News – California Mission Offering
SANTA CLARITA—She had attended Valley Lights Church previously, but a challenging work schedule made it difficult to connect with others in the congregation on a deep level. A women’s holiday wreath event changed that for one occasional church attendee. The woman “said this was one of the very first events where she felt like she…
FRESNO – Ministry Leaders of the CSBC presented preliminary numbers for 2022, many of which exceeded several goals set at the onset of the year. Reports of ministry progress were given related to church matters, evangelism, missions, and church planting. Marc Tempesta, CSBC’s chief financial officer, said giving data through October signals that CSBC “will…
MADERA—Outreach events don’t always go as planned. But they’re still a success when they help a church learn to do better next time. That’s what happened when Thrive Church in Madera held a one-year anniversary celebration this fall. Attendance was low. Pastor Josh Dolarian felt like he was “pounding [his] head against the table” and…
SAN DIEGO—Some pastors lament the lack of lasting fruit from their churches’ outreach events. Sean Beaudoin isn’t one of them. At New Vision Church in San Diego, where Beaudoin pastors, outreach festivals are more than fleeting opportunities for family fun. Thanks to effective follow-up, they’re a surefire way to reach people for Christ and assimilate…
FRESNO—The announcement that California Southern Baptist Convention has become Send Network California with the North American Mission Board was announced to the CSBC Executive Board at the fall meeting Sept. 16. Board members also approved a 2023 proposed budget of $6.3 million which includes a Cooperative Program objective of $6 million, unchanged from the 2022…
BAKERSFIELD—Volunteers from two Central Valley churches and one Southern California church hosted a multicultural block party for migrant families in Bakersfield on Aug. 27. Members of Harmony Missionary Baptist Church in Lamont, Mountain View Southern Baptist Church in Lake Isabella, and Mandarin Baptist Church of Los Angeles in Alhambra came together to host the festivities…
CLEARLAKE—After months of outreach to city employees by First Baptist Church in Clearlake, a city hall worker named Crystal brought her daughter to the church’s Backyard Bounce House Party. She told a church leader, “I came to this event because you have handed out several things at city hall from your church… I decided to…
FRESNO—Plans are underway for the California Mission Offering to be transformed from a “one-time” to a new “year-long” emphasis to better meet the needs of California Southern Baptist Convention churches. Pete Ramirez, CSBC executive director, said he has asked the Office of Communications to redesign and promote CMO differently in the future because “we know…