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PRESBYTERY OF YUKON 616 West Tenth Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99507 1-907-276-0914 voice; 1-907-276-0175 fax; office@pbyukon.org |
Our Mission
Kuukpik Presbyterian Church, Nuiqsut, Alaska
In October, the Presbytery of Yukon voted to begin featuring an annual mission focus for the presbytery. There are two goals for the presbytery's mission focus:
1. to assist a ministry in accomplishing a particular mission; and
2. to help the presbytery learn more about, and pray for that particular minister.
This year's mission focus is the Kuukpik Presbyterian Church. Kuukpik Presbyterian is located in the village of Nuiqsut on the Nechelik Channel of the Colville River Delta. Nuiqsut was one of three abandoned Inupiat villages identified in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. Under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Alaska Native communities with at least 25 people could form village corporataions, and claim entitlement to some of their traditional lands. In 1973, thrity-five families of the Kuukpikmiut, the Kuukpik people, re-established the village of Nuiqsut, and in 1975 the Kuukpik Presbyterian Church received its charter.
Currently, the Kuukpik Presbyterian Church is served by CLP Heather Smith. Heather alternates spending two months in Nuisut and one month in Anchorage with family. The church is also well served by the elders of the church, who lead the worship and other ministry of the church in partnership with Heather.
Next summer, the church is planning to build a Sunday School addition onto the church building. The new addition will be approximately 30 feet by 16 feet. It is this building project that caused the presbytery to choose the Kuukpik Presbyterian Church as this year's mission focus.
Please keep the church, its leadership, and the new building project in your prayers.
Bering Witness Mission to the Russian Far East
The Yukon Presbytery, in ecumenical partnership with four other denominations, is preparing and sending Yupik (Eskimo) evangelists to the native peoples of Siberia. New believers from Siberia have come for several days of training and encouragement to serve as house church leaders and Bible study leaders in their home villages. The goal is to establish an indigenous self-sustaining church among the native peoples of the Chukotka Peninsula of Siberia.
Chukotka Native Christian Ministry (CNCM)
The Chukotka Native Christian Ministry is the ministry arm of the Bering Witness program.
Contact person: Rev. Curt Karns
907-276-0914 or exec@pbyukon.org
Gambell New Church Building
Spiritual revival, congregational growth and harsh Arctic conditions require a new, larger church in this remote Yupik Eskimo village on St. Lawrence Island. The Gambell Presbyterian Church is an anchor of the Bering Witness Mission to the native peoples of Siberia.
Presbyterian Women
Pat Pickett, moderator
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