page to access:   ·         Online camp registration ·         Online volunteer...

Complete Haiti News and Resources

Visit www.umc.org/haiti for all of the most up-to-date national and conference-wide news, blogs, and video and audio stories from within the United Methodist Church. In addition, customizable print ads, web graphics, and other resources are available there for downloading. Access GBOD's Current but Still Growing List of Worship and Music Resources for Haiti Earthquake at http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?loc_id=739,1112,1198&act=nav_loc   Read These UMNS Stories:   We...

UM Congregations Invited to Stephen Ministry Workshop in Carmichael

United Methodist congregations in the California-Nevada Annual Conference are invited to a Stephen Ministry workshop, hosted by Carmichael Presbyterian Church, on Saturday, March 6 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). It will be an excellent opportunity for church leaders and other members to learn about the Stephen Series, a ministry system that equips and mobilizes laypeople for effective caring ministry.   Join More than 10,000 Congregations in Providing Care   Are there hurting people in...

Honduras Service: Learning Opportunity for Youth, Young Adults

Sierra Service Project (SSP) will send four teams of young people, motivated to put their faith into action, to build homes in Honduras this summer. Participants will have the opportunity to be immersed in the culture and life of one of the poorest countries in the Americas. Volunteers will work alongside Hondurans to build two simple, but safe and dry homes. In 2010, SSP will send volunteers June 23-July 7 and July 14-28. There will be two groups in-country during each of these sessions. One...

Health Care Reform Workshop Scheduled for February 20

You are invited to explore the current National Health Care Reform package, what gaps exist, and why a single payer program for the state of California may still be necessary – at a February 20 workshop at Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Rocklin. The Saturday morning (10 a.m. to noon) workshop will feature Elizabeth Sholes, Director of Public Policy at California Council of Churches and California Church IMPACT, and Cindy Young, Chair of the California Education Coalition for...

Support African Children's Choir - Fill Sanctuary at FUMC Sacramento

The African Children's Choir will perform at First United Methodist Church of Sacramento next Wednesday evening, February 3 (at 7 p.m.), as part of a nationwide tour. There is no charge to attend the concert – but a love offering is requested.  Please – help fill the sanctuary, in support of these children.   First UMC is located at the corner of 21st and J Streets in Sacramento. Enter the sanctuary through the 21st Street entrance.   For more...