Ministry Team Meetings

Last Sunday, our ministry teams spent over 7 hours planning, praying, and preparing for the year ahead. Here’s one key step forward from each team:

Fellowship Team – Connection Cards
Watch for Connection Cards on the table at fellowship meals. These make it easy to find ways to plug in socially and build relationships in our church and school family.

Home Team – School Basement Repair
At the top of the list of 4 large projects that the home team plans to accomplish in 2026 is to repair the school's basement wall, which has begun bowing from ground pressure. This is a critical fix to protect and strengthen our facility for the future.

Inreach Team – Women’s Tea | February 15, 12:00–1:30 pm
A special afternoon designed to encourage and care for the women of our church. Enjoy tea served by the men of the church and hear from a guest speaker from My House, a local outreach ministry.

Outreach Team – New Wineskins Discussion Group
Interested in fresh, Christ-centered ways to share your faith? You are invited to join a new discussion group (called New Wineskins) for those wrestling with the limits of traditional evangelism and seeking Christ-centered ways to share the gospel faithfully today.

You are invited to the upcoming ministry team meetings on February 1:

• Worship Team, 8:00-9:30am

• Children’s Ministry Team, 10:00-11:30am

Workbee

Make a difference at the church/school workbee on February 8, 10:00am-12:00pm.

John LaVarnway

You are invited to a celebration of life for John LaVarnway on Sunday, February 22, at 2:00 PM at the Palmer SDA Church.

New Women’s Group

They met for the first time this week! We have had a strong men’s study group for several years. Now we have a women’s group!

A new women’s home group is starting up this January, and all women of the church are invited to be part of it. The group began on Monday, January 19, meeting from 6:00–7:30 PM at 5350 East Aspen Street in Wasilla. The plan is to start by using resources from The Bible Project, with flexibility to adjust as the group grows and discerns its direction together. This will be a welcoming space for women to gather, study Scripture, and build meaningful community. If you’d like more information or want to connect before attending, feel free to reach out to Susie at (907) 500-2500‬; [email protected]

Walking Group

After a short holiday break, the walking group is starting back up. They meet in the AGA gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:00 to walk indoors. Come enjoy the exercise and fellowship.

AGA Staff Changes

This is the message that our school principal, Karen Carlton sent to parents this week:

Good afternoon school family,

Let me start by saying that as a school administrator, I am so proud of the accomplishments of each of our teachers and the cohesive team that we have developed over the past years. 

Each teacher at AGA brings joy, creativity, a love of learning, and a relationship with your children as they encourage their growth and development.

As we begin looking ahead to next year and our school programming and staffing, we are celebrating two of our teachers who will be retiring at the end of the school year.

Mrs. Woodward (3rd & 4th grade) has been teaching at AGA for 18 years and 33 years total. She has impacted countless students in their formative years and beyond. She has been looking forward to her retirement and having the time to be able to do more camping, fishing, and traveling with her husband. She will still be in our community so I’m sure we will see her occasionally because she’s going to miss us!

Mr. Andregg (5th & 6th grade) will also be retiring at the end of this school year. He is completing his 34th year of teaching! His kind and gentle personality, and his positive encouragement for each of the students as they grow in the classroom will be hugely missed as he moves back to Washington to be closer to his aging parents.We are also celebrating the great job of two more of our current teachers.

Ms. Clark will not be retiring, but, after 6 years here, she will be making a transition from AGA to move out of state this summer. She has provided excellence in our high school program and our band program. Her high expectations and academic rigor have provided a great foundation for our recent (and current) students, setting them up for success as they continue in high school and beyond.

Mrs. Alder will be making a transition at the end of the school year. She started at AGA four years ago with the idea that it would be one year but now she’s finishing up her fourth year, and she’s gotten married, built a house, and shaped the little lives in her classroom with kindness and high expectations. She is looking forward to what the future holds for her family.

Now, that you’ve used your tissue, I want to share with you the process as we move forward and plan for next year.

Like I said earlier in the email, each of these teachers have had an enormous positive impact on the lives of the students, staff, and families at AGA during their time here. Every one of them will leave a huge hole. Change is hard!

It’s easy to feel like everything is falling apart because of so much change, but, this is God’s school and He has a plan for AGA and your children from preschool through 12th grade and beyond! I’m grateful for the excellent teachers who will be continuing next year and the positive culture and academic canvas they will continue to provide.

Our next steps:

We had an initial positive interview yesterday with a prospective teacher. The final interview will be in a couple of weeks.

We are posting our job openings and interviewing prospective candidates for our elementary and high school positions, and will keep you informed as we have the positions filled. We are looking for high-quality teachers who will work well together in our school community and continue the mission of AGA in elementary and high school!

As we hire new teachers, we may shift teaching assignments for the best fit based on the new teachers’ strengths mixed with our current teachers’ expertise.I covet your prayers as we look forward to next year and all that God has in store for AGA. 

I know He has amazing plans that are already in the works and He knows the exact teachers we need here. I have confidence that the Lord’s hand will guide us to fulfill His plans, and I pray that you are filled with confidence and peace as well while we navigate these changes together.

Karen Carlton

Dear Alaska Conference Family,

A new year is here, and with it comes a fresh opportunity to seek God together. Many of us felt the earth shifting around us during the recent earthquake, some days it seems as though the whole world is shifting.  As we recognize the times in which we are living, we are reminded of Jesus’ words: “When you see all these things… know that it is near” (Matthew 24:33). More than ever, what we need most is a living relationship with Christ at the center of our lives.

This past fall, during our Upward—40 Days of Prayer, many of you shared how God moved powerfully—renewing faith, healing relationships, restoring courage, and drawing hearts back to Him. Now, as 2026 begins, we sense God inviting us once more to our knees.

Upward 2026 will unite our entire conference family for 31 days of prayer throughout January. Each day at 6:00 a.m. and/or 6:00 p.m., we will gather—online or in homes and churches—to seek God’s leading. You will also receive a daily devotional email at 3:00 a.m. to strengthen your walk with Him.

Let us begin 2026 in the strongest place possible—on our knees before God, together.

With Hope,
Alaska Conference Leadership

You can find Zoom links and sign up to receive the daily devotionals on the home page of our conference website, https://alaskaconference.org

Around the AKC

Stay informed about the latest happenings around the Alaska Conference by subscribing to our bimonthly e-newsletter, Around The AKC. You can view past editions and sign up at www.alaskaconference.org/around-the-akc. 

We keep a close eye on our church calendar, so you can know what’s happening!

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