"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...

In this episode we sit down with two representatives from LCEF who partner in a big with the CNH district through resources for ministry...

In July, Our Savior Lutheran Ministries in Livermore partnered with the Livermore Homeless Refuge to host a successful “needs drive.” The...

Meet A Pao Xiong - candidate for the pastoral ministry from Peace Lutheran in Fresno, CA. Apao was at the CNH office to talk through his...

The 4th annual Pastors Party hosted by Matt & Sherrah Behrens in San Lorenzo was a huge win for fellowship and encouragement as area...

For two Sundays in July, the church courtyard buzzed with worshipers at St. John’s, Bakersfield stepping up to purchase children’s Bibles...

Brenda Plath is the new principal at St. Peter Lutheran School in Lodi, California. This is the story of her journey into ministry in...

Join us at The Mission Table as Paul welcomes Rev. Berhanu and Marion Smith from Mercy Holistic Ministry in Sacramento. Discover how...