Birchwood Camp would like to invite everyone to the annual dinner, meeting and auction on October 26th.  The event will be held in Fireweed Hall as we celebrate the past year of ministry, elect new board members, enjoy a meal together, and support the mission of our camp through the live and silent auctions. This year the funds raised will support the camp scholarship fund and help add bathrooms to Fireweed Hall.

The silent auction will open at 4:30 pm in Fireweed Hall. The meal will begin at 5:00 pm, with the program and live auction to follow. Childcare will be provided in the Lodge after the meal.  The event will conclude around 7:30 pm. Seating is limited so please RSVP to 907.688.2734 or by email info@birchwoodcamp.org.

Generation Transformation is an initiative of Global Ministries to increase opportunities for young adults to engage in mission throughout the connection. The program opportunities available are:

• Global Mission Fellows - US2 Domestic Track and International Track - Age 20-30, 2 year commitment
• Global Justice Volunteers - Age 18-30, 10 week commitment
• Individual Volunteers - Age 18 and up, flexible commitment anywhere from 2 months to 2 years

Global Ministries has a vision of 500 young adult missionaries serving around the world.  View this video or download this brochure to learn more.  Applications are now available online.  Visit www.umcmission.org/gt.  The early-bird deadline is October 15th.

Applications to participate in consultations about the United Methodist Social Principles are being accepted by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. Some of the dates have been adjusted including new application deadlines. Read more on the Board of Church and Society website.

Chris Thompson is a local Anchorage man whose job is to visit churches in the area and then writes articles for Alaska Dispatch News.  A few weeks ago he wrote one about guests and how churches can show that they really care about them.  If you are looking for ways to be more welcoming, you might find this article helpful.  Mr. Thompson writes weekly about his church visits and observations.  You can read more of his articles here.  He has visited a few of our United Methodist Churches.

Do you know someone or a group who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in the area of social/racial justice? The United Methodist Women are looking for nominations for their annual social & racial justice award! Nomination forms are available on the Alaska UMW website!  Completed nominations can be emailed to alaskaumc@gmail.com. 

September is Hunger Awareness Month and the Interfaith Action Group is sponsoring a September 13 Food Drive and Community BBQ event for all faith communities.  The door-to-door collection will be from 10-12pm and from 12-2pm you can drop the food off and enjoy the BBQ at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church (855 E. 20th Ave). The Interfaith Action Group emerged out of the Rasmuson Foundation faith leader gathering earlier this year. For more information about this group or to join the food drive, contact Nora at ascentalaska@gmail.com.

Alaska has the highest rate of Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault in the U.S. 1 out of 2 Alaskan women suffer from DV/Sexual Assault and 1 out of 6 boys suffer from sexual abuse in their lifetime. It was reported that "74% of American faith leaders surveyed underestimated the level of sexual and domestic violence experience within their congregation, leading to infrequent discussion of the issue from the pulpit as well as a lack of appropriate support for victims."

On September 19th from 9:30-4:00 pm, the Church of Anchorage is convening a gathering called the "Shepherd's Care Forum." This forum is for all clergy, ministry staff and leaders in the faith community. There is no charge for this event and lunch is provided at no cost. The venue is the State of Alaska Crime Lab located at 4805 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. The forum will be held in the facility classroom and seating is limited. For those who request it, a tour of the new, state of the art, facility will be available at the end of our session. Please register by September 12th by calling 907-258-1165 to let us know if you will be attending and if you would like a tour of the Crime Lab.

All young adults in their 20s & 30s are invited out to Birchwood Camp in Chugiak for a retreat weekend. It's a good mix of downtime to relax and some scheduled time with fun things to do together. Pumpkin carving, bonfires, worship, discussions, great food, hot chocolate, a scavenger hunt, hiking and more. We're excited to welcome our Superintendent, Rev. Carlo A. Rapanut, to facilitate our worship & discussion on Saturday morning & evening! He'll work with us on themes in the book, "You Lost Me." It's a look at why many young adults don't connect with the church and where we go from here.

Childcare is provided during the worship & discussion portions. This year, we're offering a Saturday only option. Come out just for the day on Saturday if you'd prefer not to spend the night. More info at  www.facebook.com/Alaska20s&30s and registration at www.birchwoodcamp.org/camps.