While I am on vacation, from Thursday April 9 to April 19, the office will still be open.  Carlo will be in the office and will be checking messages.  Please be aware that Carlo will not be giving the same amount of time to my job as his own so even though messages will be checked, you may not receive a speedy answer.  I will try to respond to things Carlo is unable to as quickly as I can upon my return.  We both appreciate your patience during the next few weeks.  In my absence there will not be an e~Aurora next week, April 14. 

Saint John UMC in Anchorage is currently hiring a new worship leader for their 11:15 contemporary worship service. Visit www.stjohneagle.com for more info.

Volunteers can  apply online to serve as marshals or pages during The United Methodist Church's 2016 General Conference. The denomination's top legislative assembly will meet in Portland, Oregon, May 10-20, 2016.

Approximately 150 volunteers are needed to serve as marshals and pages during General Conference. Preference will be given to applicants who can serve throughout the entire conference.

Marshals are responsible for assisting visitors and special guests in the visitor and reserved seating galleries, checking credentials to make sure that only authorized persons are admitted to the bar of the conference or that of legislative committees, and other duties as assigned.

Pages assist delegates, secretarial staff, bishops, members of the Judicial Council and official visitors. They distribute approved materials and deliver printed information.

Volunteers are responsible for their own travel and expenses. Those interested should submit an online application before the deadline of July 31. If you have additional questions, contact Dick Hooton at revshoot@gmail.com.

The Local Host Committee will be looking for hundreds of volunteers to work full or part day shifts as greeters, registration assistants, airport guides, and other welcoming ambassadors to the Northwest. You can learn more and sign up at www.gc2016pdx.org.  If you are interested in going as a volunteer from the Alaska Conference, please contact the conference office at umc@gci.net. 

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.

Annual Conference will be held at St. John UMC in Anchorage on June 5th & 6th with workshops on June 4th.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

The registration process is now open.  You can register and pay online through this link.  If you would like to download a paper copy, you can do it here.  There is an early bird rate so make sure you take advantage of it by April 30th. 

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS

There will be a day of workshops on June 4th.  You can find a list of the workshops and their descriptions here. One of the workshops has been moved from the morning to the afternoon.  The links and forms have been updated to reflect this change.  You can sign up for these workshops when you register to attend Annual Conference.  If you decide to change your workshop after you have already registered, please contact the conference office to change it.  If you do not plan on attending Annual Conference but want to participate in one of the workshops, you can fill out this form.  

GENERAL CONFERENCE DELEGATES

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. 

AWARDS 

You can start nominating clergy, laity, or youth for the Harry Denman Evangelism Award.  You can also nominate someone for being an Outstanding Lay Person.

FORMS

If you would like to propose a change in the rules via a petition, you can find the form here.  If you need to write a report for the pre-conference handbook because of your role within the conference, you can find the guidelines here.  Churches can submit their names for the memorial service on this form.  If you are part of an organization that would like to reserve a table for a display, fill out this form.

Below you will find a list of webinars for church leaders offered by Discipleship Ministries.  These webinars are free of charge. You can register by going to www.umcdiscipleship.org/webinars.

Monday, April 13: Stewardship - PROPEL 

Tuesday, April 14: Re-Imagining Your Retirement

Tuesday, April 14: The United Methodist Way

Thursday, April 16: Children & Worship in Contemporary Settings

Thursday, April 16: Practical Steps for Introducing Covenant Discipleship to Your Congregation 

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

Thursday, April 23: The Committee - Our Purpose