e~Aurora
A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference
Aurora
CONFERENCE NEWS
Call for Study Leaders
The Executive Team of United Methodist Women of Alaska is still accepting applications for Study Leaders for Mission u events to be implemented during the summer/fall of 2017.   Please review the attached document with information on each study as well as the application.  Please note the deadline for applications is  November 18, 2016

The studies for 2017 are: The Missionary Conferences of the United Methodist Church (Geographic) and A Covenantal Community (Spiritual Growth).
 
The dates for training have changed to  April 27-30  in Pittsburgh, PA.,  May 3-6  in Jacksonville, FL., or  June 8-11  in Houston, TX.

Jenn Miller is the Mission u Dean and the leader of these events.  You can contact her at alaskan_miller_girl@yahoo.com  or call 907-338-1434 (home) or 907-351-0274 (cell) with any questions.
Upcoming Camps at Birchwood
Winter Youth Break-Away
An awesome winter camp for students in grades 6-12. Enjoy four days full of  fantastic fellowship, food, snow and ice activities! Online registration is now open for Winter Youth Break-Away (WYBA).
December 27-30, 2016
Winter Family Camp
REGISTRATION FEE:
        Adult - $100
        Children (4-17) - $60
        Children under age 4 - Free
Register by December 15 to avoid a $20 late fee.
December 30, 2016 - January 1, 2017
No e~Aurora Next Week
Office Hours
The conference office will be closed Monday (11/7) through Wednesday (11/9) of next week and therefore an e~Aurora will not be sent out. Please continue to send in submissions to include in the newsletter and we will make sure to get them in the following week.  Thanks!
Nominate a Youth or Young Adult
Youth Ministry
To all Alaska United Methodist pastors, youth pastors, and church leaders:

We often say that youth and young adults are the future of our church. In fact, these particular people are a missional priority of the Alaska United Methodist Conference.

The Council on Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Alaska United Methodist Conference is committed to investing in and building up the youth and young adults in our United Methodist churches as faithful, invested, and committed leaders. We strongly believe the way to do that is to invite youth and young adults to the table to be given voice. Our council envisions youth and young adults participating in Annual Conference and serving on conference councils, boards, and teams in order to help guide the church as we continue to discern God's vision and live it out.

The Council invites you to nominate a youth and/or a young adult from your church membership to participate in the youth and young adult ministries council of the Alaska United Methodist Conference in order to best discern the way forward with them. Charge conference nominations are coming up and this is a perfect time to discern with our young people and their parent(s)/guardian(s) their calling to leadership and ministry.

Please submit your nominations to the chair of the council, Rev. Melissa Engel, by Thanksgiving, November 24, 2016. If you have questions, please contact pastor.engel.ak@gmail.com .
2016 Conference Journal Available for Download
The 2016 AUMC Journal is now posted on the conference website. Books were handed out to committee members and conference leadership mid October.  It is a lot of hard work to get it put together and reviewed.  If you have updates for us, please let us know so they can be fixed for the next edition.
NATIONAL NEWS
Bishops Planning for 2019 General Conference
Council of Bishops The United Methodist Council of Bishops said it intends to call for a General Conference in 2019, but stopped short of making the actual call. That is expected after the Commission on a Way Forward begins its work of looking at the church's teachings on homosexuality and issues of church unity.
Church Leaders Kick Off Quadrennium with Vital Congregation Focus
About 750 leaders of The United Methodist Church gathered in Jacksonville, Fla., last week to start the new quadrennium focused on the mission of cultivating vital congregations to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Bishop Bruce R. Ough, president of the Council of Bishops, said the Council began planning and praying for this Extended Cabinet Summit nearly two years ago. "This Summit grew out of the Council's commitment, forcefully stated in our 2012 Call to Action, to redirect the resources and energy of the denomination, including our own leadership resource, to increase the number of vital congregations throughout our global connection."

Bishop Mike Lowry, chair of the task force on the Extended Cabinet Summit, said the greatest thing that we as a denomination can be about together is building vital congregations. "We state it in our Discipline and we believe it with both our hearts and minds that local congregations are where disciples are made," said Bishop Lowry.

November is Native American Heritage Month
United Methodists around the world are called to learn more about the history and to engage in tangible acts of healing with Native/indigenous people in our congregations and communities. Use this month as a starting point for learning and acting.  United Methodist Discipleship Ministries offers worship resources to celebrate this heritage.  See resources from Discipleship Ministries .

You can also view a video that United Methodist Communications put together from an interview with Community UMC pastor Charley Brower.
3 Weeks Until UMC #GivingTuesday -November 29
On Nov. 29, United Methodists will come together to support the work of Advance missionaries and projects on UMC #GivingTuesday. Last year, more than 770 Advance missionaries and projects received 8,757 gifts through  The Advance , the denomination's designated giving channel. 

The theme for  UMC #GivingTuesday 2016  is "Give Light, Give Love, Give Life." Every day, you give God's light, love, and life through your faithful work, prayers, and gifts. 

This year, consider  supporting a project  that is working in an area you care most about. Gifts made through The Advance make a tangible difference in the lives of those we serve. Also, look out for more information and resources coming soon at  www.umcgivingtuesday.org .

These are the projects and numbers for the Alaska Conference:
CONFERENCE CALENDAR
November
8: Election Day
9: Charge Conference - Unalaska UMC
11: Veteran's Day
11-12: Mission u Event at Homer UMC
13: Charge Conference - Jewel Lake Parish
14-16: Crystal on vacation
14-16: GNW Cabinet meeting in Portland - Carlo attending
17: Charge Conference - UMC of Chugiak
18: Charge Conference - Seward UMC/ Moose Pass UMC
19: Charge Conference - Kenai UMC
19: Charge Conference - North Star UMC
20: Charge Conference - Girdwood Chapel UMC
24: Due date for Youth & Young Adult Nominations
24: Thanksgiving Day - Office Closed
29: UMC #GivingTuesday campaign

December
3: Leadership Team meeting via FUZE
5: Charge Conference - Community UMC (Nome)
7: Charge Conference - Turnagain UMC
8: Charge Conference - First Anchorage UMC/First Samoan UMC
9: Charge Conference - Homer UMC
9: Charge Conference - St. Peter the Fisherman UMC
10: Charge Conference - Soldotna UMC
11: Charge Conference - Anchorage Korean UMC
12-15: GNW Cabinet meeting in Seattle - Carlo attending
24: Christmas Eve
25: Christmas Day
26-Jan 6: Carlo on vacation
31: New Year's Eve
Conference Office Email Address has Changed
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We have begun the process of changing the conference office email from umc@gci.net to alaskaumc@gmail.com.  For workflow ease, we are consolidating everything to the Google platform (email, calendar, etc.).  Please update your address books/contacts lists and start using alaskaumc@gmail.com for your emails to the conference. Carlo's email ( carlorapanut@gmail.com) will remain the same.
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Upcoming
Clergy Birthdays

November 17: Jean Bruscia

December 10: David Hall
December 23: Curtis Matz


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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