e~Aurora
A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference
Aurora
Registration is LIVE
Click here to read the invitation letter from Bishop Elaine Stanovsky inviting us all to attend Annual Conference!

Registration is live for attending Annual Conference in Seward.  It is important for you to read through the FACT SHEET before you register.  There are pieces of information that you will need in order to make choices on your registration.

REGISTER HERE for the LAST DAY OF GENERAL REGISTRATION ($60)!
Tomorrow begins late registration ($85).
Meals
IMPORTANT If you have a spouse or child(ren) that are coming with you to Annual Conference and you have not notified the conference office that they will be participating in the meals, please do so ASAP!  You have until next Tuesday, May 22 to let us know.  The adult lunches are $10 and the child lunches are $4.
Thursday transportation to Seward
HELP NEEDED I have one person that comes into Anchorage at 3 PM on Thursday, May 31.  I am looking for someone heading down to Seward from Anchorage around that time to help transport her.  If you could help, please let the office know ASAP!
Signing up for optional family activities
There are many things to do in Seward. The people of Seward and Moose Pass United Methodist Churches would like to offer some optional activities for those who don't have to be in meetings. This is so spouses, family members, and (maybe most importantly) kids can have some time to connect. 

If you sign-up on the " Sign Up Genius HERE" we can get a sense of how many participants we may have. This is particularly helpful to know how many kids and youth may participate and how many the Park Rangers will prepare for at Exit Glacier.

A couple of the events (Tonsina Hike & Exit Glacier Tour) will require a drive and we will ask if you can help transport participants.

Events will leave from Seward United Methodist Church.

If it's just nasty outside, the youth/kids may head up to the parsonage for a movie or games and adults can go grab a latte at one of the great coffee shops.
Lay & Clergy Sessions
The Lay & Clergy sessions will be held on Thursday evening, May 31st.  They will take place from 7-8:30 pm at Seward Memorial UMC.
Pre-Conference Handbook
The pre-conference handbook with all the reports, budget, statistics, etc. is complete.  For those that wanted them mailed to them, they have been mailed.

For the individuals who wanted to download the handbook themselves, you have been emailed the link.  If anyone else would like to access it, you can view it here.
Visit to Spring Creek Correctional Center
On Thursday, May 31, clergy and lay have been invited to Spring Creek Correctional Center to hear about their work on Restorative Justice with inmates and victims.  If you are interested, please contact Rev. Jim Doepken directly and let him know.
CONFERENCE NEWS
Conference Office closed | May 16-18
The conference office will be closed Wednesday, May 16 through Friday, May 18.  Normal business hours will resume on Monday, May 21. 
Peace with Justice Sunday - Impact in Alaska
Peace with Justice Sunday is one of six churchwide Special Sundays with offerings of The United Methodist Church. Peace with Justice Sunday enables The United Methodist Church to have a voice in advocating for peace and justice through a broad spectrum of global programs.

Typically received on the First Sunday after Pentecost (May 27 of this year), these funds are split 50/50, with half going to General Board of Church and Society as grant funds, and the other half retained for Peace with Justice work in the Annual Conference.

In 2018, the Leadership Team of the Alaska Conference voted unanimously to grant $5,000 from these funds to the   Alaska Innocence Project, an Alaska-based non-profit corporation that provides legal, educational, and charitable services to identify and exonerate individuals who have been wrongfully convicted in the state of Alaska, and to provide educational opportunities that foster a culture that champions the defense of the innocent.

The Alaska Innocence Project's most famous case to date was the Fairbanks Four. In 1997, four native teens were falsely accused and convicted of a crime they did not commit. After 18 years of imprisonment, the Alaska Innocence Project working on their behalf helped to free these wrongly imprisoned men.

The Alaska Innocence Project currently has four cases filed, and 90 cases in investigation and review. It is difficult work, but as Jesus declared in his reading from the scroll of Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19 NRSV

Because of your generosity as Alaska United Methodists, we are able to partner with organizations like the Alaska Innocence Project to bring about Peace with Justice right here in Alaska. Thank you for your generous support of this year's Peace with Justice offering on May 27, 2018.
   
How can I obtain Peace with Justice Sunday promotional resources?
Order free print materials online here or call toll free, 888-346-3862. Find downloadable resources and videos here.

Where should a local church send offerings for Special Sundays?
Forward offerings to your conference treasurer's office
NATIONAL NEWS
Error forces re-vote on failed constitutional amendment
Annual and central conferences will be re-voting on one of two constitutional amendments dealing with women's equality. The re-vote was announced after the Ask The UMC team and United Methodist News Service learned of an error and reported it on May 10 to the Rev. Gary Graves, secretary of General Conference. Kathy L. Gilbert reports.   
Read the story  
Read previous UMNS story: Church ratifies 3 constitutional amendments
 
A Pastoral Letter to the People of the UMC from its female Bishops
The failure of two constitutional amendments related to the "rights of girls, women, and other vulnerable groups" prompted the active and retired UM female bishops to pen this pastoral letter to the church. The letter was affirmed by the entire council.

"We see you. We weep with you. We seek your healing. We work for the healing of our church. We strive for a church and world that honors every person as a beloved child of God, made in the image of our Creator."

Read the letter 
Judicial Council to consider bishops' request
The United Methodist Judicial Council will meet May 22-25 to consider a request from the bishops for a declaratory decision of law about what legislation can come before next year's special session of General Conference. Linda Bloom reports.

Read the story
 
The Dome selected as site for GC2019
The 2019 special session of General Conference will be held in The Dome, part of the America's Center Convention Complex in St. Louis, the Commission on General Conference has announced. The commission also said United Methodist Communications is providing all production resources to the February 2019 meeting at no cost to the commission.

Read the press release

United Methodists urged to combat domestic violence
A video introducing a program to combat domestic violence will be available at many annual conferences in May and June and delegates can order the study material from United Methodist Men. Local churches will be invited to participate in an eight-week program designed to change a culture that permits violence against women. United Methodist Men worked with the YWCA of Middle Tennessee to create "Amending through Faith," a book guiding participants through eight training sessions.
    
Read UMNS story: United Methodist Men take on domestic violence
 
CONFERENCE CALENDAR
May
16-18: Crystal out of the office - attending UMW Assembly in OH
28: Memorial Day - office closed
31: Pre-Conference workshops at Seward Memorial UMC

June
1-2: Alaska Annual Conference at Seward Memorial UMC
22-24: PNW Annual Conference
27-29: GNW Cabinet Retreat - Carlo attending
Office Hours
Office Hours
The Conference Office hours are:
 
Monday - Thursday: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am - 11:00 am 
happy_birthday_candles.jpg

Upcoming
Clergy Birthdays
 
June 8 -
Jim Doepken

June 10 -
Carlo Rapanut

June 15 -
Matt Reinders

June 27 -
Teri Erbele



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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