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Greetings!
Pastors....you do not want to miss this!
Pastors...you do not want your members to miss this!
Church Leaders...you do not want to miss this!
Small churches..you do not want to miss this!
Medium sized churches...you do not want to miss this!
Back row pew sitters...you do not want to miss this!
Long time Disciples...you do not want to miss this!
Brand new Disciples...you do not want to miss this!
Get the point???
NO ONE SHOULD MISS THIS!
It's Coming! THE E-VAN!!
Just days away!
A hard copy of bulletin inserts/registration materials are at your church office OR go to www.ccncn.org
(Can you guess what the E stands for?)
August 12-16- light dinner, evangelism workshops and closing worship
- Sunday, August 12- FCC Concord 5:00-7:30
- Monday, August 13- FCC Chico 6:00-8:30
- Tuesday, August 14- Arden CC, Sac. 6:00-8:30
- Wednesday, August 15- FCC San Jose 6:00-8:30
- Thursday, August 16- FCC Hanford 6:00-8:30
Content will include:
...Dinner! (free will donation)
...Workshops on
.........Evangelism and prayer
.........Evangelism and the bible
.........Evangelism in my particular location
.........Evangelism and budgets!
..........Evangelism and youth/children's ministry
..........Evangelism and Telling Your Story (Narrative
Evangelism)
.........Closing Worship!
Don't miss this chance for fellowship and skills training that can help YOU grow as well as your church! Register at your local church or call the Regional Office.
(PS...this is Ben's last VAN trip round the Region, let's really come out in support!)
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ATTENTION: YOUNG ADULTS
TIME TO GET THOSE REGISTRATIONS IN!
THIS EVENT IS JUST TWO WEEKS AWAY!
 Calling All Disciples Young Adults Regional Summer Young Adult Mission Outing "REACH-OUT-REACH"
August 10-12 in Santa Cruz at The Circle Church (Disciples of Christ)
$20 for Friday-Sunday (meals)
$15 for Friday-Saturday only
(Does not include Saturday night Boardwalk games, rides and snack foods)
Begins Friday at 7:00 with dinner, free concert at the beach, games, fellowship, movies, singing, worship and playing and sleeping in the church's full gym.
Saturday 11:00-5:00
The Circle Church has a nationally honored ministry with the street community and Pastor Steve DeFields-Gambrel will help us learn about the street community (homeless). At lunch time, as we make our own lunches, we will be making lunches to take out to the street community and interact with them throughout the afternoon.
5:30- Delicious home-made dinner followed by a fun evening on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Worship at 11:00.
Sunday morning we will help lead worship with The Circle Church and then lunch which always includes all members of the church, some of which are the street community.
Thanks to our 10 member Regional Young Adult Council for leading this ministry to/with/for young adults. Special team from the Council planning and leading this event:
Billy Stoner, Mayfair CC, Stockton
Taulau Tupua, Via Dolorosa Samoan CC, Modesto
Bobby Altangerel, First Mongolian CC, Oakland
Steve DeFields Gambrel, The Circle Church
Ben Bohren (acting like a young adult!)
Please complete and mail in the registration form at: http://www.ccncn.org/reach-out-reach-flyer-2012.pdf
 AND NOW, BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND FROM LAST YEAR, A SECOND EVENT FOR YOUNG ADULTS-A REPEAT BOATING OUTING!!
(Thanks to Nancy and Mark Bingaman)
...Young Adult Boating and Camping at Beautiful Lake Oroville
...Friday August 17 check in after 2PM until Sunday August 19 check out noon
...We will BBQ on Friday and Saturday night, bring a side dish or snacks to share
...Breakfast will be "continental" and lunch sandwiches (bring your own beverages)
Come for the day, a night or two nights
...Sunday morning we will have a meditation and worship time
...Camp site reserved at Loafer Creek Southeast side of Lake Oroville
...Boat with the Bingaman's- Wakeboard, Tube (towable) or just relax
More details at http://www.ccncn.org/boating-flyer-2012.pdf
or on CCNCN Young Adult Facebook page or email nbingaman@mpc.edu
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 WOMEN'S FALL RETREAT at Mission Springs
September, 14-16, 2012
"Spirit-Empowered Women"
Speaker is: The Rev. Amy Gopp, dynamic Executive Director of Week of Compassion who travels the world on behalf of 3,500 Disciples congregations.
Learn more at: http://www.ccncn.org/dwf.htm
For more information on Amy Gopp and Week of Compassion, go to: http://www.weekofcompassion.org/
Fall Retreat Registrations are coming in fast! We forgot to give you a heads-up that scholarship offerings change as of Aug. 2--so we've decided to give anyone needing scholarship aid a few more days to get your registration in for the higher offer. NEW DEADLINE FOR SCHOLARSHIPS UP TO $75--MON. AUG. 6. Registrations WITH THE $50 DEPOSIT must be received in the office by that date to be considered. After Aug. 6, the maximum scholarship granted will be $50.
ALL REGISTRATIONS MUST BE IN BY SEPT. 1!
Two options for registering are being offered:
The first is the traditional one... go to the website and download the registration form (or receive the registration packet in the mail), complete the form by hand, include your check or Visa/MC information, put it in an envelope, address and stamp it, and then mail it.
The second choice is the online option. In this, you click the link on the website on any announcement of the event through email, which takes you directly to the registration form. Fill it out online, put in your payment information for your electronic check or Visa/MC (and yes, the information is completely secure - we are actually using the same merchant provider that our denomination uses), and hit the "submit" button. And, it's done. You're going to Mission Springs! Very easy, very nice, and very efficient.
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 WHEN OUR REGION VOTED TO BECOME A GLOBAL MISSION REGION THREE YEARS AGO, WE WONDERED WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE!
In 2012, we have experienced the amazing impact of three sets of Global Ministries missionaries with two weeks in April shared with our Global Mission Partners, Georges and Gertrude Ngoka from the Republic of Congo and then weeks in July with Betty and Ken Frank, who spent nearly 30 years in ministry in Turkey.
And now, we welcome Tom and Lynnea Morse, who will take us to China, the world's largest nation, where they have been serving for the last several years.
August 5- CC of Pacific Grove-morning
August 5- Sinapi Fellowship, Palo Alto- PM
August 7-FCC San Jose-evening
August 8- Forest Hill CC, SF-evening
August 9- New Spirit, Berkeley-evening
August 10-11- Yosemite
August 12-Mayfair CC,Stockton-morning
Call each church for details of time and plans.
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2012 Regional Unity Festival
"In Essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity" ~ Augustine (and later, Alexander Campbell)
Mark your calendars NOW for our first ever CCNC-N Unity Festival. To be held on Saturday, November 3rd from 10-5 at United Congregational Christian Church of Lodi - as central a location as we could find! Enjoy food, games, worship and performances that celebrate the cultural diversity of our Region.
Every local congregation and/or mission cluster is invited to create a booth space that celebrates their ministry, history and culture. See the website for more information: www.ccncn.org
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 HOT NEWS CHURCHES TO HOLD IN PRAYER
Congregation to pray for this week: Geyserville Christian Church, Redwood Area; Pastor Hilary F. Marckx.
Congregation to pray for next week: First Christian Church, Hanford; South San Joaquin Area; Pastor Tom Warren
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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Regional Events Not To Be Missed
 The Regional Executive Committee has asked that you save the date of Saturday, October 20 for a Celebration of Ben's Ministry. Time is now set for 1:00-5:00 p.m. Location is California High School, San Ramon. It offers a beautiful, tiered 400 seat auditorium for programming and very large reception hall for informal interaction, fellowship and food service. Ben's retirement date is November 1, 2012. ....................................................... 1. It's another great youth newsletter from Carl Cordes, our Regional Director of Youth Ministry: "Words from 4024." Not just youth, but all will enjoy this August issue. Got to http://www.ccncn.org/newsletter-august-2012.pdf 2. From your Friends at Lafayette Christian Church:
We are really looking forward to this year's Summer Adventures In Learning (SAIL) program at LCC. Our theme this year is "Makin' My Mark on God's World - Kids Can!" Each day we will learn a new Bible story that teaches what a difference kids can make in the world by being who they are. Of course our mornings will also be filled with games, snacks, crafts,stories, singing, and other adventures as well, all designed especially for kids age 4 - 11 years old. We think this is a great deal for only $20 per child or $40 per family of two or more.
You are invited to us each morning August 6-10 from 9 am to Noon for another great week of exploration and fun. If you haven't already registered, please fill out the flyer on our website and return it to the church office so we can include you in our plans. Please contact Rev. Sara Steenhouse with any questions at sarasteenhouse@gmail.com. Hope to see you at SAIL! www.lafayettechristianchurch.org 3. Regional Disciples Men Retreat
October 12 -14 at Palo Alto FCC Theme "Faith of Our Fathers, Faith of Our Sons"
Men of different cultures and different generations learning from each other...
Lessons of life and lessons of faith. Leader: Roger Jenks, Senior Pastor at Grace Community Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Aurora, Illinois. Save the date now. Registration will begin soon. 4. SPECIAL NEWS RELEASE TO CCNC-N
ENID, OK July 24,2012 - Phillips University Legacy Foundation is pleased to announce one student in the Northern California-Nevada Christian Church (DOC) Region has been awarded a Phillips University Legacy Scholarship for 2012-2013. This undergraduate scholarship is based on academic excellence and Christian leadership in the student's church, vocation and community.
Congratulations to Kellie Stump, from Walnut Creek, California will be a senior attending Chapman University and is a member of Lafayette Christian Church. "The application process was very competitive this year," stated Kelly Coker, Executive Director, "Kellie is an amazing young lady, and her application stood out among the rest. We are thrilled to have her join the Phillips family as a Legacy Scholar." The Foundation also provides specialized leadership training for the Legacy Scholar at an annual, all-expense-paid four-day leadership development conference which will be held from November 8-11, 2012 in Oklahoma City. Scholars also perform an annual 40-hour volunteer service project. The program grants annual awards of up to $5,000 to full-time undergraduate students attending any of the 17 colleges or universities affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Since the inception of the program in 2002, 115 students have received nearly $1 million in scholarship assistance. For 91 years Phillips University, located in Enid, Oklahoma, was highly respected nationwide for its academic excellence and quality Christian education associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The mission of the Phillips University Legacy Foundation is to follow the tradition of Phillips University by providing scholarships and opportunities to educate and develop leaders who embody Christian values in their lives, service and work. (Kellie is the daughter of Don and Leanne Stump of Lafayette CC). Back to top |
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SPECIAL RESOURCE-DO NOT MISS!
How Your Congregation Learns
by Tim ShapiroFrom Alban Institute, Alban Weekly Issue 417, July 23, 2012(Editor's note: This article caught our attention as one useful to all pastors and congregational leaders across CCNC-N. We trust you will find it helpful as a resource for discussion with your Board or Council). Congregations, or perhaps more precisely, congregational leaders, need to learn new skills all the time. Such are the demands on congregational life. What do you do when your congregation either needs or chooses to do something new? Perhaps your congregation wants to serve the homeless, an entirely new endeavor. Maybe your congregation is working on a renovation of the building and it has been a decade since a significant building project. Maybe your congregation wants to think about worship or faith formation. Perhaps the new thing is addressing a long-term issue that the congregation has collectively avoided. No one needs help in creating a list of new demands on congregational life. Each can seem like starting a deep-space mission. Any congregation, your congregation, is expected to think and behave in ways that it has not yet learned with knowledge it does not yet hold.
Knowing how your congregation learns is essential to learning to do any number of activities. How congregations learn is a meta question that shapes the answer to all kinds of questions.
The Indianapolis Center for Congregations has worked with more than 3,000 Indiana congregations over 15 years. The Center has observed a learning framework used by congregations developing new capacities. The framework includes seven overarching behaviors. The behaviors apply to almost any congregational challenge. They are not complicated.
The Center identified seven behaviors of healthy congregational change. They do not come from a psychological framework, though they add to the emotional well-being of a congregation. They do not come from an organizational framework, though the activities strengthen the congregation as a system. The frame is religious in the sense that it reflects a theological understanding that congregations are basically healthy and able to sustain the learning they need to address challenges if given the right amount of assistance and time. The seven behaviors fortify strengths already present in a congregation while also enhancing the congregation's relationship to its mission.
Here are the seven elements that make up the learning framework that the Center for Congregations has observed:
...Congregations that learn well find and use outside resources. Congregations learn best about almost any topic when they use an outside resource in juxtaposition with their own ingenuity. An outside resource provides new perspective. The congregation's ingenuity makes sure the learning is contextual and relevant to the particular congregation's faith experience.
...Congregations that learn well live within a worldview of theological coherence. Congregations that are grounded in a lucid theological perspective are more likely to have the maturity to act consistently with their religious commitments. This coherence provides opportunities for God to be noticed during the learning. Cues of theological coherence show up in mission statements. It is supported by adult education. Learning to think clearly about faith, and articulate that faith publicly, aids congregational learning.
...Congregations that learn well ask open-ended questions and practice active listening. Congregations learn when congregants do not assume there is a predetermined answer to complex issues. It is obvious but rarely practiced: human beings, including congregants, learn best by asking questions for which they don't know the answer.
...Congregations learn well when clergy and laity learn together. It is not just that clergy and laity should work together. It is that they need to learn together. When shared learning takes place, respect and trust grows. Projects maintain their momentum because they are not too dependent on either clergy or laity.
...Congregations learn well by attending to rites of passages. When new learning is taking place, it is important for congregations to pay attention to tender and mighty moments of existence: birth, graduation, marriage, divorce, illness, recovery, and death. Nothing teaches like life. Attending appropriately to rites of passages is also a way to practice theological coherence.
...Congregations learn well when they slow things down. Creating a sense of urgency makes sense when there is an emergency or when the congregation is becoming stagnant. Some congregations need a sense of urgency to consider a new endeavor, but are best served when they use their momentum to discern, not rush to action. Learning requires thoughtfulness, which requires time. Slowing things down is a way for congregations to allow their thinking to catch up with their praying and their praying to catch up with their thinking.
...Congregations learn well when they say "no" and say "yes". When a congregation takes on a new initiative, another activity likely needs to be discarded. Congregations that affirm what matters most as well as that which matters less are best able to gain new capacity to address their challenges. Congregational capacity is not a zero-sum game. Focus is.
Some congregations follow the learning framework naturally. Their leadership is wired to learn in this way or they have integrated the behaviors into their life together based on experience. Some congregations need to initiate, for the first time, some of these learning behaviors.
Congregations are by necessity learning all the time. New challenges require new capabilities that require learning. Whether paving the parking lot or training in monastic prayer, adopting the seven learning behaviors as a part of congregational practice strengthens the possibility of positive outcomes. Your congregation has all kinds of new challenges waiting and it deserves to learn its lessons well.
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REGIONAL STAFF NEWS
Ben is currently in southern CA to keynote CYF II Conference (for junior, senior and high school graduates) in the Pacific Southwest Region (at their CGC) called Loch Leven. He will be checking e-mail and voice mail daily. He will return to the office on Monday, August 6.
Daniel is currently in southern California for the NAPAD Conference, August 1-5, at Chapman University where he is serving as director of the youth and young adult program for this National Gathering of North American Pacific Asian Disciples.
Sandhya is also in southern CA for the NAPAD Conference over these same dates and we are very proud of her as well as she will be the main preacher for one of the evening services.
From Cliff: Cliff and Connie are now home from Minnesota. (Please add our grandson, LaFrance Cole, to the regional prayer list as he has been deployed to Afghanistan in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Clearance Unit).
Diana was out of the office this week but will be back on Tuesday, August 7.
Paula will be away August 7-9. She and Micheal are celebrating their 20th anniversary! Congratulations and let's honor them with NO phone calls or e-mails.
Have you been wanting a copy of the directory of churches in our Region?-like names, addresses, phone numbers, pastors names, etc. Did you know you can download that directory any day right from our Regional website. It gets updated regularly (if we know the changes). Just go to:
http://www.ccncn.org/directory-of-churches-2012.pdf
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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! AUGUST 5-12- Tom and Lynnea Morse visit CCNC-N as Global Mission Partners from China 12- E-Van at FCC Concord 5:00-7:30 13- E-Van at FCC Chico 6:00-8:30 14- E-Van at Arden CC, Sacramento 6:00-8:30 15- Regional Staff Meeting 10:00-1:30 at Regional Office 15- E-Van at FCC San Jose 6:00-8:30 16- E-Van at FCC Hanford 6:00-8:30 20- Regional Resources Committee 10:00-2:00 RO 21- Serra Center Board Meeting 4:00-7:00 25- Justice Commission Training United CC Livermore 26-28- Annual Fund Phon-a-thon SEPTEMBER 14-16- Mission Springs Women's Fall Retreat OCTOBER 12-14- Regional Men's Retreat- FCC Palo Alto 20- Celebration of Ben's Ministry NOVEMBER 3- Unity Festival UCC Lodi Back to top |
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CELEBRATIONS & PRAYERS
CELEBRATIONS
This Sunday, August 5, will be a special day for Sierra CC, Loomis as they welcome Alan and Kathy Hilberg as their Interim Pastor and wife. An Installation Service will be held with Ben bringing the message. WE are excited to welcome Alan and Kathy to our Region. Alan recently served as Pastor at FCC Bakersfield and Kathy grew up in this Region at Arden CC, Sacramento.
How exciting to know that close to 25 members of our NAPAD churches and community are at Chapman University this week for the National NAPAD Gathering
In Regional Staff news you will see the important role of both Kyung Min Daniel Lee and Sandhya Jha in this event. CCNC-N will have representatives from these ethnicities: Korean, Chinese, Mongolian, Samoan, Indian, Japanese, and Vietnamese!!
An update on Hazel James, who was placed in hospice care last week is that she is rallying a bit and has had some very special times with family and very dear friends. Hazel is a member at United Disciples Fellowship, San Jose, and for years a member at FCC San Jose and very active in regional leadership and programming, has entered hospice care. All three grown children and families are there with their mom. Our prayers of love and care surround them.
Good news from retired Disciples minister, Vi Spencer- her knee surgery went very well and she is now home and doing very well. Vi is an active leader at Disciples of Christ-Visalia. Cards can be sent to: 20200 Ave. 352 #D, Woodlake, 93286
Our prayers continue for Marlene Elliott, who along with her husband Bill, are decades long members and key leaders at FCC Corning, and both have several terms on the Regional Board. This past Monday, Marlene had her second of six chemo treatments for lymphoma. She deeply appreciates the prayers of so many. Send cards to: PO Box 474, Corning, 96021.
We continue to keep Pastor Mark Foglio, Oakdale CC in our prayers. Mark is now working with his doctors to make decisions about how to address herniated disks in his neck, which have been the cause of numbness and heart challenges. Cards of support can be sent to: Oakdale CC, 330 Maxwell Avenue, Oakdale 95361.
Pastor Taulau Tupua, Via Dolorosa Samoan Congregational CC of Modesto sends his deep appreciation for the many cards and prayers over this long and challenging battle with lymphoma leukemia. As he continues his second round of chemotherapy, he is driving to Stanford Medical Center twice a week for special "burning of the blood" treatments. Praise God he is still feeling strong enough to preach weekly. Cards to: 2329 Senimi Circle, Ceres, 95307.
Barbara Wikoff, musician at Oakdale CC, and husband Bob, Chair of our Regional Resources Committee is having some really good days right now following test results showing that the chemo treatments are working! She and Bob deeply appreciate all the prayers and ask that you keep them coming. Cards can be sent to: 941 Terrace Court, Oakdale, 95361.
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 John Grose, FCC Vallejo Wanda, daughter of Gloria Baxter of Raynor Park CC
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