By posted by Joy Davis
0 Comments

Conference Fall Meeting 2024

Have You Heard?, Have You Heard?, Home Page
Our Conference Fall Meeting will take place on Saturday, October 26 10:00-11:30 AM.  We will worship together and then we will discuss our NCNC Conference draft budget for 2025 and vote on approving our 2025 budget.  This is a very important meeting, and all church delegates and ministers with standing are expected to register and attend, as well as any other interested folks. There is no registration fee; the meeting is online. A budget is much more than a spreadsheet with a lot of mysterious numbers in it.  The draft budget we will present is the work of countless hours…
Read More
By posted by Joy Davis
0 Comments

Join the Conference and National Setting for the 2024 All Church Read

Have You Heard?, Have You Heard?
In this tumultuous election year, we can’t help but feel in our bodies and spirits the weight of the conversations and choices that await us. As some embrace divisive rhetoric and threatening language and behaviors toward our siblings nationally and globally, perhaps you, too, find yourself longing for ways to stay grounded and connected to the faith and values that motivate you. Join the Movement and Racial Justice Ministries of the UCC National setting are hoping that our 2024 All Church Read will provide just these kinds of resources for such a time as this.   You are invited to journey…
Read More
By posted by Joy Davis
0 Comments

Church and the New Psychedelic Emergence

Have You Heard?, Have You Heard?, Home Page
I thought it was my idea–but I was wrong. It was already happening quietly in my church’s pews. People were seeking out psychedelics for healing from PTSD, depression and anxiety–or to experience spiritual growth and more intimate communication with God.  Six years ago I read Michael Pollan’s How to Change Your Mind, What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression and Transcendence, about the decades of research demonstrating the efficacy of psychedelic medicine in treating a wide variety of substance abuse and mental health disorders.  Every once in a while, God whispers in my ear.…
Read More
By posted by Joy Davis
2 Comments

Have You Heard? Our 2024 Annual Gathering at The Big Red Church in Fresno was Amazing!

Annual Gathering, Have You Heard?, Have You Heard?, Home Page
What a great time we had, gathering for worship, fellowship, learning, laughter, music, food, and a good time in the presence of the Holy Spirit. This year, our Annual Gathering was hosted by the First Congregational Church (The Big Red Church) UCC in Fresno. We faced some challenges, but with the unwavering dedication of Pastor Rev. Simon Biasell-Moshrefi and the Big Red staff and a host of volunteers from the Sequoia Association, we overcame them and made this event a memorable one. The Sequoia Association also paid for our meals, and the Financial Ministries of the UCC paid for the…
Read More
By posted by Joy Davis
0 Comments

Authorized Ministers’ Retreat 6/5/2024

Annual Gathering, Have You Heard?, Have You Heard?
Authorized Ministers Retreat 6/5/2024 at First Congregational Church UCC, Fresno NCNC UCC Authorized Ministers and NCNC UCC Members in Discernment are invited to come a day early for the Authorized Ministers Retreat. Register here.  Schedule for Authorized Ministers Retreat. Authorized Ministers 1 Day Retreat 2024 Wednesday June 5th 8 a.m. Breakfast 9 a.m. Worship 10 a.m Conference Listening Session 11:30 a.m Break 12:00 p.m. Lunch 1:30 p.m. Preaching and discussing Ceasefire in the Middle East/Gaza/Palestine led by Jim Mitulski OR Enneagram for Clergy led by Casey Tinnin 3:30 p.m. Social Hour (Painting, Games, Sipping, Puzzles etc.) 5:15 p.m. Communion-Closing Worship…
Read More
By posted by Joy Davis
3 Comments

Annual Gathering Keynote Speaker Rev. Casey Tinnin

Annual Gathering, Have You Heard?, Have You Heard?, Home Page
Pastor Casey has served as a UCC Minister for 9 years, 7 as pastor of Loomis UCC. He is an outspoken pastor and prophet in conservative Placer County. He is the cohost of Irenicast, a podcast for recovering evangelicals and ex-fundamentalists, and the host of The Queerly Faithful Podcast. 7 years ago he and his church founded The Landing Spot which is a peer support group for LGBTQ youth and their adult caregivers. Last year Pastor Casey and his church were attacked by local conservative mega churches and Project Veritas (a right wing fake news organization). In this moment where…
Read More
By posted by Joy Davis
0 Comments

Black Wealth Builder Update

Have You Heard?, Have You Heard?
By Jeanne Strauss, Bay Association Moderator Representatives from at least 14 churches attended the BWB Information Session on January 16, where we shared ideas and plans for implementation of the Black Wealth Builders Resolution. If you were among the attendees, you may receive a follow-up phone call from Rev Barry Cammer (925-352-7101). Whether or not you were there, please feel free to reach out to Barry for more information. The process for becoming a BWB Congregation is explained in this document. In short, the primary requirements are: ·  Undertaking church-wide study and education on systemic racism in our country and its ongoing economic…
Read More
By posted by Joy Davis
0 Comments

Who’s Your Neighbor? Being Church at BART

Have You Heard?, Have You Heard?
SPIRITUAL TOUCHSTONE Being Church at BART by Rev. Dr. Melinda V. McLain On Ash Wednesday, a local group of clergy braved the rain and wind to offer the blessing of ashes at BART during the evening rush hour. Since I came to Mira Vista (now The Good Table UCC) in 2014, this is only the third time we have gathered at El Cerrito Del Norte station to offer ashes to commuters because pandemic concerns made us stop this public offering for three years. This year, we were one Lutheran, one Presbyterian and two UCC pastors. I heard on the clergy…
Read More
By posted by Joy Davis
2 Comments

The Importance of Black History

Have You Heard?, Have You Heard?
By Diana Madoshi History matters! We need to know who is included and who has been left out. We need to know and examine historical myths and historical facts. It is imperative that we as citizens explore and examine the terrain of the past and present. It is a useful tool to explore pathways toward a better future for all of us. Because “Yes, Virginia, history often repeats itself!”   To begin with, we as a people must stop listening to the nonsense that history is archaic and has no bearing on our future. As many young people of today say,…
Read More
By posted by Joy Davis
2 Comments

The Ozempic God

Have You Heard?, Have You Heard?
Ozempic is currently all the rage. For those of us, like me, who have struggled with “weight issues” all of their lives, it is touted as a miracle drug. I’ve read articles and seen the reporting on how it has made life more tolerable for many and a so-called easy fix for those who have never been able to reach and/or maintain their weight goals. Ozempic users say they look better, feel more confident, happy, and willing to go out into the world feeling good about themselves. I reached my weight goal once. I was 42 years old, constantly working…
Read More