A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference |
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Winter Learning Event: REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Our Alaska Conference values can be summarized like this:
Love of God, neighbor, and self through intentional dismantling of inequities.
Healing, grace filled mission with equitable relationships.
Living into connectionalism with belonging and trust.
In other words: LOVE | HEAL | LIVE!
How do we put our Alaska Conference values into action? That's the topic of our February learning event. In the past only clergy and lay leaders attended, but the gift of Zoom is that we can now invite everyone in the Alaska Conference to join in!
Friday evening and all day Saturday we will be worshipping, building community, and learning how to live out our values.
The registration for LOVE | HEAL | LIVE is now OPEN. Please follow the link below to register for the February 18-19 Winter Learning Event. The event will be held virtually.
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New dates, venues, announced for 2022 GNW annual conference sessions
Last Thursday, February 3, it was announced that the annual conference dates and location have been changed. Most of the activities have been moved to the last full week of June (19-25). The new dates, primarily online with some hybrid events, offer more detail to our planning and replace in-person dates previously announced in June of 2021.
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Register for the 2022 Local Church Leadership Training for Laity in the GNW
Laypersons serving on local church committees, especially those who chair administrative committees, are encouraged to register now for a GNW Area-wide training on Sat., Feb. 26, 2022. Interpretation will be offered in Spanish and Korean.
The 2-hour training starts at 9 a.m. AKT (10 a.m. PT, 11 a.m. MT) with leadership provided by district superintendents, staff and laity with expertise across the Alaska, OR-ID, and PNW Conferences. Those new to their roles or to the leadership of committees are strongly encouraged to attend.
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First UMC Foundation grant opening
The First United Methodist Church Foundation is accepting applications for grants to be used as educational benefits, scholarships, out-reach to the community and the world, and capital projects of First United Methodist Church, Anchorage. Applications should be a concise request using the form provided by First United Methodist Church, Anchorage and can be found on the FUMC website at http://firstumcanchorage.org/ or at the church office. Submissions must be received by February 26, 2022 at the street address given below. Award recipients will be notified in March 2022.
First United Methodist Church Foundation
725 W. 9th Street
Anchorage, AK 99501
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Become a Lay Servant
Perhaps you have felt God calling you to become more involved in your local church and community. Or perhaps you have discerned the need to develop your leadership skills. Become a lay servant! Lay servants focus on:
· Caring ministries
· Leadership
· Communicating
Our Alaska Conference will be offering a basic course on Sunday afternoons (4:00 – 6:00 pm) starting March 13 and running through to April 10. It will be led by the Rev. Andy Bartel, pastor of St. John UMC in Anchorage. This will be an online course (or perhaps a hybrid for those wishing to join him in person).
To register for the basic course, register online at
People will need to get a copy of:
Lay Servant Ministries – Basic Course
Sandy Zeigler Jackson and Brian Jackson
Participant’s Book • DR626 • 978-0-88177-626-3
See the Upper Room, Cokesbury, or Amazon
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Birchwood Summer Camp Registration Open
Names have great power. Some hold special meanings and some come with expectations. In a lifetime, we may give new meaning to our name or take a new name. Along the journey, we discover who we are and how God equips us to care for others.
In this new summer camp curriculum resource from InsideOut, we'll look at how the people of the Bible confronted expectations, confounded others’ assumptions, and forged new identities. Campers are invited to use the sacred ground of camp to reflect on who they are as an individual and how they are connected to others. As we explore, we are reminded that God knows us beyond any name we might be called and invites us into relationship.
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Book Study sponsored by Anchor Park UMW
Anchor Park UMW is sponsoring a four-week book study. The study is open to all. The study will start February 13 and continues for four consecutive weeks- Feb. 20, 27 and Mar. 6). We will gather at 12:20pm with touching base with each other, and the module will start at 12:30pm until 2pm. We will meet in person and via Zoom.
Bearing Witness in the Kin-dom: Living Into the Church's Moral Witness through Radical Discipleship Written by Darryl W. Stephens.
Books can be purchased through: UMW e-Store Cost $10 plus shipping
Or Kindle edition: Amazon $5.95
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 858 9873 4117
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A message from Bishop Elaine: "Lift Every Voice and Sing"
When he was still in elementary school, I took our oldest son, Walker, to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day rally at the Langston Hughes Center in Seattle’s Central District and the march downtown that followed. When the standing-room-only crowd broke into song, I was surprised to see our son rise, respectfully to his feet, and sing the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” by heart, and sang it with all his heart.
The music teacher at Madrona Elementary School was married to an Africa Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) pastor. She had taught her students to stand and sing the song with conviction. I was moved to tears as my son participated in that powerful gathering of people honoring the legacy of the civil rights struggle and continuing to call out and demand equity and justice. He participated in the power of the history, the lament, the community, the cause, the witness, the hope.
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Free webinar: "We Aren't Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry"
Sponsored by the Cascadia District Church Extension Society of the Oregon-Idaho Conference, the webinar "We Aren't Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry" is free and open to anyone in the Greater Northwest Area of The UMC to attend.
The webinar, which begins at 9 a.m. AK time, 10 a.m. PST, 11 a.m. MST on February 24th, will feature author of the book by the same title, Mark Elsdon. Bonus: Everyone who registers will receive a free copy of Elsdon's book.
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UMC bishops rebuke hatred and racism
The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church has condemned the recent hatred and racist attacks on houses of worships and institutions of learning in the United States.
In a statement released today, the Council of Bishops referred to the recent attack on a synagogue in Texas and bomb threats against historically Black colleges and universities.
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Bethune-Cookman, Philander Smith, Rust threatened
Three United Methodist-related schools — Bethune-Cookman University, Philander Smith College and Rust College — are among the historically Black colleges and universities that have had bomb threats this week. Bethune-Cookman, in Daytona Beach, received one on Jan. 31. Threats were made against Philander Smith in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Rust in Holly Springs, Mississippi, on Feb. 1.
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Communications agency offers education assistance opportunities
Two religious communication education assistance opportunities are being offered by United Methodist Communications, the denomination’s global communication agency. Eligible parties have until March 15th to submit their applications for 2022 scholarship and fellowship consideration.
“We believe that communication is key to community. Diversity among these professionals is essential and one of the great gifts of our global church,” shares Gary Henderson, Chief Relationship Officer at United Methodist Communications. “Our fellowship and scholarship, named after communicators who exemplified excellence in communication ministry, provide critical training and experience for people interested in serving the church in such a time as this.”
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Hendren aiming for stability at Wespath
Andrew Hendren, who worked at Wespath for 17 years before being named its top executive, is pledging to keep the agency entrusted with the retirement savings of 100,000 United Methodists on a steady course. The Missouri native has a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and tried improvisational comedy along the way.
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10 young adults selected for ecumenical work
The Council of Bishops has announced the names of 10 young adults selected as the next cohort of United Methodist Ecumenical and Interreligious Training: Young Adult Network. Those selected for the 2022-23 cohort live their faith in Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States.
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Learning in the New Year!
The new year can feel like the perfect opportunity to follow through on resolutions to learn a new skill or maybe dive deeper and build on to knowledge you may already know. Discipleship Ministries eLearning offers continuing education units (CEU) to clergy and lay leadership of all denominations.
Covering an array of different topics, you’ll receive high-quality information that will enrich your faith life and ministry.
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DMC accessibility grant cycle is open!
If your church needs seed money for an upcoming accessibility or disability ministry project, consider applying for a accessibility grant through the DMC. Applications and instructions are available on the Grants page of our website. Completed applications are due by March 31st. Contact us if you need additional information. Note that we cannot reimburse a congregation for projects that are already completed.
In 2020 we gave out $3,500 for four grants. Projects funded included ramp improvements for a soup kitchen and meeting space in the Susquehanna conference, an ADA bathroom on the main floor in a urban church in the Mountain Sky conference that hosts mission teams for immersion experiences, ADA upgrades for a church in the California-Pacific conference, and ramps and accessible restrooms for the chapel at South Philippines Methodist Colleges, a facility that hosts conference trainings and events in addition to college chapel services.
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Miles with Missionaries Lenten Study
March 2 is Ash Wednesday and Lent will be here before you know it. The Miles with Missionaries program is an easy interactive way for you or a small group from your church to do this. Scripture Readings and short videos from United Methodist Missionaries are provided. And you get to choose how you do your miles - walk, run, bike, snowshoe, ski, dance. Pick a movement that brings you joy.
If you are interested in participating in this Lenten journey, please contact Courtney Randall at crandall@umcmission.org.
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United Methodists invited to imagine future
The Connectional Table, the denomination’s coordinating body, has organized an initiative called “Imagining the Future” to invite United Methodists to have a conversation about their vision for the denomination. As part of the initiative, United Methodists in the Philippines and Europe have published “Background and Contextual Information” statements about their region. Statements from Africa and the U.S. are still in progress.
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Conference clarifies children's home relationship
The Holston Conference has released a statement clarifying its relationship with Holston United Methodist Children's Home. The home is the focus of a lawsuit that says the adoption agency refused to help a couple because they are Jewish. While acknowledging a historic connection, the Holston Conference says the home is a separate institution with its own board of trustees.
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3 scholarships awarded to global institute
The Council of Bishops is providing partial scholarships for three young adults who have been accepted into the World Council of Churches’ Global Ecumenical Theological Institute. The recipients are Felis Süß and Almuth Zipf of Germany and Hannah Andres of South Dakota.
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29 ways you can participate in Black History Month
It's Black History Month! No matter your heritage, culture, or racial background, Black history is everyone's history. Here are 29 ways you, your family, and your congregation can celebrate and participate in Black History Month.
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Scholarship application deadline approaches
The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation will accept scholarship applications for the 2022-23 academic year through March 1, 2022. Students who are members of The United Methodist Church and planning to attend a United Methodist-related college, university or seminary full time are eligible to apply.
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Changes, expansion for United Methodist Men
The new leader of United Methodist Men is planning to build a larger community and he's in a hurry about it. Greg Arnold, in an interview with United Methodist News, says his priorities include Scouting, new apps and resources, and getting more local churches involved.
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Time capsule found in destroyed church opened
On Feb. 2, artifact experts from Discovery Park of America opened the cornerstone box discovered during the demolition of Dresden First United Methodist Church. The building was damaged beyond repair by a tornado in December. Discovery Park staff reports on the contents of the box.
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Activity book for Black History Month
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Venus and Serena Williams and Sojourner Truth are some of the heroes included in an activity journal and resource book released by the Michigan Conference to accompany Black History Month. Twenty-eight profiles are in the book, one for every day in February.
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Hospitality is key for church success
Creating a welcoming culture for guests is critical to the success of local churches, says the host of a webinar produced by the Bishop Bruce Ough Innovation Center at United Theological Seminary. Jason Moore says that making a good first impression online and at the church door is key.
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Free mental health seminars
United Methodists are invited to participate in "First Aid for Mental Health," a two-part webinar set for March 10 and 24. One in five Americans experiences mental illness each year, and the 2021 Clergy Well-being Survey revealed a steady decline in the mental and emotional health of clergy. The sessions will be led by Chris White, a hostage and crisis negotiator.
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10: Mission District Task Force meeting
14: Valentine's Day
18-19: Winter Learning Event
21: Presidents' Day
22-24: GNW Cabinet meeting - Carlo and Lisa attending
26: Area wide Leadership Training for Laity
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14: Mission District Task Force meeting
17: St. Patrick's Day
23-25: GNW Cabinet meeting - Carlo and Lisa attending
31: Mission District Task Force meeting
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Upcoming Clergy Birthdays
February 19 -
Steve Fisher
March 21 -
Nico Reijns
March 23 -
Bob Jones Jr.
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Conference Office
907-333-5050
Superintendent - Carlo Rapanut
Director of Connectional Ministries - Lisa Talbott
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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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