We are pleased to welcome Deaconess Nicole De Coux-Manners to her placement at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Rocklin, California. Nicole comes from Orangevale, California, and her home congregation is Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Folsom, California. We give thanks for Nicole’s willingness to serve and pray that the Lord richly blesses her ministry as she begins this new chapter of service among God’s people at Holy Cross.

It was an encouraging day at the CNH Missions Conference in Livermore this past Saturday. Pastors, church workers, and lay leaders from across the district gathered for worship, conversation, and learning together. Karl Vaters reminded attendees why small church ministry matters and why faithfulness is never measured only by size. Andy Becker challenged the group to think carefully about mission drift and the importance of staying grounded in the "why" behind what we do. It w

June 2, 2026 11:30 AM-1:00 PM Register Today Sexual abuse risk is not intuitive. The Child Safety Workshop provides a comprehensive training that describes the risk of sexual abuse and an effective Safety System that protects children from sexual abuse. The Workshop will begin by addressing the common errors and misconceptions that lead to challenges, followed by an evaluation of abuser characteristics, the abuser’s grooming process, and common grooming behaviors. The Wor

Dave Levy’s journey into ministry has been anything but typical. As a child, he grew up in Northern California, moving frequently before eventually settling in Crescent City. Dave was not raised as a Christian, but that changed in high school when he met his future wife, Natalie, and her family. Through their influence, he came to faith in Christ and became deeply involved at Grace Lutheran Church in Crescent City, where he volunteered as a Sunday school teacher and assisted

Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit in the Sunset District of San Francisco has been a part of the community since 1964. In 2019, just a year before the COVID Pandemic, Holy Spirit opened a HUG Preschool in a building they own a few blocks away from the church. This building had been used for a variety of purposes by the church over the years. Although it got a rough start thanks to the pandemic, the school has grown and developed and now serves 23 three- to five-year-old s

Grace Place Wellness, a program of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF), offers resources to help LCMS ministry leaders and their congregations plan meaningful sabbaticals. A ministry sabbatical, typically three months every four to seven years, provides rest, renewal, and relief from burnout. It's designed as a shared experience benefiting both the church worker and congregation, with guidance on planning, policy development, funding, and re-entry. Coaching support is a