News

'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...

Location Change for Bishop Dew Memorial Service

The location of the Memorial Service for Bishop William W. ("Bill") Dew, Jr. has been changed, based on seating and facility concerns. The service now will take place at First United Methodist Church of Loomis, 6414 Brace Road, Loomis, CA 95650 on Saturday, August 7 at 11 a.m. FUMC of Loomis is less than 30 minutes east of the Sacramento International Airport, with accessible parking and seating.     Bishop Dew died suddenly on July 14 at his home in Elk Grove,...

Worship Design Studio 'Sneak Peek' Available at Special Price

What if: eight weeks before each liturgical season, you could get help from a worship designer, biblical scholar, music director, and visual-design-and-media company to jump-start your planning process and invigorate and guide your team? You can!   With your year-long subscription to The Worship Design studio, you become part of a "virtual" creative community, working on ideas for the liturgical year.   Marcia McFee, who designed and led worship for this year's...

Register Now for 'Geography of the Soul' Personal Formation, Leadership Development Seminar

The Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders (FUMSDRL), an affiliate organization of the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church, invites you to sign up for a national training seminar in Tucson, Arizona, Friday-Monday, October 22-25, to gain "a foundational understanding from various cultural perspectives in faith formation, and to learn how to expand ministry into diverse cultures." The seminar,...

'Pray 40,' Nationwide Campaign for College Students, Campus Ministries, Begins in August

A nationwide prayer campaign for college students and campus ministries, "Pray 40," begins August 23 when all United Methodists are being asked to pray for students and campus ministries for 40 days.   Some 17 million American students head to college and university campuses each fall, while millions more flood campuses worldwide. As they make decisions, learn, and are shaped into the next generation of teachers, accountants, mothers, fathers, doctors, CEOs, journalists, and...

Future Leaders of United Methodist Church Convene in Berlin

NASHVILLE, Tenn. | GBOD - The future of The United Methodist Church is being represented in Berlin, Germany, this month as the Global Young People's Convocation and Legislative Assembly brings together young United Methodists from around the world to share their life experiences, struggles, gifts and realities. About 350 youth and young people representing 32 countries – from Angola to Zimbabwe –registered for the July 21-26 event, which is sponsored by Young People's...

Celebrating Vital Small Congregations

Kings Beach United Methodist Church and its pastor, the Rev. Kathryn Dunning, invite pastors and lay persons to celebrate and share the ministry of vital small congregations at a workshop at Lake Tahoe on Saturday, August 21, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.  Reverend Dunning and her husband Rob have recently returned from participating in the Summer Collegium, a Lily Endowment project in support of small congregations at Virginia Theological Seminary. Small congregations make up the majority of...

Annual Conferences Feature Petitions, Push-Ups

A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom* When Bishop Jeremiah Park wanted to demonstrate the connection between spiritual and physical health to United Methodists in the New York metropolitan area, he took off his jacket.   Then he dropped to the stage and did 120 push-ups, as church members counted along. It was all part of the fun – and commitment – evident at the 2010 New York Annual (regional) Conference in June.   Each spring and summer, the U.S. conferences of The...

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...

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...

A Story Needing to Be Told

By Chaplain Sarge Wright John Taylor, now a retired United Methodist minister living near Shingle Springs, California, has been a longtime friend and colleague. He has a zest for living and an intense life mission that has been both interesting and productive.   John was introduced to Heifer Project International by the Rev. Bill Beck in 1970. His first service opportunity was to deliver pregnant cows to Korea in 1971. This experience introduced John emotionally to HPI, but also led...

California-Nevada Conference Is Saddened by Death of Bishop Bill Dew

SACRAMENTO, CA | July 15, 2010—The California-Nevada Annual Conference today is mourning the loss of Bishop William W. ("Bill") Dew, Jr., who died Wednesday morning after collapsing at his home in Elk Grove. Bishop Dew leaves his wife of 52 years, Mitzie Eggers Dew, who was his college sweetheart; three children: the Rev. Linda Dew-Hiersoux, pastor of Central United Methodist Church and at The Table (both in Sacramento), William Waldo Dew, III, and Marilyn Jane Dew (along with...

Bread for the World President Appears on PBS on Friday, July 16

Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, a faith-based organization which lobbies Congress to increase foreign aid and make it more efficient, will appear on PBS on Friday, July 16 on the public affairs show, "Need to Know." Jon Meacham, program host and editor of Newsweek, interviewed Beckmann about how our domestic farm policy may be harming malnourished children in the developing world. He appears in the second segment of the show....

Upper Room Staff Comfort UM Victims of Uganda Terrorist Bombing

By Tom Gillem* NASHVILLE, Tenn. | July 14, 2010 | GBOD—After terrorist bombs killed and injured scores of people in Uganda watching the World Cup soccer final match, representatives of The Upper Room and other United Methodist agencies rushed to support members of a United Methodist mission group who were severely injured by the blast.   Soon after five adults and youth representing Christ Community Church, a United Methodist congregation in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, were...

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...

Early Bird Pricing Is Available for September Church Leadership Conference in Atlanta

Everyone engaged in ministry – clergy and laity alike – needs good positive opportunities for continuing education, and in The United Methodist Church, clergy of course are required to earn CEU credits for regular continued education. The IN Conference from Leadership Nexus is a fantastic opportunity for both! Take advantage of early bird pricing and sign up now for The IN Conference church leadership training, hosted at Dunwoody United Methodist Church, September...

Guidebook Filled With Details About UM-related Schools, Colleges, Universities, and Theological Schools

A new guidebook that provides a wealth of information about the 121 United Methodist-related schools, colleges, universities, and theological schools should help high school students easily compare tuition, degrees awarded, and possible financial aid. The Guidebook of United Methodist-Related Schools, Colleges, Universities, and Theological Schools will be useful for students, pastors, youth leaders, and parents who want to learn more about United Methodist-related educational...

Report Tracks Legislation Considered by 2010 Annual Conference Session

A report has been posted to the 2010 Annual Conference Session News page, showing what happened with each piece of legislation which was before the 2010 Annual Conference Session. Navigate there by clicking on "Annual Conference Session" (the first item under "Quick Links" on the right side of the Home Page at cnumc.org), then click on "2010 Annual Conference Session News" (in the menu on the right side of the new page).   The link to the Legislation...

Updated: More Videos From Annual Conference Session Uploaded

Nearly all the videos from the LIVE STREAM of the 2010 California-Nevada Annual Conference Session now have been uploaded to REEL Witness, the video library on the Conference website at cnumc.org. Added last week: Thursday Afternoon Plenary Session (includes presentation of the first Bishop's Award) Thursday Afternoon presentation by Bishop Robert Schnase Thursday Evening presentation by Bishop Robert Schnase Interview with Youth Delegate (Chris Newell) Friday...

CLayM Now Accepting Applications

The Conference Lay Minister (CLayM) program is now ready to receive applications – both for the traditional program, CLayMAway, and also for the new CLayM@Home, which allows participants to study largely on line or by DVD. The same application will be used for both programs. It is anticipated that the first cycle of CLayM@Home will get underway by September 1st, with a second cycle scheduled to begin January 1st.    Here's the timetable:   First Cycle   Session...