A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference | |
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Church food pantry marks 20 years of service
Last week the Kenai United Methodist Church food pantry celebrated its 20th anniversary. Every Monday from 12:30 - 3 PM, the pantry is open and offers food and clothes to those experiencing food and housing insecurity.
The Peninsula Clarion had a story about the celebration. Read it here.
Congratulations to Kenai UMC for all they have been doing for their community over the years!
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Snow Labyrinth at Alaska Pacific University
Recently 3 staff, with the guidance of Chaplain Brian Anderson, created a snow labyrinth in front of Grant Hall on the APU Campus.
Come and experience the power of stepping into sacred space. Bring a friend (or several) for this experience or come alone.
All are welcome to this space, day or night.
If you would like to learn more or have Brian assist with individual or group labyrinth experiences, please connect with him.
***The snow labyrinth path is uneven, so please be careful as you walk.
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Annual Conference related dates released
We want to keep the preliminary dates announced for clergy sessions, annual conference sessions and special-called sessions to consider church disaffiliations in front of you. More details on each session will be forthcoming.
Alaska Specific information is:
- Service of Installation for Bishop Bridgeforth & GNW Opening Session, May 20, livestreamed
- Alaska Clergy gathering, May 25, online only
- Alaska Conference Session, June 4-6, hybrid
- GNW Closing Session, June 15, livestreamed
- Alaska Special Called Session, May 6, online only
Read more of this story on the GNW News site.
Below are some tentative dates related to the Alaska Conference Session. Please note that some of the dates may shift a little:
- Send out Report Requests - February 14
- Send out Award Nominations Requests - March 14
- Registration Opens - April 4
- Reports Due - April 15
- Award Nominations Due - April 23
- Petitions Due - April 23
- Publish Pre-Conference Handbook - May 1
- Registration Closes - May 16
- Memorial Information Due - May 16
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Greater Northwest Area News | |
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Is your livestream a part of your safe sanctuary plan?
Recently, a pastor shared a disturbing story of pedophiles watching and sharing clips of his church's children's moments, garnering tens of thousands of views. PNW Communications Director Patrick Scriven offers some suggestions for how you can extend your safe church practices to your livestream to protect children in your congregation.
Read these suggestions of the GNW News Blog.
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GNW Abundant Health Ministries offers a Lenten Meditation
Rev. Linda Quanstrom is leading this special event "A Lenten Meditation" on Zoom Wednesday, Feb 15 from 6 to 7:15 pm PT. It's a wonderful opportunity to learn more about contemplative practices and Lent is a great time to follow this practice.
If you have questions, contact Emilie Kroen.
Register for this Virtual Educations Event
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Scholarship opportunities for United Methodist students in the Alaska and Pacific Northwest Conferences
Are you a United Methodist college student with membership in a church in the Alaska or Pacific Northwest Conference? If so, the Pacific Northwest Conference has a scholarship program available for students pursuing a degree through an accredited program, college or university. Applications must be completed by the end of the day, March 31st!
These scholarships are being offered to students who are members of a United Methodist ministry setting (church or campus ministry) in the Alaska or Pacific Northwest Conference. We will be offering a limited number of $1,500 scholarships.
Learn more
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Greater Northwest Area Clear Appointment Openings
The appointive cabinets of the Greater Northwest Area and the Bishop are continuing the practice of sharing ‘clear openings‘ as the appointment process unfolds. When the appointive cabinets publish clear openings, they are giving clergy the opportunity to express an interest in a particular appointment. An expression of interest will not circumvent the usual discernment process and does not guarantee that the interested clergy will receive preferred consideration.
View the openings here
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Black pastors group calls for day of prayer
The Rev. Dennis Blackwell is tired of the frequent news reports about people being shot, many times Black people. So the pastor of Asbury Community Church wants people to gather in their worship spaces on Feb. 1 to ask for God's help to curb gun, domestic and economic violence as well as systemic racism.
Read the story
UM News: Bishops call for rejecting 'idolatry of guns'
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Church responds to days of mass shootings
United Methodists are responding with prayer, comfort for the grieving and renewed calls for advocacy against gun violence after a wave of mass shootings from California to Louisiana to Iowa. United Methodists are especially expressing solidarity with Asian American communities left mourning by two of the attacks in recent days.
Read the story
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Wespath expands services to Methodist kin
The United Methodist Church's pension agency is now offering retirement benefits to both the African Methodist Episcopal Church and Global Methodist Church — building bridges in a time of upheaval. The two denominations began working with Wespath under very different circumstances.
Read the story
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More special sessions for church exits planned
At least 17 U.S. annual conferences are planning special sessions in 2023 to deal with church disaffiliations. Some are planning more than one such session. These meetings do not replace the regular sessions that annual conferences will hold in late spring and early summer. UM News is adding sessions to the schedule as they become known.
See the schedule
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Grants will continue support for Ukrainians
Citizens of Ukraine will receive emergency food aid, mental health support and temporary housing through $2.5 million in grants from the United Methodist Committee on Relief to International Orthodox Christian Charities. Aid also will be directed to assist refugees in Romania and the more than 1.2 million who have chosen to remain in Poland.
Read the press release
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Justice Talks webinar recording
Church and Societies Justice Talks: Our 2023 Priorities recording from January 25 is available on YouTube.
Visit their Take Action Center to learn more about their legislative priorities and reach out to your member of Congress. Topics raised during the webinar can be found and acted upon there, including: COVID vaccine and testing equity, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, climate justice, a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, ending gun violence, and reducing military spending.
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#StillinMission next episode, Feb 2
We are excited to invite you to join us for #StillInMission Episode 51 on February 2, at 12:00 PM ET. You will find the details for the episode here.
To register, click here. Registration is required.
United Methodist Missionaries are #stillinmission and we hope that you will join us to learn more!
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Caucus leaders call for bishop's reinstatement
Leaders of ethnic caucuses in the California-Nevada Conference have issued an open letter calling for an immediate end to the suspension of Bishop Minerva Carcaño. “We strongly believe that the fair process has been violated,” the letter said. The bishop was suspended in March last year while under complaint, and that suspension has continued during the confidential complaint process. The conference episcopacy committee also has put together a summary of the process involving the bishop.
Read letter on Facebook
Read conference summary
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Accessibility audit can boost church hospitality
A Holston Conference group is encouraging fellow United Methodists to take an accessibility audit to determine if their churches are unintentionally shutting the doors to the one in four Americans with disabilities.
Read the story
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Faith leaders denounce potential asylum ban
The United Methodist Board of Church and Society has joined 164 other faith-based organizations as a signatory to a letter denouncing the Biden administration’s plans to potentially create a new asylum ban through the federal rule-making process. The letter urges the administration not to issue the forthcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and instead “work vigorously … to ensure that people seeking safety have access to a fair, dignified and efficient asylum process.”
Read the press release
Read the letter
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Group Ruling update
The General Council on Finance and Administration recently launched a new Group Ruling website this month. Although the functionality of the site remains, it now has more features and coordinates with GCFA’s Chronicles. You can now request to be on the IRS database (The Exempt Organizations Business Master File) and have the answers to the most common group ruling questions and tax related resources easily.
Learn more by visiting umgroupruling.org
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New training cohort offered for Global Ministries EarthKeepers program
EarthKeepers, a #UMC Global Ministries a training program equipping US-based United Methodists to launch and grow environmental projects in their communities is holding its next online training March 10-25, 2023. The deadline to apply is February 13.
Learn more and apply on the Global Ministries website.
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Tyrell retires from UWF
Hortense Tyrell has retired as United Women in Faith’s Director of National Ministries. She has served for more than 36 years in a variety of roles with the women’s organization and the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. “Serving the ministries of United Women in Faith has been a great honor and privilege,” Tyrell said.
Read the press release
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UMCOR assists 3 conferences after storms
Three early relief grants from the United Methodist Committee on Relief will help speed recovery in conferences hit by harsh weather. The grants were approved to help tornado victims in the Alabama-West Florida Conference, communities in the North Georgia Conference hit by strong winds and hail, and those impacted by flooding in the California-Nevada Conference. Gifts to UMCOR U.S. Disaster Response and Recovery increase UMCOR’s ability to support conference disaster response ministries across the U.S.
Read the story
Give to UMCOR U.S. Disaster Response and Recovery
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Register now: Witness Wednesday
The Wednesday Witness Skill Building Series 2023 is a four-part series in 2023 that will deepen the capacity of United Methodists to advocate for justice with decision-makers.
Part one of this series will focus on formulating your story. There is power in sharing your story. Communicating effectively about why you care and are passionate about a particular social issue to a decision-maker is essential for creating change. Participate in this session to learn how to share your story to transform the community and world.
Register now here.
For questions, contact Rev. Laura K. James (lkjames@umcjustice.org), GBCS Director of Grassroots Organizing.
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Church finds fresh ways to reach out
A 73-year-old church is reinventing itself by having meetings at a brewery and golf entertainment venue, as well as more traditional ministries such as feeding people in the community. Bearden United Methodist Church is led by the Rev. Brad Hyde, who says he’s concentrating on developing relationships using traditional and new ideas.
Read the story
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1: First Day of Black History Month
2: Leadership Team meeting
6-14: WJ College Deans & DCMs Retreat - Lisa & Christina attending
14: Valentine's Day
15-21: Superintendent on vacation
20: Presidents' Day - Office Closed
22: Ash Wednesday
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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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