e~Aurora
A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference
Aurora
CONFERENCE NEWS
2018 Youth Mission Immersion
Join us January 12-13, 2018 as we explore what it means to be a servant of God through service to others. This Mission Immersion Weekend will offer opportunities to grow in our faith as we serve our local community. We will gather in fellowship with youth from across Alaska for this Mission Immersion Experience. Some of the places we've served at in past Mission Immersions include Habitat Restore, FISH, Pioneer Home, Anchorage Rescue Mission, Beans Café & Habitat for Humanity. We'll meet on Friday night and have time of worship & fellowship. We stay overnight at St. John UMC and then go out into Anchorage and serve all day Saturday! Cost is $30; scholarships are available!  All youth and their friends are invited to join us. We also need adults to help on Saturday as we go out into the community.  To find out more about this experience and to register, click here. 
 
Quotes from last years participants...
"Today 'my team' spent part of the afternoon handing out care packages to homeless. I saw God in the faces of my group. The reactions of seeing how happy we were to serve others. I am thankful for these opportunities to serve. "
"While distributing food at the Mobile Food Bank, I enjoyed watching how those receiving food shared-when someone else needed something, another person in line would give away that food item to help someone else. "
 "Today was fun! We helped elderly people and entertained them with music and BINGO"
"It always feels great to give back to our community. Not everyone is blessed to have the life we get to live every day. "
"today I felt like a servant of God. I was helping, loving and giving back to the people of the community."
Youth UMVIM teams available
UMVIM
We have two UMVIM teams that are primarily youth with adult supervision looking for locations to connect with next summer.  If your church or ministry has a project that would work for them, and are interested in hosting one or both teams, please contact UMVIM Coordinator Dan Wilcox, at danielpwilcox@gmail.com, or 907.414.7078.  Also, we still have a few college age and adult teams looking for placement.  If your congregation is interested in hosting a team but can't host youth, please also give Dan a call. 
Summer Camp dates and Internship Applications
Birchwood Camp
Birchwood Camp is pleased to announce their 2018 Summer Camp brochure and Internship Applications are live!
 
 
If you want to apply for one of the summer internships at the camp, or would like to learn more, fill out the internship application here. 
T-shirt pillows for AK Child & Family
AK Child & Family
Jan Wachsmuth is organizing a group of women to make 50+ t-shirt pillows for AK Child & Family.  They will be gifts for the children.

The event will be this Friday, December 15 from 10 am - 3 pm at the Conference Center (1660 Patterson Street, Anchorage).

Lunch will be provided.  If you have questions or want to let Jan know you will be there, give her a call (862-0194) or send her an email! 
Christmas Cookie Baking Party
You are invited to Birchwood Camp's 2nd Annual Christmas Cookie Baking Party.  It will be held December 17th from 1-5 PM in the main lodge.  Registration is $15 and all supplies are provided.  Please go to www.birchwoodcamp.org for more details and to register.
Winter Youth Break Away Camp
Birchwood Camp
Middle School and High School Students are invited to this year's Winter Youth Break Away camp which will be held January 2 - January 6, 2018.

Bring your sleds, skates, snowshoes, and helmets...play in the snow!!!  Excellent food, fun and fellowship! Join them for Water is Life!

Registration fee: $240
Registration Open: October 1, 2017
***NEW*** Extended Camp Hours!
Check-in/drop-off 11 AM, Tuesday, January 2
Pick-up at 11 AM, Saturday, January 6

www.birchwoodcamp.org/camps
NATIONAL NEWS
2 Agency heads: Jerusalem should be 'city of peace'
The top executives of two United Methodist agencies said the decision by President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the U.S. embassy there goes against 70 years of consensus within the international community. Thomas Kemper and the Rev. Susan Henry-Crowe pointed to a 2016 resolution that spells out the denomination's vision of a shared Jerusalem, as a city of peace and reconciliation. 
 
Read statement
Read resolution
World Methodist Council statement
CONFERENCE CALENDAR
December
7-17: GBGM Round Table Conversation in the Philippines - Carlo attending
24: Christmas Eve
25: Christmas Day - Office Closed
31: New Year's Eve

January
1: New Years Day - Office Closed
7: Charge Conference - First UMC Ketchikan
8-10: GNW Cabinet Meeting - Carlo attending
11: Charge Conference - Christ First UMC
12: Charge Conference - Turnagain UMC
16: Charge Conference - St. John UMC
18: Charge Conference - Anchor Park UMC
26-28: UMW Leadership Team meetings at Conference Center
New Office Hours
Office Hours
The Conference Office has new hours!
 
Monday - Thursday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am - 11:00 am 
happy_birthday_candles.jpg
Upcoming
Clergy Birthdays
 
December 23 -
Christina DowlingSoka
Curtis Matz

January 5 -
Janice Carlton

Karen Dammann -
January 18



Conference Office
907-333-5050

Superintendent Carlo
907-854-8340
Submissions - If you have an article or event that you would like to share with the rest of the conference, submit it to the conference office by Monday evening for consideration.
AUMC Logo Mission Statement:
The mission of the United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.  Held and supported by the transforming relationship with God through Christ, we of the Alaska United Methodist Conference seek to be a community that creates a home for all peoples, finds our hope through grace and journeys together into God's preferred future.
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