e~Aurora
A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference

Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth offers encouraging and challenging message during installation service


Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth was installed as the resident bishop of the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church on Sat., May 20, 2023, during a worship service held at Aldersgate UMC in Juneau, Alaska. The Greater Northwest Area includes the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho, and Pacific Northwest Annual Conferences. Representatives from each annual conference participated in person and virtually, with over 1,000 others tuning in to watch the live stream over the first 48 hours, with some gathering in local church watch parties.


Bridgeforth offered a message based on Luke's Gospel (10:30-37) during his installation service. The Greater Northwest Area's 2023 Annual Conference theme, "Go and Do Likewise," was central, with Jesus' words providing both challenge and direction. The bishop encouraged United Methodists across the Greater Northwest to “pray with our feet” and “get to neighboring” among many other topics. If you would like to use his sermon as a supplement in your church, use this link to download the sermon.


You can also (re)watch the entire installation service and opening of the GNW Annual Conference sessions on the Installation event page of the Greater Northwest Area website.


As part of the ritual of installation, Bishop Cedrick was gifted with several signs of the episcopacy, each one naming a way in which a bishop is called to serve. You can watch that specific portion of the worship service here.


There were many sweet and inspiring moments during Saturday’s installation service. Communicators from the GNW Area were on hand to capture photos. A photo gallery has been set up here. 


During Saturday’s installation service, an online offering was taken for the Greater Northwest Area Circle of Indigenous Ministries. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the payment side of the donation form and people couldn’t complete their online giving form. We apologize for the error and know that the problem has been fixed. If you’re able, click here to offer your gift today.

Annual Conference Related News

Dates & Information


We want to keep the preliminary dates announced for clergy sessions and annual conference sessions in front of you. More details on each session will be forthcoming.


Alaska Specific information is:

  • Alaska Clergy gathering, May 25, 10 a.m., online only
  • Alaska Conference Session, June 4-6, hybrid from First UMC Fairbanks in Fairbanks
  • GNW Closing Session, June 15, livestream only


Read more of this story on the GNW News site or on the conference website for annual conference.

Conference News

Spam emails from Superintendent Christina DowlingSoka


Many of you may have received a fraudulent email from someone posing as Conference Superintendent Christina DowlingSoka on Sunday. Please do not respond to these emails in any way.


Most of the time these phishing attacks are not the result of anyone's account being hacked. The names and email addresses of conference and district staff, as well as those of local church leaders, are often available in publicly accessible locations like the conference website, local church websites, and the Find-A-Church database on UMC.org. Unfortunately, while it is important to provide contact information to people for legitimate reasons, it also provides an opportunity for unscrupulous criminals.


Information on avoiding internet fraud can be found on the Greater Northwest Area News blog.


This article on the ResourceUMC website also has helpful information on this topic.

UMCOR Disaster Case Management Training


We will be holding a virtual Disaster Case Management Training from June 7-9. It will be for anyone interested in helping our long-term recovery efforts in Western Alaska, or other times we respond to disasters in the state. 

 

Below is the schedule and registration link for the upcoming DCM training. The registration deadline is 12noon Alaska Time - June 2, 2023

 

Schedule:

June 7 - 9am-12noon and 1pm-4pm

June 8 - 9am-12noon and 1pm-4pm

June 9 - 9am-12noon and 1pm-4pm

 

Registration Link:

http://tiny.cc/umcordcmreg 

 

If you have any questions, please message Dan Wilcox at AlaskaCDRC@pnwumc.org, or call 907.414.7078. 

St. John is hiring!


St. John UMC is hiring a Children’s Ministry Coordinator! Part-time or full-time negotiable. If you have interest in serving this population, please submit a cover letter and resume to office@stjohnanchorage.org.

Professional Church Workers Retreat dates set for fall


The 2023 Professional Church Workers Retreat is scheduled for September 21-24, 2023 in Anchorage. For those of you who would be attending this event, please make sure you save the date!

Former CEO of AK Child & Family, Jim Malley, passes away


AK Child & Family shared on their Facebook page recently that their former CEO, Jim Maley, had passed away. They write, "It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of our former CEO, Jim Maley. He left behind a profound impact on AK Child & Family and all those who had the privilege of knowing him. For those of you who knew Jim, you will remember him as a visionary leader who played a pivotal role in shaping our organization. He initiated our beloved Alaska Flag Day event, recognizing one of our most distinguished alumni. This event continues to inspire us and this year we will again bring our community together for fun, live music and food. He believed in the power of community and shared moments of joy.


You can read their full announcement here.

Darlene Matz, wife of pastor Curtis Matz, passes away


Darlene Marie Matz, age 73, passed away on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at Providence Hospital in Anchorage. A Celebration of Life was held on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in North Pole. She was the wife of former New Hope Methodist Presbyterian Church pastor Curtis Matz.



Read more about Darlene

Memorial service for JoAnn Shore this Thursday


JoAnn Shore, wife of retired Rev. Walt Hays, passed away from complications with dementia on December 28, 2022. A Celebration of Life will be held at St. John UMC in Anchorage on May 25, 2023 at 4 p.m. A pre-service concert with a Dixieland band will precede the memorial service. The concert and memorial service will be available via live stream.


Her obituary can be viewed here.

Save the date: AK Child & Family Flag Day Celebration


Join AK Child & Family on Sunday, July 9th from 5:30-8:30 p.m. for the 31st annual celebration of the Alaska's flag! Bring the whole family for food, live music by Yachtly Crew, lawn games, ice cream and more! Special Alaska Flag Day merchandise will also be available for purchase.


AK Child & Family is thrilled to present the winning design for Alaska Flag Day 2023, titled Alaska - Land of Life and All Colors by staff member Kelsey Ledford.


In keeping with the history of the Alaska Flag (designed by former student Benny Benson), they hold an internal contest each year for the design of their Alaska Flag Day t-shirts (coming soon!!). They love this tradition and are always impressed with the amount of talent within their agency! Save the date for our Alaska Flag Day Event: July 9th 2023!

National News

Grants help pastors thrive


A Lilly Foundation grant is giving pastors the chance to unwind doing activities that they love. So far this year, 83 “clergy well-being” grants of up to $1,000 have been awarded to pastors to help them pursue hobbies such as horse riding, bicycling, hiking and dance.


Read the story

Update on Rio Texas litigation


Several Rio Texas Conferences churches that had indicated they would try to disaffiliate without going through the established process have reconsidered and will now be following that process, said Kevin Reed, chair of the conference board of trustees. The conference last week announced it has, as a last resort, filed suit to prevent 40 churches from leaving without meeting disaffiliation requirements. Those that have reconsidered will be dropped from the lawsuit, Reed said.


Read the conference press release

Read UM News story about lawsuit

As church exits rise, proposed budget drops


In the wake of projected losses from church closures and disaffiliations, The United Methodist Church’s finance agency continues to shrink the proposed budget heading to General Conference. Heather Hahn reports.


Read the story

Read the Connectional Table and GCFA press release

New coloring pages from Interfaith FCU


A new batch of Cultivating Hope coloring sheets from Interfaith Federal Credit Union: Acceptance, Harmony, and Relationships. You are invited to color, display, and gift these out into your community as a way to spread smiles and joy.


Free Downloads at https://interfaithfcu.org/coloring-pages

United Methodists join rally to recognize indigenous tribe


On May 1, members of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania gathered for a peaceful rally on the steps of the state Capitol. They were there to ask legislators to give them legal status as a recognized tribe. The Rev. Bob Coombe, a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference’s Committee on Native American Ministries, attended the rally and said, “The spirit at the Capitol was uplifting, peaceful, powerful, fair and for justice.”


Read the story

Judge lifts North Georgia disaffiliation pause


A judge ruled from the bench that 185 North Georgia churches can proceed with The United Methodist Church’s disaffiliation process. Meanwhile, the Rio Texas Conference has filed suit against churches seeking to circumvent that process.


Read the story

'Garden girl' brings joy, veggies to homebound


Visiting homebound church members may not be a popular pastime for most kids, but 7-year-old Julia Eskridge has been doing it since she was 2. She's following in her mom's footsteps, and her Nana's, too. In the summer, she takes flowers and bags of produce grown in the family’s garden to those she visits. "I like making friends," says the first-grader, who attends Jeffersontown United Methodist Church.


Read the story

Peace with Justice Sunday is June 4


We are called to love our enemies, seek justice and serve as peacemakers. The United Methodist Church is committed to leading social transformation. On Peace with Justice Sunday, United Methodists show their financial support for these efforts. Prepare for this special Sunday with ready-to-use resources for worship, promotion, education and more in the multilingual pastor and leader kit.



Start planning today! 

Conference Calendar

25: Clergy Session @ 10 a.m. online

25: Alaska District Task Force meeting

29: Memorial Day - Office Closed

1: First Day of LGBTQ+ Pride Month

3: Pre-Conference Learning Events

4-6: Alaska Annual Conference Session in Fairbanks

18: Father's Day

19: Juneteenth

Upcoming Clergy Birthdays


June 8 -

Jim Doepken


June 15 -

Matt Reinders



The United Methodist Church


Bishop's Blog


Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Conference Office

alaskaumc@gmail.com

www.alaskaumc.org

907-333-5050


Superintendent - Christina DowlingSoka

dwlngsk@yahoo.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.
Submit news articles here!
Values Statement
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
  1. 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.
  2. Healing, grace-filled mission with communities and churches that prioritizes local experiences and shares resources across time and distance through equitable relationships.
  3. 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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