Each summer Ketchikan First United Methodist Church offers a ministry of hospitality by operating a hostel in its building.  Volunteer managers are needed from May 31 to June 15 and from June 15 to August 31.  Housing and a daily stipend of $40/day are provided.  The hostel is closed from 9:00 am to 5:00 p.m. allowing the managers an opportunity to explore and enjoy Ketchikan and the island.  You may visit the hostel website at www.ketchikanhostel.com.  For more information please contact Judy Shoup at 1jashoup@kpunet.net or call the United Methodist Church at 907-225-3780.

The First United Methodist Church Foundation is accepting applications for 2015 grants to be used as educational benefits, scholarships, out-reach to the community and the world. Applications should be a concise request that includes the following: Requesting Organization or Person, Contact Name, Contact e-mail, Contact physical/mailing address, Type of grant requested (scholarship, capital improvement, out-reach, education) and Description of how the funds will be used in 2015 that is no more than 250 words. Submissions must be received by February 13, 2015 at the address below. Awards will be posted in March 2015. Those receiving grant awards will be required to submit a report how the funds were used, with documentation, by December 1, 2015.   Send your request to:

FUMC Foundation - Grants

725 W 9th Ave

Perhaps you have been on a short-term mission experience which had such an impact on you that you want to do more. Perhaps you are looking for a way to put your faith in action through service. The Individual Volunteer Program sponsored by Global Ministries can help you fulfill both of those needs and more. The program offers opportunities for individuals and couples to serve in mission from two months to two years in a variety of placement settings around the world. The opportunities for service are diverse, including such volunteer positions as case managers for refugees, teachers, pastors, camp directors, and children and youth assistants.

To learn more about these placements and other details of the program, please visit www.individualvolunteers.info. If you are being called to this important and vital ministry, please contact Malcolm Frazier at mfrazier@umcmission.org or call 212 870-3659.

Julia Frisbie reports on the wonderful things happening for Imagine No Malaria.  You can read her article here about how St. John UMC has gone beyond their original goal for fundraising!

There are also Lenten resources for you to use to continue your fundraising.  You can view them here.  

Read the World Malaria Report for 2014 here.

The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry opened applications for spring and summer loans on December 11, 2014 and will accept loan applications until May 5, 2015. The spring and summer loans are for school enrollment between January 1, 2015 and May 31, 2015. Applications are available at www.gbhem.org/loanapplication.

The GBHEM board has recently voted to expand the eligibility criteria which will enable Dreamer students to apply for a loan or scholarship from GBHEM under the current Domestic Applicant guidelines. Dreamers are young adults who were unauthorized immigrants brought into the country as children.  

They are adjusting the online application questions regarding citizenship status so that they are able to identify the Dreamers who apply this year.  The scholarship application opened on January 5 at www.gbhem.org/scholarshipapplication.

Chuck Knows Church is expanding to a new series, and this time Chuck is on a church committee!

The Committee, a humorous and thought provoking online series produced by Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church, premiered Jan. 12. In it, the fictitious Park Grove Community Church has lost its way, lost its pastor and is closing its doors ... unless despite itself, it finds a new way of doing church with the help of Chuck. Can it become a vital congregation again?

With 4,000 churches closing their doors each year, the questions are important ones. Should an underperforming church shut its doors or reinvent itself? However, all congregations will find the subjects addressed in the series relevant for their ministries.

The Committee examines the struggles congregations face as they look toward a preferred future and uses real world topics to hopefully stimulate discussions in local churches.

Designed for both individual viewing and group study, each free episode also has a free downloadable study guide.  Learn more and watch the official movie trailer at  www.chuckknowschurch.com.

The original Chuck Knows Church series will continue, in addition to The Committee.

The October 2014 issue of Methodist History is available to view for free on the General Commission website www.gcah.org by clicking on "Research" or "UMC History" and then click on "Methodist History Journal."

Contents for this issue include:  [1] Methodist Abroad: Matthew Simpson and the Emergence of American Methodism as a World Church; [2] Renewal, Reunion, and Revival: Three British Methodist Approaches to "Serving the Present Age" in the 1950s; [3] "A Very Singular Man": Rev. Moses Dissinger of the Evangelical Association; along with miscellaneous comments from the editor.

Larry Hayden, Chair

At their December meeting the St. John United Methodist Men made two small mission gifts to assist prison ministry and hunger relief.

The men made a gift to assist the transportation costs of prison-visitor volunteer, Paul Williams, Pres. of the Willow UMC United Methodist Men. Paul has been involved in weekend retreats at the Wildwood Correctional Facility for the past several years. Volunteers work with individuals on a "one-on-one" basis and join in Bible study, prayer and guided conversation to help the men in their spiritual journey and to sort out the tough decisions they will make on their release.

The Saint John Men also made a gift to the Society of St. Andrew (SSA), the official hunger emphasis of United Methodist Men.  SSA organizes UMM groups for field "gleaning" projects and helps distribute surplus potatoes and produce to Food Banks in a number of locations

and works closely with Meals For Millions.

It was announced that the annual UMM retreat for men of South Central Alaska will be held at the Hope Retreat Center on Saturday, April 18th. John Campbell will the retreat leader and resource person.

New and returning church leaders can learn their responsibilities and plan the focus for 2015 with these webinars from GBOD:

JAN 13 - Church Council

JAN 15 - SPRC Overview of a year of leadership

JAN 20 - Nominations Committee Develops Leaders

JAN 22 - Trustees Manage for Ministry

REGISTER AT www.gbod.org/webinars