Across the CNH District, the year was shaped by a shared theme of connection—between congregations, schools, leaders, and communities—as God’s people gathered, were sent, and served together. Mission was lived out through presence, compassion, and creativity, as ministries sought to meet real needs, build trust, and form authentic relationships that reflect Christ’s love across cultures and generations. Leadership and calling were central throughout the year. Ordinations, ins

Bay Area Lutheran Young Adults, known as BALYA, began several years ago with a simple but meaningful vision: to help young adult Lutherans in the Bay Area find one another and grow together in faith and community. What started as a joint effort between First Immanuel Lutheran Church in San Jose and Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Cupertino was shaped by the leadership and collaboration of Pastor John Bestul, Pastor Isaac Schuller ( now a pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Bren

Installations of new pastors are a time of great hope for congregations as they begin a new chapter of ministry. We thank God for all of the pastors who have accepted calls in the CNH District. Here is a snapshot of some of the installations in 2025:  David Ficken was installed January 12th at St. Philip Lutheran Church in Dublin, CA. He and his wife Kristen have three adult children: Rebekah, Tigist, and Abush. Pastor Dann Ettner, following Pastor John Whaley, served a long

Pastor Uma’s journey continues. In this second chapter of his story, we follow the remarkable path from the island of Sri Lanka to the island of O‘ahu — and into God’s unfolding call. Pastor Uma shares how faith, perseverance, and the global Church shaped his journey, and how God called him to serve as pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church in Ewa Beach. It’s a powerful story of migration, mission, and what it looks like when the Gospel takes root across cultures, oceans, and comm

2025 marked our 73rd District Convention, held this year in Sacramento.  The Convention included the re-elections of District President Michael Lange and Rev. Mitchell Gowen (Our Savior, Aiea, HI) as First Vice President, along with the rest of the board and resolutions. Cindy Steinbeck also shared thoughtful video reflections, offering encouragement and insight into our collective journey of faith and service. Prior to the Convention, a welcome dinner and worship service was

Reaching students can take many different forms and include partnership with the church, positive reinforcement and making learning fun. Lisa Jackson, principal of Bella Vista Academy, launched a Disney-themed Positive Office Referral Program where students earn “tickets to Disneyland” for positive behavior and personal goal-setting. When nominated, students are celebrated in front of their peers and taken to her “Disneyland” office for a special recognition experience that b

Mike Newton, 5th grade teacher at St. John's in Napa, is celebrating his 50th year of teaching at St. John's Lutheran School. He was recognized at the CNH and PSD Lutheran Elementary Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on November 23. There were seven current Lutheran teachers in the CNH District who were students in his 5th grade class. Mike, who also attended St. John's Lutheran School as a student, will retire at the end of this current school year.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His steadfast love endures forever!" Our Savior Lutheran Ministries, Livermore, CA , held Thanksgiving Eve worship on Wednesday evening, November 26. After worship, a pie social was held, which was a great time for fellowship and eating some yummy pies! Thank You, God, for all our blessings! Zion, Oakland/Piedmont , has gathered food for years and partners with City Team Oakland for many projects with them as well as other organiz

Upward Bound Preschool has been a ministry of Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Santa Maria, California since 2000. The church has been a part of the Orcutt community in Central California since 1960. In 2024, Brendan Harrell accepted the Call to serve as pastor at LCOS. Brendan and his wife, Katie moved to Santa Maria with their two young children. Brendan and Katie come from opposite ends of the US – Brendan grew up in the Washington DC area, and Katie grew up on Oahu in

The Mission Table , where we pull up a chair with everyday leaders doing extraordinary things for the sake of the Gospel. Today’s story is one that spans continents, cultures, and the unmistakable fingerprints of God’s grace. We’re joined by Pastor Uma, the newly installed pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church in Ewa Beach, Hawai‘i. His journey is nothing short of remarkable—born and raised in Sri Lanka in a Hindu family, shaped by years spent as a refugee in Liberia, and ultimat

Zion Lutheran School is the smallest and most remote school in the CNH District. It has a long history in the rural area of Terra Bella, a few miles outside Porterville, California. The school was founded in 1909 and currently has 10 students in kindergarten through 6th grade and the faculty consists of two teachers and two aides. Six of the students are members of Zion Lutheran Church. Along with the teachers, the current vacancy pastor, Lloyd Willweber, also provides su

On a beautiful Sunday in Honolulu, members and friends of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church  gathered to celebrate the installation of Rev. Dallas Dubke  as their new Transitional Interim Pastor . The service was filled with joy, gratitude, and a deep sense of God’s guiding hand. Pastors from across the Hawai‘i Circuit , including those serving on O‘ahu and the Big Island , joined together to represent the broader fellowship of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and to pray God’s

Trinity Lutheran School in Paso Robles, California recently held a week-long readathon fundraiser called “Bounce into Books”. Each day, the school hosted activities that encouraged and celebrated children reading books. One of the activities was called The Book Bistro. Classes would take turns coming to a book “tasting” activity. Students sat around a table, were provided with some snacks, and would then have the opportunity to quickly “taste” a variety of books. Each “c

St. Paul in Merced is building stronger bridges between church and school by empowering students to lead worship. On Oct. 19, students from preschool through sixth grade took over the planning and execution of Sunday morning service. This was the second such event in the past year. Since Principal Ruth Sebastian took leadership in Fall 2024, she has worked intentionally to integrate all three ministries: church, school, and preschool. Beyond the Kids Takeover services, studen

Giving Bibles to Lutheran school students is nothing new, and some of you may do this as well, but here is one "best practice' for this process. St. John's Lutheran School and Preschool in Napa, California have a tradition of presenting Bibles to their new preschoolers and their second grade students at the start of the year. The congregation is asked to sponsor a preschool student by donating the money to purchase a Children's Bible, in which the sponsor can write a short me

Grace Lutheran School in Visalia, California has been providing quality Lutheran education along with proclaiming the Gospel of Christ with students and their families since 1977. The school is small with a current enrollment of 60 in elementary school and 57 in preschool. The elementary school has a single Kindergarten and combined grades through 8th grade (1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8) and are taught by an experienced faculty of five teachers. Two of the teachers, Joanne Cook and

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Tracy, California, continues to find joyful and creative ways to connect with, serve, and bless the community. One of those events is the “Everything Free Sale,” an outreach event where every item is truly free. This fall marked the church’s fifth Free Sale, and the excitement and generosity surrounding it were as strong as ever. Donations and setup took place on Thursday and Friday, with the big event happening on Saturday, October 11. Members o

About a year and a half ago, Pizza with the Pastor was launched as a simple, welcoming gathering for connection and community by Pastor Gary Gerloff at St. Mark, Santa Rosa. The group currently meets in a church conference room on the first Friday of each month. The invitation is straightforward: “If you like pizza and want to hang out with the pastor, come to church this Friday at 6 p.m.” Typically, around 20 people attend, sharing pizza, salads, and desserts. Beyond being a

Like many congregations in the CNH District, St. John’s in Napa recognized September 28 as Disability Awareness Sunday. As part of the...

This year, Holy Cross, Los Gatos, put a fresh spin on a church tradition. For decades, the congregation has gathered for its Anniversary...