Pastor Kristi

Pastor’s Note, November 2023

Dear Aldersgate Family and Friends, Our worship series for November is “Come to the Table.” We will spend four weeks on the sacrament of Holy Communion, The Lord’s Supper, The Eucharist! The Greek of the Week is εὐχαριστήσας – eucharistēsas. Eucharistēsas is found in all four gospels, including Luke 22:19. Take this, and divide it among yourselves … And he took bread, and when he had given thanks [eucharistēsas] he broke it and gave it to them. Eucharistēsas translates to “Give Thanks” and is included in the feeding of the multitudes in the gospels. This sacrament reminds us to be filled and completed with joy in our love of God through Christ and our love of one another. The sacredness of this tradition in our church is rooted in gratitude. Friends, we have so much to be thankful for! God is good! Gracious God, we give you thanks for the young disciples in our midst who bring great joy, energy and smiles each week. We give you thanks for the music and song that grace our sanctuary through our music ministry and the sharing of our resources with Juneau Strings Ensemble and Ursa Major. We give you thanks for the ministry of our laity, and we affirm each of their calls to the ministry of Aldersgate and our community at such a time as this. Amen!

Holy One, We give you thanks for the opportunity to transform our sanctuary into a carnival and serve 171 youth plus their families. These neighbors were filled with joy and fed through our resources, and were safe and comfortable. Help us to continue this hospitality and fellowship. May the Spirit guide us. Be with us as we generously share our space. Amen!

Divine Spirit, We give thanks for all of the hands that built our church and all who keep it warm and inviting. We are so very blessed to have Aldersgate located in the valley with easy access, open doors, and open hearts. Amen!

Creator…wow! We give thanks in wonder for all of the volunteers and the many hours of joyful giving that continue to be poured into our ministries. We are without words for the representation of the hands and feet of Christ in our midst. Amen!

Pastor’s Note, October 2023

Dear Aldersgate Family and Friends,

We transitioned gracefully into autumn this year. This month, we encountered the termination dust on Mount McGinnis and the chilliness of the rain on the other side of the equinox. This is a time when our days are getting shorter, and we may notice the impact of darkness and light present in our lives. We say “until next time” to the new friends that we met through the summer, who have transitioned to other seasonal locations, and we look forward to gatherings together in the remaining months of 2023.

Thank you for all of the hours of work to make the Go Jane’s Concert a bright light in the life of Aldersgate. The baked goods were divine, and the sanctuary and narthex were wonderfully hospitable. It was a joy to serve with them at the Glory Hall with Jack leading us.

Our potlucks on the last Sunday of the month have brought wonderful fellowship. Please join us for the Harvest Festival & Children’s Carnival beginning on October 21st at 10 am, lasting all day and into the evening. Our October potluck will be on October 30th following All Saints Day worship. Please join us!

Thanks to Charlie for framing the beautiful Aldersgate script that Lacey drew on Easter. We cannot wait to see it hung up!

I am traveling this week for the 2023 National Youth Conference with Rev. Bennie Grace Nabua (from Sitka UMC) and Rev. Autumn Krueger (from St. John in Anchorage). This opportunity will allow us to learn from the Cal-Pac leaders, collaborate with multicultural youth leaders, learn the trends in youth ministry (including where we are disconnected from secularity), and inspire us to bring hope and our calling to the advocacy and inclusion of youth home to Alaska . There are stated objectives in this conference to explore the effects of colonialism in the church and reflect on antiracist discipleship practices by engaging directly with Native leaders of The United Methodist Church in Hawai’i. These goals are consistent with the vision of the M.I.L.E. that Bishop Cedrick has cast for our Conference. We will focus on listening and learning these next four days. Please keep us in your prayers, and I will see you on Sunday.

With Hope and Peace,

Pastor Kristi

Pastor’s Note, September 2023

Dear Aldersgate Family and Friends,

August outdid herself here in Juneau. What a beautiful season of sun, rain, berries, and salmon. We hope you had an opportunity to enjoy creation and had time to connect with God through the Spirit last month. As we enter September, our thoughts and prayers are with the students and educators in our community. Blessings to each child, youth, and adult who are continuing to teach, to learn, and to grow.

We concluded our 5 week series on Connect, and many of you were stirred toward service, giving, and witness. If you are interested in helping to plan the Harvest Festival, participating in our monthly potlucks, or supporting our fundraising concert for the Go Janes (coming up on September 15th), please let us know! Choir practice has begun again. Please reach out to Susan to participate. We love to hear you sing!

I’m very proud of Aldersgate for generously sharing our space with Juneau Strings Ensemble and Ursa Major (the youth orchestra). These groups are meeting two days a week, and the sanctuary is filled with young people and parents, music, and smiles. My heart was full when I witnessed so many people safe, comfortable, and happy in our church. Thank you!

Mark your calendars for our Youth and Young Adult Retreat at Eagle River United Methodist Camp, November 10-12. We will be gathering with UMC Sitka, UMC Ketchikan, and our three UMC Juneau young people. It is an opportunity to grow closer to God and build relationships in SE Alaska.

With Hope and Peace,

Pastor Kristi

Pastor’s Note, August 2023

Dear Aldersgate Family and Friends,

Our neighbors are experiencing displacement and disruption from Suicide Basin draining rapidly and flooding the Mendenhall Lake and River. The power of water to rapidly wash away tens of feet of shoreline with large trees and homes has left us all in a bit of shock. We will keep you posted as we hear of needs in our community now that the waters have retreated and clean-up has begun. It is an opportunity for us to pray with our feet and love with our resources.

We concluded July’s Worship Theme of Rest with an amazing Rest & Connect Retreat at ERUMC Camp! It was a blessed time to walk, cook, rest, play, and begin new relationships with our neighbors. Our thanks to indigenous plant expert Vivian Mork for leading the plant walk and cooking homemade gooseberry tarts to share! We had 30 adults and 16 children and youth attend, with almost everyone being local to Juneau. Many had not experienced the camp. It was a joy to break bread and to connect with creation while resting in the beautiful sunshine with many of you.

We hosted a group of 8 youth and 2 adults with Pastor Nora from St Luke in Minnesota. I’m very proud of Aldersgate for the radical hospitality in hosting this group. We served 65 people at the Glory Hall, introduced these new friends to Aak’w Kwáan territory, and they blessed us by cleaning up the front playground. It looks amazing!

National Night Out on Tuesday, August 1st was a great start to our worship them of Connection. We had over 60 children and family members enjoy our sanctuary (overtaken by 2 bouncy houses, switch games, music, and faceprinting), interact with police, fire, Seadogs rescue, Assembly members, judges, and other community leaders. The fire pit made a lot of s’mores and our neighbors across the street left with smiles, new school backpacks filled with supplies, and full bellies. We had reporters from KINY radio and the Juneau Empire attend, and they showed up for worship on Sunday! Thank you to everyone who served & participated!

With Hope and Peace,

Pastor Kristi

Pastor’s Note, July 2023

Dear Aldersgate UMC and Friends of Aldersgate,

It is a joy to highlight the ministry of Lay Servant, David Means and Council Chair, Melanie Venables. They each received distinguished awards at the Alaska Annual Conference for their service. David received the Denman Evangelism Award, and Melanie received the Outstanding Lay Leader award. Laity are the cornerstone of our United Methodist Denomination. Their call is different from mine – and it is equal to mine. The balance of laity and clergy is an example of the equitable relationships that we are called to model for the transformation of the world. Please join me in celebrating their gifts!

Beloveds – our Bishop can PREACH. If you missed any of Bishop Cedrick’s sermons from Annual Conference, I invite and I challenge you to listen to them. Our Bishop has set the course for this year, and his authenticity and the clarity of his vision is inspiring. We were thirsty for his leadership – and I am grateful. Below are the links for you to access:

M.I.L.E. – 2023 Annual Conference 

PRIDE month is officially over, but we are still celebrating the humanity and dignity of our LGBTQ+ siblings at Aldersgate. We lament the recent decisions from the Supreme Court that allow for discrimination. We also lament the decision to block student loan relief. Finally, we deeply lament the decision that impacts the equity of college admissions. May we learn from the divide that is present in the highest court in our nation and behave differently. We must continue our work with grace, hope, and love. How long, Lord? Let us move to action and to praise.

I am delighted to share that we gifted our rainbows to First Fairbanks during Annual Conference. It is a reflection of Aldersgate that these rainbows graced all of the spaces across the Greater Northwest. These visual reminders are so important. I’m proud that a little bit of our church has been shared with abundance.

With Hope and Peace,

Pastor Kristi

Pastor’s Note, June 2023

Dear Aldersgate UMC and Friends of Aldersgate,

Thank you to all who took part in our May activities, welcoming our siblings in Christ from all over Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho (in person and virtually). This was an amazing opportunity for the United Methodist Church in Juneau to connect with our local community.

One of the highlights of the Installation weekend was the participation in non-violent civil disobedience training and learning event on the need for a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Arctic. We partnered with Vets for Peace (VFP) to pray with our feet, and marched across the Juneau-Douglas bridge to raise awareness for the threat that nuclear weapons in our state and country pose to all of creation.

We plan to have more Moral Monday public witness opportunities and invite you to participate actively to level imbalances and work to dismantle inequities wherever they present themselves. You can participate in many ways, including letter campaigns to all levels of government. Go to https://www.akhopecongress.org/ or contact me to learn more.

It is our Annual Conference time, and I will be traveling for the next two Sundays. Thanks to Susan Johnson and David Means for preaching! I look forward to watching the worship services online with you!

We invite you to fill out a pledge card for our Council and Finance Committee to plan for the rest of the year (July through the end of December). Thank you for all of your contributions (financial and non-financial gifts). We are grateful for the many ways you love with your resources and share in the work of Christ in our church and our community. Click here to access the 2023 Pledge Card.

With Hope and Peace,

Pastor Kristi

Pastor’s Note, May 2023

Dear Aldersgate UMC and Friends of Aldersgate,

Please join us for worship in person!

We have so much to celebrate. It is a good and gracious thing to be in worship and fellowship with each of you. This month, we will celebrate Mother’s Day together on the 14th. As a gift to you, we will have photos for families and any group that wish to take a picture together after worship. You are invited to donate to our music ministry.

As we prepare for our Opening Session of Annual Conference and the Installation of the Bishop, we invite you will participate in some way in this celebration. In the midst of grief and challenges, we hope this is a unifying time for us as United Methodists in Alaska. Another information session will be held immediately after worship this Sunday, May 7th.

With Hope and Peace,

Pastor Kristi

Pastor’s Note, April 2023

Dear Aldersgate UMC and Friends of Aldersgate,

Please join us for worship this Holy Week!

I want to take a moment to celebrate the amazing work of our Trustees and work teams. Our sacred spaces have received hours of attention and renewal. We are grateful for Kimberly’s leadership and all who have put in time on Saturday to clean, paint, repair, and upgrade!

Thank you for all of you who attended our Information and Planning session for the Opening Session of Annual Conference and Bishop’s Installation on May 20th. This is a wonderful opportunity to unite for this joyous celebration. We will hold additional sessions as the date draws closer.

The Scripture reading for today – Holy Monday – is from John 12:1-11. It is the story of Mary anointing the feet of Jesus with valuable perfume. I invite you to imagine the presence of Christ and the room filled with fragrance. Mary’s witness is lifted by Jesus in this Scripture. Judas is silenced. When we are at the table this week, may we put aside the judgment that is so prevalent in the world, and move toward grace and generosity, inspired by Mary.

With Hope and Peace,

Pastor Kristi

Pastor’s Note, March 2023

Dear Aldersgate UMC and Friends of Aldersgate,

It is a good and gracious thing to be back in Juneau after nearly two weeks of travel. I have much to share from my travel seminar to Cuba last month, where I visited Havana, Santa Clara, Camaguey, and Santiago. I will plan a workshop after Eastertide (with a potluck, of course) to share more details. For now, I give you thanks for your support of this opportunity. I was able to be in worship, study, and fellowship with many new friends and learn so much about the unique culture and struggles of the Cuban people.

I want to take a moment to celebrate the music ministry of Aldersgate. Hannah and Susan have engaged and welcomed a diverse, multigenerational choir of women and youth that have blessed our worship services with rich vocals! We are looking forward to longer days with more singers and more song! I love to see our children participating and playing instruments. I am still smiling from having 10 children at worship yesterday.

We have started planning for Bishop Bridgeforth’s installation at Aldersgate on Saturday, May 20th. This event will be by invitation from the Greater Northwest Conference. There will be opportunities to meet and greet the Bishop and members of the Cabinet from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest on Friday and Sunday of the same weekend. We are so lucky to be able to host this important celebration in the life of the United Methodist Church! Look at God!!

I want to thank our Trustees for their hard work in painting the preschool rooms and sprucing up our church spaces. There has been a fantastic turnout for work parties led by Kimberly, and we are grateful! Our Mission District Task Force for the Alaska Conference has made great strides with Strategic Planning, which are aligned with our work at Aldersgate. I will be working on our goals with our laity this month. Stay tuned for those details.

With Gratefulness and Peace,

Pastor Kristi

Pastor’s Note, February 2023

Dear Aldersgate & Friends of Aldersgate,

We have so very much to celebrate. Thanks to Susan Johnson for joining us as a pianist and harmonizing with Aldersgate’s Musician Hannah Kuhnert. Our music ministry continues to flourish, now with the adult choir meeting on Thursdays at 6:30 pm. It is a blessing to have these voices singing again in our sanctuary during Sunday worship.

We are honored that Aldersgate UMC will be hosting the Installation of Bishop Cedrick D Bridgeforth on May 20th. Pastor Kristi will be working with Pastor Lisa Talbott (Director of Connectional Ministries) to support this event with hospitality and grace. We look forward to having Bishop Cedrick, his husband Christopher Hucks-Ortiz, and clergy from the Pacific Northwest visit our wonderful community. We have been praying for opportunities for our church to share our positivity, inclusiveness, and love, and this is a wonderful answer to those prayers. The installation of the Bishop will not be a public event, but we expect opportunities for fellowship and relationship-building with our PNW colleagues.

It is Black History Month, and I invite you to explore the history and writings of black authors, theologians, and musicians. Today, I shared a Word from Rev Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III. I recommend the works of Walter Earl Fluker, James Cone, Gregory C. Ellison II, Luke A Powery, Leah Gunning Francis, and Kelly Brown Douglas for theological study. If you’re interested in reading a selection from these authors, I would be delighted to share a book with you.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Kristi