The upcoming Quinquennial Constituency Session for the Central California Conference is an important event that brings leadership together to talk about what has happened in the conference over the past five years, and what the steps are going forward. The town hall meetings currently taking place across the conference are an essential piece leading up to the constituency session, which will be taking place in November 2024.
Six town hall meetings have taken place so far, and two more are coming up in September. These town hall meetings are a chance for church members to meet with leadership, talk about the needs at their churches, present ideas for the future of the conference, and become more united in the church’s mission.
Each town hall meeting involves attendees being allowed to talk about what they are thankful for, ask questions, and present changes they would like to see. The event begins with welcome, prayer, and singing, then an introduction. There is then a time for reports from the different conference leaders about what is happening in their departments. This involves videos, presentations, and question and answer sessions. The many miracles and milestones are also highlighted, showing how the conference’s mission has been blessed over the past five years.
One way everyone is able to share their questions and opinions is a question and answer session included at the end of the meetings. To ensure that everyone has a chance to voice their thoughts, attendees are given two pieces of paper in different colors — one for questions and one for suggestions. These are then read from the front and discussed. This encourages many of the important topics to be addressed without missing topics that may be more difficult, or that leadership isn’t aware of.
Dan Serns, conference president, said, “Many of them center on some key areas such as how we can communicate better, how we can improve Soquel Camp Meeting, how we can strengthen our Adventist educational work, and how we can strengthen our mission work.”
The town hall meetings are more than just talking about the business of the church. They are also focused on bringing people together spiritually, strengthening the ties within the Adventist community. This involves leadership talking with church members, singing songs together, and praying together. These personal and spiritual connections improve communication, helping leadership and church members reflect on the past, discuss the present, and plan for the future in a more valuable way.
The town hall meetings have been a powerful tool for developing communication and strengthening the mission of the conference. As the conference continues to hold these meetings, the goal remains clear: to ensure every member feels connected and involved. With two more meetings scheduled in September, the leadership is committed to continuing this tradition of open dialogue and spiritual growth. “Somebody said one time, ‘When in doubt, communicate,’” said Serns. “And so that's what we're doing with the town hall meetings.”
The last two meetings will take place:
Sept. 17, 7:00 p.m.
Clovis Church
2370 Helm Ave.
Clovis, CA 93612
Sept. 18, 7:00 p.m.
Central Valley Christian Academy
2020 Academy PlaceCeres, CA 95307
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