A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference
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CrossOver to Life! · Week 34
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Random acts? No. Lifestyle changes? Yes.
Rev. Carlo Rapanut
CrossOver reflection for
Week 34
• Beginning July 28, 2019
I am a long-distance runner who dabbles in the marathon and ultramarathon distances (26.2 miles or longer). Mind you; I am not one who competes to race and win. I am a “middle of the pack” runner who aims to finish and hopefully improve on my time from the last race.
I was not always a runner. In fact, I grew up as a kid with exercise-induced asthma who could barely run 100 feet without running out of breath and chest wheezing. But I always had a fascination with running and have long wanted to be a runner. And for most of my youth and young adult life, it remained that—a dream that seemed to go farther and farther from grasp the older I got.
When my family and I moved to Chugiak, Alaska more than a decade ago, I watched a local 5K race that rekindled my dream of being a runner. I thought to myself, “5K isn’t that long. I can probably do that next year.”
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Grant Writing 101: The Basics for Church Leaders
August 6, 6:30pm CDT
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Who isn’t looking for new sources of funding for mission and ministry? Have we overlooked a source that might be closer than you think, maybe right in your own community? Join us for this webinar as Ken Sloane, Director, Stewardship & Generosity hosts a special guest, Cesie Deve Scheuermann, Stewardship Consultant with the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference and author/publisher of the blog
Inspiring Generosity
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Cesie will be in Nashville, and will share the basics of how to write grant applications that get attention, that can help your church access funds which may be available to your church! Together we will discuss how developing these skills can work for your church to better engage your community and start new ministries!
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Former pastor's spouse passes away
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Betty DeVore, wife of former Alaskan pastor Howard DeVore, passed away on July 21. Her memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Sunday, August 11 at First UMC, 1376 Olive Street, Eugene, OR. A reception will follow at 3 pm. She was 91 years old. While living in Alaska, Howard served as pastor at Community UMC in Nome, St. John UMC in Anchorage, and First UMC in Fairbanks.
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United Methodist Federal Credit Union
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Your United Methodist Federal Credit Union
Summer Newsletter
features articles including a financial guide for graduates and tips for keeping your home cool during the summer. A wealth of additional information on credit union products and services can be found at
www.umfcu.org.
To receive a membership packet for yourself or your church call 800-245-0433.
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Superintendent out on vacation
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Carlo is on vacation from through July 31.
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Court docket reflects busy conference season
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The docket for the United Methodist Judicial Council's Oct. 29-Nov. 1 meeting includes reviews of 11 decisions of law made by nine bishops during annual conference sessions. The 18-item docket also includes four requests from annual conferences and two requests for declaratory decisions from the Council of Bishops related to specific parts of the Traditional Plan adopted by the 2019 General Conference.
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Leaders look at options for denomination's future
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At a meeting called by Sierra Leone Bishop John K. Yambasu, central conference bishops and church leaders with different viewpoints on the issue of ministry with LGBTQ people discussed finding a new way forward through consensus. Yambasu and others, however, expressed fears that a split is coming.
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New 2019 annual conference reports posted
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Every year United Methodist News posts annual conference reports that are submitted from each Annual Conference as a recap of happenings. You can check out the ones that have been submitted here.
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Full-time ministry with part-time pastors
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Fusion Church is experimenting with having a pastor work 10 hours a week while other church employees step up to handle some pastoral duties. Learn how it works on a podcast hosted by Sheri Meister and the Rev. Rebecca Trefz.
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Reaching out to Native youth through the arts
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The United Methodist Committee on Relief has partnered with Dream Warriors, a collective of North American Indigenous artists, to support the “Heal It” Project, reaching out to youth in schools with predominantly Native American enrollment.
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Multi-generation generosity
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Harland and Rose kept the money they earned in a household account. As a banker, Rose managed the family finances with precision. Harland, a WWII Navy veteran and carpenter, thrived on the art of the deal. He had a keen eye for fixer-uppers. Any money he earned moonlighting he invested in houses, property, and cars. They made a good pair: the conservative banker and the hardworking risk taker.
Their son Randy remembers sitting between the two of them in a church pew as a teenager in the mid-1960s. There was a special funding appeal. His dad felt moved, reached for the checkbook (which Rose carried and managed), and wrote out a check for $1000. “He thought she was going to flip,” Randy remembers. “We don’t have that much in the account,” Rose whispered. “But you can fix that on Monday morning,” was Harland’s reply. He was complicated and impulsive, but always generous. He liked to grow his money and give it away.
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Churches build tiny houses for homeless veterans
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United Methodists are helping homeless veterans move from sleeping under bridges into homes of their own. Wesley Monumental, Trinity and Isle of Hope United Methodist churches have joined in the Tiny House Project.
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Gainesville church opens building to arts training
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First United Methodist Church of Gainesville is opening its church building for music lessons, with the hope of bringing more arts to the neglected east side of the city.
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3: Leadership Team meeting
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Upcoming Clergy Birthdays
August 13 -
Bennie Grace Nabua
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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
HOURS WILL BE CHANGING ONCE SCHOOL BEGINS. NEW HOURS ARE LIKELY TO BE MONDAY - FRIDAY 10 AM - 3 PM.
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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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