Regional Voices - December 12, 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Reflections Regional Events Around the Region
Churches to Hold in Prayer Regional Staff Updates Joys & Concerns & Prayers

Regional Calendar Publishing Information

REFLECTIONS

Howard Thurman provides for me a profound source of reflection at Advent and Christmas. His words touch my spirit and call forth new resolve and commitment. So indulge me, and let me share another poem for your reflection from The Mood of Christmas..

I will light candles this Christmas;

Candles of joy despite all sadness,

Candles of hope where despair keeps watch,

Candles of courage for fears ever present,

Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days,

Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens,

Candles of love to inspire all my living,

Candles that will burn all the year long.

His words encourage me as we prepare to kiss 2013 goodbye and embrace 2014. May each of you, my friends, my colleagues and my faith community know

in your longest nights...a deep healing

in your wondering...a joyful delight

in your fear...an amazing love

in your uncertainty...a resilient hope

in your hesitancy...a gospel courage.

On behalf of all the Regional Staff, thank you for all the ways you have blessed and strengthened our lives in 2013. May the lions and the lambs learn how lie down together even as we learn in our diversity and difference live into being the covenant community this world needs to see in the name of the One who is coming and has come, Emmanuel.

In grateful partnership,

Mary, Paula, Jesse, Molly, Bill, Daniel, Yolanda, Laura, Quan, Diana, Carl, Michael, and Barbara.

REMEMBER...

Remember that all of the Christmas Special Day Disciples Mission Fund offering remains in the Region to support our ongoing ministry.

UPCOMING REGIONAL EVENTS

2013 NAPAD Youth Winter Retreat

"What does it mean to be a Disciple?"

For interested youth 13-18 who want to learn more about what it means to be a disciple.

December 26-28, 2013

South Bay Christian Church Mission Center

13088 Sunset Road

Lucerne Valley, CA 92356

Download Poster

Download Registration Form

Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Expanded...

to Include Pro-Reconciling/Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression Training

Dear Friends,

Sandhya Jha has continued on a contract basis with the Region to utilize funds from a grant to help us plan for a transformative training event connected with the CCNC-N MLK Celebration. We hope that if you are a Regional leader...a pastor...a congregational leader...or someone deeply committed to helping us take the next steps toward becoming an anti-racist/anti- oppression church that you will save the dates and plan to attend:

Friday evening, January 10, 6PM - Sunday, January 12, Noon

at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), San Jose

with the MLK Celebration at 2 PM with CHAM.

Registration fee: $40

Registration will be online soon.

Fall Fest this year was held at Concord Christian Church and the 29 kids and adults attending were totally interested in what Rev Clarence Johnson told us about Martin Luther King, Jr's freedom walk and speech. He also talked about inclusiveness and what it means to us as Disciples. We also attended Concord's morning services. Future events are coming in February, March and May, keep watching for information. Thanks to all the Concord congregation for there hospitality.

AROUND THE REGION

Mills Grove Christian Church invites all to attend "A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols," and the Christmas Cantata "The Jesus Gift," by Tom Fettke. This will be presented by the Chancel Choir of Mills Grove,on Friday evening December 20, @7pm. Enjoy listening and participating, to the Nine Lessons and singing of Christmas Carols. Rochon B Hemmans, Director/Musician, Rev. Clarence Johnson Minister Mills Grove Christian Church 5410 Fleming Avenue, Oakland, CA 94619.

Thank you. Please come and enjoy some good music.

CHURCHES TO HOLD IN PRAYER

Please consider incorporating these congregations into your congregational prayers each week during worship or in your newsletter, so we can grow together in prayer.

Congregation to pray for this week: United Disciples Fellowship, San Jose; Golden Gate to Pebble Beach Area; Leta Shattuck, Moderator

Congregation to pray for next week: First Christian Church, San Lorenzo; East Bay Area; Cindy Walter, Correspondent.

We will feature two congregations in each edition of Regional Voices. 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.

PLEASE PRAY FOR CHURCHES CURRENTLY IN TRANSITION

First Christian Church, Oakland

First Christian Church, Porterville

United Christian Church, Livermore

First Christian Church, San Lorenzo
First Christian Church, Watsonville
Sierra Christian Church, Loomis
New Spirit Community Church, Berkeley
Lafayette Christian Church, Lafayette

REGIONAL STAFF UPDATES Staff Image

Thanks to all who came to celebrate the ministries of Molly and Michael Carlson, Sandhya Jha and Bill Garrett at the Regional Advent Open House on December 7. If you would like to honor their ministries, gifts may still be sent in support of ministries for New Church Movement, Young Adult ministry, Reconciliation ministry and our ongoing ministry.

Molly Carlson has accepted the position of pastor of United Church of Christ, Yankton, SD. Please hold her and her family in prayer as they navigate the move. She and Michael will complete their Regional ministries at the end of December.

Bill Garrett will finish his ministry with Faith and Giving at the end of February.

Regional Office is closed December 24, 2013 - January 1, 2014...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

JOYS & CONCERNS & PRAYER NEEDS

We seek to update these prayers appropriately, knowing that the region lifts them up to God with great reverence. Please email enews@ccncn.org with any prayers you would like to make sure are included or continued next week and beyond. Particularly, please e-mail the names and addresses of new members so we can celebrate them here and also send them a letter of welcome from the region!

Cause for Celebration

NEW MEMBERS:

Arden Christian Church, Sacramento welcomed 9 new members by baptism.
First Christian Church, Sacramento welcomed one new member.
Christian Church, Oakdale welcomed one new member.

Cause for Prayer

The Table in Berkeley recently experienced a break-in. Prayers for the community, for Tami Groves and her daughter (who live in the parsonage/meeting space) and for the young men who will likely experience jail time. We want to give a shout-out to Week of Compassion for support to the Table during this difficult situation.

Prayers for retired Pastor, John Dewey, who has been hospitalized since September following a fall which caused major head injuries and a broken hip.

Prayers for Pastor Fred Williams of First Christian Church, Antioch, who fell down his stairs recently...broke his ankle (severely) as well as tearing his ACL in his knee. He's already had surgery (long) and at home in a full recovery mode.

Our prayers continue for the following who remain in need of our support and concern:

Edgar and Janet Peck
Diane Kindle
Magali Negron and family
Bob Wikoff and family
Pastor Iopa (Job) and Meaalofa Amosa
Kelsey, Tom and Shellie Warren
Pastor Taulua Tupua
Pamela Dawson
Vickie Firch

REGIONAL CALENDAR

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!

2013

December 24, 2013-January 1, 2013 - Regional Office Closed. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2014

January 10-12 - Pro-Reconciling-Anti-Racism Training for Regional and Congregational leaders ending with MLK Celebration and Awards
June 5-8 - Adult Camp
June 22-28 - Junior and Chi Rho Camps
June 28 - July 2 - Grandparent and Me Camp
June 29 - July 5 - CYF Camp

Hello Friends,

Follow this link to apply for a new part-time position with the National Benevolent Association as the Project Coordinator for XPLOR--an initiative to get young adults involved in a 10 month service opportunity, similar to many of the denominational service or volunteer corps. At the end of the job posting is a complete summary of XPLOR, but if you have questions about the XPLOR project, please contact Rebecca Hale.

This position is part-time (.50) and relocation to St. Louis is not required. The candidate chosen can work out of his/her home location. Competitive Salary, 6 holidays, and vacation are provided.

Interested persons should send cover letters and resumes to NBA@nbacares.org

PUBLISHING INFORMATION

This newsletter is published bi-weekly on Thursdays.

Always send your news articles to enews@ccncn.org

Please send short text only articles only...
No flyers or pdf documents which require rewriting will be accepted.
JPG images and links should be submitted as a separate attached file and
not embedded in the body of a document.

ALL news articles should be sent to enews@ccncn.org no later than the
Tuesday before publication.

Publishing schedule for balance of 2013
December 26 (Christmas - no publication)

________________________________

This communication is made possible by generosity expressed

through giving to Disciples Mission Fund!

Christian Church of Northern CA-NV

The CCNC-N is the presence of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
in the northern half of the states of California and Nevada.