News

New Info Regarding Spanish Language Immersion Trips!

If you've been thinking about the Spanish Language Immersion trip to the Celas Maya Spanish School in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala this summer – but aren't quite sure it's for you – here are a few new developments to consider: ·         Clergy will be glad to know that the Spanish Language Immersion trip has been approved for .75 CEUs in the Intercultural Competency area.    ·      &nb...

Bishop Heads Conference Site Assessment and Connectional Team, in Cambodia Through Month's End

Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr., Resident Bishop of the California-Nevada Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, is leading a Conference Site Assessment and Connectional Team visit to Cambodia, February 20-28. The team was to visit churches in Svay Rieng on Monday (Feb. 22) and to conduct site visits to Cambodia Methodist Bible School, Street Children/Orphanage Ministry, and possibly Singapore Methodist Orphanage and Emmaus Women's Housing Project, on Tuesday the 23rd.   The...

Spanish Immersion Trip to Guatemala Is Scheduled for July

Do you live and serve in a valley town? Or a major California city? Did you know there are more than five million people in California for whom Spanish is their first language? So, the question is – Isn't it time you learned to speak some Spanish? This summer, the Conference again will offer a Spanish language immersion trip to the Celas Maya Spanish language school in Guatemala. The program involves three weeks of intensive study. Included in the tuition ($165...

Read Blog Posts From Israel, Palestine on Communications Facebook Page

Doug Smith of the Israel-Palestine Task Force of the California-Nevada Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church is taking part in a corporate engagement trip to Israel and Palestine, February 5-12, sponsored by the Ecumenical Action Group for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine. He is the only Cal-Nev representative. His participation was funded in part by a grant from the Conference Board of Church and Society.   During the week-long trip, Smith will interview American-owned...

Bishop Brown to Lead Trip to Cambodia in February

Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr. will lead a California-Nevada Annual Conference leadership delegation in a visit to Cambodia February 20-27. The trip stems from a resolution passed at the last Annual Conference Session to explore a Conference mission emphasis on Cambodia. The delegation will visit General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) missionaries and Advance projects in Cambodia, and seek to identify needs and priorities that match interests and resources of the Conference. The group will...

Bishop Brown to Join Philippines Solidarity Visit, Trip Moved to July

The Philippines Pastoral and Solidarity Visit scheduled for August 13-24 has been moved up to July 20-31 - and Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr. will join the team for this year's visit.   The trip is organized by the California-Nevada Annual Conference Philippines Solidarity Task Force and hosted by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP).   In 2006, a resolution was passed at Annual Conference Session to respond to the reported extra-judicial killings...

Spanish Language Immersion Trip: It Could Be Time!

Viene a Guatemala!   It could be that a vibrant Hispanic community is growing up around your church.   It could be that you are being sent to a cross-cultural appointment.   It could be that it's just time … for you to learn Spanish!   And one of the very best ways to learn any new language is to be dropped into circumstances that require you to learn it.   That's the idea behind Language Immersion. Recognizing the growing importance of being able to speak...

Palestinian Summer Celebration 2009

You are invited to "Celebrate Palestine!" this year. The Palestinian Summer Celebration is a unique annual program that gives people from all over the world the chance to encounter the life, culture, and politics of Palestine. Participants in this two-month-long program will learn Arabic and study Palestinian history at Bethlehem University, spend time with local families, and volunteer with a community organization.   The Palestinian Summer Celebration 2009 will take place in Bethlehem...

SSP Reaches out to Korean UMCs

Sierra Service Project announces that Rev. Hayes Kang, Associate Pastor at Cho-Un Korean United Methodist Church in Citrus Heights, California, has temporarily joined its staff. His assignment is to do outreach to Korean churches, both United Methodist and members of other denominations. Contact him at heiskang@yahoo.com or at the SSP office at 916-488-6441.   Rev. Hayes has translated the key information about SSP into Korean (including parts of the SSP website) and is available to...

Mission Trip to Africa: Boulder Creek UMC Is Recruiting Team Members

Do you find your heart turned towards Africa? The United Nations forecasts that Swaziland will become extinct by the year 2050 due to the AIDS epidemic—and already, more than 30% of the population consists of orphaned children.    The Boulder Creek United Methodist Church is organizing a United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) team to travel to Swaziland in July, 2009.   The team will work with Bulembu Ministries Swaziland (BMS), located in the town of...

Africa UMVIM experience 'A journey of faith'

Editor’s Note: California-Nevada Conference UMVIM volunteer Martha Milk traveled to Angola May 17–June 13, 2007 and returned blessed, full of joy – and inspired to share a personal account with us. The full story, complete with wonderful photographs from her journey, can be found on the Cal-Nev UMVIM website Destinations and Discoveries page. Here is an excerpt from that account.   Dear Friends,   Perhaps when you agreed to support my recent UMVIM trip to Africa, you...

Spirit of Italy - Reflections, Oct. 25, 2007

Spirit of Italy: Reflections – Oct. 25, 2007   Fifty members of the California-Nevada Annual Conference, led by Bishop Beverly Shamana, toured Italy this month in Spirit of Italy 2007 “to be stirred by God’s heart of creativity while building and deepening relationships as the Body of Christ,” in the words of the Bishop. Tour members experienced the art and architecture inspired by the Christian faith of Italy’s world famous artists, including Da Vinci and Michelangelo, while taking in...

Bishop's article - Spirit of Italy 2007

Spirit of Italy 2007   Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,   Buon giorno!   Inspiring! Awesome! Community Building! Faith Deepening! Glorious!   These are but a few words that open the door to the Italy trip enjoyed by 50 travelers October 2-11 under the auspices of Educational Opportunities.   The art, culture, and creativity took our collective breath away day after day as we traveled through the country. The Sistine Chapel, the 15 foot towering statue of...

Spirit of Italy - Rome, Oct. 9, 2007

Spirit of Italy: Rome – Oct. 9, 2007   Fifty members of the California-Nevada Annual Conference, led by Bishop Beverly Shamana, engaged in Spirit of Italy 2007 – an inaugural event for the Conference as tour members visited 8-13 locales “to be stirred by God’s heart of creativity while building and deepening relationships as the Body of Christ,” in the words of the Bishop. Tour member experienced the art and architecture inspired by the Christian faith of Italy’s world famous artists,...

Spirit of Italy - Assisi, Oct. 8, 2007

Spirit of Italy: Assisi – Oct. 8, 2007   Fifty members of the California-Nevada Annual Conference, led by Bishop Beverly Shamana, engaged in Spirit of Italy 2007 – an inaugural event for the Conference as tour members visited 8-13 locales “to be stirred by God’s heart of creativity while building and deepening relationships as the Body of Christ,” in the words of the Bishop. Tour member experienced the art and architecture inspired by the Christian faith of Italy’s world famous...

Spirit of Italy - Florence, Oct. 7, 2007

Spirit of Italy: Florence – Oct. 7, 2007   Fifty members of the California-Nevada Annual Conference, led by Bishop Beverly Shamana, engaged in Spirit of Italy 2007 – an inaugural event for the Conference as tour members visited 8-13 locales “to be stirred by God’s heart of creativity while building and deepening relationships as the Body of Christ,” in the words of the Bishop. Tour member experienced the art and architecture inspired by the Christian faith of Italy’s world famous...

Spirit of Italy - Pisa, Oct. 6, 2007

Spirit of Italy: Pisa - Oct. 6, 2007   Fifty members of the California-Nevada Annual Conference, led by Bishop Beverly Shamana, engaged in Spirit of Italy 2007 – an inaugural event for the Conference as tour members visited 8-13 locales “to be stirred by God’s heart of creativity while building and deepening relationships as the Body of Christ,” in the words of the Bishop. Tour member experienced the art and architecture inspired by the Christian faith of Italy’s world famous artists,...

Spirit of Italy - Venice, Oct. 5, 2007

Spirit of Italy: Venice – Oct. 5, 2007   Fifty members of the California-Nevada Annual Conference, led by Bishop Beverly Shamana, are currently engaged in Spirit of Italy 2007 – an inaugural event for the Conference as tour members visit 8-13 locales “to be stirred by God’s heart of creativity while building and deepening relationships as the Body of Christ,” in the words of the Bishop. Tour member are experiencing the art and architecture inspired by the Christian faith of Italy’s...

Sidebar - Waldensians and Methodists

Sidebar: Waldensians and Methodists According to the website for Chiesa Evangelica Valdese, Waldensians have been present in Italy since medieval times but were repressed by the civil and religious authorities until the middle of the nineteenth century. Only from then onward have they been able to express their faith throughout the whole of Italy. Currently there are approximately 45.000 members of the Waldensian churches of Italy and America.   The presence of Methodists in Italy is...

Spirit of Italy - Milan, Oct. 3, 2007

Spirit of Italy: Milan – Oct. 3, 2007   Fifty members of the California-Nevada Annual Conference, led by Bishop Beverly Shamana, are currently engaged in Spirit of Italy 2007 – an inaugural event for the Conference as tour members visit 8-13 locales “to be stirred by God’s heart of creativity while building and deepening relationships as the Body of Christ,” in the words of the Bishop. Tour member are experiencing the art and architecture inspired by the Christian faith of Italy’s...