e~Aurora
A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference
Aurora
CONFERENCE NEWS
UMVIM Awareness Sunday
United Methodist Volunteer in Mission Teams have built the Alaska Conference.  No church, camp, or ministry in the conference has not benefited from the sweat, time, and energy of individual volunteers from around the country.  This coming Sunday, we need to remember their work, and the strength that we see in the Connection through their efforts. 
 
Please take just a few moments during the service to recognize individuals who have participated in UMVIM trips, and the part they have played in your church's story.  There are helpful resources available including bulletin inserts, worship helps, and even sermon starters here: UMVIM Awareness Sunday.
Peace with Justice Grant recipient - VIA
Valley Interfaith Action (VIA) is a faith-based community organization in the Mat-Su who has been working ecumenically to address systemic issues in the borough since 2015. VIA celebrates receiving a second year of funding from the United Methodist Church through the Peace with Justice grant. The funding from the United Methodist Church helps support the ministry of VIA in eleven member congregations across the Mat-Su. VIA seeks to build strong congregational and neighborhood relationships by identifying, training and developing new leaders who are empowered to address local concerns utilizing their faith values.
 
VIA is comprised of eleven member congregations who are Methodist, Catholic, Episcopal and Lutheran. Since 2015, VIA has developed four local organizing ministry teams in four denominations and in different geographic areas of the Mat-Su. Local organizing ministry leaders have recently worked on crime, housing, voter turnout and senior isolation with VIA's organizer and director, Kelly Marciales. Kelly is currently a member of Christ First UMC, Wasilla. As a United Methodist and deaconess candidate, Kelly sees this work as essential to healing the broken relationships between God, our neighbor and ourselves that permeate society. Kelly works to strengthen our community by crossing social barriers to reweave relationships by using the tools of faith-based community organizing and teaching others the tools to do the same.
 
VIA would like to thank all who gave during Peace with Justice Sunday on June 11. If you would like to learn more about VIA, attend a statewide training, or donate to VIA's ministry, please visit their website: www.valleyinterfaithaction.org or like them on Facebook @valleyinterfatihaction.
2017 Conference Journal
The print version of the 2017 Conference Journal has been mailed to those outside of the Anchorage area.  To save the conference money, we hand delivered journals this past weekend during the clergy and committee meetings for the people that were there.  Lay and clergy members of the annual conference have received a copy directly or through your church.  Churches and other ministry settings also received a copy.  The digital copy of the journal will be put on the conference website once it is received.

Questions about the content should go to the conference secretary (outgoing - Teri Erbele, incoming, Karen Martin Tichenor).  Updates to the contact information should be sent to the conference office.
Birchwood Camp News
Winter Youth Break Away

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

Help Wanted: Volunteer Kitchen Assistant

Have you ever wondered how we serve 150 pancakes in the morning? Or wanted Berneita's tomato soup recipe?

Help Birchwood serve our weekend fall/winter guests.  They have a few weekends that the group sizes are 60+ and they need extra hands in the kitchen.  Help prepare food, wash dishes, and love their guests through food!

If you are interested in this unique volunteer experience, please contact Relena at director@birchwoodcamp.org or 907-688-2734.
Mission u Registration Open for Juneau
Mission u events take place across every United Methodist Conference and are organized by conference United Methodist Women leadership. At our Mission u events in Alaska we will grow in our understanding of the mission of the church in the current world context. The studies give particular attention to the responsibilities of women in the fulfillment of the mission work of the church. Mission u events also include worship & singing, interest groups around current issues, audiovisual presentations, food and fellowship! Please join in embracing the opportunity to grow, share and advocate for others!

To learn more about the studies, leaders, and to register, click here.  
 
This event is this weekend so don't miss out! 
ERT Training - October 21st & 22nd
If you are interested in volunteering to respond to Texas or other areas of disasters as part of an Early Response Team (ERT), this is an opportunity to get the necessary training.  Anyone wanting to be deployed from Alaska must have this training.  The full ERT training will be on October 21st from 9:00am-5:00pm, and then advanced courses specific for hurricane responses will be on the 22nd from 2:00pm-6:00pm.  Both will be held at Anchor Park UMC (2300 Oak Drive, Anchorage, 99508).  If you are interested in more information, please contact Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, Daniel Wilcox, at danielpwilcox@gmail.com, or 907.414.7078.
Charge Conference Paperwork
Superintendent Carlo has scheduled most of the upcoming charge conferences.  As you prepare for your time together as a church with the superintendent, make sure you have ALL of our required paperwork filled out and ready to submit on or before your scheduled meeting date.  Forms can be found in PDF here.  If you need something in Word, please contact the conference office.
NATIONAL NEWS
UM Bishops call for a "Clean Dream Act"
United Methodist bishops are urging the U.S. Congress to pass a Clean Dream Act that would allow undocumented young people the opportunity to work, receive an education and serve in the U.S. military. Young immigrants covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program - also known as Dreamers - had an Oct. 5 deadline to renew their permits one last time.

Read the press release
Read the full statement
MARCHA issues solidarity statement with Puerto Rico
The Hispanic-Latino caucus of The United Methodist Church issued a statement calling for solidarity with Puerto Ricans and the Methodist Church there in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria's devastation. MARCHA (Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic/Latino Americans) called for congressional approval of a fund for the recovery and reconstruction of the island. The caucus asked United Methodists to pray and donate to help the recovery.
 
How to Engage Children and Youth Using Rap and Hip Hop
In this  Vital Conversation ,  musician, activist, community organizer and public school t eacher, Bryan Eason asks us to use music to hear and be heard in order to facilitate racial healing and bridge gaps between cultures. 
 
Join GCORR on  Facebook Live, TODAY - Tuesday, October 10th at 9 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. AKDT for his video and follow-up live discussion.
GC Commission Strives to Bring New Efficiencies to Legislative Event
The Commission on General Conference announced that the number of delegates for the 2020 General Conference will be roughly the same as the last. There were 864 delegates in 2016, compared to 988 in 2012. 

According to the Constitution of The United Methodist Church, the General Conference may have between 600-1,000 delegates. A formula prescribed in the Book of Discipline (¶511.5) determines the number of delegates; however, if the result is above 1,000, then the formula is applied proportionately to achieve an approximate target number set by the Commission. The formula takes into account the total clergy and lay membership per conference, with each conference getting a minimum of one lay and one clergy delegate.

Read the full press release

The 2019 special session will be held at America's Center Convention Complex in St. Louis, Missouri.  Learn more about this event here.
CONFERENCE CALENDAR
October
9-11: GNW Cabinet Meeting - Carlo attending
12-14: GBGM Board Meeting - Carlo attending
13-14: Mission u Southeast at Aldersgate UMC
21: Charge Conference - Ola Toe Fuataina UM Samoan Fellowship
22: Charge Conference - Girdwood Chapel UMC
25: Charge Conference - Turnagain UMC
28: Charge Conference - Homer UMC
28: Charge Conference - St. Peter the Fisherman UMC
29: Charge Conference - Soldotna UMC

November
4: Charge Conference - North Star UMC
4: Charge Conference - Kenai UMC
5: Charge Conference - Seward Memorial UMC
5: Charge Conference - Moose Pass UMC
8: Charge Conference - Willow UMC
9: Charge Conference - Christ First UMC
12: Charge Conference - UMC of Sitka
13: Charge Conference - Aldersgate UMC
13: Charge Conference - Douglas Community UMC
16: Charge Conference - UMC of Chugiak
19-20: UMDF Board Meeting - Carlo attending
26: Charge Conference - Anchorage Korean UMC
27: Charge Conference - First UMC Fairbanks
28: Charge Conference - Palmer UM Fellowship
30: Charge Conference - First UMC Anchorage/First Samoan UMC of Anchorage
New Office Hours
Office Hours
The Conference Office has new hours!
 
Monday - Thursday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am - 11:30 am 
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Upcoming
Clergy Birthdays
 
October 8 -
Andy Bartel

October 10 -
Luke Jones

October 18 -
Dan Wilcox

November 1 -
Phil Campbell

November 6 -
Fa'atafa Fulumua

November 8 -
Jason Cornish

November 17 -
Jean Bruscia



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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