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Dear Northern CA-NV Disciples:
 Welcome to 2012!
This e-news issues is chocked full of many new Regional programs and events as well as updates on some you have been reading about for a while.
READ CAREFULLY-GREAT STUFF HERE!
...2012 Annual Meeting Registration Packet
...6th MLKing Event is this Sunday, Jan. 8 at FCC Oakland
...African Dinners happening across the Region- check out the PP presentation you can show at your dinner or worship service.
...New ACTS February Course materials now ready!
...Youth Events are happening: Mid-Winter and Feb Camp
...And do not miss a wonderful writing by Dr. David Downing, Sabbatical Regional Minister for the Pacific Southwest Region, "Looking Toward the Future with New Eyes," an important piece for all church members to think about! See The Final Word
Sister & Brother Disciples, check it all out! READ WHAT FOLLOWS!
And we have not even mentioned yet how the year, 2012, which is the final year of our Five Year Vision, will be living out our priority theme:
"Cultivating Disciples of Christ to be dynamic 'evangels' sharing the good news of God's transforming love."
There is so much more to come, like:
Evangelism Video Contest
Pentecost Project II (1,000 Disciples Praying)
Saturday ACTS course on "Doable Evangelism"
The Fall E-Van!
Stay tuned...so much more to come!
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 2012 ANNUAL MEETINGApril 20-22 at our new location, Sofitel in Redwood City
Over 1,000 Disciples will be receiving the registration packet in the snail mail this week....or you can check it out now at: www.ccncn.org.
Some very importart changes in registration for everyone to note:
1. Room registrations are made directly with Sofitel NOT with the Region. (All details in the packet but we need to call Sofitel right away to reserve rooms)
2. Program registration and meals are made with the Region. Those forms are in the packet and we really need people to complete those forms immediately as we owe Sofitel $20,000 by January 31.
3. The Region is securing a block of rooms for high school youth and adult sponsors. A regular registration form still needs to be completed. (Carl Cordes and RYC will be working on room assignments)
4. The Region is securing a block of rooms for young adults who still need to complete the regular registration form. (Ben will work with the Young Adult Council on room assignments)
The 2012 Annual Meeting Committee already believes this may be the best Annual Meeting ever!
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CCNC-N's 6th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration!
Sunday, January 8, 2012, 4:00 PM,
First Christian Church of Oakland
(111 Fairmount Ave., Oakland, CA 94611)
(Service will be held in the Fellowship Hall, lower level of the building with the entry from 29th Street side)
Theme: The Legacy of Dr. King in Our Midst
Celebrate! Be inspired! SUPPORT!
Every year, the Region's MLK celebration is a moving experience.
And every year, people leave saying, "This was the best one yet!"
We are sure that will happen again this year!!
...We will be honoring Taulau Tupua (Via Dolorosa Congregational CC of Samoa in Modesto and an honor student at Chapman University) with the MLK Scholarship
...We will be honoring Pastor Clarence Johnson (Mills Grove CC, Oakland and past Regional Moderator) with a well-deserved MLK Award for his life's work helping people on the margins.
...We will be moved by beautiful music and liturgical dance
...We will be inspired by an AMAZING intergenerational panel of Disciples
...And we will be blessed by the opportunity to install the new Co-Pastor of First Christian Church of Oakland, Tai Amri Spann-Wilson. Tai Amri has been on the ministry staff at FCC Oakland since August, and before that, he was student minister for FCCO in 2007-2008. Tai Amri has joined Sandhya Jha as Co-Pastor as Minister for Worship and Pastoral Care while Sandhya is now Minister for Outreach and the Oakland Peace Center.
This is an event for the WHOLE Region to join in our commitment to the passion for justice and inclusion that was at the core of the life of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. We find strength in the unity of worship and fellowship.
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Our Global Mission Partnership with the Republic of Congo Is Coming Alive! Materials are available at www.ccncn.org
Now available: A four minute PP about the Republic of Congo produced for us by Chapman Disciple film major student, Paul Hextal! It is great!! The link is: http://vimeo.com/34276649 and will require the password: EDCC
(You may ask for a CD to be burned as well)
OUR GOAL: JAN/FEB AFRICAN MEALS IN EVERY CHURCH!
Simple menus from Africa and a special PowerPoint we are asking every church in the Region to hold an African meal...you choose the time.
This will help support a two week (April 11-May 1, 2012) visit by Georges and Gertrude Ngoka, President of the Disciples of Christ in the ROC. It will cost $16,000 to bring them here so these dinners will be a major source of reaching that goal (plus 50% of the Annual Meeting offering)
We anxiously await hearing that your church has decided to become a Republic of Congo Disciples Partner Church???
1. Forest Hill CC, San Francisco
2. The Circle Church, Santa Cruz
3. FCC Watsonville
4. CC of Pacific Grove
5. FCC Merced
6. FCC Colusa
7. FCC Oakland
8. FCC Vallejo
9. Niles Discovery Church (the merger of FCC Fremont & Niles Congregational, Fremont)
10. FCC Paradise
11. FCC Redding
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 We did it!! We now have a four person team to help coordinate a visit by Ken and Betty Frank, Global Missionaries for 40 years with most of that time in Turkey. They will be our second Global Mission Partners this year and will join us for two weeks in July. Thanks to Katy Valentine (the Table, Berkeley), Pastor Janet Chapman (FCC Selma); and Charlie and Carol Mackey (FCC Palo Alto)
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 ACTS Winter Class a MUST-EXPERIENCE for everyone in your congregation! (Feb 17, 5 PM until Feb18, 4 PM)
Location: Best Western and Pea Soup Andersen's in Santa Nella
Recently, your pastor went gone through a day long Regional Healthy Boundary Training with the entire focus on cultural competency training...
Don't let the clergy have all the fun! Come to the ACTS course on Cultural Competency! Cultural Competency and Church Growth Guru's Jessica Vazquez Torres and Lori Adams (two ordained Disciples ministers with vast experience in this area) will lead the course.
Cost: $90 (includes all program materials, honorariums for our two professional presenters and two meals (dinner Friday and lunch Saturday)-does NOT include room costs, which you can reserve yourself. Rooms are $70.99/night for two queen beds)
Registration materials are available now at:
http://www.ccncn.org/cultural-competence-flyer-reg.pdf
You will be guaranteed to learn things that help you experience personal growth, that help your congregation experience spiritual growth, and that will in the long term strengthen the numeric growth of your community! But more importantly than any of that, learning how to interact with other cultures in more effective ways will help you grow in your ability to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Increasingly, it is NECESSARY in our effort to grow closer to Christ.
SPECIAL BONUS: EVERY CHURCH THAT SENDS MEMBERS (and a pastor) WILL RECEIVE A FREE DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, THANKS TO CHURCH EXTENSION!!!
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FINAL  2011 PHONE-A-THON REPORT:
Total Received: $22,345
Balance Due: $845
The 2011 pledge period has ended and many thanks to all those faithful persons who were able to complete your pledge. If anyone did not but would like to send a gift in the next couple of months, PLEASE, the support is always needed.
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 HOT NEWS
CHURCHES TO HOLD IN PRAYER
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Congregation to pray for this week: First Christian Church, Sparks, NV; Greater Sacramento Area; Pastor, Steve Wren.
Congregation to pray for next week: Mayfair Christian Church, Stockton; North San Joaquin Area; Pastor: Norrie Palmer
We will feature two congregations in each edition of the eNews. Please pray for their vitality, spiritual and numerical growth, their commitment to serving their neighborhood and their openness to the Spirit of God calling them into ministry in the 21st century.
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AROUND THE REGION WITH OTHER NEWS
1. First Christian Church of Oakland would like to invite you to THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE OAKLAND PEACE CENTER! FCC Oakland is turning its building into the Oakland Peace Center, a collective of over 30 different non-profits working to create peace, justice, and equity in Oakland and the Bay Area. Over MLK weekend (1/14-16), they'll be celebrating the launch and would love for you to join! With peacemaking workshops all day Saturday, a "Peacemaker fair" with booths of peace and justice organizations on Sunday afternoon, children's programming and a panel of local leaders on the future of peace and justice on Sunday, and a peacemaker potluck on Monday night, there are lots of opportunities! Details will be available on the website by the end of the week: www.oaklandpeacecenter.org
2. Chalice Christian Church, San Carlos, invites you to a special event celebrating:
...the ministry of Rev. Gerry Brague
...the lay ministry of Lisa Haley
...the changing ministry of Chalice CC as it begins a transition to new ministry
Saturday, January 21 from 2:00-4:30 with program at 3:00
Community United Church of Christ, Mahany Hall
1336 Arroyo Avenue, San Carlos 94070
RSVP by Jan. 14 to Phyllis Stowell 650-369-3942 or
3. ATTENTION ALL PASTORS... ...It's your favorite time of year ...It's your favorite administrative task of all!! YES, IT'S DISCIPLES YEARBOOK REPORT TIME Report forms were mailed to all churches this week and are due no later than the middle of February. Please start working on this now! (Last year, Primera Iglesia Cristiana de Fresno was the first Yearbook report in...who will be first this year????) 4. MID-WINTER REGISTRATION TIME IS HERE!!! GET THOSE REGISTRATIONS IN!! Come to the heart of San Francisco and see your friends from camp or meet new ones. The Mid Winter Youth Event, grades 6-8, will take place at SF-Forest Hill Christian Church located at 250 Laguna Honda Blvd. The cost this year is $65.00 for kids and adults. This does include a ticket to the California Academy of Sciences, which we hope to see on Sunday afternoon.
The dates are January 14-16, starting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. We will talk about how our footprints affect our lives. It is a welcome change from the daily routine of school. I hope to see you there!
You can find all registrations, etc on the regional website or by clicking on this link http://www.ccncn.org/youth.htm.
Registration deadline is NOW!!!. Want to chaperone? Have questions?
Contact Carl Cordes, Director of Youth Ministries at cccrafting@comcast.net
5. ANNOUNCING DISCIPLES HISTORY AND POLITY COURSE For those needing this course as part of Standing with the Disciples of Christ...or just wanting to study the identity and mission of our denomination. This Eight Week On-Line Class will begin the week of January 23. Team Taught by Pastor Jerry Brague (Video tapes) and Pastor Jesse Kearns (weekly chat sessions) Cost is $200 plus three books Check out the registration form at: www.ccncn.org (This course is required for those seeking Standing or with new Standing) 6. Healthy Boundary Training 301- Cultural Competency This final offering of this third series of HBTraining is required for all Ordained and Commissioned Clergy. If you missed the four possible offerings in May, this is it- final opportunity! Friday, February 17 FCC Concord 8:30 a.m.-3:00 pm Cost is $75 Check out the registration at: www.ccncn.org 7. ANNOUNCING 2012 SUMMER CAMP DATES - Adult Camp June 7-10
- ChiRho/Junior Camp June 24-30
- CYF July 1-7, 2012
- Grandparents & Me I June 30-July 2
- Grandparents and Me II July 4-6
- South San Joaquin June 24-29 (added since last week)
8. Please note a new mailing address for United CC, Livermore: PO Box 2539, Livermore, 94550-2539 Back to top |
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| REGIONAL STAFF NEWS
All Regional Staff are in the Region this week and next week we welcome back Paula from her sabbatical!! HOORAY. We are all here and hold our first Regional Staff meeting on Thursday, January 12.
HUGE THANKS to the wonderful team of volunteers who came into the Regional Office over the last two days to complete the Annual Meeting packet mailing to over 1,000 Disciple families across the Region!! (Yes, you read that correctly...over 1,000!) Sincere appreciation to Joe and Jan Warren, Emily Stahl, Ellie MCDougal, Renae Earl and Judith Hitt!! Plus of course, the great work of our Annual Meeting leaders (Sue Tarleton and Doral Main) for preparing all the texts with many new details because we are at a new site and Administrative Assistant, Quan Walker for final preparation of the packet. Wait until you see the stunning cover she designed. This cover will be turned into poster size materials and sent to each church next week!
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UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
Per requests around the region,
here is a listing of regional meetings
and events over the next 30 days or so.
We do not put the dates of local church
events here as we never could get them
all and we would always miss some!
JANUARY 2012
AFRICAN DINNERS ALL AROUND THE REGION IN EVERY CHURCH
DATE SET TO MEET YOUR CHURCH'S CALENDAR
7- Annual Meeting Committee 10:00-2:00 Place Arden CC, Sac.
8- Martin Luther King Celebration and Worship FCC Oakland 4:00
9- Resources Committee Meeting 10:00-2:00 Regional Offfice
12- Regional Staff 10:00-1:30 Rgional Office
14-16- Launch of the Oakland Peace Center
14- Mid-Winter at Forest Hill CC, San Francisco
21- New Church Committee Regional office
21- Women's Ministries "What's Next" Cafe with UCC Women's Network, San Mateo Congregational Church, Noon-3:00pm
21- Celebration of Ministry for Chalice CC, San Carlos
Week of the 23rd- Disciples History and Polity Course begins
22- Installation of Yolanda Moreno as pastor At FCC Watsonville 11:00 am
23- Chapman Board Meeting- Orange, CA (Ben serves on this Board)
24- Recognition and Standing Committee 9:30-3:00 RO
25- DSF Advisory Committee Ecumenical Center, Berkeley
28- Outdoor Ministry Committee MMManor, West Sacramento
FEBRUARY
1- Training and Care Committee Ecumenical Center-Berkeley
7- Regional Elders- FCC Sac. 10:00-2:00
11- Justice Commission 10:00-2:00 UCC Livermore
18-20- Feb Camp
17- Healthy Boundary Training- Cultural Competency
18-19 - ACTS Winter Course
25- Regional Executive Committee 9:30-3:00 Mayfair CC, Stockton
APRIL
20-22 - Annual Meeting- Hotel Sofitel
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DEVOTIONAL - Let's Go For It!
By Ben Bohren, Regional Minister
 It has been an introspective two months since the announcement of my retirement on November 1, 2012. As I travel around our blessed Region preaching at churches, sitting in regional and local church meetings, working with different fellowship groups, people have been exceedingly gracious in their support of this decision. Many have also expressed their regret that I am not seeking another 6 year term. (There may be people who are thrilled but up to this point they are silently celebrating!) I am often asked what I going to do and can I really retire? I honestly do now know what I am going to do. I will definitely take some time for rest and travel and then I will wait... Come September 2012, I will have served in ministry for 46 years in 6 different places and natures of ministry. I never once knew what would be next beyond the ministry I was in at that time. I love Isaiah 40:31, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength..." and I would add "find guidance for the future." What will I do next? I will "wait." As for the next 10 months, I simply share portions of my "personal prayer journal" entry from New Year's morning, January 1, 2012: "Good morning to you, God. Happy New Year! It's just another year in the eons of ages for you, God, but it's 2012 here for your human creation. And for me, this new year is a very major year in my life; my final year of full-time formal ministry. In September, it will be 46 years serving in ministry positions. I think back to September, 1966 when I entered Lynchburg College as a junior transfer student and immediately was sent out to serve as student minister of Wintergreen CC and Beech Grove CC in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Nelson County, VA. Strangely, I wasn't scared then; after all I had just preached the last six weeks at my home church in Florida! Ah, the confidence of a 20 year old! Quickly, I realized that I knew absolutely nothing about the culture of VA rural mountain folk. I knew very little about making hospital calls or officiating at a wedding or teaching a baptism class. What I did know is that I loved you, God, with all my heart. I knew I loved your church as the Living Body of Jesus Christ. I knew I loved people and could "fall in love" with these people. So, I went for it!What a glorious two years it was before I headed off to seminary in KY. (Thanks, God, for helping those dear folks to forgive my many blunders) It is my prayer now, God, that in this last year of my ministry here with this most loving Region, I will go for it! At 65, I know now that there is a whole lot I don't know! ...I don't know a lot about the changing culture of today's church and what is most needed or wanted. ...I don't really understand how to bring unity among the wide variety of theologies and beliefs in our Region. ...I don't get what drives the Gen X and Gen Y and Millennial generations. But, I do know this. I love you, God, with all my heart. I still love and believe in today's church, the Living Body of Jesus Christ. And I dearly, dearly love the precious Disciples of Christ in this Region. So, God, help me to go for it! Let me not be afraid of that which I do not know. Let me go humbly but boldly into 2012 with energy and passion and compassion as CCNC-N Regional Minister. Let me go with an open heart and an open mind. Speak to me, God, whether in that "still small voice" or that "mighty rushing wind of Pentecost." What an incredible 2012 lies ahead, God. Let's go! Let's go for it, together." Just so you know, Disciples of CCNC-N, your brand new Regional Ministry Council and your Regional Staff have created an amazing, challenging, bold and God-filled vision for 2012. Wait until you see it! Let's go for it...together, with God! |
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CELEBRATIONS & PRAYERS
CELEBRATIONS
We celebrate with FCC Vallejo as the results of their 14th Annual Global Holiday Faire, held on December 3. are truly exciting! In total, they raised $10,708. These funds went to 16 local and global outreach and ministry efforts of a huge variety, some of which are: SEERV, Bridge for Africa, Bread for Life, Enginereers w/o Borders, Heifer International, Mercy Corps, DePaul Women's Center and Amador Hope Center. Congratulations to this congregation whose heart at Christmas time was huge and focused on the lives of those in greatest need. Bless you all for the hard work to organize this event and to share with such depth.
Congratulations to April Langstraat, FCC Selma, who just retired from serving as Administrative Assistant at the church after 27+ years!!! The church held a retirement reception in her honor on December 18 and she finished on December 31. April will remain an active member in choir and SS and CWF and lots of other places of ministry in the church. "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
FCC Watsonville was recently featured in an outstanding local paper article! They are really getting noticed in the community! You can read it from this link: http://watsonville.patch.com/articles/pastor-now-permanent-at-pink-church#photo-8740390
New members as reported: Cottage Way CC, Sacramento (1 adult transfer); The Circle Church, Santa Cruz (3 adult transfers)
CONCERNS
Good News that Pastor Marty Williams, United CC, Livermore who has been struggling with a very difficult medical condition of antibiotic associated colitis, is improving and feeling quite a bit better! She still has limited eneregy and a limited diet. You can send a card to Marty at: United Christian Church, PO Box 2539, Livermore, 94550-2539
We just learned that Dick Compton, Chair of the Board, at FCC Merced, had major cancer colon surgery, back on Dec. 7. He spent two weeks in the Merced Hospital and is now close to two weeks in Rehab in Atwater. Good news is that he is gaining strength and has a fantastic attitude! He should go home soon. Let's keep him in prayer. Cards can be sent to: 1388 Juniper Avenue, Atwater, 95301.
We are removing retired Disciples minister, Melvina Symons, member at United CC, Fresno from this concern list!! In a call this week, Melvina simply said, "God has done a miracle! They thought I was going to die, but here I am getting stronger and stronger every day. Send Melvina a card of celebration: 544 West Andrews Avenue, Fresno, 93705.
Continued prayers for Darla Foglio, wife of Pastor Mark Foglio, who is recovering well from her major back surgery. Prayers and cards can be sent to: Oakdale CC, 330 Maxwell Avenue, Oakdale, 95361
We celebrate the continuing improvement for Barbara Wikoff, musician at Oakdale CC, and husband Bob, Chair of our Regional Resources Committee. She may have only 5 more chemo treatments remaining. Cards can be sent to: 941 Terrace Court, Oakdale, 95361.
This update on Agnes Sours, long time member and leader at Arden CC, Sacramento who continues to be very weak with congestive heart failure. Please keep your prayers for healing and better health coming. She has chosen not to enter hospice care at this time. Cards can be sent to: 4420 Robertson Avenue, Sacramento, 95821.
Our prayers continue for the following who remain in need of our support and concern:
Darrell Burrell, FCC Redding
Bea Tiffee, FCC Dos Palos Violet Fields, FCC Oakland Wanda, daughter of Gloria & Nordean Baxter, pastor at Raynor Park CC
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FINAL WORD
Looking to the Future with New Eyes
 A Thanks to Dr. David Downing, Sabbatical Regional Minister for the Pacific Southwest Region (Southern California...Southern Nevada...Hawaii) for this very insightful article about how our churches need to being looking at the future!!
Many times we as the Church are the last one's to discover that there are new ways to do ministry. Because of that, we are often left behind and have a difficult time catching up! This becomes truer each year as things change so rapidly!
Not too long ago I read some words by Rev. Jeff Gill, a pastor who raised some very interesting questions. I shared these questions with the Regional Board in their last meeting and now share them with you in hopes that it will raise some different ideas in your minds regarding what we need to be aware of as we move into the future. Have you thought about these kinds of questions and concerns and issues?
1. How will you replace your Church Newsletters when newsletters will no longer be a viable form of communication because of rising postal rates, especially for the kind of mailing that we call a "church newsletter"?
2. How does the offering time during worship need to change as people no longer carry cash or have checkbooks in their pockets or purses?
3. How will it affect your worship services and Church School classes when people read their Bibles on smart phones, tablets or e-readers? I have seen this already happening in several of our Regional congregations just within the last four weeks!
4. Are you ready for a change in communication patterns when most of your members no longer have landlines and do most of their communication through Facebook, Facebook group pages, Twitter or texting? You see, E-mail is already being seen as the "old person" way to communicate!
5. What will you do in your church budgets when federal law says that any employee who works 12 hours or more per week must have health insurance?
6. What happens to your church kitchen when state and county health codes become tighter on "public feeding" guidelines that may even effect "potluck dinners" or providing food for the homeless?
7. What happens to your budget (not to mention your clergy salaries!) if the parsonage allowance and/or housing allowance disappears, and your charitable deductions vanish from the tax codes, and the Church has to start paying property taxes?
These are interesting and challenging questions. They are not meant to be frightening, but are meant to open your minds and consciousness to new kinds of thinking! Each one of these issues is already becoming reality and percolating into our view if we are really honest with ourselves! Rev. Gill says that these issues "will continue to approach us with nuances difficult to anticipate."
What kinds of questions can you think of that need to be asked among ourselves as we begin a new year? What can you add to this list? I challenge you to share these and other ideas among yourselves in your leadership discussions within your own congregations as well as in our Regional gatherings.
Anticipate these and other questions as you prepare yourselves for what lies ahead of us and as you begin "looking toward the future with new eyes!"
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Sincerely,
Ben Bohren
Regional Minister
Christian Church of Northern California-Nevada
925-556-9900
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