A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference
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Seeking to be God's Light in the World - An Advent Message
A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” – Isaiah 40: 3-5
The Western Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church has a vision of becoming a “home for all God’s children, gathered around a table of reconciliation and transformation.” Some have called us disobedient. Others claim that we are prophets for recognizing LGBTQ+ persons as beloved children of God, blessing their marriages and ordaining them for ministry long before most of the church. LGBTQ+ inclusion is just one way we in the West have sought to set the table for all God’s children. The Western Jurisdiction embraces immigrants from around the world and has consecrated many “first bishops:” Wilbur Choy, Chinese American; Roy Sano, Japanese American; Elias Galvan, Hispanic American; Leontyne Kelly, Black woman; Minerva Carcaño, Hispanic American woman; and Karen Oliveto, first bishop in a committed, loving same-gender marriage.
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Alaska United Methodists partner with the Alaska Innocence Project
Each year, United Methodists celebrate six special Sundays, where churches around the globe receive a special offering to benefit a specific cause. Each June, we receive gifts for Peace with Justice Sunday, in which half of the receipts go to the general church for distribution as grants, and half is retained in the annual conference for ongoing local peace and justice efforts.
For the past few years, the Leadership Team of the Alaska Conference of the United Methodist Church has awarded these funds to the Alaska Innocence Project, an Alaska-based non-profit corporation that provides legal, educational, and charitable services to identify and exonerate individuals who have been wrongfully convicted in the state of Alaska, and to provide educational opportunities that foster a culture that champions the defense of the innocent.
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Blue Christmas Service offered on December 20
This Advent and Christmas are like no other in recent memory. Many of us are having difficulty getting into the spirit of the season and fully embracing its joyous and celebrative tenor. Because of this, members of the Greater Northwest Area Cabinet will offer a Blue Christmas Service, available on Sunday, December 20, 2020, at 5 PM MST, 4 PM PST, 3 PM AKST.
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A message from the Northwest UM Foundation
The Northwest United Methodist Foundation wants to share a brief Christmas video and share the results of the survey they conducted a few months ago about what's most important. For those that don't know the NWUMF holds some of the Alaska Conference's money.
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Black United Methodists want changes
Black United Methodists are pushing for change in the denomination — changes they believe are both long overdue and overshadowed by the debate about LGBTQ people in the church. A new book — "I'm Black. I'm Christian. I'm Methodist." — features essays from 10 Black United Methodists. It was edited by the Rev. Rudy Rasmus of St. John's Downtown Church.
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Church vandalized by demonstrators
Asbury United Methodist Church, a historically Black congregation, was among the churches vandalized by demonstrators at a pro-President Trump rally. "We believe this is a wakeup call for all to be more vigilant and committed to anti-racism and building a beloved community," senior pastor the Rev. Ianther M. Mills said in a statement.
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UMC Bishops call for optimism and hope in 2021
Despite the trials and tribulations of 2020 brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, bishops in The United Methodist Church are calling on United Methodists and other people of faith to be optimistic about 2021 and to trust that God will make things better in the coming year. In the 2020 Advent letter released today, the bishops urged people of faith to continue to have love, joy, hope and peace, especially during the season of Advent, which is a time of anticipation and longing in the Christian year.
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Filipinos debate, approve extension of bishops' terms
After heated debate, the Philippines Central Conference's coordinating council voted to extend the episcopal leadership of the country's three incumbent bishops through the end of 2021. Extending the bishops' terms sparked controversy over the authority of the Philippines Central Conference as an independent body and on whether the action violates church law.
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The real story of 'Joy to the World'
The Christmas perennial song "Joy to the World" dates to a 1719 poem and isn't about Christmas at all. The lyrics to the song, based on Psalm 98, are about the second coming of Christ. The music wasn't added until 1839.
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Kids' Christmas Eve service available online
The ABCs of Christmas, a 15-minute children's Christmas Eve worship service, is now available for local churches to use. The service is geared for younger children and was developed by the Rev. Kathy Pittenger, the children's ministry coordinator for the Michigan Conference. The video can be shared as is or downloaded and edited as a personalized local church service, as long as "a production of the Michigan Conference" appears somewhere in the video.
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Membership rises with churches in East Congo
Thousands of United Methodist faithful in eastern Congo have a new place to worship with the completion of a large, modern church in Amani. It's the 33rd new church to be built since 2012 as part of Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda's "Rise and Build" campaign to strengthen evangelism.
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Dakotas Conference feels pain of COVID-19
Clergy of the Dakotas Conference of The United Methodist Church are expert witnesses to just how much illness and death COVID-19 has brought to their states — and to how congregations have stepped up their ministry in response.
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New nonprofit takes on retreats for middle schoolers
The Upper Room has granted ownership of its Discovery Weekend program to N2Discovery Inc., a new nonprofit ministry with a mission of growing young disciples. Discovery Weekend is a spiritual formation retreat program designed for middle school students. The Rev. Michael Ratliff, former executive at Discipleship Ministries, is N2Discovery president.
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Retreat center performances go online
With the pandemic keeping folks at home, the Lake Junaluska Singers are putting their Christmas and other seasonal music online. The Florida Conference has compiled links to the Lake Junaluska Singers 2020 performances at the United Methodist retreat center.
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15: Charge Conference - St. John UMC
16: Charge Conference - Fairbanks 1st UMC
17: Charge Conference - Anchorage 1st UMC
24: Christmas Eve - Office Closed
25: Christmas Day - Office Closed
31: New Year's Eve - Office Closed
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1: New Year's Day - Office Closed
8-9: WJ Leadership Meetings - Carlo attending virtually
11-14: GNW Cabinet meeting - Carlo attending virtually
18: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Upcoming Clergy Birthdays
December 23 -
Christina DowlingSoka
Curtis Matz
January 5 -
Janice Carlton
January 18 -
Karen Dammann
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Conference Office
907-333-5050
Superintendent Carlo
907-854-8340
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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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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.
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