News from the Alaska United Methodist Conference

e~Aurora

A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference

October is National Pastor Appreciation Month!

October is National Pastor Appreciation Month in the U.S., and Wespath Benefits and Investments offers ideas in an email for local churches to say thank you to their pastors. Wespath also shared survey results revealing a downward trend in clergy well-being, reflecting the challenges of the pandemic, social/racial injustice and the ongoing uncertainty within The United Methodist Church.

See resources

United Methodist Communications: Saying ‘I appreciate you’ to pastors

National News

Diversity flourishes at Minnesota church

Centennial United Methodist Church is fashioning itself as a model of diversity, in the process of addressing racism better after making strides with the LGBTQ community and people with developmental disabilities. The Rev. Brian Hacklander says that church members realize "we can be doing more and we're called to do more."

Read the story

Bishop's spouse transitions to be trans woman

Because she wants to be a witness to others on a similar journey, the Rev. Mary Johnson is beginning to share the story of her transition from the Rev. Michael Johnson and her choice to live fully as the person she said God created her to be. She is the spouse of retired Bishop Peggy Johnson.

Read the story

Read the Q&A with the Rev. Mary Johnson

Read the Q&A with Bishop Peggy Johnson

United Methodist Men Give Day nears

The third annual United Methodist Men Give Day will be Oct. 18. The Commission on United Methodist Men receives less than 25% of its yearly budget funding from apportionments — shares of church giving. Give Day helps the commission to provide resources and support to United Methodist Men in conferences and local churches.

Learn more about United Methodist Men

To give

Dying congregation finds new life with merger

After joining with a church plant, a once-dwindling congregation has seen its attendance rise to 60 and is still growing. The multiracial New Life at St. Andrew's United Methodist Church now has broken ground on a new church building that will be debt-free. Dwayne Stinson, the Virginia Conference's associate director of influencing, has the story.

Read the story

Guide available on ministry partners

Since 2016, the General Council on Finance and Administration Ministry Partner program has provided opportunities for businesses and organizations to connect with United Methodist ministries and provide discounts for services. The agency has put together an online United Methodist Ministry Resource Guide to catalog these partners. Agency staff vet the ministry partners to ensure they are in line with church teachings.

Read the press release

See the guide

UMC leaders share important information for churches sponsoring Scout troops

United Methodist churches that have sponsored Boy Scout troops can expect to receive a “disclosure statement package” from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) regarding its pending bankruptcy proceeding in the near future. The mailing seeks to summarize for chartered organizations how the BSA’s proposed plan of reorganization will affect those organizations’ legal rights with respect to Scouting-related sexual abuse claims to which they may potentially be connected.

MARCHA 2021, Registration now open

This year, MARCHA (Metodistas Representando la Causa de los Hispanos Americanos) will host its yearly encounter ONLINE, live, via ZOOM Webinar and Meetings. Our gathering will include times of worship, celebrations, learning, networking, and strategic conversations as we celebrate our present and past as a movement, and discern the next steps in our journey of advocacy for peace with justice for ALL.

November 19 & 20

Publishing House moves pension plan, sells campus

The United Methodist Publishing House, hard hit by the pandemic, has finalized the sale of its Nashville property and the transfer of a pension plan to Wespath. The self-supporting Publishing House has leased space in the United Methodist Communications building for some IT and finance staff.

Read the story

Conference Calendar

14: Charge Conference - Every Nation UMC

18: CCFA meeting

19: CCFA meeting

19-21: GNW Cabinet meetings - Carlo and Lisa attending

21: Mission District Task Force meeting

25: Charge Conference - Palmer UM Fellowship

26: Charge Conference - Kenai UMC

31: Halloween

1: First day of American Indian Heritage Month

1: Charge Conference - Christ First UMC

2: Election Day

2: Charge Conference - Homer UMC

3: Charge Conference - North Star UMC

4: Mission District Task Force

7: Daylight Savings Time ends

8: Charge Conference - Soldotna UMC

9: Charge Conference - Seward & Moose Pass UMC

10: Charge Conference - First Ketchikan UMC

11: Veterans Day

11: Charge Conference - Turnagain UMC

12: Charge Conference - St. Peter the Fisherman UMC

15: Charge Conference - St. John UMC

16-18: GNW Cabinet meetings - Carlo and Lisa attending

18: Charge Conference - Girdwood Chapel UMC

19: Charge Conference - Anchorage Korean UMC

22: Charge Conference - Aldersgate UMC

23: Charge Conference - Douglas Community UMC

25: Thanksgiving - Office Closed

26: Office Closed

29: Charge Conference - UMC of Sitka

30: Charge Conference - First Anchorage UMC

Upcoming Clergy Birthdays

October 12 -

Bishop Stanovsky

October 18 -

Dan Wilcox

November 6 -

Tafa Fulumua

November 9 -

Murray Crookes

The United Methodist Church

Bishop's Blog

Superintendent's Blog

Conference Office

907-333-5050

Superintendent - Carlo Rapanut

carlorapanut@gmail.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.

Mission Statement

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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