Our Learning Event will be February 16-17, 2017 (Thursday 1:00 pm - Friday 3:00 pm) followed by the Winter Rendezvous (Conference committee meetings) on February 17-18, 2017 (Friday evening - Saturday afternoon). The Learning Event will focus on Creating New Places for New People and Nurturing Vital Congregations with Rev. Dr. Bill Gibson and Rev. Steve Ross as our main resource people.  You can find the event flier here.  You can register for the event here.

To prepare for the learning event, here's some homework for you:

1. Form a Vitality Team in your local church.

2. Read and study the following documents together

a.  Northwest Adventure: New Church Development in the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area ( click here to download)

b. Renewal Northwest: Congregational Vitality in the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area ( click here to download)

3. Access and study your mission field's demographics through  MissionInsite. Each church in the Alaska Conference has access to this demographic service. For more info on how to log-in, contact Crystal Feaster at the Conference Office.

4. Test the results of your demographics study by interviewing key people in your community. Guide questions for this will be made available soon.

You can register for the Winter Rendezvous committee meetings here.  For specifics about the Rendezvous schedule, look here. 

After 20 years of ministry to Willow, Anvik, and Grayling, Fran Lynch will be retiring on February 2nd. The congregation of Willow United Methodist Church would like to invite you to a Celebration of Ministry on Sunday, February 12th, from 2:00-5:00pm at the church, mile 67.5 Parks Highway in Willow.

This will be an open reception time, with a brief program at 3:30 pm. Whether you can attend or not, we invite you to send notes of thank-you, memories, or stories to WillowUM@mtaonline.net , or Willow UMC, P. O. Box 182, Willow, AK 99688.

Here is the  final apportionment report for 2016 .  24 of our churches paid 100% of their apportionments! Congratulations to you!

When I asked last week for prayers for the person or persons who broke into the building, I guess I should've asked for prayers for the conference office as well.  On Sunday of this week it was discovered that a zone valve had failed and there was a tropical rain forest occurring in two of the conference offices.  Once the water was shut off, crews were able to get in and do repair work on the zone valve and begin to remove the water that had accumulated everywhere.  We truly pray that these issues won't become a weekly occurrence!

During this time of "drying out," the conference office has relocated across the hall and is continuing to operate as best we can.  We do have phones and internet so there shouldn't be a problem getting hold of us.  This is getting to be a little too much for us to handle all at once, but we are persevering.  Thank you for your prayers.

Read the rest of the letter from Sandra Woods here.

Dorothy Height, a United Methodist who championed civil rights and women's rights over a long career, is the subject of a U.S. Postal Service stamp that goes on sale Feb. 1.  Read the story.

The overall number of United Methodists in the U.S. Congress has dipped to 40, but at least two appointees to President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet are United Methodists.

Read the story

The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) today announced the launch of a new mission and vision. The updated mission and vision simplify GBHEM's role as the primary leadership development agency for The United Methodist Church. The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry will continue to transform the world through the power of education and ministry in the Methodist tradition. We will serve God and the worldwide Church in recruiting, nurturing, and educating lay and clergy leaders who seek wisdom and live ethically as God's peacemakers.

Read the rest of the press release here.

February

March