Bye-bye GCI email

I have heard through a few people that GCI will be getting rid of their email service next year. As people who use GCI email begin to change their email addresses, please make sure you notify your church office as well as the conference office. We want to make sure we are sending emails to active accounts. Thanks!

Draw the Circle Wide

Alaska United Women in Faith will be holding their Annual Gathering at Anchor Park UMC September 29 - October 1, 2023.

The scripture focus for the weekend is Romans 15:7, "So reach out and welcome one another to God's glory. Jesus did it; now you do it! (The Message)"

The keynote speaker will be the United Women in Faith National Board President 'Ainise 'Isama'u and the worship leader will be Rev. Bennie Grace Nabua of UMC of Sitka.

Register now!

Learn more about the schedule here.

Multiple save the dates

Fall Pastoral Leader Retreat

We want to share that the Fall Pastoral Leader Retreat will be held September 21-24, 2023 at Alaska Pacific University. More details and a registration will come in a few weeks. This is a required event for those under appointment/ assignment.

Winter Learning Event

The Winter Learning Event will be open to anyone interested, clergy and lay. Pastors are required to attend. The dates will be February 2-6. The location is still being determined.

Annual Conference 2024

Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth did announce during the summer's Annual Conference Session that the 2024 AC will be June 27-30 in Anchorage.

Charge Conference forms are available now

We will mostly be using an online reporting system for church charge conference paperwork this year. Most of the forms will have the identical questions as in past years but you will not be filling out a PDF or Word document anymore, you will be answering the questions online.

You will have access to these forms through your People Portal. Clergy should have accessed their People Portal at lease once already and some church leadership may have as well. Here is a link with a step by step process on how to login.

I am here to help! If you have a question or are having trouble logging in, please contact Crystal in the conference office so I can assist you. This is what I am here for!

Regionalization legislation petitions submitted to General Conference

Proposals surrounding regionalization efforts within The United Methodist Church reached a new milestone. During an August 19th meeting, The Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters unanimously approved a worldwide regionalism legislation for submission to General Conference. This legislation had also been supported for submission by the Connectional Table at its July 13th meeting.

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Church in US sees shift toward LGBTQ inclusion

A number of U.S. United Methodist annual conferences passed resolutions supporting the removal of church bans related to homosexuality. This conference season also saw resolutions that reaffirm the denomination’s fidelity to core Christian doctrines and commit United Methodists to evangelism.

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More actions at annual conferences

Special sanctuary lost in Maui fires

Members of Lahaina United Methodist Church are grieving the destruction of their historic sanctuary in the wildfires that devastated the west side of Maui, Hawaii. Some regular visitors to the island also are feeling the pain, having formed a close attachment to the sanctuary and the congregation.

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Center helps city's unhoused

Crossroads Urban Center is a grassroots organization that helps people meet basic survival needs and address quality of life issues. The congregations of First United Methodist and Centenary United Methodist churches, which have longtime connections to Crossroads, collect food and other items, welcome Crossroads clients to worship and help close gaps in the center’s services.

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Two journeys to end the sin of racism

United Methodists of Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey are committed to “ending the sin of racism,” a clarion call answered in both conferences by several initiatives. They include coaching, providing grants and other support to racial-ethnic leaders and congregations, various racial learning opportunities and efforts to grow and ensure success for cross-racial and cross-cultural ministerial appointments. John W. Coleman looks at how each conference is embracing this call.

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Why kindness beats niceness

Courageous conversations have nothing to do with being nice and everything to do with being kind, gentle and loving. On the latest episode of the “Get Your Spirit in Shape” podcast, the Rev. Scott Hughes of Discipleship Ministries asserts that engaging in structured dialogues of learning could create space for the most radical hospitality of all: a place of deeper and more welcoming community within the church.

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