Alaska Missions 2005-2006 Review
Alaska Missions
2005-06 Review
Since its inception the FCC Alaska Missions Team has participated in partnerships with individuals, churches, and organizations to help reach the Native people in our state.
Current partner ministry summaries follow:
Arctic Barnabas (Joel Caldwell)
Based out of Kenai, AB provides pastoral care in remote locations by providing spiritual nourishment to village pastors and their families. They also help prepare for Bible Camps and Child Evangelism Fellowship events.
Arctic Barnabas 5 core strategies:
- Pastor to Missionaries- They do pulpit training for fill-in pastors as well as raising support for the ministry. They go out and stay in the missionary’s homes and keep in contact with them every other week for support and help with goal setting.
- Minute Man is a database of volunteers and their skills to draw from to meet the needs of the missionaries (i.e. carpentry, plumbing, mechanic, tax-prep, etc.)
- Women’s Ministry – Focuses on the wives needs by providing relational support as well as nice things like tea parties.
- Youth Pastor to missionaries- provides support for the Pastor’s children. They train youth groups to go out and minister.
- Family Ministry Retreat - Village pastors of many denominations are flown to Port Alsworth for a safe place to share, pray, and take communion together.
Currently FCC provides monthly support to Arctic Barnabus. Also, last year we sent two village pastors (Tedesco’s in Port Heiden and Cardwells in Scammon Bay) ministry care packages and supported $750 toward a “Life!” promotions trip to four villages.
Alaska Christian College: (Cheryl Davis)
ACC is located in Soldotna and they cater to the needs of Native American students. Their mission is to prepare young people for whole-life discipleship and they have 1 and 2 year programs. Classes include: Surveys of the Old & New Testament, History of the Church, Studying the Bible, and Biblical Ethics. Students also learn relationship building and serving through youth missions and evangelism, and writing skills.
Currently FCC provides monthly support to Cheryl Davis (a missionary and Dean of Academics) and provides 4 students with scholarships. Individuals and teams have gone out 3 times in the last year to serve preparing the campus for student arrival, library input, crafts with students, and serving at the graduation banquet ceremony.
Members have also helped to raise financial support outside the church for the college.
Roger & Carole Huntington in Galena
Ministering in Galena and surrounding villages, they do revivals, married couple and youth mentoring and help with the Kokrine Hills summer camp.
Roger flies couples and youth to various ministry events and goes into villages when someone is at risk for suicide.
Currently FCC provides financial support on a project request basis.
Heather Smith Kuukpik Presbyterian Church Pastor in Nuiqsut – After being introduced to Heather a couple of years ago the AMT became part of her prayer support. We have also sent a care package with Bibles and Christian CD’s for distribution to youth in the village.
Life! Promotions - After the Alaska Regional Missions Conference Joel Caldwell from Arctic Barnabas began working with the Mental Health Board in an effort to reduce suicide in Alaska. There had been a series of deaths in a three month period, 3 of which were pastor’s children. As a result Joel Caldwell reconnected with a minister from his youth Bob Lenz from Appleton, Wisconsin and sent out a team to several villages. They had assemblies in the village schools that taught about value, courage and respect, following it with an invitation to a local church in the evening where they would reinforce the message, share their testimonies and present the gospel.
Part of their mission is to have every student hear the gospel before the age 18.
Because Alaska is known to have high rates for drug/alcohol, sexual/physical abuse and suicide the team was well received by both the schools and communities they presented in.
On the second trip the Torrison’s hosted them overnight before they went out to Naknek, Aniak, Togiak, and Bethel and FCC supported Arctic Barnabas for the in-state travel.
Future FCC Involvement Opportunities/Ministry Needs:
Arctic Barnabas
Recently the FCC Man to Man Ministry hosted a breakfast where a dozen men signed up to go to serve as Minute Men in villages. They are always looking for more to sign up as well as financial support for construction supplies.
Also needed are people willing to open their homes to pastors and their families while they are in Anchorage or offer use of a vehicle.
Other mission trip ideas are to help women’s encouragement/teas/crafts.
Adopt a village/pastor’s family for a Christmas care package – involves calling, getting information, praying for the ministry, collect and send needed items.
Prayers and financial support are always welcome.
Alaska Christian College
After 3-4 years of support FCC needs to provide an opportunity for ACC to come and share firsthand with our congregation about who they are and what they do.
Mission trip opportunities (Close to home!):
- Share testimony/teach a class
- Craft project with students
- Help prepare campus for student arrival (cleaning).
- Help with accreditation process – input and cataloging books for library.
- Serve at the Graduation Banquet Ceremony or provide childcare for staff during events.
FCC members can attend ACC’s fundraising dinner (fall/winter) to see and hear student testimonies or donate to ACC’s Christmas ornaments for student scholarships at $25 each. These include student information and prayer requests.
Continued prayer for ACC’s 4 F’s:
Freshman – to grow in depth of the knowledge of God.
Faculty & Staff – wisdom in all areas of discipleship: teaching, mentoring, loving and disciplining.
Finances and Facilities – God’s provision for finances and workers to complete their 175 seat dining hall this summer.
Praise that when federal grants were blocked by the Freedom from Religion Foundation lawsuit against the Department of Education they have been able to operate without any layoffs and have paid all their bills.
Pray for a favorable resolution.
Roger Huntington
Pray for the many conferences they are involved in: Beauty for Ashes, Marriage Wellness, and Bible Camp.
Continue project support.
Nuiqsut Pastor Heather Smith and other village pastors – Prayer and encouragement, collect and send care packages to support ministry, i.e. Bibles, Christian CD’s, youth ministry supplies, personal, housing/food supplies.
Pray for church leaders to emerge within the congregations. The Nuiqsut Assembly of God pastor has just moved out of the village leaving Heather without support.
Life! Promotions – Clara Torrison began organizing assemblies in the Anchorage/Eagle River/Chugiak area to help finance L! P’s future trips from Wisconsin and to help our local youth. She is seeking people willing to serve on a committee to pray and help with fall and winter events planned as well as raise financial support. Following in January, Arctic Barnabas will bring the team back to go to the Norton Sound area (Kotzebue).
Fruit and Anticipated Fruit
Alaska Christian College has had 130 graduates since its inception 5 years ago.
Many move on to higher education and will go back to their villages to be a light for Christ.
Students are receiving counseling and healing for past abuses, learning life skills and serving.
Arctic Barnabas has seen the average stay of a pastor go from 6 months to 6 years and they continue to help pastors and their families stay healthy and a vital part of their communities.
Life! Promotions have an effective approach to reaching youth with the Gospel by presenting in a thoughtful, but humorous way. Large numbers have accepted Christ in several villages, including some teachers. Students are learning they have value no matter what their past has been.
Roger and Carole Huntington provides light and life to Galena and the surrounding area.
Heather Smith is working to lead men, women and children to Christ and getting them involved in small groups.
Anticipated Fruit we anticipate God is going to continue to bless and grow these ministries.
It is anticipated the Life! Promotions school assemblies will bring many youth and their families to Christ/church.
