A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference |
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Pastor Appreciation Sunday is October 11
Though you may already thank your United Methodist pastor often, here are ideas for expressing your gratitude on Pastor Appreciation Sunday.
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Apportionment Report
The September apportionment report has been sent from the Treasurer's office. You can download it here.
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Update your Find-A-Church profile
People will be searching for a place to attend a worship service this fall and holiday season. Make them feel welcome by offering updated information on your church’s Find-A-Church profile. Don’t forget to add links to online worship opportunities and social media pages!
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Church/Charge Conference paperwork online
Every year, churches across the denomination have church/charge conferences with the Superintendent. Superintendent Carlo has already scheduled those with each of the Alaska churches. The forms are posted on the conference website for download. The agenda has now been added. Paperwork from each church is due at least two days prior to your meeting. Please send the completed paperwork to the Superintendent and the Conference Office.
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Youth Opportunities in the Western Jurisdiction
United Methodists Volunteer in Mission has moved many of its mission opportunities and trainings to a virtual format.
YOUTH LEADER TRAINING: Saturday Oct. 10, 2020 - Starting at 11:00 a.m. PDT – 1:00 p.m. PDT. To register go to: https://www.umvim.org/ncjacademy Click on “It’s Their Mission”
Youth leaders are invited. There is no cost.
New UMVIM Site in Denver: SACRED DOORS
Sacred Doors, an urban ministry of Bethany United Methodist Church in Denver, Colorado, invites you to experience a virtual mission journey to learn more about the Denver Metro Area people on the margins. Of course, we hope, by next summer we will all be able to travel and I invite you to consider serving in Denver at Sacred Doors and lead you and your team in a service project in person.
There will be a Seminar at the end of this month for no cost and a Virtual Mission in November for $125/person to get to know this new ministry and to experience what a virtual mission is like for youth.
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United Methodists respond to Washington wildfires
The Rev. David Valera, Pacific Northwest Conference executive director of connectional ministries, recently traveled to north central Washington State to speak with United Methodists responding to the needs of those impacted by wildfires. He produced a video documenting the response.
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Ash-sifting kits assembled for wildfire survivors
While helping with the recovery effort from the 2018 Woolsey Fire outside Los Angeles, Pacific Northwest Conference disaster response coordinator Kathy Bryson learned about ash sifters — wooden boxes with a wire screen designed to help recover lost items that may have survived the flames. When wildfires spread into Oregon and Washington in September, Bryson recruited churches to create and distribute ash sifters to affected areas.
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Oct. 7 racism discussion to focus on voting issues
In preparation for the upcoming U.S. presidential election, this month's panel discussion for The United Methodist Church's Dismantling Racism series examines voter suppression. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, a United Methodist pastor and congressman, and Erin M. Hawkins, California-Pacific Conference executive director of connectional ministries, will discuss voting issues at noon U.S. Central time on Oct. 7.
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Brown assigned as Sierra Leone interim bishop
The Council of Bishops has approved a recommendation from West Africa bishops to assign retired Bishop Warner Brown as interim episcopal leader for the Sierra Leone Area of The United Methodist Church. Sierra Leone Bishop John K. Yambasu died Aug. 16 in an auto accident.
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Celebrating 80 years of telling the story
On Oct. 1, United Methodist Communications celebrated 80 years of telling inspirational stories of God's work in the world through the denomination. A new video, "The Power of Communication," recaps the agency's journey to resource church leaders to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and launch a new campaign aimed at ending racism.
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Prep for socially distant celebrations
Holiday events will look very different this year. With a little creativity, you can plan fall festivals, Halloween gatherings and Christmas celebrations that are fun and safe. A recent MyCom article offers ideas to help you get started. Subscribe to twice-monthly MyCom to receive more articles like this one in your inbox.
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Building relationships with virtual visitors
Many churches are reporting much higher online worship attendance than they typically see in person. Eric Seiberling offers tips for how email can help sustain these new connections in a time of social distancing.
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Scholar hopes to help heal trauma
While a love of music drew her to the church as a child in Seoul, South Korea, it was Hee Jin Lee's personal experiences that set her on a quest to better understand how churches and religious communities respond to human suffering and violence. Now, as an Angella P. Current-Felder Women of Color Scholar at Emory University's Candler School of Theology, she is developing a theology of pastoral counseling to help others heal from the trauma of violence.
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Church brews connection with coffee
Awakenings, a new coffee shop that opened in September, has a dual purpose: to nourish the body and the soul. "We want people to awaken to the idea that the church just isn't here to sustain itself, that it is here to serve the community," says the Rev. Jim Anderman of Palmyra First United Methodist Church.
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2nd Annual Give Day 2020
The General Commission receives less than 25% of our funding from World Service Funds. This means we must raise the remainder of the funding. Give Day is a major source of that funding. You will find a link to Give Day Resources here. If you would like to donate, you can give to Give Day 2020 here.
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Virtual homecoming celebrates United Methodist Higher Education & scholars
On Tuesday, October 27 the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation will host a virtual “homecoming” to celebrate Methodism and higher education, UMHEF scholars, and more.
The public is invited to follow UMHEF on Facebook, Instagram, and at https://umhef.org beginning at 10:00 AM CST on Tuesday, October 27. Festivities will include messages from United Methodist students, spotlights of UM-related institutions of higher education, interactive activities, messages from prominent leaders, and more.
This is a FREE event. Visit https://umhef.org/homecoming to register for event updates, view the event schedule, and to learn how you can join the large UMHEF community that supports UM students. |
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7: Charge Conference - Every Nation UMC
13: Charge Conference - Kenai UMC
15: Charge Conference - North Star UMC
17: Charge Conference - Unalaska UMC
19: Charge Conference - Palmer UM Fellowship
21: Charge Conference - Christ First UMC
23: Leadership Team meeting via Zoom
29: Charge Conference - Homer UMC
31: Halloween
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10: Charge Conference - Girdwood Chapel UMC
12: Charge Conference - UMC of Chugiak
16: Charge Conference - Soldotna UMC
23: Charge Conference - Ketchikan 1st UMC
26: Thanksgiving - Office Closed
27: Office Closed
28: Charge Conference - Anchorage Korean UMC
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Upcoming Clergy Birthdays
October 8 -
Andy Bartel
October 10 -
Luke Jones
October 12 -
Bishop Elaine JW Stanovsky
October 18 -
Dan Wilcox
October 19 -
Kristi McGuire
November 6 -
Tafa Fulumua
November 9 -
Murray Crookes
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Conference Office
907-333-5050
Superintendent Carlo
907-854-8340
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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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