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Conference Journal

Reflections of a Running Reverend

My new blog for this week is Sidewalk Chalk. If you ever miss a week, you can read my previous blogs here.

Continued Prayers
Thank you for the prayers for 'Aua Fulumua, wife of Pastor Tafa Fulumua. She is continuing to recover from her kidney transplant at Swedish Hospital in Seattle. She is now out of ICU and has already begun eating solid foods and is out walking the halls of the hospital. Please continue to keep her in your prayers as they continue with this journey. You may send her, and the family, recovery wishes at PO Box 200431, Anchorage, AK, 99520.

General Conference Logo

United Methodist Communications developed the logo to complement the theme of the 2016 General Conference, "Therefore go," which the Commission chose in 2013. Stephanie Henry of the Upper New York Annual Conference chairs the Logo and Theme Committee.

The theme is based on the Great Commission set forth in Matthew 28:19-20: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (NIV)

"The theme of the 2016 General Conference serves as graphic support for our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world," said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of the global communications agency. "We wanted to provide an action-themed logo that ties to the roots of The United Methodist Church, a denomination striving to fulfill the Great Commission."

The logo's font is constructed of strong letter shapes and curves, which gives the words an approachable and friendly feel, while also hinting at the boldness of the denomination's mission. The word "go" is set inside a triangle, which adds movement and direction, while the backdrop of Mount Hood is reflective of the location of the 2016 event in Portland, Oregon.

"We believe this logo provides cohesive imagery for the event, yet affords a lot of flexibility for the various needs of the conference," said Sara Hotchkiss, business manager of the General Conference. "It gives us a strong foundation on which to build."

The simple design of this logo allows for easy integration with conference-related materials and coordinates well with the Cross and Flame symbol already featured on United Methodist media, avoiding redundancy. The logo is rendered in black-and-white in order to use it over vibrantly colored backgrounds. Future creative executions may include the use of the logo itself in color as new resources are created.

Walking/Running to a Cure and Freedom

Soldotna UMC is holding its first INM 5K Walk/Run this Saturday, August 2, 2014 starting at 10am. The path will begin and end at the church, 158 S. Binkley St, Soldotna, AK. You can preregister online at soldotnaumc.org, through the mail or in person that morning. Registration is $25 with all proceeds going to Imagine No Malaria. Please, come join us for a walk/run that will make a difference in keeping children and adults alive and finally fear free of this deadly disease.

See you with your running shoes on!

God bless, Your INM Cohorts at Soldotna UMC

Piano Accompanist Needed

The United Methodist Church of Chugiak is hiring a piano accompanist. Requires approximately 3.5 hours per week, including playing for one choir rehearsal, one Sunday service and accompanying the choir on Sunday morning. Must comply with Safe Sanctuaries policies and pass an individual background check. Contact Terri Schimmack, UMCC Music Director, at 688-5525, or email her at terriann36@hotmail.com.

Change in Annual Conference 2015 Dates
For several reasons, Bishop Grant Hagiya needs to change the date for next year's annual conference. It was previously scheduled for May 28-30. It has now been changed to June 4-6. The location will still be at St. John UMC. Please make this change on your calendars!

Upcoming Events

August

23-28: Carlo attending the Superintendent training at Lake Junaluska

September

     8-10: Carlo attending the Greater Northwest Cabinet meeting in Portland
     11-13: Melissa Engle attending the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund Conference
     19-20: Lay School of Theology at St. John UMC
     26-28: United Methodist Women Annual Gathering at St. John UMC

Submissions

If you have an article or event that you would like the rest of the conference to know about and participate in, feel free to submit them to me each week by Monday evening. I ask that you type up what you want included and let me know how many weeks you want it published for. Thank you!

Contact Info

Crystal Feaster

Administrative Assistant

907-333-5050 phone

907-333-2304 fax

www.alaskaumc.org

umc@gci.net