A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference
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"Helping Hands in a Tiny Church" | Moose Pass UMC
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There aren’t many more “Alaskan” sounding town names than “Moose Pass, Alaska.” The story is that this picture-perfect town 30 miles north of Seward got its name when a moose got in the way of a mail carrier’s dog team way back in the early 1900s. For years this tiny town along Trail Lake was a whistle-stop for the Alaska Railroad and every day during the summer you can still see and hear the trains as they pass on through at least twice a day.
While the trains no longer stop here, a little less than 200 people still call this place home. You can see their cabins all along a 20 mile stretch of the Seward Highway. In the summer, US Forest Service Employees work in the surrounding Chugach National Forest and guide services take outdoor enthusiasts on the Kenai River. There they search of the famous Kenai King Salmon or to go “combat fishing” for Red Salmon, elbow to elbow with other anglers.
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CrossOver to Life! • Week 22
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A Simple Call
Rev. J. Mark Galang
CrossOver reflection for
Week 22
• Beginning May 5, 2019
Do you know that I was literally born in a parsonage? Yes, I mean literally!
My Dad loves to tell the story that on the night I was born, his favorite TV show, “Tarzan”, was on. He always says that the reason why my Mom did not make it to the hospital to give birth to me was that he was glued to the television watching. So, because of this, I can practically say that I have been in the church since the day I was born!
But when I think of call stories to faith and discipleship, I feel mine is boring. There is little to tell. There is nothing earth-shattering in my encounters with God. I was born in the church parsonage. I just grew up in the church attending Sunday School, VBS, children’s choir then youth group, prayer meetings, bibles studies and a lot of potlucks. I grew up attending church Sunday after Sunday after Sunday mostly because I didn’t have a choice as a PK (Pastor’s Kid), but then that is also how I came to know Jesus, God, and the Church!
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Annual Conference is 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.
Late registration ENDS on May 15 so don't wait!
REGISTER NOW
The
Fact Sheet
had an incorrect date: it should say
May 30: Pre-Conference Workshops
- not May 31.
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Worship at Annual Conference
In the spirit of collaboration, the worship planning teams of the three annual conferences (Alaska, Pacific Northwest and Oregon Idaho) in the Greater Northwest Area worked together to design parallel worship experiences across our three annual conference sessions. They also decided that three preachers, each representing a conference in the area, would preach one of the three main worship services:
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Rev. Kathleen Weber will be preaching the Opening Worship centered around the remembering of our baptism. Kathleen is the Superintendent of the Crest to Coast Missional District of the Pacific Northwest Conference. Read more about Kathleen
here.
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Rev. Carlo A. Rapanut will be preaching the Memorial Service. Carlo is our Superintendent in the Alaska United Methodist Conference.
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Rev. Dr. Lowell Greathouse will be preaching our Closing Worship of Commissioning and Reading of Appointments. Lowell is the Mission and Ministry Coordinator (Director of Connectional Ministries equivalent) in the Oregon Idaho Conference. Read more about Lowell and his blog
here.
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A tentative schedule (subject to revision) is available on the conference website.
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The Pre-Conference Handbook is finished!
Download it here. It has been mailed to those who requested that option. Please make sure you read through it before Annual Conference!
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Housing for incoming clergy
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Dear Friends,
Girdwood UMC will be welcoming Pastor Nico Romeijn-Stout and his soon to be wife, Laura, in July. We are actively searching for housing in Girdwood. If you or someone you know have a cabin or second home you would consider renting, please contact me.
Kindly,
Jody Clingenpeel
Pastor Parish Relations Committee Chair
229-9372
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Yard Sale at Anchor Park UMC
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We all got our "Kondo" on! Come on over to Anchor Park UMC (2300 Oak Drive, Anchorage) for their annual yard sale. This year it will be Saturday, May 18 from 8 am-4 pm.
Huge selection of everything.
- Man Cave items /tools/fishing camping. Furniture/ chairs/hutch/file cabinet
- Electronics/speakers/tv/computer
- Tons of CD's/DVD's/collector's Reader's Digest LP albums from 70's & 80's
- Kitchen/ blender/ knife set/ new microwave/lamps/baskets/ flower pots
- Sheet sets/towels/blankets/ comforter
- VINTAGE baby clothes/linens/doilies/ beaver hat/martin furs/ mink scarf/mink collar/ even a mink coat
- Puzzles/ games/ toys / books ( including Louis L'Amour & Zane Grey)
- Quality clothing sizes small- XXXL/ shoes/boots/ purses/ travel bags
- SO MUCH MORE!! COME SHOP!!
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'Welcome unconditionally; Walk together and Worship constantly'
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The May 2019 Meeting of the Council of Bishops officially opened today with COB President Bishop Kenneth H. Carter calling on United Methodists to “Welcome unconditionally; Walk together and Worship constantly” as part of their calling as disciples of Jesus Christ.
“This is our calling, together, in these days. And if we commit ourselves to these spiritual practices, if we are faithful, our life together will be fruitful. And where there is faithfulness and fruitfulness, there is unity,” he said.
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Bishops begin meeting in 'chaotic' moment
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The Council of Bishops begins its spring meeting amid conversations around the denomination about possibly splitting the church. Bishop Kenneth H. Carter, Council of Bishops president, urged his colleagues to "leave this place different than when we arrived."
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Episcopal and United Methodist churches take step toward full communion
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United Methodist Dialogue Committee has agreed to send a resolution for full communion to be considered by the Council of Bishops and for possible consideration by the 2020 General Conference of The United Methodist Church. The members of the committee made the decision during their meeting April 29-30 at First United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas.
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Omaha confirmation class declines to join church
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After eight months of confirmation classes, a group of eight junior-high students at Omaha First United Methodist Church said they don’t want to join the denomination until people of all sexual orientations have the right to marry in the local church and serve as pastors.
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Committee adds 'practicing' to approved petition
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The Committee on Correlation and Editorial Revision, which edits the United Methodist Book of Discipline, has decided that a petition passed by the 2019 General Conference will go into church law with the phrase "self-avowed practicing homosexual." Petition 90036, dealing with consecration of bishops and ordination of clergy, was part of the Traditional Plan. The committee found inconsistent wording in some of the plan's petitions and decided that adding "practicing" to Petition 90036's phrase "self-avowed homosexual" was in harmony with the plan's intent.
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Black colleges and universities face challenges
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Bennett and Paine colleges have faced accreditation challenges in recent years because of finances — an issue for many small liberal arts institutions. Collaborations and shared services are some of the ways the historically black and United Methodist-related colleges are working to stay healthy. Jim Patterson reports in the final story of a two-part series.
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After the cyclone, faith abides
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Cyclone Idai came in the darkest hours of the night, and she did not come quietly. The United Methodist Church is helping people pick up the pieces of their lives after the storm killed hundreds and displaced thousands.
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Hope when everything's not awesome
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Kids’ movies can offer great life lessons. ‘The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part’ reminds us that we don’t have to pretend we are ok. When things are difficult, we can hold onto hope and trust God’s faithfulness.
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Heritage Sunday 2019: 'Bold Women, Audacious Faith'
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United Methodist Heritage Sunday, on May 19, 2019, will focus on the 150th anniversary of United Methodist Women. Use this day as an opportunity to discover and recognize all that women have accomplished in the last 150 years in the church and beyond. A wealth of resources is available to help you celebrate!
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Koreans form human chain for peace
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Some 500,000 people joined hands to form a "human peace chain" along the Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea in late April to express their strong desire for permanent peace in the Korean Peninsula and celebrate the first anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration.
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11: Leadership Team meeting
12: Mother's Day
14-16: GNW Cabinet meeting
27: Memorial Day - office closed
30: Office closed - staff in Wasilla
30: Pre-Conference Workshops @ Christ First UMC, Wasilla
30: Lay & Clergy Session @ Christ First UMC, Wasilla
31-June 1: Annual Conference @ Christ First UMC, Wasilla (office closed)
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7-9: PNW Annual Conference - Carlo attending
7-17: Office closed
7-17: Crystal on vacation
12-15: Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference - Carlo attending
16: Father's Day
24-26: GNW Cabinet Retreat - Carlo attending
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Upcoming Clergy Birthdays
June 8 -
Jim Doepken
June 10 -
Carlo Rapanut
June 13 -
Bailey Brawner
June 15 -
Matt Reinders
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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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