Phone: 486-5473 Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors

It’s easy to get advice, isn’t it? Most anyone will volunteer an opinion and, you may have discov-ered, most free advice is worth about as much as you paid for it.

Once in a while we stumble across some wisdom that is worth consid-ering, however. The following piece falls into that category, I believe. Simple advice for living – advice worth following. This little piece, written by Nancye Sims, reminds us of what is useful to remember as we walk through this life. I hope you enjoy it.

Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special. Do not set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you. Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless. Do not let your years slip through your fingers by living in the past, nor in the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.

Do not give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. Do not be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave. Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give love; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly. Do not dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope; to be without hope is to be without purpose. Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way. Have a joyous Easter!

Steve

You are invited to the Scouts

Annual Buffalo BBQ

Saturday April 29th

4:00—8:00

It’s time once again to saddle up for Troop 410’s annual fundraising dinner.

Come out and join us for a delicious

dinner featuring tender, ranch-raised buffalo roast simmering in the Troop’s

secret BBQ sauce.

tickets can be purchased in advance for $8.00—Adults

$5.00—Kids (10 and under)

Christ United Methodist Church

Apri l 2007

C O N N E C T I O N

DREAMS TAKE AWHILE

Dreams take awhile.

In this age of high-tech speed, we’ve become habituated to our dreams materializing right now. And if they don’t happen this in-stant, then we might tell ourselves that they’re never going to hap-pen and give up on our dreams and never try dreaming again.

Whatever happened to patience?

In a work from “The Apocrypha” (which means, “things that are hid-den”) – a work that we Protestants do not read very often – the au-thor of The Wisdom of Solomon states:

But thou, our God, art kind and true, patient, and ruling all

things in mercy. For even if we sin we are thine…

(Chapter 15:1-2)

God is patient, ruling all things in mercy. God forgives and forgives and forgives, waiting for the day when people get bored going their own way and finally choose to go along with God’s program for them. All the while, however, the author reminds us that even if we sin, we are still God’s; and so, God needs to be very, very patient.

Why can’t we be patient?

Why can’t we dream and then patiently wait for our dream to materi-alize?

I dreamt of a day when I could write a Pastor’s Corner, like this one. I had to wait, and a good chunk of my life was spent being a nurse and parent. But I never gave up. Why?

There comes a point in a person’s life when only their dream matters – when only their dream gives life meaning – when only their dream is the reason for getting up in the morning. Yes, for other important

reasons, I needed to be a Registered Nurse and a parent; later, I needed to be a Nurse Manager and a parent; before that time, I needed to go to Nursing School and et cetera. Because now that I’m living my dream, I bring to it so much more than I could have ever imagined had I gone directly from seminary into the church.

God must have known how much tempering I needed to achieve my dream, and that is the point: For our dreams to be fully realized – that is, to be as rich as we hoped our dream would be – there are lessons to be learned and journeys to take, so that when the day our dream is achieved, it is fully achieved – deep, rich and meaningful. I sometimes think that had I gone directly from seminary into the pas-torate, I might have quit after a few years, given up on my dreams (because they weren’t very satisfying), and never try dreaming again. But now, having lived the life I’ve lived, it would take a whole lot to make me quit what I love so much doing now.

Dreams, those true and authentic ones, take awhile. For dreams that are meaningful and rich, it’s all right that they take awhile, be-cause when they happen, there is a deep sense of joy and satisfac-tion that would not have come along with the dream otherwise.

So, let your dreams take the time they need, so that when they hap-pen, it’s worth the entire wait. Don’t give up, and never stop dream-ing. Instead, look at the time between the dream you desire and the dream you achieve as time needed to season yourself, learn neces-sary lessons, and do what God knows you need to do until that day when it all blossoms fully.

Tom the Dreamer

February 25 Timothy James Cunningham

March 11 Jennifer “Jenn” Gibbs 1817 South 2300 East Salt Lake City, UT 84108 649-2352 Community Group #3

Jackie and Robert Hibbard Anna and Julia 3263 E Walker Oaks Court Salt Lake City, UT 84121 453-0109

Page 2

. Dorcas Circle:

Tuesday, April 3, 9:30 AM Multi-purpose-room. Quilting. Everyone welcome.

UMW General Meeting:

Thursday, April 5, 12 PM. Program: Steve Goodier: “Easter.”

Day Knitting Prayer Shawls Circle: Monday, April 9, 1:30-3:30 PM. Home of Nona Bressler

451 Holstein Way, Murray. Phone 261 1561. Prayer shawls may be knitted or crocheted. Please join us.

Martha Circle:

Tuesday, April 10, 7:00 PM Parlor. Program: Helga Strayer: “A Journey In Mission.”

Claire Circle:

Wednesday April 11, 7:00 PM. Parlor. Childcare is provided. Everyone welcome.

Ruth Circle:

Thursday, April 12, 11:00 AM Parlor. Program: Mickey Ranney: “Global Warming.” Bring a sack lunch.

Women’s Book Club:

Monday, April 16, 1:00 PM Parlor. Book: “Population 485” by Michael Perry.

UMW Executive Board Meeting:

Tuesday, April 17, 11:30 AM Room 101

Evening Knitting Circle: Wednesday, April 18, 6:30 PM Parlor. Beginners welcome.

Deborah Circle: Thursday, April19, 9:30AM. Home of Dorothy Brand

3419 South 2890 East. Phone 487-2114.

Lydia Circle: Saturday, April 21, 10:00 AM Parlor.

Program: Brenda Moland.

United Methodist Women: April Schedule

Mother & Daughter & Friend Banquet

Broadway Comes to CUMC Friday, May 4, 2007

6:30 pm

Adult $8.00, Child (under 12) $5.00

Tickets will be on sale April 15, 22, & 29 during fellowship time.

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United Methodist Women Utah/Western District

Spiritual Retreat June 8-10, 2007

Friday 4:30 thru Sunday 12:00 noon

Prayer-filled Lives Retreat Leader: Rev. Diane Bell

Cost $45.00 Pinecliff Camp and Retreat Center

Located 17 miles east of Coalville, Utah

Approximately 55 miles east of SLC

Contact Mary Ann Allison at 801-278-9223,

allison13@mindspring.com for more information.

Information Session

Construction Mission Trip to Cunen, Guatemala

The United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) are organizing a construc-tion mission trip to help build a medical clinic in the village of Cunen near Santa Cruz del Quiché, Guatemala on August 18-26. Our purpose is to share and experience God’s love and build relationships. As described in 1 John 3:18 we are asked to “love not in word or speech, but in truth and action.”

Sunday, March 18, 2007

1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

First United Methodist Church

200 East and 200 South, Salt Lake City We will help build a much needed medical clinic in the mountainous, remote village of Cunen. The Quiché Mayan people of this area suffer from severe poverty. Adequate medical care is one of the greatest needs. Even with the great impor-tance of our task, it is still secondary to our purpose of sharing the love of God.

We hope to bring 12 to 15 volunteers from Utah who wish to share and experience God’s love, and build this important medical clinic.

For more information please contact Larry and Ginny Hjalmarson, (801) 582-2140

It's Rummage Time Again!!

The Wesley Bell Ringers will hold their Spring Rummage Sale on May 11 & 12.

The Hours will be: Friday 8:00 am—7:00 pm

Saturday 8:00 am—2:00 pm.

We would love to have your Rummage! You can drop it off at the Church (Bins in closet behind the Gym).

Need a Pick-up, call Tom or Sally Loken @ 272-6782.

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CUMC Member and Ministry News

Opening for Director of Christian Education Position After eight years of dedicated service, Patty Clifford is leaving the position of Director of Christian Education. We would pre-fer to fill this 20 to 25 hour-per-week paid position from within our Church family, so if you feel a calling to work with the Christian educators of our Church, please contact Steve Goodier, 486-5473 or Sarah Malin-Craft, 272-4538, or visit the CUMC website, www.christmethodistchurch.net, for more information and an application. Community Outreach is a new group formed to improve the Public Awareness and involvement with ministry at CUMC. One of the initial goals of the group is to develop a Public Relations System for the church. We are looking for more people with media/PR experience and knowledge to help lead our group. Contact Steve G. or Patty if you would like to join this group. Meals On Wheels An enthusiastic group of Christ Methodist Church volunteers began delivery for the county Meals on Wheels program in August of 2006 - we even have a few volunteers who serve as substitutes when one of our drivers has a conflict. A county driver drops off the meals in insulated bags at our church and our drivers pick up the meals and deliver them between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Monday thru Fri-day. Our route is quite near to the church, about 7 miles round trip. Each volunteer delivers meals to six to ten indi-viduals, one day a week, twice a month. Delivering the meals usually takes about an hour and it is gratifying to see our “friends” each time we drop in with their meal – they are al-ways grateful for the meal and happy to see us. Due to circumstances coming up, we are looking for a few more volunteers who would be willing to generously give an hour or two, twice a month to deliver the meals for this very worthwhile outreach. If you would be interested in becoming a driver, please call me and I will answer any questions you might have and send you an application. Nona Bressler Meals on Wheels Coordinator 261-1561 Lay Speaking Classes Scheduled Lay Speakers are active, supportive members of the United Methodist church who are eager to serve through the church. Local Lay Speakers serve their local churches while Certified Lay Speakers serve in their own churches, in other churches and through district or conference projects and programs. (A Lay Speaker is not required to preach!) Basic and Advanced courses are offered twice a year in Utah. Each course is 10 hours and is held on a Friday and Saturday. There will be

three classes offered at Hilltop United Methodist Church on April 27/28th. (Friday 6-10pm, Saturday 8:30am – 5pm) The Basic Course will be taught along with 2 advanced Courses. Local and Certified Lay Speakers are invited to take either of the advanced courses: “Interpreting Church Heri-tage” (Methodism) and “Storytelling”. The cost of the Basic course is $20 (includes the book). The cost of the advanced courses is the cost of the book plus $10 payable on Friday night. Lunch will be provided on Saturday. Persons wishing to take an advanced course must order the book prior to the class. Please call Cheryl Elliott at 568-0108 to reserve a place in the Basic Course and to get information on how to order the advanced course books. PLEASE NOTE!!! All Lay Speakers must take a lay speaking course at least once every three years in order to maintain their standing as a Lay Speaker. Lay Speakers who have not taken a class since 2003 must take a class this year. Please call Cheryl with any questions about this new requirement or any other questions about becoming a Lay Speaker. THANK YOU Church and Society would like to thank everyone who was able to give to our Lenten project. Thanks to your generous giving, we were able to take several boxes of needed Wish List items to the Homeless Youth Resource Center of Salt Lake. As Jesus says in Matthew 25:21, “Well done, good and faithful servant”!

Address Changes Rei Norris Highland Care Center Room 114 4235 South Highland Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84124 Corinne Snow Canyon Creek Senior Living Center 7235 South Union Park Avenue #335 Midvale, UT 84047 568-7878 Mountain Vista UMC invites all to their Delectable Dessert Extravaganza and Auction Fundraiser Saturday, May 5, at 7 p.m. Mountain Vista UMC is located on the corner of 3200 West and 9000 South in West Jordan. Stephen Ministry: The Stephen Ministers are in need of 5 or 6 sturdy kitchen chairs. Please call the church office or Bonnie Rock at 581-0180 if you have chairs to donate.

Page 5 Editor : Pat ty Cl i f ford

Congratulations to Christ United Methodist Church Youth Basketball Teams.

This year we had a sixth and seventh grade team in the league and both did great. Playing hard this year were Peter Barrus, Alec Mittelstadt, Jesse Webb, Livi Cheny, Jaren Jonen, Marcos Pickett, Jake Allison, Tristan Meyer, CP Ander-son, Levi Rhodes, Scott McInstry, Preston Fillmore, Cameron Hyde, Julian Wise, Ian Hulquist, Phil Vernon, Peter Taillac, Zachary and Tristan Mizerak and AJ Mclellan. Thanks to coaches Arthur Matthews and Bruce Meyer. We also hosted several games in our new gym this year and our court and scoreboard are great! Thank you for your support of our youth teams.

Page 8

Ways you Can Support our Youth. . . Looking for the perfect Easter or Mother's Day Gift, or per-haps a gift for your favorite 7th grade Confirmant? Methodist cross pendants and lapel pins & books by Steve Goodier are on sale now during Sunday Fellowship. Aluminum Can Recycling: Place your bagged cans by the paper recycling container in the North West corner of the park-ing lot. Keep those cans coming!! Energy Solutions Arena/Franklin Covey Field: We are searching for individuals who would like to volunteer approxi-mately 6 hours of their time to work in the concession stands at the Energy Solutions Arena or Franklin Covey Field. You would work in a group of 8 people who are all from CUMC. It is a great way to get to know our Youth as well as other individu-als who are part of our congregation. If you would like more information, please contact Ruth Lay @ 272-7941, Dianne Stewart @ 231-3964, or Barbara Jolley @ 556-3810. Papa Murphy Pizza discount cards are now available for $5 on Sundays at coffee hour. Each card contains over $49 of dis-counts. For example, buy a large one-topping pizza for $4.99 (regular 8.99)! Support the youth mission trips as you enjoy delicious, cheap pizza!

We Have A Fun Spring And Summer Planned

UMYF Calendar Friday April 6 - Sr. High Performance at the

Good Friday Service 7:00 pm

Saturday April 14 - Sunday April 15 - Jr. High Lock-In and Bake Sale Sunday

April 15 during Fellowship Time

Friday April 27 All night - Utah Youth Spring Fling at the Salt Convention Center and West Valley Fitness Center

Sunday May 20 - Senior Recognition

Sunday May 27 - Lagoon Trip

Thursday June 14- Sun Jun 17 - current 6th - 8th graders -

service project and Jr. High Pinecliff Camp

Tuesday July 10- Tuesday July 17 - 10th-12th graders

Mexico Mission Trip

Sunday July 22 - Saturday July 28 - 8th - 9th graders Sierra Service Project

NE Arizona Mission Trip

Thursday August 2 - Sunday August 5-- Young Men's Chrysa-lis (ages 15-18) Park City

Thursday August 9 - Sun August 12 - Young Women's

Chrysalis (ages 15-18) Park City

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March 11 Paris Bennett Hawkins-Gibbs Parents: David Hawkins & Jennifer Gibbs Hunter Daniel Hawkins-Gibbs Julia Nicole Hibbard Parents: Robert and Jackie Hibbard Anna Marie Hibbard

Deepest Condolences to the family and friends of June Shaw who died Tuesday, February 13th. Deepest Condolences to Shirley Bartley and her family on the death of her cousin, Glen Houdersheldt who passed away Friday, February 16th. Deepest Condolences to the family and friends of Edna Adams who passed away Saturday, February 17th. Deepest Condolences to the family and friends of Bruce Jones who passed away Monday, February 26th. Funeral services were held at Christ Church Saturday, March 3rd. Deepest Condolences to Gerald Prater and his family on the death of his wife Glenda Jean, March 2nd. Deepest Condolences to Ruth Stone and her family on the death of her mother, Ann Lindskold, age 92, who died Sunday morning, March 4th.

Deepest Condolences to Barb McClellan and her family on the death of her brother’s father-in-law in Oregon. Deepest Condolences to Maxine Garwood and her family on the death of her father, March 6th. Deepest Condolences to Alice Kairigi and her family on the death of her father Tuesday, March 13th in Kenya.

To all the gracious people at Christ UMC. Thank you so much for hosting the Walk to Em-maus this year. Your church building is so beauti-ful and filled with so much love. It shows every-where. I felt it the minute I walked into the building. The building reflects the love of its people so beau-tifully. From the beautiful replica of Michelangelo’s Pieta that was donated in love. To the big poster size pictures of people, real people using their hands and feet to serve our God in many different ways. I loved the Sunday School room upstairs that had paper on the windows giving them a stained glass appearance. Your kindness in shar-ing this building with us was a blessing beyond what you will ever know. Please DO know that many lives were changed forever the last two weekends because you said YES! You have shown us the Love of Christ in your willingness to share your building. The people of Christ United will be in my prayers daily. De Colores~ Debi Paulsen Director of Kitchen and Facilities Wasatch Front Walk to Emmaus of Utah

Dear Church Family, We would like to thank you for all the prayers, care and meals during the recent death of our hus-band/father, John Ruff. We are very greatful to have such a caring church. Frances Ruff, Carla Shoemaker, Griffing Family, & Tracy Trout

Bob has been an active Stephen minister for many years, exceptional because he extends the ministry to others in addition to those care receivers he has been assigned to. Al-though he is not presently designated as a hospital visitor, he still makes some 25 visits a year on his own. Recently a homeless man came to the church seeking help, and because no staff members were at the church just then, the receptionist called on Bob because “he is the person we can go to if the ministers are not available.” Bob took the man under his wing, helped him find an apartment, and has provided him with transportation when needed. He began bring-ing the man to church and an adult Sunday School class, and for the past several weeks Bob has brought not only the man but also one of his homeless friends. The man has asked to be bap-tized and admitted to membership. Bob has volunteered at the Crossroads Urban Center for years. Because he is a retired pharmacist, Bob can deal with drug and medicine problems of the poor quite knowledgably. Bob carried the food and supplies donated to Crossroads bins in the church through 2006, but he finally sought a replacement volunteer in January so that he could give more time to his new appointment as chair of the Church and Society Committee. Then he spent most of a day showing the new volunteer how to load and deliver the goods to the downtown food pantry, giving her a tour and orientation to the facility. Bob often accepts church assignments, then goes the extra mile with them. When he volunteered to oversee the acqui-sition of badges for fellow members who were officiating at the church’s recent mega-event, the Marcus Borg seminar, he bought a hundred of the badges, got them printed, affixed color-coded lanyards to distinguish our own church volunteers from the 400+ pre-paid guests, then set up an orientation meeting for those who had volunteered as greeters. When the foot traffic flow inside the church was described by the security volunteers, Bob recognized the difficulty of finding one’s way in a strange church, and took it upon himself to provide directional signs to rest rooms, registration tables, book and CD sales, etc. Then he provided walkie talkies to the shuttle drivers bringing visitors from the overflow lot two blocks away. As we neared the day of the event, Bob saw that the snow and ice that had accumulated in the parking area north of our building would not be melted in time. Without waiting for approval, he bought four plastic containers full of ice-melting salt and positioned them at the church doors so that the walkways could be made free of ice in time for the guests’ arrival. Bob is especially effective at finding novel ways to serve the community on his own. Each year at Thanksgiving and Christ-mas, the Crossroads food pantry hands out donated frozen tur-keys to the poor the day before the holiday. After seeing dozens of people lined up out in the cold, waiting for the distribution center to open up at 9 a.m. and start handing out the turkeys, Bob began planning for the next turkey distribution. That was more than a dozen years ago. Now, Bob greets the gathering crowd at dawn with a large pot of hot chocolate to dole out drinks to hungry people poorly clothed for winter mornings. He and his wife currently serve hundreds of hot drinks each holiday. In October 2006, Bob was one of the key members lead-ing the Laity Sunday Service. It was Bob who, way back in the spring, first contacted the minister about building the laity ser-vice around the environmental issue of Clean Air. He served as liturgist at the Oct. 22 services. He has continued on the Envi-ronment Committee, attending workshops on energy audits and other issues.

He has taken courses in First Aid, CPR assistance, and how to plan emergency response procedures, all part of his per-sonal desire to serve others. It comes very naturally to him. When the person responsible for making coffee for the fellowship hour is ill, Bob fills in and makes coffee. When a min-ister or parish visitor is ill and needs help in making the usual hospital visits, Bob often fills the gap.

Bob Pearce is not only the person who can be counted on to meet a need when called on for help, he often spots the need before other church leaders do and meets it before the need can become a problem. And he does so in a personally caring and sensitive way, without fanfare. He has numerous skills for this kind of service, but does not seek recognition. He is truly a Quiet Disciple, one who has touched many, many lives on behalf of our church. Bob Patton, from First UMC, also received a Quiet Dis-ciple Award. Two others received the award but were not able to attend the subdistrict meeting—they are June Russell, Trinity UMC, and Lorraine Wilkinson, Mountain Vista UMC. Other service that Bob has provided over the years includes two terms as scoutmaster for a Troop, and additional years as assistant scoutmaster. His outdoor ministry also in-cluded many years of service to a group of evening hikers organ-ized as a part of a Shared Ministry effort involving other churches in Utah. The hiking ministry at Christ UMC continues as he organizes weekday hikes for several of our retiree members, sending notices to a group of about 20 individuals and couples three or four times a month through the hiking season when he is not out of town. He has dubbed that group the Senior Moun-taineers.

He has also been recognized for his service at the Crossroads Urban Center, where his name is displayed on a plaque as the recipient of an award. His wife Dorothy also is represented on that plaque, receiving similar recognition in a different year.

Bob Pearce Receives “Quiet Disciple Award” At Utah/Western Sub District UMC Annual Meeting

By George Everett and Cathy Perryman

Bob Pearce and Bob Patton receive award from Glenda Ulmer, the UMC Utah District Superintendent

“INCONVENIENT TRUTH”

All Church Free Movie Party April 22, 2007

Sunday 7:00 PM in Room 101 Come one, come all, to see the sensational movie about global warming and enjoy free pop-corn and free punch. This is sponsored by the Environmental Subcommittee of your Church In Society Committee.

Summer Children’s Ministry and Teachers Needed

Summer Sunday School Teachers Needed for Pre-K, Early Elementary, Older Elementary classes during the 9:00 and 10:30 hours. That is 6 classes per Sunday. Please sign up on the board next to the kitchen VBS Planning coming soon. First 2007 VBS meeting will be on April 22 at 11:30. Open to all who would like to be a part of the VBS Team. There is also a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board by the kitchen for VBS volunteers. Children’s Ministry depends on volunteers like you!!!!! Sign up today!!!!!

News from CUMC

Environmental Committee

Did you know… Sunday, April 22, 2007 is Earth Day.

This year Earth Day is “A Call For Action on Climate Change”.

The United Methodist 2004 Book of Discipline includes Social Prin-ciples addressing the Natural World. God calls us to be good stewards of the Earth and all His creations. How can we love God without celebrating and caring for His creation? How can we love our neighbor without protect-ing the environment on which our neighbor’s life and health depend? This Earth Day, on this glori-ous day that the Lord hath made, we

Christians should speak and act about the environment. We should embrace sustainability and, in particular, energy efficiency.

This Earth Day why not:

• Walk to Worship (or car pool) to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

• Plant a tree to increase levels of oxygen in the air.

• Replace a lightbulb. Compact fluorescent light bulbs consume only ¼ of the energy of a traditional incan-descent and last 10 times longer.

• Recycle: send less to the landfill and take less from the Earth. Remem-ber you can bring your newspapers, plastic bags and aluminum cans to the

church recycling bins.

• Sign up to buy “green power” through Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Program.

• Put away electric gadgets that do things you can do by hand, like electric can openers or leaf blowers.

• Plant drought tolerant plants in your garden and turn down the sprin-klers this year.

Come to a special showing of “AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH” at 7:00 pm, Sunday April 22nd in Room 101. Compact fluorescent light bulbs will be for sale!

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit No. 1315

Salt Lake City, UT

Address Service Requested

EGGSTRAVAGANZA

APRIL 7TH 10:30 - 12:30

- Bring a dish for the Potluck Brunch - Pictures with the Easter Bunny

- Wear your decorated hat for the Easter Parade - Bring 12 plastic eggs (per child) filled with candy, stickers,

or treats for the Easter Egg Hunt

2375 East 3300 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84109

Chr ist United Methodist Church

Phone: 801 486-5473 Fax: 801 486-4480 Email: news@christmethodistchurch.net

We’re on the web www.christmethodistchurch.net