Valley Interfaith Action (VIA) is a faith-based community organization in the Mat-Su who has been working ecumenically to address systemic issues in the borough since 2015. VIA celebrates receiving a second year of funding from the United Methodist Church through the Peace with Justice offering grant. The funding from the United Methodist Church helps support the ministry of VIA in eleven member congregations across the Mat-Su. VIA seeks to build strong congregational and neighborhood relationships by identifying, training and developing new leaders who are empowered to address local concerns utilizing their faith values.
VIA is comprised of eleven member congregations who are Methodist, Catholic, Episcopal and Lutheran. Since 2015, VIA has developed four local organizing ministry teams in four denominations and in different geographic areas of the Mat-Su. Local organizing ministry leaders have recently worked on crime, housing, voter turnout and senior isolation with VIA's organizer and director, Kelly Marciales. Kelly is currently a member of Christ First UMC, Wasilla. As a United Methodist and deaconess candidate, Kelly sees this work as essential to healing the broken relationships between God, our neighbor and ourselves that permeate society. Kelly works to strengthen our community by crossing social barriers to reweave relationships by using the tools of faith-based community organizing and teaching others the tools to do the same.
VIA would like to thank all who gave during Peace with Justice Sunday.
Alaska Annual Conference website
One of six churchwide Special Sundays with offerings of The United Methodist Church, Peace with Justice Sunday enables The United Methodist Church to have a voice in advocating for peace and justice through a broad spectrum of global programs. The special offering benefits peace with justice ministries in the annual conference and through the General Board of Church and Society.
When you give generously on Peace with Justice Sunday, you give The United Methodist Church a voice in advocating for global peace and justice. Give now.
