I have a pretty open daily communication with our God, but in times of trials, my talking to Him increases. Since becoming LWML CNH President, when I have been particularly stressed, I have found a song popping up in my head over and over again, saying “Get Down on Your Knees and Pray”. Not the Bill Gather version, but the version by the band The Who. Odd right?!

My children laughed at me when I told them about this, and they reminded me that that song is the theme song from CSI, Las Vegas. Doesn’t God work in mysterious ways? I have made it a habit to go to my knees when this song pops in my head, like I did prior to writing this message.

According to the internet, prayer is mentioned anywhere from 320 to 450 times in the Bible, depending on the version. We pray in times of joy, sorrow, in riches and in need, and God listens. It always astounds me that with the millions of prayers He must receive daily, He takes time to listen to me, a miserable sinner, and promises to answer. Amazing, right?

Please take time daily to pray for:

• The Omaha Convention and safe travel for those of us attending
• The Mission Grants selected for the 2025-2027 Biennium
• The LWML CNH Mission Grants 2024-2026 – those funded and those still to be funded
• The LWML CNH Summer Retreat in August
• The Convention Planning for LWML CNH 2026 Convention in Sacramento

If the song pops up in your head, Get Down on Your Knees and Pray. We all know prayer works. Keep on praying!

The second Ingathering/In-service event at the 2026 District Convention will be Blessing Bags for the Homeless.

Ingathering items include:

• Canned soups with pop-tops (like Progresso)
• Vienna sausages
• Granola bars
• Bottled water
• Boxed raisins
• Peanut or other nut packages
• Fruit cups
• Cheese/cracker packs
• TO GO peanut butter packs
• Tuna pouches
• Tuna/cracker packs
• Fruit snacks
• Wrapped candy (no chocolate)
• Kind bars
• Bandaids

You can also bring gallon-sized zip lock bags which we will use for the Blessing Bags. Please continue to save all your small devotionals: Portals of Prayer, Daily Bread, etc. no matter the dates. They will be included in the bags, as well. Many of these items are available in bulk on Amazon, and of course, at dollar stores.

We plan to bring these Blessing Bags to the front during the Ingathering Litany on Sunday morning at the Convention. Afterwards, everyone will be free to take a few bags with them to put in their cars. When an opportunity presents itself, you’ll have a bag to offer someone who needs a helping hand.

Please share the information about both Ingathering/In-service events, and start collecting and saving the items. Find more details at: 2026 District Convention. May God bless you richly!!

In recent discussions it has become clear that the Christian Life Line has reached its natural conclusion. While the title may be going away, you will still be hearing from me through the Joyful Servant. This will streamline the number of emails you receive from the district.

The August retreat is less than two months away! Please complete your registration form and send to Christa Hamilton as soon as possible. We have a firm deadline of July 18 for receipt of registration forms. If you have difficulty finding the form, please email me: Cathey King. I will be happy to send one to you. If you need financial aid, please fill out a scholarship request on the LWML district website under “other forms.”

Our ladies hosted a Spring Tea with 40 ladies attending on Saturday, May 10th. The tea was great, as was the food and fellowship among all the guests. The next day, Mother’s Day, LWML gave out flowers to all the ladies honoring their mothers and mothers in the church. Our Sunday school children did the honors.

Barbara Bessemer, Teri Margolis, Becky Lasa, and Jane Krider attended the Quilting with the Lord Tea by Sally Allen. We met the members of Bethlehem Women in Mission and Bonnie Krantz, the President. Bonnie opened with prayer and a devotion with quilting as the theme. Sally gave a lovely presentation about how she creates quilts from scratch. She donated numerous quilted runners for members to purchase. Donations were given to support the students attending the Youth Gathering in July.

Bev Vietor, Head of School Pastor Micah Glen, and Roxan Schwab were among the many who celebrated at Sierra Lutheran High School in Carson City. The Open House showcased new additions to the school which add over 22,000 square feet of space, doubling the size of the school, and allowing for growth in enrollment, programs, and meeting space.

Zone 10 LWML took this opportunity to connect with the high school generation. We provided cookies and See’s Pops with an LWML Tag, “Growing in Christ from Generation to Generation.” Our LWML video was shown, and we also had a table set up with LWML literature. Barb Bessemer (Our Savior), Bonnie Krantz (Bethlehem Lutheran), Roxan Schwab, Bev Vietor and Jane Krider attended. 

The Ladies of Ruth Guild had a fun-filled evening with their spouses at our annual Progressive Dinner. The weather was perfect for this beautiful evening event where we enjoyed appetizers and drinks at our President’s home and then made the short walk to Somersett Country Club for dinner on the patio. It was a lovely evening of fellowship and a great opportunity to get to know our Ruth Guild members and their spouses on a personal level – a perfect end to a year where our theme was, “Be joyful in hope … faithful in prayer”.

Five confirmands were honored this year with a special Confirmation Dinner on Saturday, May 30. The congregation was invited to celebrate, while first and second year confirmation students and their families provided the decorations and set up. LWML/Ruth Guild members created the meal and did the cooking for this event. Over 120 attended, enjoying a fabulous meal, fellowship, and a fun game of “Are you Smarter than a Confirmand?” Fun was had by all.

The next day, each confirmand participated in the church service by reading a lesson or leading in prayer. First communion as a confirmed member of the church was celebrated, and Ruth Guild provided a confirmation reception with cake and coffee after service.

Members of Our Savior Lutheran Church enjoyed afternoon tea at the Mad Hatter Tea Party on Sunday, June 1. Approximately 40 ladies (and one gentleman!) nibbled, sipped, and shared their knowledge of Alice in Wonderland trivia. Coordinated by our LWML Treasurer, Beckie Lasa, the tea was truly a festive time of fellowship, laughter, and celebration for our multigenerational congregation. Stay tuned for our next event, an Ice Cream Social with Bingo to follow—our last fundraiser to benefit the congregation youth as they travel to New Orleans next July!

We are excited to share that a new LWML group has launched at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Santa Rosa, CA! Our group, “Women in Mission,” has been meeting regularly since December and is already building momentum. With 8–10 women gathering each month, we are encouraged by the energy, ideas, and fellowship growing in our church family.

As we look ahead, our group has chosen three mission areas to focus on for the next 12 months:

• The Living Room – A local women’s shelter where we hope to offer hands-on support and care.
• Our Village Closet – A ministry supporting foster families, where we will focus specifically on meeting the needs of teen girls.
• Lutheran World Relief – Through quarterly service projects, we’ll extend our care globally, joining in LWR’s efforts to serve vulnerable communities.

We thank God for His guidance and grace as we begin this new chapter of mission and ministry. Please keep “Women in Mission” in your prayers as we grow in faith, service, and connection with one another and the world.

Faith in Fair Oaks hosted 94 ladies for a Mothers Tea on May 4. The Sunday afternoon celebration included “Time for a New Look” devotion, special music, and a humorous fashion show. Some examples of the fashions were: Bell-bottom pants with bells around the bottom, cap sleeves with baseball caps on shoulders, cowgirl bride, a cotton dress covered in cotton balls, and a two-piece outfit with two peace signs.

The choir of women and young girls sang “I’m a Little Teapot.” Everyone enjoyed the elegant backdrops and table settings, as well as the fellowship and laughter. The event was successful in bringing together generations of women to celebrate motherhood in all its forms.

The Zone 19 Spring Rally was held April 26, 2025 at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Rocklin. This event was a new experience for many attendees. St. Matthew is not your small, traditional neighborhood church. Located in a 50,000 square foot converted warehouse, church staff, relocating from their former building, had the luxury of reimagining their new church center for the many people served there and the myriad activities and outreach during the week. 

Despite intermittent showers, 80 women from LWML CNH Zone 19 enjoyed wonderful fellowship, a buffet breakfast, and lunch complete with a coffee bar. Attendees then gathered in the smaller traditional sanctuary. Following the singing of several hymns, Pastor Brad Cusson delivered a powerful sermon on how we are renewed in the spirit and Jesus is alive and well and working in our world. His mercies and spirit empower us to have a new life in Him every day.

The program, in line with the theme, Sing to the Lord a New Song, featured St. Matthew Worship Director Dr. Marco A. Mejia who gave a presentation on research into church music and education. Dr. Mejia has a diverse background in music, teaching and leading programs at churches throughout California for over a decade. He delved into the history and development of praise music and Contemporary Worship Music (CWM) and its real-life importance. This isn’t our grandparents’ music. While many churches remain more traditional, this music, including praise bands, has been found to be more relevant to younger members, helping bring them into the life of the church. No matter the style of music in a congregation, it should inspire all to participate.

Our sister, Dianne Flynn, a member of Faith in Fair Oaks, was instrumental in the creation of the Disability Task Force in 2012. In 2022, after a decade of hard work, the CNH Synod voted for the original eight members to become an official Committee, the CNH Disability Ministry Committee (DMC). Their goal is to “encourage, equip and enable Christian congregations in their outreach to persons with disabilities within the community.”

This committee works closely with Joni & Friends / Wheels for the World, collecting thousands of wheelchairs, having them repaired by prison inmates and hand delivering them to people living with disabilities in developing countries. A large wheelchair collection event is being planned for Disability Awareness Sunday on September 28.

“Let us love not in word or speech but in action and truth.” 1 John 3:18. 

This verse was the impetus for the creation of MHM, which was founded in 2010 by Pastor Berhanu Didanu and his wife Miheret Abebe, both from Ethiopia. The ministry began by offering portable showers throughout Sacramento County. They also provide haircuts, clothing, Bibles, and personal hygiene kits.

MHM has expanded the program, thanks to a 2023-2025, $100,000 national LWML grant. Pastor Berhanu spoke about the compelling reason for what he does: a new way congregations could ‘break out of the Lutheran comfort zone’ to partner with Bible based organizations like Mercy Holistic Ministry. He documented how Jesus showed personal and tangible concern for the poor in every area of their need, outlining the biblical foundations for this work and how MHM follows this example.

“By addressing the physical needs of individuals with compassion and faith, we create opportunities to share God’s love and to transform lives.” This grant has also added one more component to their ministry which rally attendees braved the rain to tour. A mobile trailer was purchased and retrofitted as a mobile clothing closet which accompanies the mobile showers. The in-gathering provided hundreds of items to add to their inventory of articles for showers and other needs.

Do you have a passion for welcoming women from all walks of life in your congregation into the LWML? Did you know that many women from multicultural backgrounds feel lonely and isolated when they first attend churches where people don’t look like them or speak their native language?

The LWML can be a wonderful place for these ladies to feel at home and begin making lifelong friends. Our District’s Heart 2 Heart Sisters of All Nations Committee welcomes and encourages women of varying ethnic backgrounds to join the LWML. We believe that all women within the church have unique, valuable gifts to share, and we love doing outreach to make sure that as many ladies as possible within our congregations know about the LWML and are welcomed as sisters in Christ.

If you would like to join us in our mission to serve, we would love to have you on the Heart 2 Heart Committee. Please contact our H2H Chair, Rebecca Weisshahn. She would love to talk with you!