News

The Gospel According to ... WHO?

Temple United Methodist Church in San Francisco will launch a Bible study titled "The Gospel According to the Simpsons" on Wednesday, September 8, 7-10 p.m. "Come see America's most animated family through the lens of Scripture," writes Temple pastor, the Rev. Schuyler Rhodes.   Expect "a time of friendship and great discussion," he adds.   The study will continue through mid-October. For more information visit the Temple UMC website at...

GBGM Missionaries Itinerating in Cal-Nevada This Fall

The Rev. Joseph and Marilyn Chan, GBGM missionaries serving in Cambodia, are available to visit California-Nevada churches from September 27 to November 8, 2010 to share about their work and ministries in Cambodia.  The Rev. Joseph Chan has been assigned to Phnom Pehn, Cambodia, since 1998 where he has worked with evangelization and church growth. His focus is helping local pastors and church leaders. He provides pastoral care and counseling to pastors and members who are in need of...

Attend Free Screening of Powerful, Award-Winning Film

Side-By-Side Ministries invites you to attend a free showing of an award-winning film, Lost in Woonsocket, on Tuesday, September 7 in Sacramento. There will be two showings, with an opportunity after each to meet a key figure in the film. Lost in Woonsocket introduces viewers to Normand Cartier. Living in a tent in the woods, suffering from addiction and estranged from his family for more than 13 years, Cartier had all but given up hope of recovery. The film crew from the award winning A&E...

'Good Sam' Youth Group From the 70s Holds August 7 Reunion

A reunion of the Good Samaritan United Methodist Church (Cupertino, CA) Youth Group from the 1970s will take place soon – on Saturday, August 7, at the church affectionately called "Good Sam." Anyone who attended "Camp Celebration" during the early 1970s is invited! Registration/gathering begins at 4:30 p.m., with dinner at 5:30.   The Youth Group from 1969 to 1975 was led by the Rev. Ernie Bringas, under the direction of senior pastor, the Rev. Roy Dunn...

Moon Lecture Series Tickets Are Available Through St. Mark's UMC

St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Sacramento will host an evening with author/activist Anne Lamott, Saturday, August 7 at 7:30 p.m., as part of its Moon Lecture Series. Anne Lamott is the author of many best-selling fiction and non-fiction titles, such as Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, and her latest, Imperfect Birds. She has just been inducted into the California State Hall of Fame.   Individual tickets are $25 and are available at http://www.stmarksumc.com/upcoming-moo...

Good Nutrition Program at L.I.F.E. Receives Peace with Justice Grant

Two times annually Peace with Justice Grants are awarded to various ministries in the California-Nevada Annual Conference. This year one of those grants went to the Life Is for Everyone, Inc. (L.I.F.E.) Good Nutrition Program, located in the East Salinas Family Center United Methodist Fellowship. L.I.F.E. is a not-for-profit after-school program to prevent gang involvement, improve students' nutrition, provide safe recreation opportunities, and improve English language verbal, written, and...

Register by July 28 for Two-Part Transformational Leadership Course

The August Transformational Leadership course is fast approaching! This two-part, midweek (Tuesday-Wednesday) course is open to clergy and laity. It will be hosted at Nevada City United Methodist Church August 3 and 4 and August 17 and 18.   The course will teach the fundamentals of transformational leadership and include practice in strategically using these principles with real-life case studies.   Transformational Leadership faculty/consultant Anne Dilenschneider, DMin., will...

Disney Institute Hands out 'Keys to Excellence' at August Modesto Event

The renowned Disney Institute wants to hand you The Disney Keys to Excellence – at a one-day workshop by that name being held at Centenary United Methodist Church in Modesto, Thursday, August 12, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EXPERIENCE successful Disney processes and the organizational structure that supports them, EXAMINE the strategies Disney leaders employ to keep their teams constantly improving and reaching new goals, and EXPLORE values and behaviors that can make you a leader of strong...

Family in High Def! Sign up for August 14 Retreat at Walnut Creek UMC

Walnut Creek United Methodist Church invites you to attend a retreat that "could transform your life, your parenting, and your children": The High Definition Family Retreat for Parents, Saturday, August 14, 12:30-4:30 p.m. Led by Pastor Sayer Strauch of Vancouver, Washington – speaker, coach, and author of The High Definition Family – the retreat offers you the chance to grow in your own adventure of knowing, experiencing, and participating with God. You are invited...

Attend Cultural Competency Workshop in Sacramento on Tuesday

Traveling to Sacramento for Annual Conference Session? Come a bit early and attend a "Cultural Competency as a Leadership Skill" workshop, Tuesday, June 15, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at First United Methodist Church. The church is located at 2100 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95816.   Facilitated by Dr. Shan McSpadden of Pacific School of Religion and the Conference Commission on Religion and Race, the June 15 workshop will meet the BOOM requirement for cultural competency and will give .75...

Cal-Nev Clergy Take Lead in Fight Against Gang Violence

Two pastors in the California-Nevada Annual Conference are among those taking leadership in the fight against gang violence in Monterey County. The Rev. Robin Mathews-Johnson, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Watsonville, and Pastor Frank Gomez of East Salinas Family Center, are among some two dozen faith leaders, including Bishop Richard Garcia of the (Roman Catholic) Diocese of Monterey, who have formed the Alianza de Fe Por la Paz en Salinas, or Salinas Faith Alliance for...

San Rafael Church Partners With San Quentin Families on Stories of Redemption

San Rafael's First United Methodist Church is in relationship with San Quentin families as a part of its parish network – and last Saturday, the church hosted an event titled "The Inside Story: Personal Stories of Incarceration and Rehabilitation." Former inmates at San Quentin and wives of inmates talked about their personal experiences – telling tales of tragedy, frustration, rehabilitation, and hope – and helping their audience understand what it means to be...

Epworth UMC, Berkeley Embarks on Three-Month 'Body & Soul' Pentecost Adventure

Epworth United Methodist Church in Berkeley has begun a three-month "Pentecost Adventure" it's calling "Body & Soul." Through August 23, the congregation is being invited to participate in "loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and loving neighbor as self." Epworth's pastor, the Rev. Odette Lockwood-Stewart, says, "We all have challenges to body and soul. While we cannot control every factor in our lives, we can make choices that...

Cultural Competency as a Leadership Skill: Sign up for June 15 Workshop

Make plans to be in Sacramento the day before Annual Conference Session and take advantage of a "Cultural Competency as a Leadership Skill" workshop, Tuesday, June 15, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at First United Methodist Church of Sacramento.  The willingness and ability to shift perspectives and change behavior depending upon the cultural context is the basis of cultural competency. As we become more culturally competent, we increase our skills and enlarge our social networks of...

Placerville Church Raises $5,000 for Water: Children's Mission at Federated

By Jodie Regan Children's Minister, Federated Church Every April is "Children's Mission Month" at Federated Church in Placerville. Federated Church is made up of people from the United Methodist tradition and the Presbyterian tradition, and all faith seekers.   We just completed our 3rd Annual mission month with the joyful result of meeting our goal to raise $5,000 for water!   All this learning and giving is a result of many influences. Our church family is...

San Jose Church Accepts Bishops' 'Call to Hope and Action'

By Carolyn Sue Bowling Almaden Hills UMC We cannot change the world until we change our way of being in it. This challenge, offered by the Bishops of The United Methodist Church, opened the special Earth Day service on April 18 at Almaden Hills United Methodist Church in San Jose.   The service, sponsored by the church's Green Ministry, started with a sung call to worship: Move me, move me, move me to do thy will.   The focus of the day's message was the Pastoral Liturgy Letter,...

Centennial Celebrates Asian American, Pacific Islander Month With Polynesian Festival, May 22

Centennial United Methodist Church is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with its fourth annual Polynesian Festival, Saturday, May 22 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will be filled with Polynesian flavor – through entertainment, music, games, and traditional Polynesian crafts with a modern twist! The Tongan United Methodist Fellowship of Sacramento Youth Brass Band will perform.   The United Methodist Church is such a diverse body! The festival is a...

Oakland Congregation Opens Hearts, Wallets for Quake Victims

Members of the Chinese Community United Methodist Church in Oakland took to the streets of Chinatown, May 1st and 2nd, to raise funds for victims of the 7.1 magnitude earthquake which struck the Southern Qinghai province of China on April 14. The quake claimed 2,220 lives, injured more than 11,000 other people, and did extensive damage. The church mounted the fundraising event in partnership with the American Red Cross, which opened its Emergency Response Vehicle for public viewing. The...

Watch 'Rethink Conference' Video, Attend Last Event on Saturday

The sixth "Rethink Conference" event is scheduled for this Saturday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to noon at Sparks United Methodist Church in Sparks, Nevada. If you have not attended one of the five previous such events, we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr. looks forward to the chance to meet with you, share his vision for the California-Nevada Annual Conference, and respond to your questions. We invite you to send a question or observation to...

The Church Has Left the Building!

On Saturday, April 24, churches around the globe worked to make a difference on 'Change the World' Weekend.  In our conference, St. Paul's UMC in Reno, NV responded to the challenge by sending over 70 volunteers out to make a difference in their neighborhood. They put on bright green t-shirts that stating that 'The Church has Left the Building' and proceeded to exit the building armed with picks, shovels, trowels, paint brushes, and enthusiastic attitudes.   This tiny church, has...