A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference |
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Annual Conference information
Registration for the 2022 Annual Conference Session is now open. If you are a Lay Member voted by your church to attend, are clergy, or hold another roll that allows you voice and or vote, then please register by TODAY, May 31.
Dates to save on your calendar:
- Alaska Clergy Sessions – June 2, 10:00-12:00 p.m. AKT
- New Lay Member Orientation - June 7, 6:30-7:30 p.m. AKT
- GNW Laity session – June 14, 5:30 p.m. AKT
- Alaska Pre-Conference Informational Meeting - June 14, 6:30 - 8 p.m. AKT
- GNW Opening Session – June 19, evening
- Alaska Conference Plenary Session – June 20, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. AKT
- PNW Service of Commissioning & Ordination, June 22, daytime
- Oregon-Idaho Service of Commissioning & Ordination, June 24, daytime
- GNW Closing Session – June 25, daytime
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Spread Peace on June 12
Get your church ready for Peace with Justice Sunday with resources from the pastor and leader kit. This kit has everything you need to empower your congregation to give generously. From promotional to devotional, we have ready-to-use resources for you to download and share today. These core resources are available in multiple languages.
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Jurisdictional conferences set for November
The United Methodist Council of Bishops has formally set the dates for jurisdictional conferences as Nov. 2-5. The Judicial Council, the denomination's top court, ruled in Decision 1445 that jurisdictional conferences could elect and assign new bishops this year. The Council of Bishops also asked for clarification on two questions related to the ruling.
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Addressing anti-Asian racism
Racism against Asian and Pacific Islander peoples is a long-standing and ongoing reality in the United States. United Methodists can address the issue by being aware of the ignorance, stereotypes and misconceptions about people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and working actively to minimize their effects on conversations, assumptions, behaviors and ministries, writes Ask The UMC.
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Church leaders call for tighter gun safety laws
United Methodist Bishop LaTrelle Easterling joined Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde at an event at the National Cathedral to call for elected officials "to find a balance between the constitutional right to bear arms and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." On the same day, United Methodist pastors the Revs. Emanuel Cleaver III and Adam Hamilton joined other Kansas City area clergy in calling for universal background checks on gun sales.
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Ad campaign combats summer slump
Summer may be vacation time, but the upcoming United Methodist advertising campaign from United Methodist Communications reminds people that churches don't take a break from ministering in their communities. The ads, which will run through June 19, encourage people to join The United Methodist Church in engaging in a season of togetherness.
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Practical steps to engage the community
Congregations can learn how to join the Good Neighbor Experiment with resources available through United Methodist Discipleship Ministries. The movement, which began in Kansas, led to the training program that teaches the steps to learn about neighbors and build relationships.
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#StillInMission
United Methodist Missionaries are #stillinmission and we hope that you will join us to learn more! The next conversation will be on June 2 at 12 p.m. (ET).
As always, if you have any questions at all or if you want promotional materials for your church or small group, please let us know!
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Learn about Tonga
A video about the culture of Tonga is available as part of a series by the California-Nevada Commission on Race and Religion. Topics include religion, culture, economics, values and the church as a center of Tongan life.
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31: Memorial information due for Annual Conference
31: Registration closes for Annual Conference
31: Combined Mission District Task Force and Leadership Team meeting (6 pm)
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2: Alaska Clergy Session (10 a.m - 12 p.m.)
7: New Lay Member Orientation (6:30 p.m.)
14: GNW Laity session (5:30 p.m.)
14: Alaska Pre-Conference Informational Meeting (6:30 p.m.)
19: Father's Day
19: Juneteenth
19: GNW Opening Session (evening)
20: Alaska Conference Plenary Session (9 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
22: PNW Service of Commissioning & Ordination, (daytime)
24: Oregon-Idaho Service of Commissioning & Ordination (daytime)
25: GNW Closing Session (daytime)
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Upcoming Clergy Birthdays
June 8 - Jim Doepken
June 10 - Carlo Rapanut
June 15 - Matt Reinders
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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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We acknowledge that the Methodist Church is complicit with and rooted in the colonization of Alaska and recognize that we live in that ongoing legacy. We lament the harm and trauma that our faith community causes. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Movement, summarized God’s directives with three Rules: do no harm, do good, and attend to the ordinances of God. We also celebrate the grace, the love, and the good that our church does that calls us to re-imagine mission through intentional discipleship with one another.
We will live into the transition to a Mission District committed to:
Alaska Conference Values
- The love of God, neighbor, and self, demonstrated by the deliberate embracing and valuing of differences, the leveling of imbalances between people and systems, and the intentional dismantling of inequities in whatever forms they present themselves.
- Healing, grace-filled mission with communities and churches that prioritizes local experiences and shares resources across time and distance through equitable relationships.
- Living into connectionalism by belonging to and trusting in one another to nurture relationships that celebrate the gifts each of our communities bring, allowing us to move forward in a decolonized way.
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