A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference | |
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Special Session held last night
The Special Session to reconsider our decision to ask the General Conference to release us from Missionary Conference status in order to become a mission district of the Pacific Northwest Conference passed.
You can watch the live stream here if you missed it.
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Reminder: Save the Date for Annual Conference 2024 in Anchorage
As a reminder in the new year, Annual Conference 2024 will be held in-person at St. John United Methodist Church in Anchorage, as well as online, June 27-30, 2024. We are so grateful for St. John UMC's tremendous hospitality already! Please save the dates on your calendar. More details to come!
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Date night child care offered
Anchor Park UMC EPIC Youth is offering child care on February 10 to allow parents a date night out. From 5 - 9 pm your child(ren) can be fed and entertained. They suggest a $20/child donation. Please email Pastor Dan to sign up for the event.
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Former Alaska pastor, Rev. Leo C. Cramer, has died
Rev. Leo Cramer was a pastor in Alaska during the 1060s and 1970s. He servied UMC of Chugiak as well as Anchor Park.
His memorial service will be held in Reynoldsville, PA on March 23, 204.
Read his obituary
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GNW Ethnic Ministries: Retreat, relax & renew April 1-3
Join other ethnic leaders from across the Greater Northwest Area for a time of retreat and renewal called "being, not doing," April 1 to April 3, 2024 at the Alton L. Collins Retreat Center in Eagle Creek, OR. There will be prayer stations, breathing activities, a massage therapist of color and more opportunities to connect with one another in a space of relaxation and healing. There is no cost to attend. Contact Rev. Dr. Troy Lynn Carr at [email protected] or Kathy Hogg in the PNW office at [email protected] for more information and registration details.
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Basic Lay Servant Ministries course being offered
Rev. Andy Bartel is offering the BASIC course for Lay Servant Ministries once again.
The schedule is Sunday afternoons February 11-March 10 from 2-4pm. Attendance at all five sessions is required for completion credit. This is a great class to encourage committee chairs and other lay leaders from your congregations to participate in.
Sign up link is here
Participants do not need to live in the Anchorage area to participate. This will be a hybrid course, both in person and on Zoom.
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2024 School of Theology
The St. John UMC Care and Discipleship Team is excited to announce the 2024 School of Theology, which will be hosted at St. John UMC in conjunction with the 2024 Annual Conference in June.
Courses are scheduled for June 28 and 29 and will be led by the Rev. Dr. Jaime Clark-Soles, whose focus will be “Experiencing God.” Here’s what she has to say:
“A lot of us know about, talk about, think about, and study about God, all of which is vitally important to our faith. But what about experiencing God? What does that entail for us today? How do our Scriptures help to shape the conversation and set us up for such divine encounters? Grab your Bible and let’s explore!”
Clark-Soles is professor of New Testament and Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. She is also Director of the Baptist House of Studies at Perkins. She earned her M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and her Ph.D. in New Testament from Yale University.
She is the author of numerous essays and books, including 1 Corinthians: Searching the Depths of God (2021), Women in the Bible (2020), Reading John for Dear Life: A Spiritual Walk with the Fourth Gospel (2016), Engaging the Word: The New Testament and the Christian Believer (2010); Death and the Afterlife in the New Testament (2006); and Scripture Cannot Be Broken: The Social Function of the Use of Scripture in the Fourth Gospel (2003).
Save the dates and look for information on course registration and continuing education credits in the coming months!
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Mexican Methodists respond to climate crisis
As residents of this seaside resort continue to put their lives back together following an October hurricane, a Methodist pastor said the storm offers a wake-up call about the climate crisis. The Methodist Church of Mexico — with support from the United Methodist Committee on Relief — is responding as climate change pushes congregations throughout the country to address new pastoral challenges.
Read the story
UM News: Celebrating 150 years of Methodism in Mexico
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Conference files suit against breakaway congregation
The Illinois Great Rivers Conference has filed a lawsuit in Shelby County against a breakaway congregation that declared its independence from The United Methodist Church without completing the steps of disaffiliation required by the denomination’s Book of Discipline. The complaint, filed in Shelby County Circuit Court, alleges the former Cowden United Methodist Church has taken assets in violation of the denomination’s trust clause.
Read the story
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Methodist leaders speak on Palestine, Israel
An online briefing titled “Methodists in Palestine in a Time of War” is set for Jan. 31, beginning at 1 p.m. U.S. Eastern time. Speaking on conditions across Palestine and Israel will be Methodist Church of Southern Africa Bishop Ivan Abrahams, who is current general secretary of the World Methodist Council, and David Wildman, of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. The Rev. Susan Henry-Crowe, retired top executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, will moderate. The briefing is presented by United Methodist Kairos Response and the Methodist Federation for Social Action.
Learn more
To register
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Advocacy groups hold joint online roundtables
UMCNext and Mainstream UMC, both unofficial centrist United Methodist advocacy groups, are joining together to hold four online roundtables ahead of General Conference. The first session, titled “The Church We Dream Of,” is scheduled for 7 p.m. U.S. Eastern time Feb. 1. Among the speakers will be Florida Conference Bishop Tom Berlin.
Watch on Facebook
Watch on YouTube
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GBHEM Scholarship Night scheduled for Feb. 2
The GBHEM Office of Scholarships is asking ALL United Methodist students to join them for a virtual scholarship information session on Feb. 2, 2024 at 5 p.m. central time. Students who register and attend the virtual session will be automatically entered in a drawing to win a $1000 scholarship from GBHEM. They are so excited to host this event and look forward to providing resources and information to help propel your educational aspirations.
For more information please email [email protected].
Registration
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Registration opens for delegate orientation
Registration for the upcoming livestreamed orientation and briefing for General Conference delegates is now available. Co-hosted by United Methodist Communications and the Secretary of the General Conference, and led by UM News, the orientation will prepare attendees for the postponed General Conference scheduled for April 23-May 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The livestream will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. U.S. Central time Feb. 29 and March 1. It will be offered in English, French and Portuguese.
Read the press release
Register
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Supplemental ADCA available
The supplemental Advance edition of the Daily Christian Advocate is now available online. It contains the agenda, rules, petitions, reports from the general agencies/commissions and study committees, information for delegates and codes of conduct for the General Conference. The website is available in English, French, Portuguese and Kiswahili. Preferred languages can be chosen while creating an account to access the site.
Read the press release
View the resource
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Film on church member up for Oscar
A member of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church is the subject of a documentary that has been nominated for a 2024 Academy Award. “The Barber of Little Rock” tells of Arlo Washington, a barber and barber college owner who sought to address the racial wealth gap by starting a nonprofit loan fund. The 35-minute film is in the short documentary category.
Read the story
Read the church’s Facebook post
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Jan./Feb. response: UWF and General Conference
Four pieces of legislation have been submitted by United Women in Faith for consideration at the upcoming General Conference. The proposed additions for The Book of Resolutions are about observing Children’s Sabbath, protecting young girls, protecting voting rights and realizing full human rights. The women’s organization also is supporting the re-adoption of 11 resolutions that are set to expire and seeking annual conference voting rights for retired deaconesses and home missioners.
Read more of this story on the UWF website.
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Sign up for Global Ministries EarthKeepers training by Feb. 1
Global Ministries EarthKeepers is a training program that equips U.S.-based United Methodists to launch and grow environmental projects in their communities. Both laity and clergy are encouraged to participate and youth ages 13-18 may participate with an adult parent or guardian. The next training is offered online in March with applications due by Feb. 1.
Learn more on the EarthKeepers website.
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Jurisdiction approves new episcopal areas
During a Jan. 23 special-called session of the North Central Jurisdictional Conference, delegates voted to form two new episcopal areas. One will include the East Ohio and West Ohio conferences, and the other will include the Northern Illinois and Wisconsin conferences. The two conferences in each new episcopal area will share one bishop beginning Sept. 1. The North Central Jurisdiction will transition from nine to seven episcopal areas.
Read the East Ohio/West Ohio story
Read the Northern Illinois/Wisconsin story
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Pet ministry offers hope and healing to all
The majority of households in the U.S. have at least one pet, and many people feel their pets are family members. At Pinnacle View United Methodist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, pets are a part of the church family as well. What began as a class to train therapy dogs for nursing home visits has become a multifaceted community pet ministry.
Read the story
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Filipino effort promotes United Methodism globally
Against the backdrop of more than 7,600 U.S. congregations leaving The United Methodist Church in recent years, the Global Filipino United Methodist Movement remains committed to bringing Filipinos in the U.S. and around the world into the denominational fold. The National Association of Filipino-American United Methodists launched the movement before the 2019 General Conference to assist Filipino diaspora faith communities in organizing United Methodist ministries, revitalizing existing programs and developing leaders.
Read the story
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Ways to observe Disability Awareness Sunday
Churches are encouraged to observe Disability Awareness Sunday on the first Sunday of February or another Sunday of their choice. Yvonne Caughman and the Rev. Leo Yates Jr., leaders of the Baltimore-Washington Conference Disability Ministries team, offer several ideas to support churches’ inclusion efforts.
View the resource
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Justice Talks: The Revised Social Principles
Join Church and Society staff and partners on February 7 to discuss the revised Social Principles. Hear about the motivation, process, draft, and what to expect when it comes before the General Conference this spring.
Register now to join them on February 7 from 3-4PM (ET).
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A new issue of 'Leadership Brief' is now available from CST
The second issue of ‘Leadership Brief,’ a newsletter with summaries of the best leadership research, is now available. The monthly newsletter is produced by the Center for Leadership and Coaching at the Claremont School of Theology. This second release looks at New Year’s Resolutions and the topic of Selfless Leadership.
Read it now
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1: First Day of Black History Month
2-6: Alaska Equity Training at Alaska Pacific University - Office will be closed because staff will be attending
14: Ash Wednesday
14: Valentine's Day
19: President's Day - Office Closed
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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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