Even though Annual Conference is three months away, your conference staff are getting busy with the details.  If you have forgotten, it will be held at St. John UMC in Anchorage on June 5th & 6th.  We are looking at having a day of workshops on June 4th.

Speaking of workshops, we would like to know if there are any interested groups who would love to lead a workshop and teach us about something that the conference should be aware of.  The deadline for submitting your request is Friday, March 13th.  Please email us the group name, topic of workshop, and approximate time you would need for your workshop.  All the submissions will be reviewed and responded to.  Please be aware that you are not automatically guaranteed time.

If you are interested in being one of the clergy or laity delegates to General Conference in 2016, there are some guidelines for you to read.  You can find them on page 90 of the 2014 Conference Journal or you can find them here.  Please submit your interest, per the guidelines, to the conference office by April 13th. 

Here are some forms that you can start filling out now.  Make sure they are turned in by their deadlines.  You can start nominating clergy, laity, or youth for the Harry Denman Evangelism Award.  You can nominate someone for being an Outstanding Lay Person.  If you are part of an organization that would like to reserve a table for a display, fill out this form.  If you would like to propose a change in the rules via a petition, you can find it here.  If you need to write a report for the pre-conference handbook based on your role within the conference, you can find the guidelines here.  Your church can submit their names for the memorial service on this form.

There is a lot of information here.  Please make sure to take a moment to look over everything.  The registration form is still being put together and hopefully will be out in a few more weeks.

Our Conference Lay Leader, Lonnie Brooks, and the newly elected Associate Lay Leader, Jo Anne Hayden, recently participated in the Association for Annual Conference Lay Leaders meeting in Baltimore.  You can read about the event here.

Job Openings
Join Birchwood Camp's staff & ministry team! Birchwood Camp is accepting applications for the following positions: year-round, part-time paid kitchen staff and paid summer intern staff. Detailed information about the positions and job descriptions are available on Birchwood Camp's website: http://birchwoodcamp.org/get-involved/job-opportunities/. Please spread the word about these important openings.

Register for Summer Camp at Birchwood Camp

Online registration is now open for Birchwood Camp's Summer Programs. These camp programs provide safe spaces for spiritual formation, genuine community, and character development at Birchwood Camp's beautiful site in Chugiak. Online registration & detailed information is available at  www.birchwoodcamp.org/camps. Register before April 1 to receive a $10 discount per registration.

Summer 2015 Sessions at Birchwood Camp: 

God Seekers Camp: June 1-3 (For campers entering grades 1-4) Camp Fee: $160

Youth Camp: June 8-12 (For campers entering grades 7-12) Camp Fee:$270

Faith Adventure Camp: June 15-19 (For campers entering grades 3-6) Camp Fee:$270

Music and Drama (MAD) Camp: June 22-28 (For campers entering grades 5-10) Camp Fee:$350

Junior Canoe Camp: July 7-10 (For campers entering grades 6-8) Camp Fee: $200

Adventure Canoe Camp: July 27-August2 (For campers entering grades 9-12) Camp Fee: $300

Summer Family Camp: August 7-9 (For families of all shapes & sizes) Camp fee: $75 per adult, $50 per child, free under age 3

Every church is encouraged to have a complete set of conference Yearbooks/Journals for reference.  They are especially helpful for doing research for an anniversary event.  Every year the conference office pays for and distributes these journals to each pastor so you may already have a set in your library or pastors office.

These journals usually contain:  local church histories, petitions, Bishop Reports, Superintendent Reports (really fascinating and should be reread), committee/institution reports, recommendations, rules, contact information, planning, policy decisions, pastoral records, and of course the usual miscellaneous. 

2015 is AK Child & Family's 125th anniversary! Help us celebrate!  Join us at AK Child & Family night at the Alaska Aces' game Saturday March 14th!

Donation needed:

AK Child & Family is looking for a Wii U to run a teen therapy group that will teach emotional regulation, social skill building, patience, stress management, personal presentation, self-awareness and sportsmanship. We're looking specifically for a Wii U because of the capability it has for team games.  Donations would be deeply appreciated!

The LGBT Outreach Ministry Team at St. John would like to invite members from other Anchorage United Methodist Churches to join us at our next monthly meeting at 6:30 PM on Thursday, March 5th.  We're hoping to have a combined United Methodist presence at upcoming community events (Celebration of Change in March, Pride Prom in April, Pride Fest in June).  We're also brainstorming ways to revitalize PFLAG here in Anchorage.

Please join us for a time of brainstorming, sharing, and planning.  Points of contact for this meeting are Debbie Pintsch, 240-7409 and Art Carpenter, 865-9168.

Eagle River United Methodist Camp is looking for innovative leadership to assess community needs in Juneau and SE Alaska, develop programming to meet those needs, broaden community support in meeting those needs, and formulate a strategic plan for program and facilities enhancement.

THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR will promote active community participation, develop fiscal sustainability, and provide management in the following areas: volunteers, resources, budget and finance, fundraising and marketing.  Excellent organizational and communication skills required.  Helpful background includes:  non-profit experience, demonstrated strong leadership, and fund-raising.  This is a flex time 10 months a year position.  Salary is $1,000 per month for 10 months.

Eagle River United Methodist Camp is a community based non-profit 501(c)3 operated by an independent local board of directors.  Details at www.methodistcamp.org.  Please submit cover letter with resume to manager@methodistcamp.org. 

Below you will find a list of webinars for church leaders offered by the GBOD Leadership Ministries division.  These webinars are free of charge. You can register by going to www.gbod.org/webinars.

Wednesday, March 4: Ministry Milestones

Thursday, March 12: AUDIT is Not a Four-Letter Word!

Tuesday, March 17: Creating Your Plan for Christian Faith and Discipleship

Tuesday, March 31: Helping Children Make Sense of the World

Tuesday, April 14: Re-Imagining Your Retirement

Tuesday, April 14: The UM Way

Thursday, April 16: Worship in Contemporary Settings

Tuesday, April 21: Family - Creating Rituals in the Home 

Palm Sunday is March 29. Celebrate the triumphal entry of Christ using palm fronds that are fairly traded.

Through the Eco-Palm Project, palms bought from harvesters are purchased at a fair price and cut down in a way that protects the environment. Proceeds from palm sales help harvesters send their children to school, improve their communities, and provide necessary healthcare.