Run or walk a 5K for fun and fitness. Better yet, do it for a great cause! Help eliminate malaria from the face of the planet.

Open to all ages. Suggested participant fee of $15/adult and $5/child.  REGISTER HERE!  Online or Hard Copy  

Where: trails by Anchor Park UMC

When: May 31, 2014 2:00 p.m.

EVERY DOLLAR WILL BE MATCHED (UP TO $10,000) BY THE CONFERENCE BOARD OF PENSIONS!!!  

We also need volunteers to help organize the run. If you are interested, please contact Carlo Rapanut Tel. 696-2353 email: pastorcarlo@umcchugiak.org

The Anchor Park United Methodist Church has been in mission service and personal spiritual development at the corner of Lake Otis and Oak Drive for 60 years.  Famous Anchorage architect Ed Crittenden assisted with the initial building of the church in the Airport Heights neighborhood.

Previous attendees, as well as anyone else, are encouraged to join the congregation for a memorable review and a look to our potential future with our pastor, the Rev. Doug Handlong.  It will take place on May 18, 2014 at the 11 a.m. service.

Photo albums from each decade will be available for review.  The founding pastor, David Blackburn, was instrumental in starting Alaska Methodist University and getting the property for the Birchwood Camp Retreat Center.  Rev. Blackburn's widow, Mona, has plans to be in attendance.

People are welcome to stay for a reception and reconnect with friends.

Contact the church office at 277-0152 for more information.

San Francisco area Bishop Warner Brown has begun his term as president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops.

Bishop Rosemarie Wenner of the Germany Episcopal Area has served as president of the Council since April 2012. Her two-year term ended at the close of the Council's executive committee meeting on May 4. A formal celebration and the traditional "passing of the gavel" will take place at the Council of Bishops' meeting in November 2014.

Bishop Robert E. Hayes Jr., who has served three terms as the Councils' secretary, was succeeded by Louisiana Area Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey.

Bishop Brown praised Bishop Wenner for her outstanding leadership. "I feel honored to follow Bishop Wenner, who has done a really excellent job of helping the council begin engaging the conversation of how we lead the church for this time," he said. "I hope to step into those shoes and continue that conversation."

"We are a very diverse church with a lot of things to learn from each other about how we effectively can be the church and make disciples of Jesus Christ, transform the world and hear and see the needs of people," said Bishop Brown. "In order to do that, we'll need to talk with each other and be honest with each other and learn from each other. I hope I can facilitate that kind of conversation."

On our inm.greaternw.org website, I've been collecting useful information on the Toolkits page (under Resources). There's a whole section for local churches, as well as resource kits for many different events. 

One of the events coming up quickly is Mother's Day. Since malaria disproportionately affects mothers and small children, please consider saving lives with your church on this holiday! Our Mother's Day Toolkit has everything you need for a successful alternative gift campaign.