A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference | |
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Considering Alaska United Methodist Conference's Future: A Four-Part Series
On February 22, 2020, we gathered at the Alaska UM Conference Center at 1660 Patterson St. in Anchorage as laity and clergy for a Special Session of Annual Conference. We voted to approve a petition to General Conference asking for Alaska to be released from missionary conference status at the close of the 2020 Jurisdictional Conference, so that the Western Jurisdiction could include Alaska within the boundaries of another conference in the same Episcopal Area.
This legislation was in response to the Special Session of General Conference in 2019. At the time, our Annual Conference feared that the Alaska Conference might not have a voice or choice if The United Methodist Church divided. We feared we might be assigned to a new denomination or segment of the UMC where LGBTQ+ people were excluded from the ministry and life of the church. We took this action in 2020 to honor and to affirm the value of each person in our faith community as a child of God. We took this action to ensure that our pastoral leaders would be able to continue to practice marriage equality and to be appointed to church leadership without discrimination because of sexual orientation. We also took this action with a vision of shared services with the Pacific Northwest Conference (PNW) for financial stability, including the opportunity to share our own spiritual gifts and our resources.
Read more from Rev. Kristi McGuire on behalf of the Mission District Task Force
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Youth S.L.A.M. trip dates announced for summer 2024
Dates for S.L.A.M. - Students Learning About Mission - Trips for summer 2024 have been announced! Youth participants and their adult leaders are invited to learn more about these immersive learning opportunities on the Yakama reservation and to fill out an interest form.
Learn more on the GNW News site.
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Intro to Lay Servant Ministries: Basic Course
The “Introduction to Lay Servant Ministry: The BASIC Course” is the foundational course for Lay Servant Ministries. This is the gateway course for those who are called to be Certified Lay Servants, Lay Speakers, and Lay Ministers. It can also be part of a person’s discipleship plan to acquaint you with the gifts, calling, and responsibilities as followers of Christ. This course will be offered over five two-hour sessions on Zoom on Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30 & Feb. 6, 2024, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. PT
Learn more + register on the PNW website.
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"Give Hope" this holiday season through disaster relief supply kits
Relief supplies can provide hope for the most vulnerable people following a disaster or during times of crisis. You can help this Holiday Season by keeping our Greater Northwest Area relief supplies ready to go by making kits or giving toward the purchase of needed supplies.
Learn more on the GNW News site.
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Charge Conference assistance
Don't forget that Crystal in the Conference Office is available during work hours to help individuals get logged into their People Portal to work on the Charge Conference paperwork. Don't wait until the last minute!
Don't forget that charge conference reports should be complete one week prior to your date. You will need to have a hard copy of the reports for the Superintendent.
Charge Conference Info
Link to M.I.L.E. video
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Birchwood Camp news
Birchwood Camp will hold their Annual Auction and Cookie Decorating on Sunday, December 3 at camp. The cookie decorating will begin at 1 PM and is $15/person. Their auction will begin at 5 PM (live and online) and will conclude with a dinner at 6:30 PM. The cost is $30/person. Please make sure to RSVP if you plan to attend either (or both!) event.
Winter Youth Camp will be held January 3-6, 2024. It is for youth that are in grades 6-12. The registration fee is $525. Keep a look out for the registration in the future.
Birchwood would also like to announce that their 2024 Summer Camp registration will open on January 15, 2024. It's never to early to start planning!
They are also still looking for persons with to be on their board with experience/interest in construction/project management, accounting/book keeping/finance and personnel/human resources. The most important experience/interest is a love of camping and outdoor ministries. To learn more or express your interest, contact Sandra Woods (Board President) surywoods@yahoo.com.
Last, but not least, they are still looking to fill two positions:
Food Services Manager
Administrative Assistant
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Anchor Park's UWF Annual Holiday Auction
Anchor Park's United Women in Faith will host their Annual Holiday Auction on
Saturday, November 11th from 10:45am to 2:15pm! Lunch cost is $17 which includes salad, chicken, rice, vegetable, fresh baked bread, assorted desserts, coffee and tea. This is a great way to have fun and support mission
projects focused on women, children, and youth in Alaska, the United States, as
well as the world. Forty-three organizations have benefited from the profits of this event over the last 10 years. There will be a Silent and Live Auction
on Saturday. Following the event, they will have an online auction as well.
Invite your friends and join us for this fun event. Please call Jo Anne Hayden at 907-903-5025 to make a reservation.
We are looking for volunteers if you would like to help with the auction. Tasks include setting up on Friday November 10th. Saturday November 11th tasks include cooking, set up,
clean up, check-out table, and the famous other duties that arise. Any questions about the event can be directed to Jo Anne Hayden 907-903-5025 or Susan Williams 907-317-0406.
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Boards' move comes as agencies face challenges
Roland Fernandes of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries will add overseeing the Board of Higher Education and Ministry to his duties on July 1 after the Rev. Greg Bergquist retires. The move may be a precursor to other shifts at boards and agencies as finances tighten in The United Methodist Church.
Read the story
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Bishops to elect new officers, discuss future
The Council of Bishops are meeting Nov. 6-11 at Lake Junaluska Assembly in North Carolina to discuss the future of the denomination, prepare for the upcoming General Conference, elect new officers and address other topics. More than 100 bishops from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America are expected to attend. The meeting opened Nov. 6 with a memorial service for bishops and spouses who have died since the council last met in May.
Read the press release
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Webinar offers guide on gift receipts
A Nov. 8 webinar about how to handle gift receipts is being offered free by The United Methodist Church’s General Council on Finance and Administration. The webinar, “Maximizing Church Donation Receipts: A Guide to Financial Stewardship,” will take place at 11 a.m. U.S. Central time, led by Leticia Mayberry Wright. Participants must register in advance.
Read the press release
To register
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Church court reverses call for extra General Conference
The United Methodist Church’s top court has reversed course in calling for another regular session of the denomination’s lawmaking assembly between 2025 and 2027. However, the Judicial Council maintained its earlier ruling that no new delegates be elected to the coming General Conference, except under very limited circumstances.
Read the story
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Bishop Grove led with wisdom, love
Bishop William Boyd Grove, a strong United Methodist voice for ecumenism and social justice, died Oct. 27 at age 94. He was the first ecumenical officer of the Council of Bishops, a hymn writer and a lover of his native Appalachia. Colleagues and family recall his loving support and wisdom.
Read the story
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42 churches sue bishop for right to disaffiliate
A group of 42 United Methodist congregations in the Alabama-West Florida Conference has filed a lawsuit against Bishop David Graves and the conference, saying the bishop has delayed the disaffiliation process and won’t let them leave the denomination by the end of the year. In a statement, the conference said, “These churches have not met the eligibility requirements for voting to disaffiliate under the Book of Discipline. … We are saddened by this litigation, but we are confident the process we have adhered to is fair and just.” Greg Garrison reports.
Read the story
Read the conference statement
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UMAC celebrates work of communicators
Outstanding work by various United Methodist communicators was recognized Oct. 24 in an awards celebration at the annual meeting of the United Methodist Association of Communicators. The group also announced its 2023 Hall of Fame inductees, the Rev. Kathy Noble and Shirley Struchen, and its Communicator of the Year, Sara Hamdorff of Discipleship Ministries. PNW's very own Patrick Scriven won an award for the picture above of Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth and his husband Christopher Hucks-Ortiz embacing after the election of Bishop Bridgeforth. Congratulations Patrick!
Read the press release
See the awards booklet (PDF)
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Exploration 2024 is almost here, registration now open
GBHEM is excited to announce registration is officially open for Exploration 2024. They invite you to join them for three days of meaningful fellowship, passionate worship, theological reflection, and practical workshops. Exploration was created for young adults between the ages of 18-26 with the purpose of helping young adults discern God's call in their lives.
With nearly a dozen workshop sessions from various leaders within The United Methodist Church, sacred spaces for discussion, and fellowship opportunities with peers, GBHEM is certain Exploration 2024 will be a life changing event for you.
Where: DoubleTree by Hilton │ 5780 Major Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819
When: Feb. 16 - Feb. 18, 2024
Who: Young adults between the ages of 18-26
Learn more here
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Small church makes 1,300 cards for troops
Friendship United Methodist Church is small, but 10 of its members have collaborated to bless U.S. military personnel in a big way. This year alone, they’ve made more than 1,300 handcrafted greeting cards that are placed in care packages distributed to service members by Operation Gratitude.
Read the story
Learn more about Operation Gratitude
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Conference mourns loss of longtime chancellor
Mountain Sky Conference chancellor Rich Marsh has passed away after a brief illness, the conference has announced. Marsh’s leadership extended to the Western Jurisdiction and general church as he served on various project and litigation teams, including work on the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy proceedings. “Everything he did was done with great passion and marked by his commitment to faith, fairness and family,” said Bishop Karen Oliveto. A celebration of life will be held Nov. 11 at Heart of Longmont United Methodist Church in Longmont, Colo.
Read the conference announcement
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7: Election Day
7: Charge Conference - Anchor Park UMC
8: Charge Conference - Nome Community UMC
10: Veterans Day (observed) - Office Closed
11: Veterans Day
11: Charge Conference - North Star UMC
11: Charge Conference - Kenai UMC
12: Charge Conference - Palmer Fellowship
12: Charge Conference - Anchorage Korean UMC
12-25: Lisa on vacation
13: Charge Conference - Soldotna UMC
15: Charge Conference - Seward UMC
15: Charge Conference - Moose Pass UMC
16: GNW Cabinet meeting - Christina and Lisa attending online
19: Charge Conference - Girdwood Chapel UMC
20: Charge Conference - Ola Toe Fuataina UMC
21: Charge Conference - Aldersgate UMC
23: Thanksgiving - Office Closed
24: Office Closed
26: Charge Conference - UMC of Sitka
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5: Charge Conference - Turnagain UMC
6: Charge Conference - Homer UMC
28-29: GBGM Mission Partners Consultation - Christina and Lisa attending
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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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