Candidates for pastoral ministry - 169 in all - were placed by the Synod's Council of Presidents (COP) during their April 22-27 meeting that included participation in call day worship services at the two LCMS seminaries.

The COP also assigned 241 men to vicarage service during the 2005-06 academic year.

Pastoral candidates placed in the CNH district:
Nathan Hartke - Mount Olive Lutheran, Milpitas, California, as associate
John Bestul - Rollingwood Lutheran, San Pablo CA

Vicarage Assignments in the CNH District:
Daniel Buringrud - Greenhaven Lutheran, Sacramento, California
Keith Dusheke - Peace Lutheran, Fresno, California
Jason Moreno - Lutheran Church of Arcata, Arcata, California
Jonathan Palmer - Bethany Lutheran, Vacaville, California
Ross Shaver - Light of the Hills Lutheran, Cameron Park, California

Deaconness Intern Assignments in the CNH District:
Nicole Larsen - Grace Lutheran, San Mateo, California
Susan Predoehl - Zion Lutheran, Piedmont, California

DCE Interns in the CNH District:
Elliott Lutz - Prince of Peace, Fremont, California
Kathryn Reil - Mt Olive, Milpitas, California
Betsy Jenks - Holy Cross, Los Gatos, California

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

Americans give away enormous sums of money every year. The annual survey of religious behavior conducted by The Barna Group shows that Americans continued that pattern of generosity in 2004, but that even though their giving to non-profit organizations and churches is significant, it is not increasing.

In 2004, nearly four out of every five adults - 83% - donated money to one or more non-profit organizations. That is similar to the percentage that has donated funds throughout the past decade. Barna's national study found that the people least likely to donate any money at all were those under the age of 25, people who never attended college, residents of the Northeast, atheists and agnostics, Asians and Hispanics. A quarter or more of the people from each of those segments failed to give away any money in 2004. The average amount of money donated per person was $1232 That suggests that the typical individual gave away about 3% of their income.

Pentecostal and historic African American churches are increasingly visible on the U.S. religious landscape and mainline Protestants no longer dominate a list of the 25 largest American churches, reports the National Council of Churches' 2005 "Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches."

Three of the largest 25 churches in the U.S. are Pentecostal and six are African American, the yearbook reports.

The list includes the rapidly growing Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church in America, Jehovah's Witnesses, and - largest of all - the Roman Catholic Church.

Bethlehem, Berkeley becomes the latest congregation in the CNH District to have a web presence.

If you have recently developed a website for your congregation you may wish to add your congregation's web site to the other 2,704 congregations currently listed at the LCMS website. Your web site will also automatically be linked to the District Directory, as well as the Church Locator site. If you have a web site for your school listed on your church's site, this web site will be linked to the School Directory and School Locator.

The LCMS Congregational Web Site Directory and Application Form can be found at http://www.lcms.org/ca/www/sitelist/churc hes/

If you have congregational members who will be attending UC Berkeley this fall please forward their names and a means of contacting them (including email) to Pastor Tim Beck, mtz ionlutheran@sbcglobal.net or c/o Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, 5714 Solano Ave., Richmond, California 94805, or (510) 233-2299.

Two granting opportunities are being offered to you...if you meet the criteria.

The first is the CNH District's Mission Action Council's grant. Soon congregations in the CNH District will receive from their MAC forms and information about this granting opportunity.

The CNH MAC grant is designed to help congregations that intend to plant new churches or are involved in a new culturally specific ministry. Specific guidelines, sample grants, and more can be found at the CNH district website under "Missions," "Mission Action Councils" (or click here).

A second granting opportunity, the World Relief Domestic Grant Program, is offered by the LCMS. Eligible applicants are LCMS congregations, districts, recognized LCMS service organizations (RSOs) and LCMS sponsored ministries. Applicants may receive one grant during any 12- month funding term. November is the due date.

Interested congregations may go directly to the LCMS website to learn the details about this grant. Click here.

For more information on the World Relief grant please contact our Human Care Committee members, Marilyn Harri at 925-426-8628, e-mail harri2@comca st.net or Jack Adolphson, 916-443-7559, e- mail jcarma@sur ewest.net, for assistance on the LCMS World Relief Domestic grant .

New Prayer Requests:

For the family of Ruth Urben, retired teacher who served at Trinity, Stockton, CA, and Trinity, Wahiawa, HI., who passed away on April 23. Please contact Trinity, Wahiawa, about the RU Music Memorial Scholarship.

For Vineyard of Faith, Windsor, CA. as they seek the Lord's direction upon the decline of the call extended to Rev. Joseph Meyer.

For Peace, Mill Valley, California: Rev. Ricky Adams has accepted the call to be pastor.

Our Ongoing Prayer List:

• Pat Bothwell, wife of Rev. Jim Bothwell (San Lorenzo CA)
• Rev. Rod Hilpert (Placerville CA)
• Rev. David Bunting (Colusa CA)
• Dorothy Bunting, mother of Rev. David Bunting (Colusa CA)
• Jan Froh, wife of Rev. Charles Froh (San Mateo CA)
• Rev. Eugene Gruell (Weed CA), pastor emeritus
• Rev. Carl Hafner (Paso Robles CA)
• Juanita Harding, wife of Deacon Perry Harding (Hawthorne/Yerington NV)
• Rev. B.R. Mireles, pastor emeritus (Sacramento CA)
• Vi Mireles, wife of Rev. B.R. Mireles (Sacramento CA)
• Wally Roberts, father of Rev. Brad Roberts (Fresno CA)
• Mary Sandate, wife of Rev. Sid Sandate (Manteca CA)

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

Upcoming events:

• Sierra/Nevada Mission Action Council, St. Luke, Reno, NV -- May 6
• Southern Mission Action Council, St. Paul, Merced, CA-- May 7
• Northern Mission 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