Annual Conference 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.

WORKSHOPS

We would like to know if there are any interested groups who would love to lead a workshop for the clergy and lay delegates.  The deadline for submitting your request is this 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.

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.

Please take a moment to look over everything above.  The registration form is still being put together and hopefully will be out in a few more weeks.

Discipleship Ministries has officially become the new name of the general agency of The United Methodist Church known for years as The General Board of Discipleship, or GBOD.

What in nature is used as a symbol of Easter?

We think of crosses and images of Jesus during Lent, but what in nature is used to represent (and teach about) this Christian season?  Take the quiz 

When do congregations "strip the Lord's Table"?

Jesus and the Resurrection

Three days after he died, Christ was resurrected as he predicted. Whom did Jesus first speak to after he arose from the dead?  Take the quiz

May anyone take Communion at a United Methodist Church?

The sacrament of Holy Communion is based on the Last Supper of Christ in the Bible. May anyone take Communion in The United Methodist Church?  Take the quiz

A team of 18 adults and youth from Alaska will spend ten days in Guatemala, July 25-August 3 working on several projects to assist an under-served Mayan population.

A section of the team will conduct four rural clinics providing basic medical and dental services for about 200 Mayan people - many of whom live on an income of about $1.50 per day.

Other members of the team will work with Mayan women in a self-help sewing cooperative, make simple home repairs and participate in two outreach programs for children and pre-adolescent girls.

This VIM experience is built on the work done by an earlier Alaskan team of 21 in 2013. 

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

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!

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.

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