Dear CCNC-N Community,

 

Let these words of Melody Beattie, settle into our spirits and stir up the spiritual practice of gratitude: 

 

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend."  Melanie Beattie

 

  

Trust in our God with all your heart 

and do not rely on your own insight.

 In all of your ways, acknowledge God and God will direct your paths. 

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

 

The time has come to update the region on our extensive and thorough search for a new Regional Minster. As you recall, our Regional Minster Search committee has been hard at work for the last several months under the leadership of Rev. Clarence Johnson. The committee received 9 interested candidates and used the Executive Search model adopted by the General Board to pair this down to 7, then 4 and finally 2. Those two were interviewed in person and in detail using a carefully developed structure and well thought out questions. As a result, the committee recommended the name of a single candidate to the Executive Committee of the region, which met on June 14th to receive the nomination and take a vote.  

 

That vote was a unanimous, "YES" to accept the recommendation and send the name onto all 63 of our churches for a vote at a specially called Regional Gathering.

 

What happens next? I am sure you want to know the name of this very important individual. We need to keep the name under wraps for a few more days due to some confidentiality and personnel issues. But keep the faith - very soon you will see a BIG announcement with "THE NAME" - it will be exciting!

 

In the meantime, we need to plan a Special Regional Gathering for the election of our new Regional Minister. This is the type of meeting that only occurs once every 6 years and is a milestone event in the history of our region. So here it is - hold this date: August 2, 2014!  

The place has not yet been determined, but it will be soon and the word will go out.

 

We need a quorum! Please make every effort to make sure your church is represented at this critical meeting. Due to the importance of this event we need 2/3 of all churches present and 2/3 of all delegates in attendance. Each church will need to select the appropriate number of delegates and ensure their attendance. These delegates are selected by each congregation and may be the same individuals you sent to the regional gathering in Lodi in May.

 

The next 6 years are looking strong for the CCNC-N region - stay tuned for more news in the near future.

 

With gratitude and blessings,

 

 

Don Stump

Moderator

 

The whole day Saturday at Annual Gathering was spent building community together by learning how to truly listen and share with one another in Circles of Inquiry. The Justice Commission has reaped the harvest of the collective wisdom and experiences from those conversations and created a summary for each topic.

Learn More

Regional Reconciliation Grants Announced
We are pleased to share recent recipients of reconciliation grants. These recipients have both a reconciliation focus and a missional component.

• First Christian Church of Watsonville is creating a Teatro del Espiritu/Theatre of Spirit to address the bullying and discrimination in their community, especially to the indigenous Mexicans. This first play will be tri-lingual. Students are participating in writing the script. They hope the play will encourage further dialogue and greater inclusiveness in the Watsonville High School and their community.
   
• Tapestry Ministries - Mustard Seed Project is increasing legal staff support to work on special immigrant juvenile status (SIJS). SIJS is a form of immigration relief for immigrant minors who are present in the U.S., but unable to reunify with at least one parent due to abuse, abandonment, or neglect.
   
• Christian Church of Northern California-Nevada requested scholarship funds to make possible a more diverse and inclusive annual gathering in Lodi. This is an ongoing effort to welcome and include diverse racial/ethnic congregations into the full life of the church.

These are exciting programs made possible by your generous offerings to the fall Regional Reconciliation Offering.

Jan Warren, Chair, Regional Reconciliation

XPLOR - Rolling out a new program with NBA  

 

We need your ideas!

 

 

NBA, in partnership with Christian Church Homes, Oakland Peace Center, CCNC-N and several local Disciples congregations, is exploring the feasibility of starting this program in the bay area in the fall of 2015 or 2016. This program recruits young adults, ages 21-30, to give 10 months of service to their community/church/and social service programs under the practical and spiritual guidance of supportive members of the Disciples church. (You might think of it as the Peace Corp program right in our own backyard)  

 

NBA will assist in recruiting the participants, perhaps 4-6 individuals, and in securing service sites for them to work in. One challenge in implementing this program is finding a house where 4-6 young adults can live for 10 months.  

 

We are looking for ideas or suggestions as to how to solve this problem. Do you know of a house, or some kind of a housing solution, that could be used for 10 months by 4-6 highly dedicated and responsible young adults? We do not yet know the start date of this program, but we are starting to explore (free or very inexpensive) housing solutions for a future XPLOR program. If you have any thoughts please share them with Don Stump, regional moderator, at DStump@cchnc.org

 

Healthy Boundary Training 101

Saturday, August 23, 2014
Barret Ave CC (DOC)
3701 Barret Ave, Richmond, CA

Healthy Boundary Training 101 is a basic introduction to healthy boundaries for clergy. The course will cover several areas including: The importance of communication, basic professional boundaries, fluid boundaries, sexual boundaries, and self-care.  Learn More

Women's Fall Retreat

Mission Springs Conference Center
in Scotts Valley, CA
September 12-14, 2014
"Diverse and NOT Divided"

Keynote Speaker: Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins serves as General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada.

She is an inspirational preacher, teacher and facilitator who shares her considerable skills in a variety of religious and ecumenical settings. Learn More

Week of Compassion Executive Director called
Rev. Vy Nguyen joins Week of Compassion from one of its largest ministry partners Church World Service. He is serving as Southwest Associate Field Director, where he has managed, created, and overseen an extensive fundraising portfolio. He will begin his duties with Week of Compassion Sept. 1. He has also been a member of the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and North American Pacific/Asian Disciples.
 
Nguyen is an ordained minister, with a lifelong commitment to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). As a former refugee who came to the United States through the efforts of Refugee and Immigration Ministries and Church World Service, Nguyen has witnessed firsthand the life-changing work that Week of Compassion facilitates. Nguyen is committed to giving back to the ministry that shaped him and to work to empower individuals and communities to build better lives.
 
Nguyen earned his BA from Texas Christian University and his MDiv at the University of Chicago. Learn More

Concert This Sunday!
For the donation of $5.00 you will get an exciting afternoon of music and fellowship, and refreshments. This concert is to raise money to repair our beautiful church building.  So come on out and enjoy the show!

Upcoming concerts:
June 22     
June 29     

Congregation to pray for next week:  Mayfair Christian Church, Stockton, Pastor Norrie Palmer  

 

Congregation to pray for this week: Raynor Park Christian Church, Sunnyvale, Lora Baxter, Interim Pastor

  

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!  

• June 22-28 - Junior and Chi Rho Camps
• June 28-30 Grandparents and Me Camp
• June 29-July 5 - CYF Camp

Asamblea de la Confraternidad

Hispanic Biennial Fellowship Assembly
From Wednesday, July 16th
Until Saturday, July 19th
Concluding after the Obra Hispana Banquet and Somos Uno Awards celebration at the Town & Country Resort
 
Church - Casa de Oración
201 Fir Street
San Diego, CA 92101  Learn More

National Convocation of The Christian Church

(Disciples Of Christ)
July 24 - 27, 2014
Crowne Plaza Columbus North
Columbus, Ohio
"Be Still And Know"   Learn More

2014 NAPAD Convocation

August 6-9
Disciples Divinity House, University of Chicago
1156 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60634
Learn More

From Bread and Wine to Faith and Giving

A workshop led by Ronald J. Allen
Saturday, September 13, 2014
9am - 12pm
Sponsored by Disciples Seminary Foundation

Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley
 
Ron will speak on the new stewardship campaign curriculum for the denomination. There will be some presentations by him, some small group work, and some plenary discussion, prompted by the table theme in the Faith and Giving materials and going beyond.

Ron says, "In particular, I hope to encourage participants to generate stories from their own worlds that relate the various tables of our lives to the notion of giving, with the sacred table as a lens through which to help discern God's presence and leading."

I Do! Getting Ready for Marriage: A Resource for All Weddings

I Do! Getting Ready for Marriage: Today's Guide for Couples, by the Stillspeaking Writiers' Group of the United Church of Christ, is a short yet comprehensive guide to working with couples and planning weddings that is thoughtful, comprehensive, and gender inclusive. . .  Learn More

Surge of solo children migrating to U.S. from Central America
From June 4 Disciples News
 
Without a parent and fleeing violence, unaccompanied children are traversing more than a thousand miles across Mexico to get to the United States. The numbers have overwhelmed federal resources in a matter of weeks, prompting emergency action to open a shelter at Lackland Air Force Base in mid May as Health and Human Services struggles to keep up.
 
In fiscal 2011, an estimated 6,500 unaccompanied minors entered the U.S. By 2014, the estimated number is roughly 60,000. Some experts project a surge to 130,000 in the coming year. Children as young as toddlers are riding on the tops of Mexican rail cars and traveling on foot. Gangs, traffickers and others prey on them as they travel, often resulting in beatings or sexual violence.
 
Many factors seem to be playing a part in the rise. Rev.  Robin Hoover, a retired Disciple pastor deeply involved with migrant issues on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, has spent the last several weeks in Central America urging women and children to stay at home because of the dangers and uncertainty of the journey or of their status should they succeed in crossing borders.
 
"The message they have heard in all this immigration reform talk is that if they can get in before it passes that they might be able to stay. That simply isn't true," he said.
 
The issues are complex, and with most children coming from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. "Stories we are hearing are of mothers who are making excruciating choices to send or come with their children in hopes of a better life across the border, due to escalating violence in their own homelands. Forms of violence often include criminal rings, gender-based violence, human trafficking, and poverty.  Unfortunately, children and families too often encounter additional threats of violence along their path of desired escape, as well" adds Rev. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Refugee & Immigration Ministries director.  
 
There are cases where these children might be allowed to stay, but the legal work is onerous and the numbers who qualify are likely very low. Uncoordinated policies between federal agencies make it even more complex.
 
Contact Stanley-Rea at Disciples Home Missions Refugee & Immigration Ministries, for how to help and advocate for long term improvements. |  Full story from Congressional Quarterly Roll Call | Recent story in the Houston Chronicle.

________________________________  

 

This communication is made possible by generosity expressed  

through giving to Disciples Mission Fund!

 

      

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