e~Aurora
A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference
Aurora
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CONFERENCE NEWS
#GivingTuesday Is One Week Away-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. The promotion will be on November 29, 2016, between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. Central Time. You can visit the following website to determine when UMC #GivingTuesday will start and end, if you are not in the Central Time Zone: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html.
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:
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
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
November Progress Report from the Moderators of a Way Forward
Methodist Logo The moderators of the Commission on a Way Forward met on November 17-18, 2016 to continue planning for the Commission's work. This is what they write, "Our hope and prayer for The United Methodist Church is that we will be united and vital, missional and global. As we began, we discussed a number of practical matters, beginning with visas for our international members. We took into consideration issues of security and confidentiality, with the need to build intimacy and trust among commission members, and the corresponding desire of the whole church for consistent information and updating of the progress of the commission. We recognize that we do our work within this tension."

Churchgoers Call for Unity, Action Post-Election
While many United Methodists offered prayers and messages of unity after the election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, others called on Christians to hold leaders accountable and take action against hate.

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.
Got A Question? Ask the UMC
Ever wonder what The United Methodist Church's views are on cremation and organ donation? How about saints? Curious about what it means to be a member? "Ask the UMC," a new UMC.org feature inviting readers to submit questions about the denomination, has the answers.
Explore Ask the UMC
CONFERENCE CALENDAR
November
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

January
1: New Year's Day
8: Charge Conference - Anchor Park UMC
8: Charge Conference - First UMC Ketchikan
8: Charge Conference - Ola Toe Fuataina Samoan Fellowship
10: Charge Conference - Willow UMC
12: Charge Conference - St. John UMC
15: Charge Conference - First UMC Fairbanks
15: Charge Conference - New Hope Methodist Presbyterian Church
17-20: GNW Cabinet meeting in Portland - Carlo attending
22: Charge Conference - UMC of Sitka
25-29: WJ Leadership meetings - Carlo attending
27-29: UMW Executive Team meeting in Anchorage
29-Feb 1: ADCM Meeting in Phoenix - Carlo attending
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

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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