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. In the Groove. By Pastor Mario Alejandre

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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 2017 In the Groove In the Groove By Pastor Mario Alejandre These 11 weeks with my (yes, I said my) Hilltop family have been a balm for my soul, an oasis in the wilderness and a place of healing for me personally. Being here has served as a call to remembrance: Specifically, to remember and fulfill the pastoral call to which Christ called me many years ago. I have benefited more from our time together than anyone else. To the leadership team here at Hilltop, I want you to know what a privilege it has been to serve God s people with you. You all have allowed me to step right in and hit the ground running. I have felt at home from day one. Pastor Dennis, Leigh Anne, Roberta, Kathy, Caitlin, Melissa and Chris, thank you for the hospitality and trust. To the many volunteers and lay leaders that I ve had been able to meet, it is a joy to serve our Lord together. To the congregation as a whole, your openness to me has not gone unnoticed. Thank you for giving me permission to speak into your lives every Sunday morning. Again, to one and all, you have my heartfelt gratitude. In the Groove. It s a statement that most of us understand. It usually means that everything around us is working like it needs to. Life has found a confortable rhythm and our day-to-day experiences find us in good places. We all long for those days. It s nice when we find ourselves in the groove personally. Ministry has the same dynamic to it. We spoke last month about gearing up, a time of preparing ourselves for a new season of Kingdom-minded work with God s people as we serve our community. Finding a good rhythm is crucial for sustainable and healthy ministry. It doesn t meant that everything will go as planned, anyone who has spent more than one day in a church knows that challenges often arise. Instead, it means that our sense of call is sure and our desire to serve Jesus, our neighbors and one another is grounded in God s agape love. In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote the following: For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if (Continued on page 7)

2 Pastor s Musings Pastor Dennis Shaw Senior Pastor pastor@ hilltopumchurch.org Many, if not most, of us are familiar with the Syro-Phoenician woman. Her story appears twice in the Gospels, Mark and Matthew, and because they are a little different, I want to focus on Mark Mark 7: (NIV) 24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.[a] He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. One of the great problems in our current world is that it is our normative practice to listen in order to reply rather than to truly understand. Bonhoeffer writes: The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them. Jesus listened the first time and gave a problematic, not particularly loving reply he didn t understand, it was momentarily outside his feasible solution space. Did he think he did not owe this outcast a deeper debt of listening? 27 First let the children eat all they want, he told her, for it is not right to take the children s bread and toss it to the dogs. 28 Lord, she replied, even the dogs under the table eat the children s crumbs. 29 Then he told her, For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter. 30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Yes, I find it problematic that Jesus was arguably guilty of a less than pastoral response to the situation of this woman. But at the end of the day, he listened. But instead of castigating him as an unfeeling, moronic, anti-syrian, anti- Phoenician, anti-greek speaking misogynist, this unnamed heroine invited Jesus to expand his ministry horizon beyond. In the words of Mark Miller, she invited him to draw the circle wide, draw it wider still And Jesus did, Jesus did draw the circle wide, wider still and instead of replying that she was a two time loser with non- Jew and non-man tattooed on her forehead, he actually listened to her and displayed God s love, God s Grace. Mark s red letter words are a little different than Matthew s. Jesus says to the unnamed woman For such a reply, you (Continued on page 3) 2 Hilltop Highlights

3 Pastor s Musings may go it is her logos which the NIV translates as reply that got his attention. Logos is a word used over 300 times in the Greek bible. Our most familiar rendering of it is from John 1 where we are told the word/logos was with God and the word/ logos was God. But here, the word/logos changes the very heart of God, through the human manifestation of God actually listening, in love, in Grace. "For such a word, you may go..." I have to wonder a little if the reason Jesus listened was at least in part due to the negative critique he had just given the disciples. Jesus had just told the disciples that what pollutes one is not what is outside of us, but rather what is inside of us. Mark 7: 20b: He [Jesus] went on: What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person s heart, that evil thoughts come [fornication], theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person. Sounds like to me that this unnamed woman advised Jesus that his own words coming from deep inside Jesus were defiling him here arguably arrogance. But instead of retreating into a world of privilege, Jesus, listened. He didn t attempt to come up with some clever, mind numbing, self serving, retaining the old position, reply. Jesus listened, and then he complimented her for the word she spoke back to him and granted her wish. How often are we in the position of Jesus? Invited to hear God s word in a way that is new, exciting, and refreshing, and instead, we retreat into our own arrogance, our own hubris, and we endeavor to reply from our privilege? I love this interaction. I love it. This non-person times two in Jesus world woman, non-jew weighs the scales of the dialogue, and she gives back to Jesus what he had just given the disciples a righteous critique. And Jesus after getting his answer righteously chewed up and given back to him, responds in Grace, reminding the woman that it was her word her logos her use of his words her use of the logos that is Jesus that won the day. If Jesus wept is the shortest passage most people can quote from the bible, I wonder if this might not be summarized as Jesus listened. I think the challenge for us in the Church is to be listeners like the second Jesus here in this Mark 7 passage. We can retreat into tradition, history, and rules, just to name three things, ad nauseum (and yes there are an infinite number of retreats here) and engage in an enormous exercise in missing the point. (Continued on page 7) September

4 Music & Arts Ministry Feelin Groovy Roberta Shimensky Music Director When I was contemplating the theme in the groove, although I understand what it means, I thought being in the groove is perilously close to being in a rut. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Insanity! I choose to think of being in the groove as having a feeling for the rhythm of life, feel and rhythm being the operative words. In music, groove is a way of stretching and bending strict metronomic time. Different styles of music have different grooves. Groove is a propulsive rhythmic feel it has motion, it is going somewhere. Groove draws a listener in. All groove comes from feeling. Having an academic understanding of rhythm, and being able to play in a groove are two totally different things. Groove must be felt in order for it to be created. (As an aside, all groove, and the entire concept of groove itself, is ultimately an African- American innovation.) Likewise in the church, groove must grow out of a sense of feeling - feeling God, feeling compassion, empathy, grace, love, beauty and blessings. Without feeling, the church groove can become a rut of repetition. People are drawn into listening to music that has a good groove going on; likewise, a church that is in the Godgroove draws people in. Groove is felt; it is not academic. You can t groove unless you know where the pulse is. The pulse of the church is God, and with all of God s people interacting, the groove that is created is the rhythm of life. Things in music that do not occur on the pulse are not separate from the pulse, they describe where the pulse is. Our programs and activities at church should describe who our pulse is. But you have to know (where) the pulse (is). The pulse is God. In anything and everything we do, we need to be aware of God, we need to feel God, for the activities we do describe who God is to the world around us. Without our God-pulse, our activities are not groovy, they are just bad rhythm. Fall Schedule Hilltop s Music & Arts Ministry has something for everyone. As ensembles start the fall season, now is a good time to jump in and experience the joy of being a worship leader and nurturing your creative spirit. We are excited about the new season! 4 Hilltop Highlights

5 Music & Arts Ministry Welcome Katie We are so excited that Katie Houts will be serving as accompanist for the Chancel Choir this fall! Katie is the Sacred Choral Editor for Choristers Guild, a nonprofit music publisher. She brings a diverse instrumental skill set which includes expertise in classical and jazz piano, organ, guitar, brass, and children's developing voices. For the past 15 years, Houts has also served as Director of Music for ELCA and UCC churches in Iowa, Minnesota, and Massachusetts. From , she was the developer and director of a large children's choir program in Minneapolis. A native of the Midwest, Houts received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Sacred Music and Religion from Wartburg College. She enjoyed the past four years in Boston, MA, where she made a home with her husband, Ryan, and their three young children. They arrived in Salt Lake City at the beginning of August and are excited to explore their new home in Utah. Welcome Katie and family!! September

6 Children s Ministry Caitlin Collins Children s Ministry Director Nursery Help Needed Children's Ministry is looking for help in our Nursery. We have volunteer and paid positions available. If you are interested please childrensministry@hilltopumchurch.org. Sunday School & Children's Church Sunday School and Children's Church classes resume Sunday, September 10th. There are still volunteer positions that need to be filled to keep the classes running all year. If you can volunteer, please contact Caitlin at childrensministry@hilltopumchurch.org Mother s Morning Out Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 (ESV) As summer comes to an end, it can be hard getting back into our daily routines. Especially if our summer happened to be particularly demanding and we are starting off frazzled- instead of refreshed and organized. I particularly appreciate this passage of scripture that points to a God who knows our need before we even ask, He makes a way where there is none and brings clarity and peace to our soul. He comforts us during times of unrest and spiritual dryness. Even when we can't perceive God working for good in our lives, the Bible promises we can trust Him to be faithful. He is a good Father who cares deeply for his children! We also play a part in demonstrating God's care to a hurting world. He calls us to love and serve (just as he has loved and served us). This upcoming year, as in previous years, the youth will continue to spend numerous activity nights doing service projects for our local communitybeing the hands and feet of Jesus to SLC. We will also spend time with each other in some fun community activities (Fall fest, hiking, watching movies, etc) to help nurture relationships with one another. Youth groups resumes Sunday, September 10th at 4:30 pm and we'd love to see you there for our semi-annual "Parent/ Student meeting" where we will welcome new families and go over our activities for the year. See you soon! 6 Hilltop Highlights

7 In the Groove (Continued from page 1) prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (Chapter 12:4-8) When I think of being In the Groove, these words of encouragement from Paul come to mind. Ministry is not a solo operation. We all serve together, according to our gifts and abilities. No one s contribution is less needed than others. Some of us will have a more public role; others will happily serve in the background. All are gifts of grace; all lend themselves to the overall health of the church and to the common good of our community. When we serve with the idea that we need each other and we all have a part to play, we will find ourselves In the Groove and ready to tackle the challenges of ministry head-on, empowered by the Spirit, with a love that reflects that of Jesus. That is, not to be served, but to serve. On a personal note, your leadership team at Hilltop genuinely loves and cares for you all and each other. I witnessed marks of maturity: A desire to see others become as fruitful as they can be. Maturity, no doubt, often develops through challenging experiences in the past, but it is encouraging to see this dynamic within the life of God s people. You have a warm and welcoming community. Continue to grow in grace, trust the Spirit s lead, rely on the promises of God s Word, and take comfort in the gift of community. The one who makes all things new will sustain you and keep you, In the Groove. Pastor s Musings (Continued from page 3) The point of all of us being here today is to help deploy resources that make the basilea kingdom, kin dom, reign, pick the one that works for you -- of God just a little bigger, a little larger, a little more Jesus like, surely a little more Syro- Phoenician woman like. I think many if not most of us can recite or at least paraphrase the United Methodist mission statement but we must stay focused on the why, how and where of our collective community task: Our why echoes from John 3: 16 about why God gave us the gift of Jesus -- love love for the world. How we reflect that love is transformation (our what), and our where is the local church. In our listening, are we the first Jesus, ready to see things the way they had always been seen, or the second Jesus, new, creative, fresh, drawn from the very words of God. The choice is our how do we listen? Selah, Pastor Dennis September

8 September Events 8 Friday, September 1 7:30 pm Voice Class Saturday, September 2 9:00 am Christ Centered Yoga 12:00 pm Organ Rehearsal Sunday, September 3 9:00 am Sunday School 9:00 am Worship 10:30 am Worship 12:00 pm Praise Band Rehearsal Monday, September 4 LABOR DAY OFFICE CLOSED 7:00 pm Cub Scouts 7:00 pm Stewardship Meeting Tuesday, September 5 7:00 pm Venture Crew :00 pm BSA Adult Committee 7:15 pm Carillon Belles 7:30 pm Worship Team Wednesday, September 6 8:00 am UMM Breakfast 9:30 am Women s Bible Study 12:00 pm Diggin the Bible 1:00 pm Shawl Ministry 5:00 pm Young Ringers 6:00 pm Joyful Ringers 7:00 pm SPRC 7:15 pm Communications 7:30 pm Boy Scouts Thursday, September 7 8:00 am Hilltop Gardeners 6:30 pm Missions Team 7:00 pm Grapevine Group 7:30 pm Chancel Choir/Sanctuary Singers Friday, September 8 7:00 pm Rescue Mission Service Saturday, September 9 9:00 am Christ Centered Yoga 9:00 am Carillon Belles 12:00 pm Organ Rehearsal Sunday, September 10 9:00 am Sunday School 9:00 am Hilltop Orientation 9:00 am Worship 10:30 am Worship Monday, September 11 1:00 pm Staff Meeting 6:30 pm Hallelujah Bells Rehearsal 7:00 pm Cub Scouts Tuesday, September 12 10:00 am Silver Songbirds 7:00 pm Venture Crew :00 pm Priscilla Circle Wednesday, September 13 8:00 am UMM Breakfast 9:30 am Women s Bible Study 12:00 pm Diggin the Bible 5:00 pm Young Ringers 6:00 pm Joyful Ringers 7:00 pm Finance Meeting 7:00 pm Trustees Meeting 7:30 pm Boy Scouts Thursday, September 14 8:00 am Hilltop Gardeners 6:00 pm LS&D 7:00 pm Grapevine Group 7:30 pm Chancel Choir/Sanctuary Singers Rehearsal Friday, September 15 7:30 pm Voice Class Saturday, September 16 9:00 am Christ Centered Yoga 12:00 pm Organ Rehearsal Sunday, September 17 9:00 am Sunday School 9:00 am Hilltop Orientation 9:00 am Worship 10:30 am Worship 12:00 pm Children s Ministry Meeting 12:00 pm UMW Fall Kick-off Monday, September 18 1:00 pm Staff Meeting 6:30 pm Hallelujah Bell Rehearsal 7:00 pm Cub Scouts Hilltop Highlights

9 September Events Tuesday, September 19 6:00 pm Children s Choir 7:00 pm Venture Crew :00 pm Church Council Wednesday, September 20 8:00 am UMM Breakfast 9:30 am Women s Bible Study 12:00 pm Diggin the Bible 1:00 pm Shawl Ministry 5:00 pm Young Ringers 6:00 pm Joyful Ringers 7:00 pm Consignment Sale Set-up 7:30 pm Boy Scouts Thursday, September 21 8:00 am Hilltop Gardeners 8:00 am Consignment Sale Set-up 12:00 pm Ada Circle at Elaine Norberg s 7:00 pm Grapevine Group 7:00 pm Consignment Sale Pre-Sale 7:30 pm Chancel Choir/Summer Singers Friday, September 22 9:00 am Consignment Sale Saturday, September 23 8:00 am Consignment Sale 12:00 pm Organ Rehearsal 2:00 pm Consignment Sale Break-Down Sunday, September 24 9:00 am Sunday School 9:00 am Worship 10:30 am Worship Monday, September 25 1:00 pm Staff Meeting 6:00 pm Evangelism Meeting 6:30 pm Hallelujah Bells Rehearsal 7:00 pm Cub Scouts Tuesday, September 26 10:00 am Silver Songbirds 6:00 pm Children s Choir 7:00 pm Venture Crew :30 pm Music & Arts Ministry Meeting September 2017 Wednesday, September 27 8:00 am UMM Breakfast 9:30 am Women s Bible Study 12:00 pm Diggin the Bible 5:00 pm Young Ringers 6:00 pm Joyful Ringers 7:30 pm Boy Scouts Thursday, September 28 8:00 am Hilltop Gardeners 7:00 pm Grapevine Group 7:30 pm Chancel Choir/Sanctuary Singers Friday, September 29 5:30 pm Lay Speaker Training 7:00 pm Girl Scout Troop 400 Saturday, September 30 8:30 am Lay Speaker Training 9:00 am Christ Centered Yoga 12:00 pm Organ Rehearsal Sunday, October 1 9:00 am Sunday School 9:00 am Worship 10:30 am Worship 12:00 pm Praise Band Rehearsal Monday, October 2 1:00 pm Staff Meeting 6:30 pm Hallelujah Bells Rehearsal 7:00 pm Cub Scouts 7:00 pm Stewardship Meeting Tuesday, October 3 5:00 pm Children s Choir 7:00 pm Venture Crew :00 pm BSA Adult Committee 7:30 pm Worship Team Wednesday, October 4 8:00 am UMM Breakfast 9:30 am Women s Bible Study 12:00 pm Diggin the Bible 1:00 pm Shawl Ministry 5:00 pm Young Ringers 6:00 pm Joyful Ringers 7:00 pm SPRC 7:30 pm Communications 7:30 pm Boy Scouts 9

10 Get Involved Grow Our Sale Generate some buzz the more we tell, the more we sell! The Children's and Maternity Fall Consignment Sale is up and running. It will be September Be a volunteer. Go to hilltopsale.org. Be a shopper! We will have over 15,000 top quality items for babies and children all bar-coded and organized by size & gender. We fill two floors plus the patio with bargains. Be a friend! Friends tell friends about this opportunity. This sale blesses many families and good causes. And, it is fun! Women s Bible Study The Women's Bible Study begins a new topic on Sept. 6. "When Christians Get it Wrong" by Adam Hamilton, tackles the issues of the world and the hows and whys of Christians getting it right, when it comes to "being Christ" in the world. Please join us for this 6 week DVD assisted study. We meet each Wednesday in the Wesley Room at 9:30. If you have any questions, call Deb Hale at Sept Family Promise Update By Mike Montoya We had a successful hosting this month! We hosted 8 adults and 10 children and celebrated a third birthday. Two families moved into their own homes. Our host home is unique in that we are the only home in the network. Summer is a great time to host at Hilltop as our home is cooler than many of the churches within the network. We also have a large lawn for the kids to play which is right outside the back door so it s easy for the parents to keep an eye on the littluns. Our Latter Day Saint brothers and sisters from the Crescent Stake pitched in to help as well providing meals, groceries and helping with hosting. Our ultimate goal is to have HUMC serve a week with Crescent Stake folks hosting the week after. This provides more stability to the families as they do not have to move for two weeks. Just FYI: Stats turned in to Leigh Anne today for last week's volunteers - HUMC 47, Crescent Ridge Stake 4, and Family Promise 2. Pretty amazing! Claudia Bilbao is retiring from Family Promise after 10 stellar years. She will be greatly missed. We are looking to add another volunteer to our group. This person will be responsible for getting the house ready to receive families and notify the team of needed repairs. Please prayerfully consider joining the Family Promise Team. Contact Mike Montoya or Mikemontoya666@gmail.com 10 Hilltop Highlights

11 United Methodist Women Attention All Women Please join us in welcoming the United Methodist Women of the Rocky Mountain Conference for the 45th Annual Meeting and Celebration on 10/20-10/21. Hilltop has the opportunity to host this event for women from all around our conference. We are very honored to have the Distance Learning Officer from the UMW National Office as our keynote speaker. We will also be hosting Bishop Karen Oliveto as well as the deaconesses that serve our conference. Registration is due 9/20/17, and Hilltop UMW has scholarships available to assist with fees. Registration forms are available in the fellowship hall or you can register electronically at Please contact Sarah Burton at for further information. You Can Hear Us Now Connecting for God s Ministries 45 th Annual Meeting and Celebration of Rocky Mountain Conference United Methodist Women October 20 and 21, 2017 Hilltop United Methodist Church You are being called! Can you hear God calling? Can you feel God? Join Alana Walls, Distance Learning Coordinator as we explore how to tune our hearts and sharpen our minds to receive God s call to ministries no matter where we are! Friday morning you will be able to participate in one of 3 Ubuntu experiences- UMCO West, Crossroads Center, or Days for Girls project will be completed at Hilltop UMC. Friday evening you will meet Alana Walls from the UMW National Office and discover ways to connect with sisters in Christ throughout the Conference Mark your calendars! Priscilla Circle will meet Tues Sept 12 at 7:00 pm. We will outline our plans for the year and Marilynn Tetrick will lead a discussion from the Upper Room. Fall Kick-Off Join us Sunday, Sept 17 for the UMW Fall Kick-off. Watch the Sunday bulletins for more information. Ada Circle Ada Circle will meet at noon on Thurs Sept 21 at the home of Elaine Nordberg. Christmas Dinner The UMW Christmas Dinner will be Monday, Dec 4. Plan now to attend. Sarah Circle Sarah Circle will not meet in September. September

12 Missions Beyond the End of the Road by Marilyn White When I was a little girl my Methodist grandmother told me stories about Methodist missionaries in Africa. These were missionaries sent beyond the end of the road to establish or sustain churches, schools and hospitals to spread the gospel, instruct and treat those neglected by their own national governments. I don t imagine that the tasks were easy. It took willing souls to deploy as missionaries. It had to require financial resources for training, travel, and provisions. What is amazing is that any of this happened. But it did, not by any one Methodist church, but by congregations like my grandmother s from all around the United States joining their resources to make these extensions of God s grace, mercy and healing hands a reality beyond the end of the road. I was fascinated and proud to be the granddaughter of one who supported that outward expression of God s love and was proud to be a Methodist. What impact did these early mission actions have? For one, Nelson Mandela was educated at Clarkebury, the oldest Wesleyan mission and school for the Thembu people - his people - and at Healdtown Methodist Boarding School. He was the first in his family to attend high school. We can t know whether he would have become the man he did without this education, but we can say that the education which he used to better the world was made possible by the loving generosity of the Wesleyan and Methodist peoples. Fast forward to today. In the news coverage of the Ebola crisis in Western Africa a couple of years ago, more often than not the Methodist Cross and Flame were on the signage of hospitals and clinics beyond the end of the road dispensing care, especially in Sierra Leone. Why did the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Gates Foundation seek support from the United Methodist Church for their Imagine No Malaria (INM) campaign? They asked us because we had clinics, local health workers, and pastors beyond the end of the road. These were people who were trusted and who could help educate people on how to prevent that scourge. They were there as a result of actions taken long ago to minister to God s people. Hilltop UMC supported the INM effort wholehearted - raised more than $10,000 - and joined over 6 million Methodists around the globe to fight this preventable disease. To date, thousands of peer and community educators have been trained. Sixty-one facilities have been renovated. More than four million nets have been distributed and more than 2.7 million people have been treated. The WHO estimates that the mortality rate has fallen by almost 60 percent. It is amazing what we can do when we join in community to act. I am proud to be part of this group of Christians who live their faith in actions. 12 Hilltop Highlights

13 Missions Another crying need beyond the end of the road is for clean water. We take if for granted here, but for millions, it s not available. Last year Hilltop embarked on a campaign to raise $8000 that will be combined with donations from other churches to finance a water treatment system in the Dominican Republic at a church serving the poorest of the poor. In the past year, we ve raised over $2800. This year Hilltop with your help will meet our goal and provide safe water and the Living Water (The Gospel) to thirsting souls beyond the end of the road. As long as there are generous hearts like my grandmother s and millions of others who supported earlier missions, those who live beyond the end of the road will know God s love. I am proud to a member of this denomination with its global reach. Updates: Serving at the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake. David and Jackie Huff are taking over as the volunteer coordinators of this ministry. Hilltop Praise Band and servers will continue to be at the Mission every second Friday of the month. If you or your family would like to serve, sign the volunteer sheet on the bulletin board. We need about 6 servers every month. Hilltop House Coordinator. Claudia Bilbao is stepping down at the end of the year from this role of overwatch of Hilltop House. We will be seeking another with a servant s heart to take over. More to follow. Family Promise. We reached out to the LDS Crescent Stake community to see if they would want to join us in hosting the families in the Family Promise program. Our goal and prayer is that the Stake will decide to take a week and use Hilltop House so we can keep families stable for two full weeks. The Stake is going us and two couples served during our FP hosting in August. Smith s Community Rewards Program. Smith s has changed the program so that everyone who wants to participate has to re-register every July. SO, please sign up next time you buy your groceries. HUMC s organization number is Every time you buy groceries, Smith s will put a little aside to support HUMC missions. But we have to meet a minimum to benefit so we need all our Smith s shoppers to sign up. September

14 Belong Learn More About Hilltop & Methodism The Evangelism Team will be hosting a Hilltop Orientation on Sunday, September 17 and 24 at 9:00 am in the Ada Room for anyone interested in learning more about the United Methodist Church and the ministries at Hilltop. If you think you d like to become a member of our church, we encourage you to attend. RSVP to sdunlap28@hotmail.com or if you plan to attend the orientation. Purchase Hymnals Psalm 98:4 tells us to Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Hilltop United Methodist Church needs additional hymnals so all worshipers in the sanctuary, narthex and choir loft have hymnals available and those Hilltop programs using hymnals have them. The HUMC Worship Committee invites members of the congregation to contribute toward acquiring these additional hymnals by purchasing hymnals in honor of or memory of loved ones and others. All honorariums and memorials will be listed in the bulletin on the Sunday the hymnals are dedicated, and a bookplate will be placed on the hymnal with the name of the donor and the name(s) of the person(s) being honored or memorialized. Those wishing to contribute without making a dedication may do so as well. Please pick up an order form in Fellowship Hall and place it in the offering plate or return it to the church office. Make your check payable to Hilltop United Methodist Church (HUMC) and specify Hymnal on the memo line. The cost is $20.00 per hymnal. Any moneys received in excess of the cost of the hymnals will be donated to the HUMC Missions Committee. Pastor Dennis s Electronic Hangouts His sermons can be found at mantuan.podbean.com. You can read his thoughts at mantuan.blogspot.com. 14 Hilltop Highlights

15 From the Office Paper Recycling Bin Our Boy Scout troop benefits from all the paper products you put in the recycling bin in the church parking lot. For every ton we put in per month, the BSA gets a stipend. Please bring your newspapers, cardboard boxes, and junk mail. 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 Don Bowlin... Sept 10 Madison Phillips... Sept 10 Jan Bender... Setp 12 Andre Montoya... Sept 13 Claudine Haight... Sept 16 Bruce Cockrell... Sept 17 Katell Coquemont... Sept 17 Tim Owen... Sept 19 Tom Ferraro... Sept 21 Ashley Agrelius... Sept 24 Jasmine Shepperson... Sept 26 Lace Elliston... Sept 27 Susan Dunlap... Sept 28 Hilltop Hikers A weekly hiking group that meets every Tuesday morning, we are starting our third year and continue to explore and enjoy the many trails along the Wasatch front. Pick and choose the hikes/ weeks that fit your schedule. To be added to the distribution, please Susan Dunlap at sdunlap28@hotmail.com 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. September

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 Pick one up in Fellowship Hall Pastor C. Dennis Shaw