Missionary Renegade: Day Two: Cal-Pac's Daily Lenten Devotionals for Thursday, 2 March 2017 of The California-Pacific Conference in Pasadena, California, United States "There is no place, and no moment, in which God is absent..."

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Day Two: Cal-Pac's Daily Lenten Devotionals for Thursday, 2 March 2017 of The California-Pacific Conference in Pasadena, California, United States "There is no place, and no moment, in which God is absent..."

Day Two: Cal-Pac's Daily Lenten Devotionals for Thursday, 2 March 2017 of The California-Pacific Conference in Pasadena, California, United States "There is no place, and no moment, in which God is absent..."
Lent 2017: Day Two

Week One: Actionable Aspirations
Reflection for the Week: God’s goodness is the source that propels leaders into courageous action.
There is no place, and no moment, in which God is absent.
Genesis speaks of God proclaiming all things God made to be good. There are two assumptions that may be made here. First, God created all things. Second, the imprint of God’s hand is on everything God created.
So what about evil? What about cancer? God is there. With the presence of God’s goodness, we would not be able to recognize evil and seek to eradicate it. Without God’s desire for life, there would be no hope for healing.
Everything physical and finite fades. Trees grow tall, then wither and die. Mountains rise up and then the sands of time weather them away. Yet, life is good. Life renews. New birth happens. Our God is a creating and redeeming God, infinite in the desire to bring forth new life. This is the nature of the goodness of God that is with us, and gives us courage, in every moment and every triumph and every struggle of life. God is good.
There is no place, and no moment, in which God’s goodness is absent. That is very good.
Prayer: God, you are good. May your goodness be my courage. Amen.
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Inspiring the world as passionate followers of Jesus Christ so all may experience God's life-giving love...
Copyright © 2017 The California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
The California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
110 South Euclid Avenue

Pasadena, California 91101, United States
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Cal-Pac Note for Wednesday, 1 March 2017 of The California-Pacific Conference in Pasadena, California, United States "Simple Board Governance, The Balsley Scholarship..."

*Small Church Academy: Simple Board Governance - This video course is now available on the Cal-Pac Online Academy.Simple Board Governance
Introduction

<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/198439758">01 - Introduction to Simple Board Governance</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/calpacumc">Cal-Pac UMC</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

Welcome

This Cal-Pac Online Academy course was produced from recordings from the Small Church Academy: Single Board Governance event on December 2017.
To view all videos, simply start with the Introduction video then either select the next video from the player or use the links below the player.
Effective Leadership Practices
02 – Responsibility
03 – Authority
04 – Accountability
Flat and Simple
05 – Simple
06 – Flat
Governance Model
07 – The Four Layers
08 – The Charge Conference
09 – Church Council
10 – All Church Meeting
11 – Committee on Nominations and Leadership
12 – Staff
13 – Ministry Team
For questions or resourcing with small church vitalization, contact Rev. Nicole Reilley (nreilley@calpacumc.org), Director of New Ministries.
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Immigrant Welcoming Congregations Gathering and Training 2017 - A day of learning, strategizing, mutual sharing, and spiritual support as we seek to live out the Biblical call to welcome the sojourner.Immigrant Welcoming Congregations Gathering and Training 2017
March 4, 2017 - 10:00 AM / 03:00 PM
iCal
Claremont United Methodist Church
For all churches engaged or interested in ministries with the immigrant community!
Please send a delegation of 3 to 5 persons from your church to join in a day of learning, strategizing, mutual sharing, and spiritual support as we seek to live out the Biblical call to welcome the sojourner and to be the church with and for our immigrant and refugee sisters and brothers.
Workshops include:

Church-based welcome centers
Cal-Pac Neighborhood Immigration Clinics
Legal issues
Developing a rapid response network
Ways of providing sanctuary
The Matthew 25 Movement
Legislative Action
Building multi-ethnic church partnerships
Biblical and theological foundations

Lunch is provided!
Please RSVP via the button below.

RSVP ONLINE NOW

DOWNLOAD FLYER
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Citizenship and Immigration Assistance 2017, Huntington Park (NIC) - Includes: seminar on the rights of undocumented immigrants, detention, arrest issues, immigration consultations with qualified immigration attorneys, referrals to free or low-cost immigration legal services providers, free legal assistance on Form N-400.Citizenship and Immigration Assistance 2017, Huntington Park (NIC)
March 11, 2017 - 10:00 AM / 01:00 PM
iCal
Huntington Park United Methodist Church
Cal-Pac Neighborhood Immigration Clinic (NIC) is a committee within the California-Pacific Immigration Task Force of the United Methodist Church, an organization dedicated to provide access to reliable and free immigration services such as the following:
Seminar on the rights of undocumented immigrants, detention, arrest issues.
Immigration consultations with qualified immigration attorneys
Referrals to free or low-cost immigration legal services providers.
Free legal assistance on Form N-400 (applications for naturalization)
Information on free resources to refugee unaccompanied children and their families fleeing violence in Central America.
These services are provided through our monthly clinics in various underserved areas of the Los Angeles County. Cal-Pac NIC works in conjunctions with different United Methodist Churches who provide the space for our upcoming events.
Registration is required.REGISTER NOW AS A CLIENT REGISTER NOW TO VOLUNTEER
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"Love in Motion" Youth Eco-Justice Retreat 2017 - Experience God's love through action, learning, games, and working at the Community Roots Garden at North Oxnard UMC.Love in Motion: Youth Eco-Justice Retreat 2017
April 21, 2017 -
iCal
North Oxnard UMC

Love in Motion is weekend of connecting with God, neighbor, and soil through service, community building, and Eco-education.
Join us as we’ll explore the theme of God’s love and see that God’s love is manifested in action. The weekend will include getting out hands dirty working at the Community Roots Garden, cultivating our minds with environmental and theological knowledge, playing epic games, participating in passionate worship, making new friends and connections…the list goes on and on. Bring yourself, bring your friends, bring your youth group because this is going to be epic!!!

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER NOW
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Lois Balsley Scholarship Application 2017 - This scholarship is offered to students within the California-Pacific Conference.Lois Balsley Scholarship Application 2017 Now Open

Lois Balsley was a tiny woman (she was only 4’11” tall) with a big heart. She had a passion for education, young people, social justice, world travel and good music. In establishing the Lois Balsley Living Trust, she left all of her worldly goods to the California-Pacific United Methodist Foundation.
The Foundation Board of Directors decided a portion of Lois’s legacy would be used to establish the Lois Balsley Scholarship Fund. This scholarship is offered to students within the California-Pacific Annual Conference, with preference given to a student from Torrance First United Methodist Church.
Applicants must meet the following qualifications:

Graduating high school senior enrolling in a two- or four-year college.
A minimum of a 3.0 grade point average (GPA).
Community and/or school involvement.
Active service/membership in a local United Methodist Church.

Application and supporting documents must be postmarked by Monday, April 30, 2017.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION
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District Events in March 2017:
East District "How To" Workshops (San Bernardino) 2017

How-To Workshop San Bernardino 2017 (East District)
March 4, 2017 - 08:45 AM / 02:00 PM
iCal
Emmanuel United Methodist Church
Register today for Tools for Today ’s Churches: Memory, Mirror, Map & Magnifying Glass.
D.S. Rev. Jan Wiley will be the featured speaker.
This event is for local church leadership team including: Trustees, Staff-Parish, Finance, Lay Leaders. Classes include topics such as: grant writing, single board governance, communication, strategies mission, vision and purpose.
Registration:
$15 Pre-Registration by February 27,2017
$20 Late-Registration and Day of Event
Registration includes snacks, lunch and materials. Register early as there are only 100 spaces available.

DOWNLOAD FLYER

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Hawaii District "How To" Workshops 2017How-To-Workshop (Hawaii District) 2017
March 11, 2017 - 09:00 AM / 02:30 AM
iCal
Aiea Korean United Methodist Church
Register for How-to-Workshop with keynote speaker Bishop Grant Hagiya.
Training topics include: SPRC, Stewardship, Disaster Prevention, Lays Servant Gathering and Youth Ministry.
Registration deadline March 2, 2017.VIEW FLYER
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REMEMBER: All key events and initiatives are always posted at calpacumc.org
Please enable images on your email to view the Note properly.
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Pasadena, California 91101, United States
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Lent 2017: Day One of Daily Devotionals for Wednesday, 1 March 2017 of The California-Pacific Conference in Pasadena, California, United States "Bishop Hagiya and The Cabinet are providing these devotionals..."

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
In November of 2016, the Council of Bishop’s sponsored a gathering of the Extended Cabinets of every Annual Conference. We met for three days in Jacksonville, Florida for a quadrennial meeting and orientation addressing the needed changes United Methodist leaders must make to grow vital churches. A cornerstone of this event was an article by well-known Church Consultant, Gil Rendle, entitled, “Be Strong and of Good Courage: A Call to Quiet Courage in an Anxious Time.” Many of you have also read this article since then, and report finding it valuable in reflecting on and assessing the direction we as leaders must take to move the church forward in new ways.
Gil Rendle writes, “Indeed, leaders need to do a considerable amount of preparation and reorienting in order to provide the quiet courage needed in this time of rapid and constant seismic cultural shifts surrounding institutions like the church that are struggling to change.” There is no better way to prepare and reorient than through the practice of daily devotion and prayer.
Today, on behalf of the Bishop and Cabinet and our mutual ministry covenant, I invite you to join me on a daily journey of scripture meditation and prayer during the 40 days of Lent. I have prepared a devotional for each day to enable you to reflect on writings designed to foster quiet courage for leadership in the changing church.
Beginning on March 1, 2017 and continuing daily (except Sundays) you will receive a devotional related to a weekly theme raised in Gil Rendle’s article. Please share them with key lay leadership, as well. The themes that seemed to arise from Gil Rendle’s article are:
Week 1 – Actionable Aspirations
The dictionary defines “aspiration” as a strong desire, longing or aim. According to Gil Rendle, aspirations motivate our action. We need direction in order to achieve “actionable aspirations.” This week’s devotionals remind us that God’s goodness is the source that propels leaders into courageous action.
Week 2 – Disturbances
Gil Rendle suggests we need to “ask disturbing questions that prompt purposeful change.” The devotionals of Week 2 ask the reader to consider unexpected ways we share the gospel story.
Week 3 – The Mission Field
“Encourage engagement and invite measurement of change,” are two goals Gil Rendle cites for courageous leaders. These devotionals encourage the reader to engage more fully in the mission field.
Week 4 – Allocation of Resources
As pointed out by Gil Rendle,“[l]imited time, attention, dollars and people” can be obstacles to change. Week 4’s devotionals provide courage to be generous even when we think there is not enough.
Week 5 – Larger Fears Require Bolder Actions
Gil Rendles says, “without courage leaders can easily shrink back to manage what is instead of creating what needs to be.” The devotionals of Week 5 ask us to be courageous partners in God’s creative goodness.
Week 6 – It’s the End of the Church As We Know It
Gil Rendle invites us to move “closer toward the purpose of the church, even at the cost of the institution of the church.” These final devotionals inspire leaders to have the courage to cast a vision for a new church.
Below this letter is the first devotional. Devotionals are also available at calpacumc.org/lent2017 and each district webpage will have a link to that page.
I look forward to engaging with you on this material. May God bless our journey together in this Lenten season.
Rev. John Farley
South District Superintendent
Dean of the Cabinet
California-Pacific Conference
Lent 2017: Day One

Week One: Actionable Aspirations
Reflection for the Week: God’s goodness is the source that propels leaders into courageous action.
To begin our Lenten meditations with God, our source of strength and courage, we need to go back to where it all began. Wait, go back to where what all began? Let’s be clear. Genesis is not the story of God’s beginning. It is the story of our beginning to know God. God didn’t begin. Everything began from God. Kids often ask, “Who made God?” The answer? No one. The question shows a limited childlike perception of God. It shows the human tendency from the very beginning to try to satisfy our curiosity about God rather than understand God’s care and intentions for us. You won’t get closer to God by getting a clearer definition. Eternal love by its nature gloriously defies the limitations of definition.
When asked in 1989 what book most influenced her during the past year, author Madeleine L’Engle responded: “There is no question that the book that has been most influential for me this past year is the Bible’s first one: Genesis . . . The marvelous story of the creation is for me filled with incredible joy . . . The words shouting all things into being in a great cry of joy. Genesis is also filled with marvelous people – flawed and human – and underlines for me that God does not choose ‘qualified’ people to do the work of love . . . Genesis has everything – all the human vices and glories, love and hate, murder, sacrifice, and a great story. There is no end of plumbing the depths.”
We begin, then, with a God that has always been and will always be beyond our understanding. So why go on this journey for another 39 days? Because we are not trying to understand God. Instead, we are trying to experience God, relate to God and gain courage from God.
Can you define love? Not really. Can you experience love? Absolutely.
This is where we begin, then – with a God who loves us into life.
Prayer: God of love, continue to call us forth into a life of love and courage with you. Amen.
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Pasadena, California 91101, United States

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Missionary Renegade

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Day Two: Cal-Pac's Daily Lenten Devotionals for Thursday, 2 March 2017 of The California-Pacific Conference in Pasadena, California, United States "There is no place, and no moment, in which God is absent..."

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