A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference
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Annual Conference is coming up May 31 - June 1 at Christ First UMC in Wasilla. There will be workshops held on Thursday, May 30th at Christ First UMC as well. Please make sure these dates are on your calendar if you are the Lay Member to Annual Conference from your church. We are finalizing all the details and they will be published later this week. Please be on the lookout for it and get registered!
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Donations needed for Anchorage youth Easter baskets
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The St. John LGBTQIA+ Outreach Ministry Team is going to purchase, assemble and deliver Rainbow Easter Baskets to 80 (yes, 80!) youth in Anchorage! They are part of Identity's Q Club downtown and/or are residents of Covenant House.
We need your help! Our team will purchase the baskets and grass. We're hoping for donations of colorful/rainbow things to put in them: candy, stickers, pins, buttons, socks, pencils, notebooks, etc. The sky's the limit!
Please bring donations to St. John by March 31st. OR contact the church office (344-3025) and a team member will pick them up at your church or home.
You're also invited to help us assemble the baskets. Join us for Wednesday Night Supper at 5:15 on April 3rd (call the church office by Wednesday so that we know you're coming!). We'll be meeting after that to put them together and make plans to deliver them.
What better way to celebrate new life, resurrection, and God's love? Please join us!!!
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Visit with Missionary Katherine Parker
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Katherine T. Parker is a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church serving as a Health and Community Transformation Advisor with the United Mission to Nepal (UMN).
Katherine’s work in Nepal is focused in three areas: 1) Adolescent empowerment, including sexual reproductive health and rights and menstrual hygiene; 2) Maternal and child health; and 3) Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
You can visit with her through technology and ZOOM on Wednesday, March 20 at 1:30 pm AK time.
To participate you need to contact
Fran Lynch
no later than March 15 with the exact email you will be using to participate. You will be sent an email invitation that you will utilize on March 20. It is best if you have a computer with a camera and speaker, but you can also participate without a camera. If you do not have access to a computer you may participate by phone.
Please invite others to join you for this presentation.
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February apportionment report
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It is a new year and we are starting fresh. Here is your first report of the year for 2019 Apportionments.
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GC2019 Reflection from Rev. Dammann
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Rev. Karen Dammann is currently serving Aldersgate UMC and Douglas Community UMC, which are both Reconciling churches. Here is her reflection from the 2019 Special Session of General Conference.
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A better choice for your Palm Sunday celebration
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Eco-palms are gathered and sold in a socially and environmentally just way. Harvesters are paid a fair price per palm based on quality, so they take fewer palms out of the forest, which protects important nature reserves. Community members sort, package and sell the palms themselves — not via middlemen — so more of the money paid for the palms stays with the people who worked the hardest to provide them. Because there is a steady market for the palms, locals are motivated to protect the forests (their source of income), ensuring harvests well into the future. Harvesting communities receive 5-6 times the normal payment per frond.
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Alaska Disaster Response mini-academy
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The first Alaska Disaster Response Mini-Academy will be happening on April 26
th and 27
th at Birchwood Camp. This will be an opportunity to receive Basic Early Response Team (ERT) training and certification, as well as training as an Volunteer In Mission Leader. Plus extras! Cost is $75 for those staying, and $50 for those commuting. Registration and more detailed information will be available in the coming weeks. For more information or any questions, please contact Disaster Response Coordinator, Daniel Wilcox at 907.414.7078 or
danielpwilcox@gmail.com.
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Official highlights: 2019 General Conference
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During General Conference 2019, United Methodist delegates from around the world worshiped together, discussed complex issues and passed legislation regarding same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy. The Special Session of General Conference was held February 23-26, 2019, in St. Louis, Missouri.
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General Conference is over, what happens now?
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The commission did their work. A conference was held. Speeches were given. Delegates voted. Decisions were made. Now what?
In the days following
General Conference 2019, the desire to move ahead is alluring. Those happy with the decisions are ready for implementation. Those grieving the results are tempted to react rashly.
At times like these, however, Scripture encourages us to pause, listen and actively wait for the Spirit’s guidance.
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Our response to God's call: Yesterday. Today. Forever.
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The foundation of The United Methodist Church has always been to follow God’s call of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We do that in many ways and many places.
On this page you will find stories of United Methodists responding to their own calls and more about our Wesleyan heritage as the people of The United Methodist Church.
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Young adults reflect on Traditional Plan adoption
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Passage of the Traditional Plan by The United Methodist Church's top legislative body is either "in perfect harmony with the word of God" or "a time of grieving," depending on which young adult you ask.
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Beginning to look ahead after GC2019
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The Wesleyan Covenant Association is sticking around, and so are a number of church members who plan to continue defying the denomination's policies on homosexuality. Healing remains a work in progress.
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Wrap-up: Judicial Council at GC2019
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At every General Conference, The United Methodist Church’s top court rules on questions of constitutionality that come from that body. During the Feb. 23-26 special session, the stakes were high.
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GC2019 maps uncertain way forward
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More than 53 percent of General Conference delegates approved the Traditional Plan, which reinforces the church’s current bans on “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy and same-sex unions. Still uncertain is how much of the legislation will take effect — or whether it will change the dynamic where a number of United Methodists openly defy these rules.
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GC2019 Wespath Pension Considerations
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A
summary of the Wespath-related legislation that was approved by the 2019 General Conference is available. Wespath will be making updates to their FAQ page in the next week to continue sharing consistent and accurate information. In the interim, this summary document can be used for reference.
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Statements from various United Methodist related groups
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Responding to deadly tornadoes
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Alabama-West Florida Bishop David Graves has expressed "deepest sympathy" for families who lost a loved one after the March 3 tornadoes that swept through Alabama, killing at least 23 residents. Several United Methodist pastors "were present at East Alabama Medical Center to provide comfort, prayer and pastoral support," Graves said in a statement. Watoola United Methodist Church, near Opelika, Alabama, received extensive damage from the storms.
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10 ways to make Ash Wednesday extraordinatry
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The first day of Lent, March 6, is not a day off work or school, but it still should be a thoughtful day, to remember the holy in the midst of our routines.
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5-7: GNW Cabinet meeting
9: Leadership Team meeting
10: Daylight Saving Time starts
11-15: WJ Leadership meetings
17: St. Patrick's Day
24-27: ADCM meeting
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5-6: Ordinary Revival in Anchorage
6-7: Ordinary Revival in Palmer
8-10: Methodist Missions Bicentennial Event
10-12: GNW Cabinet Meeting
11-12: GBGM Board Meeting
12-13: GNW Stewards Summit
14: Palm Sunday
15: Tax Day
21: Easter Sunday
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Upcoming Clergy Birthdays
April 3 -
Tim McConville
April 23 -
Karen Martin Tichenor
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Conference Office
907-333-5050
Superintendent Carlo
907-854-8340
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The Conference Office hours are:
Monday - Thursday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am - 11:30 am
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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 Tuesday at 9:00 am for consideration.
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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 in God's preferred future.
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