News from the Alaska United Methodist Conference

e~Aurora

A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference

Conference News

Save the Date! 2022 Local Church Leadership Training for Laity in the GNW

Laity serving on local church committees, especially those who chair administrative committees, are encouraged to save the date for a Greater Northwest Area-wide training on Saturday, February 26, 2022. The two-hour training will be offered online starting at 9 a.m. AKT (10 a.m. PT, 11 a.m. MT) by district superintendents and staff of the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest Conferences. Those new to their roles or to leadership of committees are strongly encouraged to attend. Translation will be offered in Spanish and Korean.

Organizers respond to community concerns over Nikiski shelter

A new shelter is expected to open in Nikiski, Alaska, in response to demonstrated need for services on the Kenai Peninsula. Organizers recently held a meeting to hear and respond to community concerns about the project. April Hall, pastor at North Star UMC and Kenai UMC, spoke in favor of the shelter, pushing back on the idea that people using the shelter are “bad” and underscored a Christian call to help people in need.

Read this story on the Peninsula Clarion website.

Abundant Health offering Virtual Health Fair starting in January

Together, Abundant Health teams across the Greater Northwest Area are offering a four-week Virtual Health Fair for anyone interested. The one-hour classes will focus on holy health, Tai Chi, meditation, and prayer as methods of improving overall health.

Learn more and register on the GNW News site.

Happy New Year!

We hope you have a safe and Happy New Year this Saturday. Our office will be closed Thursday and Friday of this week in observance of the New Year holiday.

National News

#StillInMission in 2022

You are invited to join in the first #StillInMission episode of 2022! In addition to the meetings with missionaries, there will be a joint devotion/centering experience led by the missionary presenters in the episode. See the details for Episode 38 below, and we hope to see you there!

#StillInMission Episode 38

January 6, 2022 | 7:00 PM EST

Featuring…

A. Broncano serves as the Coordinator for the English Language Program with the United Methodist Mission in Southeast Asia.

John Elmore serves as the Volunteers in Mission Coordinator with Iglesia Metodista de Chile.

K. Cruz serves as a CHAD (Community, Health, and Agricultural Development) advisor with the United Methodist Mission in Southeast Asia.

Megan Marie Rittenberry serves as a Market Service Associate with the Detroit Conference in the United States.

To register, click here. Registration is required.

Conference Calendar

20-30: Carlo on vacation

30: Office Closed

31: New Year's Eve - Office Closed

1: New Year's Day

11-14: GNW Cabeinet meetings - Carlo and Lisa attending

17: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

24-Feb 4: Crystal on vacation

Upcoming Clergy Birthdays

January 4 -

David Owsley

January 18 -

Karen Dammann

The United Methodist Church

Bishop's Blog

Superintendent's Blog

Conference Office

907-333-5050

Superintendent - Carlo Rapanut

carlorapanut@gmail.com

Director of Connectional Ministries - Lisa Talbott

lisamarietalbott@gmail.com

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.

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 in God's preferred future.

Visit our Website