N E W S L E T T E R O F H I L L T O P U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H. Doing is on the way to Becoming. 'Does it hurt?' asked the Rabbit.

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1 N E W S L E T T E R O F H I L L T O P U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H September 2018 Doing is on the way to Becoming By Pastor Dennis Shaw Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.' 'Does it hurt?' asked the Rabbit. 'Sometimes,' said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. 'When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.' 'Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,' he asked, 'or bit by bit?' 'It doesn't happen all at once,' said the Skin Horse. 'You become. The Velveteen Rabbit I once was asked why I didn t title my sermons. My not serious, tongue in cheek, quip was that I was a closet Episcopalian, and while I believed in Jesus, I didn t believe in titles. Episcopalians do not title their sermons, Methodists normally do. But I assure you, I am not a closet Episcopalian. Their Sunday duds are just not me. I might become an Episcopalian, but I doubt it. The real answer is I feel titles box me in. Here at Hilltop, we print the bulletin on Thursday, and I am often, very often, not ready to put a title on a sermon at that time. A title forces me into a direction I am not always ready to be go. Yes, I can be stubborn at times with the Holy Spirit and the direction of a sermon. Doing Church When I have a good title and know with great certainty where the Holy Spirit is carrying me, it s easy. Look at the bulletins for Sunday worship in September; titles will be present. But that title creation prompted me to think about a lot of stuff. (Continued on page 2)

2 Pastor s Musings (Continued from page 1) The act of creating a title for this Sunday s sermon produced a jumble in my head. As we look at the book of James in September, that jumble is stirred by contemplating the answer to the question: What does it mean to live as a Christian? The theme for the month, Doing Church is also messing with me. Several weeks ago when it was proposed, it generated no dissonance in my head at all. Now, for some reason, it keeps clashing in my head. (To be clear, this a good dissonance, like in Jazz or the Blues or Stravinsky). I was glad to read that the theme had an impact on Mary Jean Davison as she wrote her excellent Music and Arts article on page 6. Mary Jean suggests that by doing church, we start to experience transformation and get to a place of becoming where we are the church. You don t stay at doing. At some point, you become. I assure you that after having prepared right at 500 sermons I am not the same person I was 500 sermons ago. Church is a different reality for me than fifteen years ago, sometimes even fifteen minutes ago. Being the church is, in the sense of the two Spanish verbs to be, permanent and temporary. Gradually as we become real in terms of being little Christs, the meaning of Christian after all, he becomes permanently part of who we are, and we leave more and more of the temporary behind. I suspect it is never completed, that in this life we are never fully 100% finished. To paraphrase Paul from 1 st Corinthians 13, I suspect it is a state of constant becoming, a state of seeing in the mirror and just getting it dimly, always seeking more light, more clarity, moving from doing to a state of becoming. In the words of the Skin Horse, you become real. Selah, Pastor Dennis Spanish has two verbs to be. One has an element of permanence, and the other is understood to be temporary. If you use the wrong verb to say someone is smart or beautiful, you are actually suggesting it is not part of their normal state. I see this doing/being in the same way. We have to do the church enough, that at some point it stops being doing, and it becomes a vital statement about who we actually are. Pastor Dennis s Electronic Hangouts His sermons can be found at mantuan.podbean.com. You can read his thoughts at mantuan.blogspot.com. 2 Hilltop Highlights

3 Christian Education Monday School Pastor Dennis leads a weekly bible study at 7:00 to 8:30 pm on Mondays starting September 10. This is in the Upper Room (the western stairs near the north entrance leads to the Upper Room). All are welcome. We plan this quarter to look at the Minor Prophets, probably one a week. Drop-ins are welcome. Do let someone know you are coming as, once in a while, and not very often, we do cancel the class, usually once every three months or so. Text Pastor Dennis at or at pastor@hilltopumchurch.org Women s Bible Study Deb Hale leads a bible study on Wednesday morning at 9:30 am. All are welcome. You can send Deb a note at debralhale@yahoo.com. There are more adult Christian education opportunities on page 8. Leadership Study Are you possibly interested in Imagining a world in which the vast majority of people wake up inspired to go to work, feel safe when they are there, and return home feeling fulfilled by the work they do? It's not as crazy as you might think"! Our Leadership-Selection and Development team is working on preparing discussions on Leadership Development for the church. We plan on using Simon Simek's Leaders Eat Last, a New York Times best seller as our resource. The overall theme will be "Why some teams (committees) pull together and others don't." We will be utilizing "Zoom Meeting" as our e-training platform to provide this training to our council leaders and committee members. We still have some work to do as to when we will regularly meet (on Zoom, not here at the church.) If this interests you, send Pastor Dennis a note at pastor@hilltopumchurch.org. Pastor Dennis Shaw Senior Pastor pastor@ hilltopumchurch.org Mother s Morning Out We are excited to be starting another year of our MMO program at Hilltop. Mother's Morning Out is an incredible ministry that takes care of kiddos from 6 months to 3 years old on weekday mornings and provides the opportunity for Moms to take a break. It may be surprising to know that a large majority of our students do not come from advertising, but rather from word of mouth recommendations! That means September 2018 YOU. You are actually our greatest resource and we'd love to tap into that. Would you be willing to spend a little of your time recruiting for us? We are asking that you simply spread the word about MMO to anyone with young kiddos, we'd love to be in touch with them. Any interested families can send an to mmo@hilltopumchurch.org and we will provide them with private tours, registration forms and any additional information they may need. Thanks! 3

4 Children & Youth Ministry Jen Strickland Children & Youth Ministries Director By Jason Wilden Fall is a time of harvest, leaves change color, football starts, and school resumes. Children and Youth Ministries is ready for a vibrant fall! There is a variety of programs available for children of all ages. We ve made some changes in the nursery, so parents can drop their children off when they head to Sunday School and can pick them up after the church service, so they don t need to pick up and drop children off between Sunday School and the 10:30 church service. A light snack will be provided to the children in the nursery. We continue to offer Sunday School at 9:00 am and Children s Church during the 10:30 service. In addition to Children s Church at 10:30, we start our 3 rd graders Introduction to The Bible on September 30 with the 3 rd graders retuning to the sanctuary by advent. We are in the process of planning our annual Trunk or Treat for late October. Please pay attention to upcoming newsletter articles, bulletin announcements, and e-notes for the latest on all of Children and Youth Ministries programming and events. 3 rd Grade Bible Presentation On September 30th, during the 10:30 am worship service, the 3rd graders will be receiving their bibles from the Hilltop congregation. Following the presentation they will have the opportunity to attend an Introduction to the Bible class which will be held at the same time as Children s Church for 6-8 weeks. If you have a 3rd grader that you would like to receive a bible please contact Jen Strickland at x. 204 or cyministries@hilltopumcnurch.org. Please include the name of your child(ren) in your message or . It s Time for Sunday School! On September 9 th Sunday school for all ages will be available during the 9:00 am worship hour. Classes will be available for 4 year olds Kindergarten; 1 st 2 nd grade; 3 rd 5 th grade; Jr. High (6 th 8 th grade); and Sr. High (9 th -12 th grade). Details about class locations will be posted on September 9 th. Calling all Youth 3 rd through 12 th grade You are invited to join Hilltop s Youth Group! Join us Sundays from 4:30 pm 6 pm at Hilltop. Our first Youth Group activity will be Sunday, September 9 th. Come hang out with your friends and spend time in fellowship, service, and learning how to put all you learn in Sunday school into action. UEUMYs serves all youth in 3 rd 5 th grade Jr. High serves all youth in 6 th 8 th grade Sr. High serves all you in 9 th 12 th grade Check out the calendar for September below. We will plan October December based on your ideas and suggestions on September 9 th. Remember, It s not a YOUth group without YOU. 4 Hilltop Highlights

5 Children & Youth Ministry Children s Sunday School Parent s please drop off your children in the classroom. There will be sign-up sheets in each classroom. Teachers will be prepared to receive your children no earlier than 8:50 am. Children 4 years old through 5 th grade must be checked out from their classroom by an approved adult noted on their registration form. Please pick up your children no later than 10 minutes following worship service. Children and Youth Registration Registration forms must be completed and turned in for your children and youth by September 16 th. Hilltop United Methodist Church is a Safe Sanctuary congregation. Safe Sanctuary congregations are encouraged to have registration forms on file enables church volunteers and staff to provide the best experience possible for your children and youth. Hilltop Children's Choir Preview Night - Thursday, September 13 6:15-7:00pm Join us for a fun evening of musicmaking! All children in grades 1-5 are invited. You'll get a chance to meet the new director, Ms. Katie, and experience what we do in a typical Thursday rehearsal. Grown-ups, you are welcome to stay and see how your child will learn and grow as part of the Hilltop Children's Choir. Not sure if choir is right for your family? Come to the Preview Night and discover what children's choir is all about! Rehearsals start September 20 th. Contact Katie Houts with any questions: katie.houts@gmail.com Youth September Schedule Regular Schedule 4:30 6 pm Sunday Events at Hilltop UEUMYs Jr High Sr High Sept 9 th Getting to Know You Getting to Know You Getting to Know You Sept 16 th Making T-Shirts Making T-Shirts Making T-Shirts Games / Food Program with Jen Program with Jen Sept 23 rd Program with Jen Finish T-Shirts Finish T-Shirts Worship Service Run-thru Worship Service Run-thru Worship Service Run-thru Games / Food Games / Food Games / Food Sept 30 th Alternate schedule: 9 am Sunday School 10:30 am Participate in Worship Noon Lunch and Fellowship September

6 Music & Arts Ministry Doing Church By Mary Jean Davison Where are we going with this? To church, of course. I have been somewhat confused by this terminology so I turned to Cortana, my computer s source of all manner of suggestions, and locations of many possible points, some of them agreeing with thoughts I had formulated and with the scriptures. There s much more to be spoken and written on this subject, and I hope to read it here. Many of us came to our church experience at the side of our parents, many came with friends, looking for companionship, some a social experience, some joining a musical group, and some pulled by an interest in God and whether there was something special in knowing about our Creator. As an Episcopalian child, I went to Sunday school, and at the appropriate age went to class on Saturday, studied for confirmation and joined the church. It was exciting! The Bishop wore a tall pointed hat, and I kissed his ring, took communion and all was well. On Christmas Eve my friends and I went to our own church, and then gathered to attend midnight mass at the Catholic church. It was different and dramatic and beautiful. We were Doing Church. As I attended college, I found myself attending church on Sunday and fasting on special days. I was thirsty for the word of God and attended a Bible study by myself, joined the choir, and began to participate in the college youth group. As I look back, I moved from doing church. But as I was learning more about God s love and God s promises, His presence in the lives of people all around, and being church. How wonderful it was to see the enabling grace He shared with us all. After 50 some years of raising four children and many wonderful hours of working with children in and out of the church setting, it concerns me that I find it necessary to pray that the parents, members, relative, and friends in our church and throughout the community will choose to make it possible for their children to experience the singing, scripture, love, and services that occur in Sunday school and church. So that doing church will become being the church. Organ Fund The Organ Fund has existed for years with no growth. The music ministries of Hilltop would like to make use of these long dormant resources provided there is no objection from those who may have contributed to this fund in the past. We would like to transfer this money to a less restrictive account on October 1 unless there are objections. Send a note to office@hilltopumchurch.org if you have a question or wish to provide a comment. 6 Hilltop Highlights

7 Music & Arts Ministry Time to Kick-Off! Hilltop Chancel Choir had one last summer fling in the backyard of hosts David and Amy Fleming as we enjoyed fun, fellowship, and fabulous food to kick-off the new choir season. Where else is table grace sung? Chancel Choir welcomes new members Bob Brace, Kayla Waghorn, and Trina Roundy! Our rehearsals have just begun, and it's not too late to join us Thursday September 2018 evenings at 7:30 pm. We have a wonderful calendar of worship and events planned for ! Music & Arts is thrilled to announce that Katie Houts will serve as Children's Music Director this year, replacing Michele Starcher, who moved to Colorado for a new job. Katie currently serves as our Staff Accompanist, and also shares her talents on guitar and trumpet. 7

8 Christian Education Diggin the Bible Wednesday at 12:00 in the Wesley Room Learning the latest in Biblical Scholarship and Archaeology is our main focus. We use DVD s from the Biblical Archaeology Society and the Great Courses that are taught by various university professors in the country. There are two new series we will be using: 1. Animating Christian Apocrypha presented by Mark Goodacre. He is a Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins and the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Religion at Duke University. Goodacre is an expert in the fields of Early Christian Gospels both Synoptic and Apocryphal and New Testament in Film and Fiction. 2. Telling Biblical Tales presented by Ziony Zevit. He is a Distinguished Professor of Biblical Literature and Northwest Semitic Languages at the American Jewish University in Bel-Air, California. He has participated in archaeological excavations at Tel Lachish, and at Tel Dan. The Wesley Class The Wesley Class is studying How to Read the Bible. Join them every Sunday at 9:00 am in the North Room. The series walks through each literary style found in the Bible, and how each There are more adult Christian education opportunities on page 8. uniquely contributes to the overall whole. While the Bible is one unified story, it cannot all be read in the same way, as each literary style lives by its own rules and structure; this we will explore in detail in each video. This series should help you understand what the Bible is, and the story it tells. But, perhaps even more importantly, it will teach you how to read it for yourself in light of the various literary styles that make each section of the Bible unique in its own way. By the end of this series, you will be familiar with every part of the Bible and how it uses language to communicate who God is, who we are, and the big, redemptive story that we are all living. The Explorers The Explorers adult Sunday school class meets each Sunday at 9am sharp in the Wesley Room upstairs. This class welcomes anyone wishing to learn new insight in the Bible or gain information on historical points. Currently we are studying The Holy Land Revealed. Professor Jodi Magness at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill presents 30 minute video sessions delving into archaeology based findings supporting Biblical persons and significant places. Upcoming topics will include Herod s last years, Galilee and the land where Jesus lived and Synagogues in the time of Jesus. The above referenced study will continue each Sunday morning now through October. An advent themed study will begin in November. Come join us! 8 Hilltop Highlights

9 Financial News By Galen Ewer, Finance Committee Chair Once again, I can extend a thank you to the members of the congregation for your dedication and commitment to Hilltop through the summer months. Over the years the summer has been a time when the finance committee members and treasurer bite our nails and worried about whether there would be funds to pay the bills. In fact several times in the past few years we have postponed some payments. This year the summer months have not only been steady but several members responded to Pastor Dennis and Dr. Trawick s letter and added to their normal giving. This has been a great relief but it is important that this trend continue through the remainder of the year. Every third Sunday the bulletin shows the budget status for the previous month. Through July Hilltop was operating at a loss of $3,508. In order to get to this level of an operating loss it was necessary to move funds leftover from prior year projects into this year s income. By doing this we reduced the cash available and now only have operating cash for two weeks. The $3,508 operating loss does not represent the work the trustees cannot do because of the lack of funds. The recent catch phrase has become deferred maintenance. Deferred maintenance is the list of items that have not been repaired, equipment that has not been replaced, and major work that has to be done someday. An important example is the kitchen. The trustees have great concerns that the plumbing and electrical systems are doomed for failure, and some of the equipment is well past the expected life. The 2019 stewardship campaign begins at the end of September/beginning of October. Dr. Roy and Natalie Trawick have accepted the challenge to lead the stewardship committee. We have a true asset for people in the southern portion of Salt Lake County that are looking for a church home. Those of us that have already found Hilltop UMC need to make sure there are financial resources to keep it an inviting place of worship both in appearance as well as programs that lead people to Christ. Your response to the Stewardship campaign will be critical to making sure we are able to meet our mission of leading people to Christ. September

10 Get Involved September Birthdays David Shaw... Sept 1 Betty Brown... Sept 5 Kate Van Zee... Sept 7 John Davison... Sept 8 Kathy Wheeler... Sept 8 Jack Thomasson... Sept 8 Savannah Reddin... Sept 9 Down Bowlin... Sept 9 Madison Phillips... Sept 10 Allen Locke... Sept 11 Jan Bender... Sept 12 Claudine Haight... Sept 16 Bruce Cockrell... Sept 17 Katell Coquemont... Sept 17 Tim Owen... Sept 19 Tom Ferraro... Sept 21 Mazie Kovach... Sept 21 Ashley Agrelius... Sept 24 David Murray... Sept 26 Lacey Elliston... Sept 27 Susan Dunlap... Sept 28 Birthdays We want to recognize your birthday in the newsletter. Send your birthdays to the office, with or without the year. You may celebrate a birthday by purchasing chancel flowers, and that person will be lifted up. You are also welcome to provide and serve cake at coffee fellowship. UMW Kick-off The UMW will be enthusiastically kicking off the year on Sunday, September 9 at 12:30 directly after church. Join us for pizza, salad and a sundae bar. All women are invited to attend. This year we will have a Unit mission theme of Advocacy for Children. All of our programs will focus on global and community needs of children. For our kick-off, the focus will be on Child Homelessness in Utah. Consignment Sale It s not too soon to think about our fall consignment sale. Mark your calendars now for September 20 th (pre-sale), 21 st and 22 nd and plan to be a volunteer. We need lots of help from the congregation and appreciate any time you can donate. If you know anyone that is interested in consigning, share with them the consigners web-site hilltopsale.org. Undie Sunday is back! We are taking donations of new underwear to give to Crossroads Urban Center. This time, we ask that you bring in child size underwear (size 3-18) or undergarments Bring your NEW underwear donations to the bin in the church narthex by Sunday, September 9th.. 10 Hilltop Highlights

11 Hilltop s New Vision Hilltop An inclusive community of hospitality, healing, help, and hope, leading hearts to Christ. So that all may experience Gods love and grace; So that new disciples are created; So that all disciples are nurtured to live lives according to Gods will; So that all disciples use their gifts to re-ignite a movement for God; So that all disciples appreciate and share the abundance of life in Christ; So that our lives reflect what God requires of us to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with Him; So that both locally and globally, the world is refreshed by our vision. In becoming this community, welcoming all with hospitality, Gods healing, our help, and the hope of God: We believe that God extends unconditional love and grace to all - as believers, we are committed to extending this same love, welcoming others with hospitality, promoting the healing of those in need, offering our help to others and sharing the hope that God gives us. We believe that God wants all to be disciples, learning, believing and acting in accordance with the Word - as believers, we encourage all on the journey of discipleship. We believe that we are created to live lives according to Gods will - as believers, we seek to understand that will, encouraging ourselves and others to live lives according to Gods will. We believe that all people have unique and essential God-given gifts - as believers, it is vital that we use these gifts for the transformation of Gods world. We believe that we are blessed with abundant life in relationship with God through love, joy, peace, and friendship - as believers, we are committed to sharing this abundance. We believe that we are required to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God - as believers, we are committed to fairness, kindness, and forgiveness for all, and recognize that all that we are and all that we have are gifts from God and we are dependent upon Him. Mission of the United Methodist Church - The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Local churches and extension ministries of the Church provide the most significant arenas through which disciple-making occurs. September

12 Good Stewards What Are the Trustees Up To? By Stu Long, Chair The Trustees are a very busy group, and we want to let the Hilltop Church Family know what we do and what are some of the current issues we are dealing with. The Trustees are charged with the care and maintenance of the building, the properties owned by Hilltop and the grounds, as well as church usage concerns. Everything from the roof that covers our heads to the floors that we walk on is the responsibility of the Trustees. Some of our of 2018 major accomplishments have included resealing and repaving our parking lot, replacing and installing a new kitchen dishwasher, repairing front door locks, painting exterior doors and railings, replacing two furnaces and air conditioning units and replacing countertops at the Hilltop House. Some of the normal day to day maintenance for 2018 includes replacing parking lot lights, replacing the flag pole light with a solar light, repairing storage shelf under stairs, replacing TV/DVD in Wesley Room, landscaping updates, and other unexpected maintenance one can expect to do on an aging building. The Trustees Wish List for 2019 projects include entry key and security system upgrade, kitchen update/remodel, office update/remodel, audio system microphones and wires installed in sanctuary, outside sign replacement, Hilltop House windows, Hilltop House floor covering changes, Best House roperty redevelopment and west lot development The Trustees work is never done. A huge thank you to all trustees for their loyal support and those within the congregation that help throughout the year in a variety of areas making sure Hilltop is always looking its best. If you would like to contribute to the Trustees ministry just drop a check in the offering plate earmarked to Trustees or the project you would like your contribution designated to. If you would like to serve on the Trustees please contact a member of the Team. Trustees Team Members: Curtis Crichton Sara Hake Mike Kovach David Primeau Bob Brace Kevin Day Ben Kavila Stu Long Jim Woodmansee 12 Hilltop Highlights

13 Good Stewards Denham Evangelism Award By Shirley Primeau The Harry Denman Evangelism Award program honors United Methodists in each annual conference whose exceptional ministry of evangelism brings people into a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. What distinguishes a Harry Denman Evangelism Award recipient is the commitment to consistently introduce others to the Good News of Jesus Christ in all ministry settings. Hilltop UMC is blessed to have one of our own as the Rocky Mountain Conference 2018 Denman Evangelism Award winner - Leigh Anne Duff. Leigh Anne's passion for evangelism and past chairing of the Evangelism Committee has produced results, with some unique ways of "doing" evangelism such as spending Saturdays and Sundays at local farmers' markets handing out cookies and information about HUMC and its programs - all to bring persons to Christ and to make HUMC immediately recognizable in the area. Vern Rosenstiel On Saturday, August 25th, the board of Pinecliff Camp and Retreat Center recognized the many years of service that Vern Rosenstiel has dedicated to the building, maintenance, and operation of the camp. A plaque with his picture will be permanently on display in the camp s dining hall. Sunday Service Commitments Date Special Sunday Liturgists 9:00 Prayer of Dedication 9:00 Liturgists 10:30 Prayer of Dedication 10:30 Ministry Moment Coffee Fellowship 2-Sep Richard Huffmon Christine LeBel Susan Dunlap Susan Dunlap Team Day (U-Z) 9-Sep Doug Orr Richard Huffmon Cheryl Gentle Kathy Wheeler 16-Sep Christine LeBel Bob Scarborough Allen Locke Susan Dunlap Grace Acosta HGC Walkathon Team Dunlap (A-D) Team Hendrickson (E-H) 23-Sep Allen Locke Allen Locke Mike Montoya Mike Montoya Team Montoya (I-L) 30-Sep Youth Sunday Marilynn Tetrick Marilynn Tetrick Mary Jean Davison Possibly a Youth Mary Jean Davison Possibly a Youth Stewardship Team Gentle (M-P) 7-Oct UMW Sunday TBD TBD TBD TBD Stewardship Cheerful Hosts (Q-T) September

14 Missions Doing Church, Doing Missions By Marilyn White, Missions Chair We come in to worship our creator; to sing the songs written to honor Him and remind us of His desires for our lives; to hear our pastor tell us to take what we ve heard that morning back out into the world. I believe that we try to apply what we ve learned back to our lives. We try to be more forgiving, more patient, more like Christ. To me, this is doing church. missions. In doing church, those outside the walls may be able to see a difference in our soul or essence. By doing missions, those outside the walls can see our faith put into action. If you haven t been involved in one of Hilltop s mission activities, chose one and get involved. If Hilltop doesn t offer you an area that you d like to be involved in, talk to the mission committee about incorporating it into the church s activities. My challenge to each of you this year is carry doing church a step further by doing Looking for Servants Golden Celery Competition No losers in this contest! During July, we were challenged to donate non-perishable food to Crossroads Food Pantry. (Food insecurity doesn t wane during summer months, but food donations do.) Hilltop donated over 700 pounds, but St Paul s UMC came out on top with 24 pounds of food per July attendee. Together the 12 participating congregations donated 23,701.8 pounds of food - a record and almost 4000 more than the previous record. Good job! Crossroads Urban Center, through the food pantry and the thrift store, serves some 60,000 people each year and utilizes numerous volunteer hours. Besides groceries from their two pantries and free goods from the thrift store, they also help with prescriptions, gasoline vouchers, and transit passes. This is a place to volunteer. We are still looking for someone to replace Claudia Bilbao as the Hilltop House queen. If a man volunteers, we ll change that to king. She takes note of what needs to be done to keep the house orderly and coordinates with the Trustees to get that done. Occasionally, she unlocks the house for mission groups who arrive after church hours to stay in the house. Marilyn will be stepping down as chair of the Missions Committee this fall. We are looking for someone to take her place. Most of the mission areas have their own leader so Marilyn s main task is to loosely coordinate those and, along with the committee members, look for new ways the congregation can be involved in moving the love of Jesus outside the church s walls. Marilyn will attest to this being a very rewarding outlet for servant-like acts. Tell a committee member if you are interested in this position (or serving on the committee.) 14 Hilltop Highlights

15 Missions Emergency Training, October 13th Ever want to know what you needed to have on hand if we ever had an emergency situation or catastrophe? Plan to attend the presentation on October 13th at 9 am in Fellowship Hall. The training is provided by the Utah government s Emergency Office. The United Methodist Men have graciously given this time after their monthly breakfast to host this presentation for the entire church family. If you want to attend their breakfast, be sure to let Rob Garrison know so they can have enough eggs and bacon for you. Mission Trip to Pinecliff, September Pinecliff is one of those gems of a camp that the United Methodists provide - as those who went to the Family Camp in early August can attest - and it is here in our own backyard. The Mission Committee is sponsoring this trip to help our own Vern Rosenstiel close down Pinecliff for the winter. The Mission Committee will provide the food. You provide your own work gloves, basic tools, transportation, camper or sleeping bag for the cabins. If you can go and help even for a day or two, tell Sandy McCormick sandyjmcc64@gmail.com or Marilyn White whitemar@frii.com. Water Project This summer Hilltop sent another $3000 to Water@Work to help build a water purification system for the poor in the Dominican Republic. The VBS attendees donated almost $300 of that. We have only $2000 more to raise this year to meet our Big Hairy Audacious Goal of $8000. September 2018 Family Promise (another volunteer activity) At last year s church conference those who attended said that this was the most meaningful mission project that Hilltop participates in. Three to four times a year, Hilltop hosts homeless families in the Hilltop House. We, along with our partners Crescent Ridge Stake, provide food, hosts during the evening hours, overnight hosts, and a safe place. As you read this, we will have just finished hosting and will be anticipating the next one later this fall. If you haven t served with this, please do so and experience the joy of knowing that the families you are helping are actively involved in a program designed to stabilize themselves and get their family back on the road to selfsufficiency. (A Fact Sheet is pinned on the bulletin board.) Mike Montoya has been coordinating Hilltop s participation in this ministry for the last 2-3 years with the help of several others. He will be stepping down so he can dedicate more time to youth ministries. If you are interested in taking up the mantle, please talk to Mike about what is involved and shadow him during the next several months. Mission Trip to Puerto Rico, November 3-10 This trip is designed to help rebuild homes devastated by the hurricane last year. The Mountain Sky Conference is helping to sponsor this effort and four members of our congregation have expressed an interest in going. If you would like to help defray their expenses, you may donate to the Paul Bolan Fund (acct # 878.) FYI: Paul Bolan was a long -time, involved member of HUMC. Upon his death, his family set up this fund to help those who want to go on mission trips. 15

16 Hilltop United Methodist Church 985 East South Sandy, Utah Published monthly by: Hilltop United Methodist Church 985 East South Sandy, Utah Sunday Schedule Sunday School for All Worship Fellowship Time Worship Fellowship Time 9:00 am 9:00 am 10:00 am 10:30 am 11:30 am Pastor C. Dennis Shaw