View in browser SEPTEMBER SESSIONS The Learning Labs is a series of webinars designed to equip clergy and lay leaders with the essential skills and knowledge needed to sustain and grow their ministries. Each session provides practical, actionable insights tailored to the real-world challenges churches face.   Join us in the Learning Lab in September to learn strategies for cross-cultural connection and church in the digital age, plus changes to this year’s charge conference forms. SEPTEMBER IN THE LEARNING LAB: 09.08 Bridging Cultural Differences in Ministry REGISTER  ↗ This session will cover best practices for your churches and teams to aid in preventing unintentional but insensitive hurtful interactions between clergy, lay leaders, volunteers, and congregants in any setting. Led by Rev. April Casperson, Director of Enrollment Management at Methodist Theological School in Ohio and expert in Diversity and Inclusion. Monday, September 8, 12-1:30 pm PDT (9am-10:30 am HST). 09.15 Church in the Digital Age REGISTER  ↗ This session will discuss encourage us to radically rethink the ways our churches can respond to the digital world in which we live. Led by Rev. Trudy Robinson, Lead Pastor at First UMC of San Diego, Rev. Trudy will share her church’s process for defining a hybrid vision in their church in this era of becoming and how this new world has influenced the ways they design their worship and communication with their membership. This session is designed for churches of any size and their clergy, staff, and lay leadership. Monday, September 15, 6:30-8pm PDT (3:30-5pm HST) 09.23 Connectional Ministries: Cherishing Community, Cultivating the Future REGISTER  ↗ This session invites us to the future of our conference and your church. Join Erin Hawkins, Executive Director of Connectional Ministries to explore how to nurture authentic relationships and align resources to End Spiritual and Physical Hunger across our churches, communities, and mission fields. We’ll engage themes of interconnection, mutual liberation, and creative transformation while reflecting on seven quadrennial goals that guide our shared work. Tuesday, September 23, 6-7pm PDT (3-4pm HST) LATER IN SEPTEMBER: Starting 9/26 Charge Conference Forms Made Easier All are invited to attend this presentation by Conference Statistician and Data Services Coordinator Jennifer Gaylord, with support and resourcing from the District Offices. This seminar will be especially relevant for clergy appointed to the local church, church office staff, SPRC chairs, Trustees Presidents, and other local church leaders who are completing and signing charge conference forms. Offered at 9:30 am on September 26 and 29; 6:30 pm on October 9 and 13 (6:30 am and 3:30 pm HST) Registration opens soon. LATER IN SEPTEMBER: Starting 9/26 Charge Conference Forms Made Easier All are invited to attend this presentation by Conference Statistician and Data Services Coordinator Jennifer Gaylord, with support and resourcing from the District Offices. This seminar will be especially relevant for clergy appointed to the local church, church office staff, SPRC chairs, Trustees Presidents, and other local church leaders who are completing and signing charge conference forms. Offered at 9:30 am on September 26 and 29; 6:30 pm on October 9 and 13 (6:30 am and 3:30 pm HST) Registration opens soon. MFSA Gathering August 9 The Cal-Pac MFSA community is gathering on Saturday, August 9 to encourage one another to keep on keeping on in the midst of the troubling times in which we are living. The hybrid event will feature powerful voices of justice, including Cal-Pac Interim Immigration Coordinator Monalisa Tu’itahi, and the presentation of the 2025 Mildred Hutchinson Award to Rev. Jennifer Gutierrez of CLUE. REGISTER NOW >>

Fall Learning Labs Start August 5th

The Learning Labs is a series of webinars designed to equip clergy and lay leaders with the essential skills and knowledge needed to sustain and grow their ministries. Each session provides practical, actionable insights tailored to the real-world challenges churches face.

Supporting Victims of the Guadalupe River Flood

Our prayers go out to the Rio Texas Annual Conference and the surrounding area as they navigate the aftermath of devastating floods in their area this week. We are holding them in our hearts as many have lost loved ones, have friends and family who are missing, and are still discovering the impact of the flooding on their towns, homes, and communities.

Guiding Vision 2025 for the UMC Announced

The three actions of disciples identified in this new vision are:

• Love Boldly: We passionately love God and, like Jesus, embrace and include people of every age, nation, race, gender, and walk of life. [Matthew 22:37-39 | John 13:34-35]
• Serve Joyfully: With the heart of Christ, we journey alongside the most vulnerable among us, offering care and compassion with joy. [Psalm 100:1 | Nehemiah 8:10 | John 13:14-15 | 1 Peter 4:10]
• Lead Courageously: Following Jesus’ example, we seek to resist and dismantle all systems of evil, injustice, and oppression, striving for peace, justice, and reconciliation. [Joshua 1:9 | Ephesians 6:10]

Annual Conference 2025 Recap

Love Notes from AC2025 ❣️

Cal-Pac Immigration Statement June 7, 2025

Cal-Pac Statement for Los Angeles on the Care of Immigrants

Cal-Pac Announcement:  Interim Justice and Compassion Ministries Team – March 7, 2025

Cal-Pac Interim Justice and Compassion Ministries Team Announced

North District News – March 2025

Current resources, program support, related ministries, contacts, departure of Rev. Dr. Denyse Barnes, Director of Justice and Compassion Ministries.

North District

Cal-Pac Digest March 5, 2025

2025 Clear openings, update on Cal-Pac conference structure, 2025 clergy appointments and more.

Cal-Pac Digest 3.5.2025

Cal-Pac Conference Restructuring, March 4, 2025 letter

Read about the General Council on Finance and Administration recommendations which include a significant restructuring and simplification of the Conference staff in finance and administration.

Update on Cal-Pac Conference Structure

Cal-Pac Digest February 26, 2025

Western Jurisdiction Leadership gathering encourages “embodied sanctuary” in divisive times.

Cal-Pac Digest 2.26.2025

Cal-Pac Digest February 19, 2025

View the most recent message from Bishop Escobedo-Frank during her visit to Community UMC of Pacific Palisades, as well as a report from The Cal-Nev Conference and the Cal-Pac Conference who have teamed together to provide the anchor group of volunteers and supplies at the recent Eaton Fire Recovery Center.

Cal-Pac Digest 2.19.2025

2025 Annual Conference – June 11-14 – Indian Wells Spring

Your 2025 Annual Conference team has been planning for months, and we’re excited to begin sharing updates with you! Read on for hotel location and reservation information and the schedule overview.

AC2025 Location & Schedule Announcement

A pastoral message from Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops

“Jesus calls every generation to wholehearted discipleship: opening our hearts to the people we encounter daily; practicing compassion with our families and neighbors; honoring the dignity and worth of all people near and far; recognizing the systems that destroy human lives through poverty, war and exclusion; and advocating justice and care in our churches, communities and social structures. God calls us further to be stewards of creation, caring for the skies and waters, soil and plants, and all beings.” – preamble to United Methodist Social Principles

Like all of you, your Western Jurisdiction bishops have been paying attention to the stories in our national news feeds that showcase, above all, how deeply fractured our country is right now. Like you, we’ve felt Anxious. Sad. Angry. Numb.

As United Methodists, we turn to scripture, to our Social Principles, and our own lived experiences to inform how we are called to put love into action in this season of our country’s history.

Your Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops humbly offers this video for you to watch or show in your local ministry setting as we seek to reclaim the narrative of love, justice and mercy for a time such as this.

As you embody what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in this time, you are encouraged to keep sharing the stories that highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s creation.

In gratitude and solidarity,
Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops

Click image above to play video

Cal-Pac Fire Update January 26, 2025

As we move towards the next stage in the recovery and support of fire victims across the Los Angeles area (and beyond!) there are a number of opportunities for our churches to engage in assisting those affected as well as helping our Disaster Response team and UMCOR in carrying out their work.

• Stephen Ministers – we already have a number of folx lined up to help with grief counseling and support and would like to now call for those of you who are qualified Stephen’s ministers to add your names to our list.  In addition to working with the fire victims themselves as we move to helping with sifting, we also need support for those people who are working directly with the victims as they listen to their stories and hold space for them.  This work is emotionally challenging, and they will also need someone to talk to and help them process. Please submit a response form if you are qualified and interested.
• Fire buckets – We have obtained a warehouse space in Pasadena to store supplies for UMCOR and disaster response.  Now we need to add to the supplies there.  Churches can assemble fire buckets (you can find the details here)
• Sifters construction – These are tools which can be constructed by church teams – you find the details here.
• Cleaning Kits – these can help those who were evacuated and now need to clean their homes.  You can find the details for these kits here.
• Document Retrieval – For those churches which are close by to the fire locations you can offer assistance for folx who have lost everything by hosting a document retrieval service.  If you have space to set up a “clinic” for this purpose and some laptops to assist then here is form which can help you help those who need to restore all of their personal documentation.

Cal-Pac Fire Update January 24, 2025

 

Cal-Pac JCEMT Immigration Strategy Group Update

Cal-Pac Fire Update January 15, 2025

WILDFIRE UPDATES

Cal Pac Fire Update January 14, 2025