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Save the Date - CNH Spring In-Service 2026
You spend your days pouring into students — shaping hearts, minds, and futures. This day is for you! We’re excited to welcome Andrew McPeak from Growing Leaders and the Maxwell Leadership Foundation as our keynote speaker. Andrew will lead a powerful, practical conversation called: “The Five Essential Soft Skills Students Need to Succeed in the 21st Century”.
This isn’t about another program or checklist. It’s about the real skills our students need — confidence, character, communication, and leadership — and how Christian educators can help form those in the classroom and beyond.
What: CNH Spring In-Service 2026
When: March 27, 2026
Where: Bella Vista Academy, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Tracy, CA
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Register Today for the CNH Pastors' Wives Retreat
The Pastors’ Wives Retreat offers a meaningful weekend of fellowship, renewal, and shared faith. Hosted at the St. Francis Retreat Center in San Juan Bautista, CA, participants will enjoy reconnecting with old friends, building new relationships, and finding encouragement alongside their sisters in Christ.
Wives of pastors & chaplains - full time, part time, and retired...widows of pastors, wives of vicars, if your husband is or was in pastoral ministry...this retreat is for you!
What: Pastors' Wives Retreat
Where: San Juan Bautista
When: January 30 - February 1, 2026
Click here for more information and to register.
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National Lutheran Schools Week Starts on January 25
National Lutheran Schools Week is coming soon - January 25-30! This year’s theme is Let's Make a Joyful Noise, based on Psalm 98:4.
National Lutheran Schools Week gives us an opportunity to proclaim these great blessings within the communities we serve. Our schools are amazing incubators for faithful witness of God’s love for us through Christ by teachers and students alike.
2026 National Lutheran Schools Week Resources
Visual Faith Ministry also provides additional resources.
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CNH District's First Ever School Administrator Conference! | |
As leaders in Lutheran schools, administrators can feel isolated and disconnected from others who may be going through the same challenges and successes as they are. Pastors meet together as circuits, but this is not a common practice for school leaders. Therefore, the CNH District is hosting a School Administrator Conference! Connection and collaboration are key goals of the CNH District, and our hope is that this will become an annual opportunity for mutual support as we grow together and share with one another.
What: CNH Administrators Conference
When: February 3-5, 2026
Where: CNH Ministry Center
Cost: $195
Click here to register!
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A Tradition of Connection Among CNH Early Childhood Directors
Early Childhood Directors from across the CNH District have a strong history of gathering for annual retreats centered on faith, leadership, and professional growth. These retreats have featured Bible study and devotions rooted in Scripture, led by local pastors and church workers, alongside high-quality professional learning from experienced presenters. Just as important, these retreats have provided meaningful time for fellowship, shared conversation, and mutual encouragement. Guided by the Early Childhood Advisory Team and gracious host schools, these gatherings have consistently strengthened directors spiritually and professionally while fostering connection across the District.
What: Early Childhood Directors Conference
When: February 5-6, 2026
Where: CNH Ministry Center
Click here to register.
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New Lenten Resource
Spark Creative is a group of ministry peers in CNH collaborating to share resources for worship and devotional life. You’ll find preaching and liturgy resources, graphics, and devotionals or reading plans ready to share with a congregation. There are four sets of resources available for Lent, including the newest, “Learning How to Die.” Go to www.SparkHelpsChurches.com.
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2026 CNH Church Worker Wellness Initiative - Sign Up Today!
“What if caring for your own well-being could strengthen your ministry, your joy, and your walk with God?”
That’s the heart behind our new CNH District wellness initiative (in partnership with Concordia Plans), "Healthy Living, Healthy Serving." We’re inviting every church worker to take simple, meaningful steps toward physical, mental, and spiritual health so that as we serve others, we do so from a place of strength, not exhaustion.
If you haven’t already, now’s a great time to sign up for Vitality®, or the wellness incentive program offered through your church or school’s health plan. To help encourage participation, we’re holding a special $500 drawing!
Click here to learn more about this initiative.
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Servus Christi: Celebrating the Faithful Ministry of Rev. Ted Mueller
About 50 friends and family of the Rev. Ted Mueller joined together on January 12 to celebrate the posthumous presentation of the CNH President’s Servus Christi award presented to the Rev. Ted Mueller, long term pastor and facilitator of leaders, and the planting and re-planting of churches in the CNH District. Ted also served as an Interim Pastor and, until he was no longer physically able, vacant churches within the CNH District for pulpit supply.
Pictured are Ted’s wife Jerilyn in the center with l-r Timothy Mueller (Kate), Christine Dechert (Bob), Amanda Kitchens (Chad), and CNH President Mike Lange, who all attended the celebration.
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LSS - Welcome Home Drive: Help Our Neighbors Start Fresh
Lutheran Social Services of Northern California is housing 220 of our chronically homeless Sacramento neighbors in permanent housing over the next few months. We're collecting new items to create Welcome Baskets: bed linens and pillows, towel sets, cleaning supplies, kitchenware, and paper goods. You can also make a financial contribution designated to the Welcome Home project. Both item donations and financial gifts are tax deductible.
Thrivent members: You can support this drive at no cost to you! Use Thrivent Choice or lead your own collection effort through a Thrivent Action Team, which provides a $250 community impact card and planning resources.
Learn more and sign up: Click here
Questions? Email
Let's make sure our neighbors feel truly welcomed home.
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Mission Table Podcast - Episode 14: The Church That Feeds People
Pull up a chair and join the conversation. The Mission Table is the official podcast of the California-Nevada-Hawaii (CNH) District of the LCMS, where leaders, pastors, and everyday disciples gather to share stories, explore ministry challenges, and celebrate how God is at work across our communities.
In this episode of the Mission Table Podcast we join Pastor Nathan Linehan onsite at First Lutheran Church, Yuba City, CA to experience their Friday morning food giveaway. Click here for the podcast.
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As pillars of the faith get called back to their heavenly home, we want to honor and acknowledge the legacy they leave behind and the impact they had within our congregations. If you would like to include any upcoming memorials, please click here to send the name, date of death, and date of service so that we may include them in an upcoming issue of the InTouch.
Rev. Dr. John W. Krueger, pastor emeritus, was called to glory on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Pastor Krueger served congregations in the CNH and the PSD, including Faith, Burney, CA (1972 – 1974); associate pastor at St. John’s, Napa, CA (1974 – 1978); Christ, Brea, CA (1979- 1987); Grace, Modesto, CA (1988 – 1997); Gethsemane, Tempe, AZ (1997 – 2008); and Faith, Burney, CA (2009 – 2019). The memorial services will be held on Saturday, January 24, 11am, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 640 N. Minaret Avenue, Turlock, CA. Please keep the Krueger family in your prayers.
Click here for his obituary.
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