Last Friday and Saturday, Chinese missionaries from around the United States met for their annual Chinese Ministry Conference at Prince of Peace, Fremont, CA. (Click on photo for larger view).

The conference involved strategic planning for the development of written resources, new mission and ministry opportunities and short term-mission projects.

This year the theme was, "Joys and Struggles in Ministry." Pastor Patrick Jow, and Deaconess Carole Halter along with a local Chinese Pastor, Mark Chen, shared their joys and challenges of ministry from a personal ministry perspective. Especially enlightening was Carole's report on the exploding ministry in China.

In the evening the participants were divided into 4 groups for "hands on" participating in various mission work among small groups in the area.

Rev. Joe Schruhl, regional Vice President, delivered the message at the worship event which was celebrated in a multi-lingual fashion.

Rev. David Wilson, missionary to the Chinese at Prince of Peace, was the facilitator for the event.

Pictured here are members of the Faith, Pleasant Hill, CA, with Pastor Tom Norris at right front...and with a big smile. Click on photo to see full size.

Faith, Pleasant Hill, recently completed its second "summit" in which it analyzed its ministry area and demographics, reviewed actual values that direct its ministry, and began to put together a vision for ministry for the next 3 to 5 years. ()

ReFocus, a process for the pastor and staff, and for the entire congregation that leads to personal renewal and congregational revitalization, continues to benefit staff and churches in the CNH District.

ReFocus began several years ago as a two-prong effort with year one being networks of pastors and a facilitator who would meet monthly to look over ministry milestones and develop a renewal of commitment to their vocational vows.

Year two has always been a congregational effort, beginning with a "Focused Living Retreat" and culminating with a workable strategic plan for ministry.

This fall several circuits in the district will be turing their "Winkels" into Refocus events as the pastors wrestle with what it is like to be an effective and faithful pastor in the 21st century.

To lump all homeless people together does a disservice to the complexity of the term as well as sets the groundwork for ineffective ministry.

The first question to ask is. . .

Warm greetings to you from Hong Kong. I am writing to give you a little update . . .

See Synod's write up on her work.

Read Carol's letter to us.

• Theme: "With Hearts and Hands and Voices".
• Sponsored by the LCMS Commission on Worship
• July 26-29, 2005
• Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Like our previous conference in 2002 conference, this summer's Institute is designed for pastors, musicians, others who regularly plan and lead worship, as well as interested lay people.

With the theme of "Working in Faith, Laboring in Love, Remaining Steadfast in Hope: Celebrating 25 Years of God's Grace" the conference will take place on the Concordia University-River Forest campus on May 16-18, 2005.

California Compassionate Choice Act Assembly Bill # 654, introduced by Assembly Members Berg and Levine, on 2/17/05 is NOT about Heath Care Directives.

It is an "assisted suicide" bill masquerading as an end of life option. This is not related to The Compassionate Care Alliance in the Sacramento area which helps people prepare advance directives.

The bill itself states that it does not constitute suicide, assisted suicide, mercy killing or homicide under law but in reality makes possible assisted suicide, a position that the LCMS deems wrongful in that life is always the Lord's to give and to take.

Please be alert to articles about this in your newspapers. Write letters to your legislators.

For more information, contact Susan Contreras, Human Care Committee, at 925-462-3753 or buttonb oxgirl@yahoo.com.

Rod Rosenbladt will be lecturing on "Where in the Church is the Gospel?" and "Why an Evidential Approach to the Defense of the Truth of the Gospel?" on Saturday, April 30, 10:00 - 2:30 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Palo Alto, CA. Lunch will be provided. A $5.00 donation is suggested.

Dr. Rosenbladt is professor of theology at Concordia University in Irvine, CA. He earned a M.A. in Philosophy at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, M.Div. at Capitol Theological Seminary, and Ph.D. at the University of Strasbourg. Dr. Rosenbladt has contributed to projects such as Christianity for the Tough Minded, and is a current speaker on the Evangelical Radio Broadcast "The White Horse Inn."

For more information, contact Vicar Josh Haugen at Haugenplalt @aol.com or at 650-853-1295.

The papers are full of heartbreaking news about school violence. The recent tragic even in Red Lake, Minnesota, is the latest of some 40 school shootings that have been sensationalized in the media over the last decade.

Although your school is not likely to experience such an event, that doesn't mean your students aren't affected. Additionally, the sudden death of a classmate or teacher, natural disasters, or countless other misfortunes can occur at any time. Are you prepared?

Allowing children time with school advisors and mental health professionals is key. But in reality, every school employee has a role in helping students cope. The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress offers the following suggestions.

• Be aware of your own reactions to the event.
• Be available for extra attention.
• Be mindful of students' cognitive and emotional functioning level.
• Be empathetic.
• Don't speculate.
• Monitor exposure to media.
• Provide realistic reassurance.
• Know and consider the reactions of children with histories of past trauma, emotional disturbance, etc.
• Maintain a "normal" routine.
• Monitor your own emotional status.

Although not mentioned by experts it is well to be reminded that we be careful about our responses when children ask, "Why would God allow something like this to happen?" When a tragedy occurs because of human action, the answer is pretty straightforward: we live in a world that is corrupted and broken by sin. God's remedy for this sinful world was not to prevent sin from happening, but to redeem it by sending His Son Jesus to conquer it.

Comfort the children with the promise that God is with and in the sorrow and fears of all affected and that through His grace and the graceful, loving actions of others, all can finally have hope.

(Click on quiz to see full-size sample.)

Want to take the quiz? Go to the "MinistryMatch" under "My Congregation" in your Link2Lead demographic study website. Click on the left button that says, "Ministry Match." Take the survey and learn how well or not-so-well you are enmeshing your ministries to what the people in your zipcode are asking for in ministry.

Not signed up yet? As of today, the number of leaders from the CNH District who have registered on Link2lead.com , number 167.

How to register? If you are a member of a CNH District congregation or school, just go to Link2Lead .com and go through the registration process. Up to 20 people per congregation may register online. Then make full use of the tools!

First Immanuel, San Jose, California: Rev.Don Schneider has accepted the call. The installation service will be at 3:00PM, Sunday, May 1.

Vineyard of Faith, Windsor, CA. has extended a call to Rev. Joseph Meyer of Hosannah Lutheran, Mesa, Arizona.

Rev. Ricky Adams, pastor at Grace, Hayward, has received a call to be pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Mill Valley, California

If you have a specific "district" prayer request that you wish to add, please let us know (rita@cnh- lcms.org)

Upcoming events:

• District LWML Convention, Santa Rosa-- April 29-30
• Sierra/Nevada Misson Action Council, St. Luke, Reno, NV -- May 6
• Southern Misson Action Council, St. Paul, Merced, CA-- May 7
• Northern Misson Action Council, First, Willows, CA-- May 12
• Demographic Workshop for Interim Ministers, Ministry Center, Livermore, CA-- May 18
• Large Church Meeting, Ministry Center -- May 26
• Board of Directors, Ministry Center -- June 11
• Hispanic Task Force, Ministry Center -- June 16
• Board of Directors, Ministry Center -- September 10
• Fall Pastors' Conference, Fresno -- October 11-13