A weekly news update from The Alaska United Methodist Conference | |
Seeking pianist for Turnagain UMC
Turnagain United Methodist Church (TUMC) is seeking an experienced piano player/accompanist to join the worship team. Position requires preparing and playing music for the Prelude and closing of the service, offertory, weekly hymns and working as accompanist for the choir. Choir rehearses from 9:30 – 10:30am on Sundays prior to the 10:30-11:30am service. The accompanist needs to be present for both the rehearsal and worship service. Starting pay is $100 per week, depending on experience.
Submit a resume/letter of interest to TUMC Office or mail to: Staff Parish Relations Committee, Turnagain United Methodist Church, 3300 West Northern Lights Boulevard, Anchorage, AK 99517
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Join in a UWF Book Study
Alaska United Women in Faith will be holding a virtual Book Study on April 25 at 7 pm via Zoom. Holli McLean will lead the study on A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America's First All-Black High School Rowing Team by Arshay Cooper. All are welcome to join.
Register in advance for this meeting.
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Greater Northwest Area News | |
How to talk about General Conference
On April 15, 2024, from 9 to 10 a.m. PT, plan to attend the one-hour Zoom presentation with the Directors of Communications from each Conference in the Western Jurisdiction, and Brenda Smotherman from UMCom, on communicating about the General Conference.
This will serve as a great refresher for:
- A reporter is at your church or via social media asks you to comment on their story about General Conference.
- Who’s the official spokesperson and speaks on behalf of The UMC.
- Where to find the real news and daily outcomes if you see something alarming on social media about General Conference.
Learn more and register
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Registration for the 2024 Western Jurisdictional Conference is now open!
After General Conference and Annual Conference ends, the 2024 Western Jurisdictional Conference will take place in Spokane, Wash., from July 10-13. The theme for this year's gathering: Love without Limits.
Learn more and register on the WJ website.
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Make your reservations now: 'The Laity Meet-Up' is this Saturday, April 6
All area laypersons are urged to register now for the new laity series named “The Laity Meet-Up,” which kicks off this Saturday, April 6. The free event will be held via Zoom 9 a.m. AT | 10 a.m. PT | 11 a.m. MT.
In the inaugural event Saturday, a panel of speakers will address the topic: “Today’s UMC: What Laypersons Need to Know About General Conference.” The panelists are: Rev. Jim Doepken, an Alaska conference communicator and former reserve member of the Alaska delegation; Skylar Marston-Bihl, lay delegate from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (Pacific Northwest Annual Conference); and Jan Nelson, former Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference lay leader and past delegate to General Conference. All three will be representing the Greater Northwest Area when General Conference convenes April 23-May 3 in Charlotte, N.C.
The panel will provide up-to-date information about proposed legislation, address disinformation, and share suggestions for how to communicate to your local church what General Conference is really about – and what it is not. Topics also include: removing harmful language from the Book of Discipline, revising church structure, updating the Social Principles, and more.
Learn more and register for this virtual meeting on the GNW website.
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Hispanic/Latinx Workshop
The workshop, titled "Liturgy: How to Organize the Worship Experience in Our Local Churches," is designed to provide practical guidance and insights to Spanish-speaking pastors and laypeople. We believe this event will be instrumental in enhancing the worship experience within our congregations and contributing to the growth and enrichment of our churches.
Date: Saturday, April 20th, 2024
Time: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm PST
Location: Renton UMC, 2201 NE 4th St, Renton, WA 98056
For more information and registration, interested individuals can contact cesantos@pnwumc.org and l.a.c.p.3122@gmail.com.
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Register now for NLI training in Boise this May
It's time for Northwest Leadership Institute 2024! This May, Boise First UMC (Cathedral of the Rockies) is inviting all leaders from the northwest and beyond to gather together for two days in Boise (May 1-2) and grow in their ability to lead teams and communities in inclusion, openness, organizational health, and mission. Organizations (churches, community outreach, non-profits) often know where they want to go and what they want to accomplish, but don't always know how to get there. The two-day event features keynote speakers Dr. Tod Bolsinger, Jamie Bruesehoff, and Rev. Dr. Duane Anders.
Learn more about the event + register on the NLI website.
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S.L.A.M. team creates worship resources to honor Native American Ministries Sunday in April
Drawing on their mission trip last summer to the Yakama Reservation, youth and adults who are part of the GNW Area's Students Learning About Mission (S.L.A.M.) have written materials for churches to use to honor Native American Ministries Sunday. Native American Ministries Sunday is honored in The United Methodist Church on April 14 this year, but these materials can be used when appropriate. Using the lectionary text of Acts 3: 12-19, the youth and adults have written a prayer, call to worship and benediction.
Read more about this resource on the GNW Circle of Indigenous Ministries site.
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Native American Ministries Sunday is April 14
Explore these resources to learn how and why United Methodists celebrate Native American Ministries Sunday. Invite your faith community to give generously, knowing that half of the gifts remain in the conference to support Committee on Native American Ministries, create programs and resources and support seminary scholarships for United Methodist Native Americans. Core resources are available in multiple languages. Start planning your Special Sunday celebration today!
Get resources
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Church and Society announces Issue Statement on Christian Nationalism
The rising influence of Christian Nationalism has increasingly seeped into U.S. politics threatening the vibrancy and the cultural fabric of U.S. democracy.
Christian Nationalism is defined as a political ideology that seeks to merge Christianity and a particular type of American identity, distorting both the Christian faith and the United States constitution. According to Christians Against Christian Nationalism, “it often overlaps and provides cover for white supremacy and racial subjugation”.
Read more
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United Methodists in Nigeria mark 100 years of mission
Church members in Nigeria celebrated 100 years of Methodism in the country with a street rally, worship services and outreach, including free medical care in each of Nigeria’s four annual conferences. During the festivities, Bishop John Wesley Yohanna remembered the early missionaries and the sacrifices they made and also gave thanks for partners throughout the connection. Ezekiel Ibrahim has the story.
Read the story
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General Conference Guide available
The new Guide to the Postponed 2020 General Conference is now available for download at umcgc.org. This UM News resource is packed with information on how General Conference works, its history and major legislative issues, along with background on The United Methodist Church. For those attending the April 23-May 3 event, the guide also includes information on the host city, Charlotte, North Carolina, and the convention center. It is available in English, French and Portuguese.
Download guide
Visit General Conference site
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3-5: Crystal out of office attending PAUMCS Annual Conference
11-14: Cabinet meetings & Equity Cohort in Seattle
15: Tax Day
23-May 3: General Conference in Charlotte, NC
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1: First Day of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
5: Cinco de Mayo
9-11: Western Jurisdiction United Women in Faith Quadrennial Meeting at the Hotel Captain Cook
12: Mother's Day
27: Memorial 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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