{"id":6218,"date":"2019-06-02T12:00:27","date_gmt":"2019-06-02T20:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alaskaumc.org\/?p=6218"},"modified":"2024-09-24T16:01:54","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T23:01:54","slug":"welcome-love-serve-anchor-park-umc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greaternw.org\/news\/welcome-love-serve-anchor-park-umc\/","title":{"rendered":"“Welcome. Love. Serve.” — Anchor Park UMC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
How the community makes its way into Anchor Park UMC–through the front doors.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Anchor Park UMC was birthed in 1954 in response to the growing population of Anchorage in the 1950s; established to be a neighborhood church, placed in a growing subdivision that is now a long-established neighborhood. The church grew over the years, it grew through disciples deeply loving as God has loved them, responding to the needs of this community as they arise.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1978, the Tongan Fellowship was established. The Tongan Fellowship has greatly influenced life at Anchor Park UMC for the past 40 years, sharing their culture and wisdom. They\u2019ve shared their gifts of music and leadership at Anchor Park UMC for years.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anchor Park UMC has served as a church home for many people. When you come into the sanctuary on Sunday morning and look around you will see a diverse body of people, many ages, races, and cultures. We are a community of people that embody a welcoming, loving, and serving spirit \u2013 the core pillars of our mission statement here at Anchor Park UMC.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anchor Park UMC is a lot like other churches, we worship on Sunday morning, we serve at Bean\u2019s Caf\u00e9 and Clare House, two non-profits responding to homelessness in Anchorage, once a month. We collect food for FISH, Backpack Buddies, and the Willow Community Food Pantry. We host a men\u2019s AA group and REAL About Addiction\u2019s support group and monthly meetings. And we have the state\u2019s only special needs boy scout troop.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thing that is different about Anchor Park UMC is the family culture. Anchor Park UMC serves as a family for many people. Military folks, transplants for other jobs, and those that stayed long after their initial reason for moving here. The people at Anchor Park UMC care for each other, they welcome in those who walk through the doors and invite them to be part of this church family and to share a meal with each other.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past 65 years, the ministry and congregation of Anchor Park UMC has ebbed and flowed, responding to the needs of the neighborhood it is nested in and the passions of its members. This past year we became the main supplier for our neighborhood elementary school\u2019s Backpack Buddies\u2019 program, providing 200 meals each weekend, ensuring that our kids do not go hungry and are able to return to school ready and able to learn.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n