News from the Alaska United Methodist Conference

e~Aurora

A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference

Conference News

Winter Learning Event/Meetings Save the Date

Please save the dates of February 18-19 for the Winter Learning Event/Rendezvous meetings, which will be held virtually. More information will be available in the coming weeks.

Save the Date! 2022 Local Church Leadership Training for Laity in the GNW

Laity serving on local church committees, especially those who chair administrative committees, are encouraged to save the date for a Greater Northwest Area-wide training on Saturday, February 26, 2022. The two-hour training will be offered online starting at 9 a.m. AKT (10 a.m. PT, 11 a.m. MT) by district superintendents and staff of the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho and Pacific Northwest Conferences. Those new to their roles or to leadership of committees are strongly encouraged to attend. Translation will be offered in Spanish and Korean.

UPDATE: Fifth session added to Abundant Health Fair this month

Earlier it was announced a virtual Abundant Health Fair would be starting Jan. 13 and running one hour, every Thursday through Feb. 3. Organizers note now that a fifth session has been added on Feb. 10 to learn more about "Love Beyond Borders: The Interfaith Movement to End the Pandemic." Registration for the five-week event featuring tai chi, meditation and more is still open. Those who have already registered for the four-week session will not need to register for the bonus session.

Learn more on the GNW News site.

Youth Summit 2022 - Anchorage Bowl

On behalf of the Alaska United Methodist Council on Youth and Young Adult Ministry, I am excited to invite middle school and high school students to join for a day of service in Anchorage (previously known as Mission Immersion), Youth Summit 2022 on January 15^th! We’ll meet at St. John UMC and depart to different project sites. All project sites practice masking inside for staff and visitors. All participants must wear masks. Drop off is 8:30am-9 and pick-up at 6pm all at St. John UMC – 1801 O’Malley Rd. Lunch and snacks are provided but please bring a water bottle! We will eat and snack in small groups. Cost is $10 for food and project supplies. We’re so excited to spend this time together in fellowship and service to our community! Registration: https://app.easytithe.com/App/Form/17fad664-a6e7-40af-b1fb-2ab549e0e7c8

You can join us for closing worship at 5pm on January 15^th at https://www.youtube.com/stjohnanchorage!

If you have any questions or concerns (or you’re an adult and would like to help!) please contact Pastor Autumn at PastorAutumn@stjohnanchorage.org

Anchor Park EPIC Youth Auction

Support the Anchor Park UMC youth as they fund raise for mission work, serve the greater Anchorage community, and attend Youth 2023 in Florida. They will have an online auction from February 4-6, 2022. A lot of Alaskan business have donated items for the auction. Follow this link to view the items between now and then.

National News

Former Council of Bishops President Bishop Choy dies at age 103

The Council of Bishops is saddened to announce the death of Bishop Wilbur Wong Yan Choy, a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church and the first Asian American to be elected into that role in the US. He died last week in Washington State at age 103. First assigned to the Seattle Area, Choy served the PNW Conference as bishop for eight years from his election in 1972 until 1980 when reassigned to the San Francisco Area. Read more of this story and find details on Bishop Choy's March 12 celebration of life at Seattle First UMC by visiting the Council of Bishops website.

UMCOR worked across the globe in 2021

Emergencies in the U.S., Haiti, Afghanistan and other parts of the world kept the United Methodist Committee on Relief busy in 2021. UMCOR also awarded more than 30 U.S. churches with Mustard Seed Migration Grants for one-time, community-based service projects.

Read the story

Human Relations Day coming January 16

On Jan. 16, United Methodists around the globe will join in celebrating Human Relations Day, a special offering that supports ministries that bridge the gap between the church and community. Some 57% of Human Relations Day gifts help support the Community Developers program, which is dedicated to building and strengthening racial ethnic minority United Methodist congregations.

To download resources

Video: Human Relations Day

Churches step up after Marshall fire

United Methodists are stepping up after the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history destroyed nearly 1,000 homes and businesses. Colorado Public Radio has the story of how Highlands United Methodist Church is helping the Bovens, who lost their home and all of their possessions. Mountain Sky Conference Bishop Karen P. Oliveto shared how churches are providing shelter and how others can help with prayers, financial donations and fire buckets.

Colorado Public Radio: 'What was important was life'

Read bishop's statement

To donate to the United Methodist Committee on Relief

Rev. DarEll T. Weist remembered

The Rev. DarEll T. Weist, a board member of the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History, died of a heart attack Dec. 10. Weist, who grew up in the Evangelical United Brethren tradition, revitalized the position of California-Pacific Conference historian and served as chair of the Western Jurisdiction Commission on Archives and History.

Read the remembrance

Clergywomen share prayers for 2022

To ring in the new year, 24 United Methodist clergywomen from across the U.S. put together a video sharing their prayers and blessings for 2022. Among the clergy participating are Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett of the Holston and North Alabama conferences, and Bishop Karen P. Oliveto of the Mountain Sky Conference.

Watch the video

Conference Calendar

11-14: GNW Cabinet meetings - Carlo and Lisa attending virtually

17: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Office Closed

24-Feb 4: Crystal on vacation

27: Leadership Team meeting 6-8 PM

14: Valentine's Day

18-19: Winter Learning Event/Rendezvous meetings

21: Presidents' Day

22-24: GNW Cabinet meeting - Carlo and Lisa attending

Upcoming Clergy Birthdays

January 18 -

Karen Dammann

February 19 -

Steve Fisher

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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