Outstanding Lay Person of the Year - Jim LaBau

Jim LaBau was celebrated at the 2023 Alaska Annual Conference as a recipient of our “Outstanding Layperson of the Year” award. Jim has been intimately involved in the life of Turnagain UMC, the Alaska Conference, and the larger United Methodist Church. He was nominated by Pastors Bob Smith and Walt Hays for his present and past work as one of our lay members.

They write in their nomination:

"In every way Jim embodies everything we would hope a lay colleague of the local, conference, and general church would be. Anyone who knows Jim and his incredible impact on the life of The United Methodist Church in Alaska also knows he does nothing to receive an award…. At the same time, he is the one who began the practice of Turnagain UMC giving “Towel and Basin” awards for service to the community to persons who were not members but whose sacrificial compassion added greatly to the common good."

Many people in the larger community know Jim from his work with the Lions Club for 55 years, coordinating the Lions International Peace Poster Contest for 20 years. Many people in our churches know Jim from the committees he’s served on at the local and conference level. He has also been instrumental in the Alaska United Methodist Men programs and has served as our conference statistician and photographer.

Of note, Jim has encouraged the progressive work of Turnagain UMC. With this encouragement, that church became a Reconciling Ministry of The United Methodist Church. This work has also led Jim to engage in missions worldwide, including being a member of team to Guatemala and delivering mobility carts in Sri Lanka.

The closing line of his nomination: “Jim is a tireless, dedicated steward, and deeply committed servant of the church and is already an outstanding lay person and outstanding follower of Jesus.”

Ordinand - Rev. Kristi McGuire, pastor Aldersgate UMC

I am Kristi Saviers McGuire, child of Robert and Diane Saviers from northeastern, Ohio raised in El Paso, Texas. My paternal ancestors lived in Ireland under the name Seaver, and in

Germany under the name Zwingli (cousins of Huldrych). The Seavers were colonizers of Pennsylvania and Virginia in the 18th century. The Zwingli/Zwinglers immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 19th century. My maternal ancestors are not known.

My paternal great grandparents were farmers on indigenous land. My grandfathers each served in World War II. Both sides of my family benefited from the GI Bill when the veterans returned home, enabling our economic status to increase from federal housing and educational

benefits.

My family rose to middle class status from the acquisition of land through colonization and through government assistance. Awareness of my privilege and how it was obtained shapes the way that I live now and how I live into my call to ministry.

Growing up, my immediate family members were C&E Christians (Christmas & Easter). In high school, I first felt a tug and attended Trinity UMC (in El Paso) with my father. I was confirmed and baptized in that church. After university, when I was twenty, I became an itinerant brewer. I drifted away from the church until the call on my heart was rekindled in St. Louis, Missouri in 2010.

I began serving in ministry in 2013. but delayed my candidacy to the UMC despite

beginning seminary. Friends and colleagues were leaving the UMC, and I was not sure that I belonged in the denomination. I discerned my candidacy very carefully, finally declaring in 2016. I have served as a part-time pastor, sharing my vocation with one foot remaining in the

secular world. This has made the timeline to full connection long. You see, my provisional membership as a half-time pastor was four years, instead of two.

It has been a slow and thoughtful path for me in reaching the center of this labyrinth of candidacy, commissioning, residency, provisional and full connection membership. There have been twists, turns, and sometimes great pause along the way. The benefit of this longer walk in

the presence of God through the Spirit has been the many connections and deep abiding relationships that I have made across many miles over the years.

I am grateful to Bishop Farr for supporting my ministry and allowing me to serve in

Alaska. I am grateful to Bishop Carlo for his leadership and illumination. I am most grateful to my beloved family, friends, and siblings in Christ (inside of and outside of the United Methodist Church in diverse expressions of ministry). I am abundantly blessed by the cloud of witnesses that have accompanied me on this journey.

Blessing of the Dogs at the Dog Jog

Saturday, July 22 at Service High School

9AM Family Fair opens & 10AM Dog Jog starts.

Want to help? Volunteers are needed to greet visitors and distribute goodies at First UMC’s tent. Contact Corinne McVee to volunteer: 907-230-4614 or cmcvee@gmail.com.

Please help spread the word to the dogs in your neighborhood (and their humans). More information is available at friendsofpets.org. God loves all creatures great and small!

Early Response Team basic training being offered

Be ready when the next disaster strikes to help those most in need. The Early Response Team Basic Training offered on Sat., August 26, at Mount Vernon UMC (Washington), will prepare you on ways to clean out a flooded home, haul debris, sift through ashes and work alongside survivors while staying safe. The class is taught by United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) certified trainers and includes examples of recent missions, hands-on activities, and an opportunity to meet people with a passion to serve. Anyone 18 years or older is welcome to attend.

Click here to register, learn more, and for a downloadable flier to share.

Mission u 2023

Alaska United Women in Faith invite you to Mission u 2023, meeting four Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 beginning Aug. 22. Rebecca Absher will lead the study of “Living the Kin-dom: Exploring the Lord’s Prayer as a Spiritual Practice for Social Transformation” by Riva Tabelisma.

Sign up here

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.

Registration form will come out soon. Save the date now! Learn more about the schedule here.

Deaconess Chivi's journal now available to order

If you were in Fairbanks during Annual Conference, you heard Bishop Cedrick promoting my self-published book titled "A JOURNAL TO LIBERATE YOUR HEART". I finally created an order form, linked at the bottom of this paragraph.

If you have any questions, or would like more information, please feel free to contact me at deaconesschivi@gmail.com.

Journals are $9.00 each, and I can mail them to you, or deliver them if you are in the area.

You can find the order form here: https://forms.gle/6JWemuzV3wQyVBkN6

Thank you for your support!

-Deaconess Chivi Capezio Crookes

Belonging: An Intergenerational Soul Care Retreat

United Women in Faith is offering a new approach to personal enrichment focused on giving care to your whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Our approach to Soul Care embraces both self-care and spiritual rejuvenation.

The retreat will enrich us through thought-provoking speakers, music, poetry,

playshops, sacred circle discussions, networking and more! The retreat provides us opportunity to bring new women into our United Women in Faith Sisterhood. Each woman registering is to invite a friend not already in UWF, and because this will be an intergenerational retreat, we are striving for a diverse blend of women.

Our “BELONGING” retreat theme will bring us into intentional community as we slow down, reflect and renew. While we do, we claim the joy, the hope, and the fulfillment of being in harmony with self and spirit.

Registration is Open!

$200 fee

Registration ends August 1.

Click here: Registration Form

For more information contact

Bonita Miller 907-440-1636 OR

Janice Nightingale 907-398-7844

Certified Lay Ministry courses being offered

Pastor Andy Bartel will teach a Certified Lay Servant Ministry Basic Course on Wednesday evenings in August from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 2-30. This class will meet both in person at St. John UMC and via Zoom, with a limit of 12 people. Sign up here.

Pastor Andy will also teach a Certified Lay Servant Ministry Preaching Course on Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 15-Nov. 12. This will be a hybrid class as well, meeting in person at St. John or via Zoom with a limit of 6 people. Completion of the Lay Servant Basic Course is required before taking this course. Sign up here.

Now hiring a Project Manager (PM) for the Citywide Childcare Cooperative (CCC) at First UMC, Anchorage

This project will create an innovative Worker-Owned Cooperative childcare start-up in downtown Anchorage serving up to 52 children and their families. The PM will manage the CCC program launch including coordination with community partners to achieve stated goals: 1) develop business model, 2) develop operations and licensing, 3) complete building renovations and safety upgrades, and 4) CCC pilot program launch.

Full-time, salary exempt position in Anchorage, Alaska, $60,000-$75,000.

Interested candidates should submit resume and cover-letter to citywidechildcarecoop@outlook.com.

See full position description here.

Installation service for Vonner announced

The installation service for Sally Vonner as top executive of United Women in Faith is scheduled for 3 p.m. Central time on July 29. The public can attend in person at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas and also online. Vonner, who has worked at UWF since 2011, succeeds Harriett Jane Olson, who retired last Spring.

Read the press release

Register

Hagiya named president of Claremont

Retired United Methodist Bishop Grant Hagiya has been named president of Claremont School of Theology. Hagiya had been in the position on an interim basis since January. Claremont, which has announced it will move to the campus of Westwood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, is one of the 13 United Methodist seminaries. 

Read the press release

Annual conference helps camp eliminate its debt

More than 2,000 campers call Blue Lake Camp home every summer. After 70 years in ministry, the Alabama-West Florida Conference camp still seeks to connect people with God. Now, because of generosity at this year’s annual conference, the camp is debt-free.

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Church gets new life as community center

Hiawatha Trinity United Methodist Church, which closed in 2021, is now a community center featuring a food bank and space for weekly meetings. The new Trinity Center is supported by the Great Plains Conference. Steering committee members say the center has the potential to bring people together to meet growing needs in the community.

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Summer camp caters to people with disabilities

Innabah Camp and Retreat Center in rural Pennsylvania sets aside eight weeks each summer for Challenge Camps for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The 50-acre camp offers swimming, archery, an obstacle course and more. As important, it provides support and acceptance for people who especially need those.



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Church reaches out with carnival

Celebration United Methodist Church reached out to its community with a carnival over Memorial Day weekend. “Brandon’s Big Celebration” featured rides, food and Christian music. "Some people will never come into a church building no matter what,” said Pastor Addy Kenkel. “The whole idea is to connect with the people, make relationships and plant some seeds for Jesus."

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