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
Along with the Alaska Conference Leadership Team and our Mission District Task Force, your Alaska Conference Delegation to General Conference has been reexamining our move toward becoming a Mission District of the Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church.
We are in agreement that, though we don’t know what our long-term future might be, now is not the right time to seek to become a Mission District.
In large part, this is based upon the changes we’ve seen since we voted as a conference to seek Mission District status in February 2020. Nearly four years have passed and we are in a different place in our conference and the larger church. A lot has happened.
Read more from Jo Anne Hayden and Rev. Jim Doepken on behalf of the Alaska Delegation to General Conference
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Special Session Call Letter from Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth
Yesterday an email went out to all those that are appointed and the Lay Members to Annual Conference that were seated during the June 4-6 session in Fairbanks. If, for some reason, you didn't get that email, please reach out to the conference office.
Dear Clergy and Lay Members of the Alaska Conference of The United Methodist Church:
I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and I pray this message finds you well. As the days grow darker for many of us, soon enough, we will see seasonal lights reminding us that Advent is just around the corner. And then, in faith and in hope, we will welcome Jesus, the bearer of light, once again.
Today, I am writing to call for a Special Session of the Alaska Conference on December 4, 2023, responding to a unanimous request from the Leadership Team, the Mission District Task Force, and the AUMC Delegation to General Conference. The sole purpose of this session is to reconsider our decision to ask the General Conference to release us from Missionary Conference status in order to become a mission district of the PNW Conference.
Continue reading the Call Letter from Bishop Bridgeforth
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Thank you from Anchor Park's UWF unit
Thank you to all who supported the Anchor Park United Women in Faith's Annual Holiday Auction!
From those who donated items..., to those who attended and enjoyed the wonderful meal and company..., to those who purchased items from the "For Sale" and "Make an Offer" area, to those who won "Silent Auction" and/or "Live Auction" items..., you all helped support mission projects focused on women, children and youth in Anchorage, Alaska, the nation and the world.
Together we can make a difference!
Thank you once again.
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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 looking for persons 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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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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Bishops call for peacemaking in Holy Land
The United Methodist Council of Bishops, during its fall meeting, released a statement on the Israel-Gaza conflict, seeking investment in peacemaking. On the same day the bishops released their statement, Christian leaders in Jerusalem urged their flocks to prepare for a solemn Advent and Christmastide focused on providing relief for the war’s victims.
Read the story
Read the Council of Bishops statement
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GivingTuesday is approaching
Ever notice how "the perfect gift" often involves not only what the recipient needs, but also what the giver really likes too?
Through United Methodist Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), we have many opportunities to support projects that advance vital ministries around the world, such as relief aid for disaster victims, scholarships for Native American seminarians, scholarships and loans for students attending United Methodist schools, and so much more!
Remember, 100% of your gift reaches the project / missionary of your choice.
Look at projects (including Alaskan ones!)
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United Methodist Student Day is Nov. 26
On United Methodist Student Day, we come alongside students by supporting a scholarship fund. Together, we invest in the leaders of tomorrow. Find resources for worship and promotion as well as age-level material and more in the pastor and leader kit. Core resources are available in multiple languages.
Get resources
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Celebrate Native American Heritage Month
Native American Heritage Month is an opportunity to raise awareness about the unique challenges Native people face and also to share the ways in which tribal citizens conquer those challenges. Consider using resources from the pastor and leader kit to learn how you can support Native American ministries in your community.
Get resources
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Bishops urged to turn page on painful chapter
As a season of disaffiliations nears its end, Council of Bishops President Thomas J. Bickerton called on his fellow episcopal leaders to use their woundedness to help bring healing to the church and keep the story going. The bishops met last week to talk about the future of the church and prepare for General Conference.
Read the story
Read the press release
Follow meeting on Council of Bishops Facebook page
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Women's organization cuts costs
Seven staff positions are being eliminated and United Women in Faith will move its headquarters as the agency cuts costs, the board announced during its Oct. 13-14 meeting. “We are in a place of urgency, and this urgency should not be a cause for despair, but a reason to rise to the occasion,” said ‘Ainise ‘Isama’u, president of the board. Five positions will be cut by the end of 2023, and two more will be eliminated next year. The new United Women in Faith headquarters will be in the Church Center for the United Nations, which is owned by United Women in Faith.
Read the press release
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The UMC releases 2022 State of the Church report
The United Methodist Church has released the 2022 State of the Church Report. This offering centers around how the people of The United Methodist Church have dug deeper into our Wesleyan roots to reclaim, revive and renew our identity as United Methodists. The report is themed around being bound together, and is inspired by the excerpt “A threefold cord is not quickly broken” from Ecclesiastes 4:12 NRSV.
Read more
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Church plans to be total eclipse viewing venue
Highland Lakes United Methodist is well-positioned for the April 8 total solar eclipse. The church will offer United Methodists and others a chance to set up on its campus for viewing. Fifty RV sites are available for those who register and pay a fee, and the church will accommodate other visitors as well.
Learn more
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Foundation president to retire
The president and CEO of the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation will retire at the end of 2024. Robert Fletcher has been a board member since 1996 and president since 2011. “Through his dedicated work, the foundation has been transformed and strengthened to assist thousands of United Methodist students attending our worthy institutions,” said William Johnston, board chair. Fletcher will be on sabbatical beginning June 30.
Read the press release
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Website feedback needed
The Leader Communications team at United Methodist Communications is seeking input on its ResourceUMC.org website. The research team has created a 10-minute survey to gather feedback to help identify opportunities for improvement. The survey will be available for a few days only. All information provided is anonymous and confidential. Questions can be sent to Teresa Faust at tfaust@umcom.org.
Take the survey
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12-25: Lisa on vacation
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
28-29: GBGM Mission Partners Consultation - Christina and Lisa attending
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3: Charge Conference - Anchorage Korean UMC
5: Charge Conference - Turnagain UMC
6: Charge Conference - Homer UMC
5-7: GNW Cabinet meeting - Christina & Lisa attending
8-14: Christina in Unalaska
16: Leaderhip Team meeting
17: Charge Conference - St. John & First UMC
17: Charge Conference - Christ First UMC
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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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