The Conference Journal is posted on our website and you can access it anytime you would like. Download it onto your computer desktop for easy research.

Conference Journal

Bishop's Blog

Bishop Grant Hagiya was recently up in Alaska for the Creating Congregational Cultures of Generosity workshop as well as our regular conference committee meetings. His new blog is about his visit as he touches on the importance of new church starts and revitalization efforts. The Urgency of Tending to our Life Cycle.

World Day of Prayer

Church Women United Alaska will celebrate World Day of Prayer on Friday March 4, 2016 at 11 a.m. at St. Mark Lutheran Church (3230 Lake Otis Parkway, Anchorage, 99508).

The worship service was written by women of Cuba and the theme is "Receive Children, Receive Me". For more info call Jan Wachsmuth at 862-0194. Check out the website for World Day of Prayer 2016 www.wdp-usa.org.

One Great Hour of Sharing - March 6

One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) is one of the six United Methodist church-wide Special Sundays with offerings.

OGHS enables United Methodist Committee On Relief (UMCOR) to live out its mission to alleviate human suffering and respond to natural or human-caused disasters. And, it's your gifts that make it possible for UMCOR to use 100% of all other contributions on the projects our donors specify, instead of on administrative or fundraising costs.

UMCOR does not receive United Methodist World Service or apportionment funds, so without your offerings, UMCOR would not exist. This Sunday, make sure you give a special offering for OGHS!

Words of Prayer for the 2016 General Conference

First Sundays Bulletin Inserts now available

As part of the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area, each of the 475 local churches in the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho, and Pacific Northwest Conferences have the honor of serving as hosts for the several thousand United Methodists who will gather from around the globe in Portland, Oregon this May for General Conference 2016. Some will share in this honor by volunteering in person, but we can all be a part of a prayerful welcome.

Bishop Hagiya is inviting you and your congregation to join him in an area-wide experience of prayer for General Conference that will take place on the first Sunday of the month from March through June 2016.

Click through to read a letter from the Bishop and to download inserts for use in your church bulletins. (http://greaternw.org/words-of-prayer/)

Words of Prayer - March 6 - PDF

Words of Prayer - April 3 - PDF

Words of Prayer - May 1 - PDF

Words of Prayer - June 5 - PDF

So Much Good News!

It's a good time to be in the fight against malaria. We have so much to be thankful for! In the past week, there have been major announcements pointing to progress. We are at 93% of our goal, the White House just announced a major funding increase for malaria work, and there's progress towards a new vaccine. Read more.

General Conference Exceeds Goal for Sponsors

The sponsorship department of the General Council on Finance and Administration has exceeded its goal of raising $600,000 through the General Conference sponsorship and exhibitors program. As of this month, the program has raised $637,600 to help defray the costs of the denomination's top legislative assembly, which will be May 10-20 in Portland, Oregon. Altogether, the 2016 General Conference will have 130 exhibit booths.
Learn more about the 2016 General Conference

Baby News

Rev. David and Judy Dyrenforth are pleased to share news of their daughter, Margaret Grace Dyrenforth's birth on Friday, February 26, 2016 in Fairbanks, AK. At 7 pounds, 4 ounces and 19 inches long, Maggie is a healthy baby. Both Samuel (age 9) and Susannah (age 6 1/2) join their parents in their delight in God's blessing.

Jennifer Garner Says Film Led Her Back to Church

Actress Jennifer Garner says filming "Miracles in Heaven" inspired her to start going to a United Methodist church again. AJC.com reports on Garner's faith journey and the film, based on a memoir by Christy Beam.

Read the story

Summer Internship Program with Community Missional Service

QuadW Missional Internship is a mission oriented experience for college-age young adults. The Portland site is one of ten sites in the U.S. that offer opportunities to serve and meet the physical and spiritual needs of each intern, through communal living, worshiping together, working in the community with children and the under-served population, including enriching their own personal relationship with God, through 'Spiritual Reflection Fridays' to grow their faith journey.

This internship program starts June 9, 2016 for eight weeks focusing on life-changing missional experiences. Up to 12 spots are available at the Portland site for 2016. Interns receive a $1,800 stipend plus free housing with most meals provided. Interns are encouraged to raise $300 to offset the program. Interns must be willing to live and share in a Christ-centered community, be self-motivated and have a desire to grow in deep understanding of hands-on community missional service.

Applications are now being accepted: http://quadwmi.org/application/

QuadW Organization - Portland Link: http://quadwmi.org/portland-or/

Annual Conference

We want to make sure that Annual Conference is on your calendars, especially for clergy and lay delegates. All events will occur at St. John United Methodist Church. There will be a day of workshops on Thursday, June 2nd and then the conference will be Friday, June 3rd through Saturday, June 4th.

This year's theme for Annual Conference is Keeping Sabbath: Resting, Rejoicing, Returning. As Christians we inherit a story of creation where God rests after six long days bringing what is into being.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy .... For in six days the Lord made the heavens and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11.)

Southeast Alaska Mission u Event at UMC of Sitka

Every year the United Methodist Women of Alaska put on educational events based on study topics. This year the studies are Created for Happiness: Understanding Your Life in God which is led by Susie Smalley and Latin America: People and Faith led by Walt Hays. The last event will take place at UMC of Sitka on March 11-12, 2016. Please contact Jennifer Miller if you have any questions.

Registration Form

Advance Renewal Applications

For all the churches and projects that have assigned Advance numbers, the renewal deadline for continuance in the next quadrennium is March 15, 2016. If you have any questions, feel free to contact The Advance at advance@umcmission.org or at 212-870-3718 for further support.

2016 Webinar Series

Below you will find a list of webinars for church leaders offered by Discipleship Ministries' Leadership Ministries division. You can register, free of charge, by going to http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/webinars.

March 10 - The Spiritual Life of the Media Child
March 10 - Passing It On
March 16 - Covenant Discipleship
March 17 - Finding Money That Went Missing: Recovering Funds that Can be Used for Mission

Idita-Walk Fundraiser for Nome Community Center

The Nome Community Center, a UMW National Mission Institution, is sponsoring the 1,049-minute walking event Idita-Walk, which draws participants from across Alaska, and around the globe. Even your dog can participate in this walking event!

To participate in the Idita-Walk, keep track of how many minutes you walk per day on a paper form. Strive to reach the goal of 1,049 minutes - the same number of miles that sled dogs and mushers must trek across Alaska in order to reach the Iditarod finish line. If you walk an average of 35 minutes a day, you'll finish in 30 days. The Idita-Walk starts February 1st and ends March 31st.

The event benefits the Nome Community Center and all the services it provides Nome and the Bering Strait region, including the Nome Food Bank, the XYZ Senior Center, Nome Children's Home and Family Services.

It is $10 to register per person (or dog), $30 to register and order a T-shirt, and $50 to register and order a sweatshirt. If you're among the first 750 to sign up, you'll receive an official 2016 Idita-Walk pin upon registration

You can sign up for the 2016 Idita-Walk online at www.idita-walk.com.

Musician Available to Perform at Alaska UM Churches

Musician Jim Hendricks will be touring for ministry throughout the US and abroad between May 2016 and August 2017. Most of his travel expenses have already been funded. He does concerts on a free-will offering basis, so there is no financial obligation for the churches. This is a United Methodist-based music ministry.

You can find his biography, mission statement, and music samples at www.jimhendricksmusic.com. His doctrinal statement is also available upon request.

Any church that is interested can also obtain free CD's for consideration.

Prof. Jim Hendricks

(888) 394-0524 or (815) 254-3104 in the U.S.

jphendricks@hotmail.com

www.jimhendricksmusic.com

Upcoming Events

February

29- March 2: Carlo in Sitka and Juneau

March

7-11: Carlo in Boise for GNW Cabinet meeting and NLI Conference

13: Daylight Saving Time

20: Palm Sunday

21-23: Carlo in Seattle for GNW Cabinet meeting

27: Easter Sunday

April

3: Camping Sunday for the Alaska United Methodist Conference

11-14: Carlo in Oregon for GNW Cabinet meeting

May

10-20: General Conference in Portland. Carlo attending

30: Memorial Day - Office Closed

June

2: Annual Conference Workshops

3-4: Annual Conference 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