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The Spire

A Publication of Hillcrest United Methodist Church

9100 Russell Avenue South, Bloomington, MN 55431

952-881-8601 occ@hillcrestmethodist.org

www.hillcrestmethodist.org

www.facebook.com/hillcrestmethodistchurch

September 2019

Artwork from Hillcrest Community School

You are invited!

2019-2020 Hillcrest Church

Sunday School Kick Off

September 8, 2019 - 9:30a

Hillcrest Church Sunday School is open to all children aged 3 to 11 years old.

It is a place where kids can learn about God and about faith at their own level.

Our goal is to help every child understand that God made them and GOD LOVES THEM.

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People are the Church Prayer Requests

The following persons have been raised in prayer during the month of August:

Bruce Colebank; Charlie Doering; Barb Ermisch; Linda Fleming; Dale Grant, brother of

Marlin Grant, lung cancer in both lungs; Gary Grant, brother of Marlin Grant, Agent

Orange Parkinson’s Disease; Marlin Grant, hip replacement; Don Harrington; Claudia

Hicks; Pastor Jerry Jensen; Melissa Jungers & Kids; Dawn Kreutz; Marilyn Kreutz; Bob

Kunkel, knee replacement; Marian Mathias; Ronin Millette; Ralph Steward, nephew of

Wilma Steward, Stage 4 Melanoma Cancer; Jim & Barb Van Winkle; Ruth Walker; Adrian

Washington; Jim Whiting

Those We Have Lost

Linda Holladay

Wife of Pastor Charles Holladay of Living Grace Church

Her life was celebrated at Hillcrest UMC on Saturday, August 17, 2019

Mary Jo Miceli

Friend of Linda Fleming

Passed recently from cancer

Prayers for her friends and family as they navigate this life change.

Sonja

Cousin of Luella Whiting who lived in Sweden, recently passed from cancer

Bonnie Tell

Sister of Judy Liudahl, Cousin of Tim Davison

Passed away on August 8, 2019

Funeral Arrangements are Pending

It’s Easy to Submit a Request for Prayers!

Call: Elinor Colebank (952) 977-9114

(OR) Email Lynne Scherer: lmscherer@iphouse.com

(OR) Call the church office (952) 881-8601

(OR) Fill out a Prayer Request Card on Sunday

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From the Pastor’s Desk Pastor Jerry and I recently participated in a 2 day HCI pastor’s training workshop held at

Koronis Conference and Retreat Center in Paynesville Minnesota. The workshop was

conducted by Jim Haun a professor and coach from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

in Evanston, Ill.

This is the group of 7 pastors, representing 6 different churches across the state of

Minnesota, who are all leading our churches through the HCI process. Our pastor’s group has been meeting for 8 months for the purpose of “holding each other up in prayer”, learning from each other, and from our leaders and coaches. We are learning how to best lead our churches

into our new visions of how to make more disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of

the world.

The primary agenda for this 2 day workshop was to access the results of a very

comprehensive leadership circle profile assessment tool. Prior to attending the workshop

each pastor had 12 to 15 leadership evaluations completed by our District Superintendent,

Members of Staff –Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) our peers, employees, and members of

our congregations. The evaluations measured our skills in 29 different leadership categories.

All the evaluations for each pastor were then placed on a graph, helping us understand how

we rated ourselves and how our congregations rated us in each area.

We spent the first day re-connecting with each other, giving updates on how the Spirit

was working with and through our HCI vision and prayer teams, praying for each other, and

learning how to read the leadership circle profile graph and evaluations. At the end of the

day, we were given our personal results. We then had several hours for personal reflection

time plus one on one time with Jim to help us begin to understand our personal evaluations.

The second day we spent time sharing the results of our personal evaluations. We

received extensive feedback from the group and Jim and then developed a plan of action for

each of us to begin making improvements in our leadership effectiveness within the context of

our own churches. We prayed for each pastor to have the courage to hear the feedback and

recommendations and to feel the encouragement of the group and the Spirit in order to begin

making the necessary changes in our leadership. ~Pastor Jill Meents

Committee Meetings & Small Groups

Healthy Church Initiative Vision Team

Saturday, September 21

10:00a-3:00p

Workshop around book “Ultimately Responsible” This meeting will be held at Hillcrest Church.

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Staff/Parish Relations Team

Tuesday, September 10th

6:00p in the Library

Membership, Evangelism, Missions & Outreach Team

Will NOT meet in the month of September. The next Meeting will be Tuesday, October

8th.

Trustees Team

Tuesday, September 10

7:00p in the Gathering Room

Church Council Team

Tuesday, September 10

8:00p in the Gathering Room

Worship Work Team Team

Thursday, September 12

6:30p in the Gathering Room

United Methodist Women

Tuesday, September 17

10:00a Executive Board Meeting in the Fireside Room

11:00a UMW Circle in the Fellowship Hall

Finance Team

Tuesday, September 17

7:00p in the Gathering Room

Methodist & Mature (M&M) Senior Activity

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

12:00p in the Fellowship Hall

Welcome back to M & M’s! Kelly Smith from the Star Tribune will share her 1,300 round mile trip around Lake Superior - the world’s largest fresh water lake. Lunch will be wild rice soup with chicken, home grown

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tomatoes, apple crisp and ice cream. Invite friends to join us. Look forward to 8 new programs

and lunches in 2019 and 2020.

Tai Chi

Thursdays, 10:15a in the Fellowship Hall

Begins September 12

Cost is $48.00 for the first Six Week Session

Tai Chi and Qigong are gentle, non-impact forms of

exercise that promote strength, flexibility and

balance. Class will include study of the Yang 10 form and

Seasonal Qigong. All levels and experience welcome.

Taken from https://www.apparentplan.org/programs & www.apparentplan.org/class-

locations

Hillcrest UMC Book Club

Monday, September 16 1:00p in the Library

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome

Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the

so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent,

she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding

friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she

yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become

intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking

coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are

forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and

violent secrets that nature keeps. Taken from goodreads.com

Thursday Morning Bible Study

Thursdays at 9:15a in the Library

The first class meets on Thursday, September 19th

“Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter” by Lindsay Hardin Freeman. Reading Bible Women is an opportunity to get reacquainted

with not only the stories of biblical women, but also to reflect anew on their

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words and actions (taken from page vii of Bible Women). Sign up to order a book on the sign-

up sheet on the literature rack in the coat room, or by calling the office and placing your order

with Kaite Knack. Suggested cost of the book is $18.00.

Community Book Club

Last Thursday of Each Month

2:00p in the Gathering Room

This is a Bloomington Community Book Club that will be using our space once a month

to hold their book club meetings. This club previously met at another church in Bloomington.

Mission News

August Mission Update

A Special THANK YOU to everyone who gave a donation to support Gordon and Ardell

Graner, Missionaries from the Dominican Republic. As of the printing of this newsletter, your

generous donations totaled over $500.00! Donations are still being accepted. If you are

interested in supporting Gordon and Ardell Graner, please put “GRANER MISSIONARIES” in the

Memo Line or use an August Communion Offering Envelope, available in the main office.

September Mission Offering

During the month of September, we will be collecting financial donations to support The

Sheridan Story. The Sheridan Story is dedicated to providing supplemental food to those

families who are in need. Every Friday during the school year, and before a long weekend or

holiday break, confidentially identified students are given a non-descript white bag, often

loaded directly into their backpacks while the classroom is empty, with non-perishable foods.

This food helps supplement the family over the weekend. Hillcrest Church supports The

Sheridan Story each school year, supplying bags for students at Hillcrest Community School

and at Valley View Elementary School.

Please use a “September Communion Offering” special envelope or write “Sheridan Story” in the Memo line of your check. Any questions or suggestions about Missions and Groups that Hillcrest Church supports can be directed to the Chair of our MEMO Committee,

Lynne Scherer. Thank you for all your support in the past, preset and future.

Hillcrest Sunday School

Planning is well under way for the 2019-2020 Sunday School Year! Hillcrest Church

Sunday School is open to all children aged 3 to 11 years old. It is a place where kids can learn

about God and about faith at their own level. Our goal is to help every child understand that

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God made them and

GOD LOVES THEM!

Hillcrest Sunday School will be using the Deep Blue Curriculum, with the fall theme of “Loving God, Loving Neighbor”. Children will: *learn the language of faith while growing in the love of God and Jesus

*practice faith formation with children of various ages

*experience God’s love through prayer, activity, and worship each week. Students will start in Worship with their families. Following Children’s Moments during Worship, they will head downstairs to Room 1 with an adult. Registration forms for Hillcrest

Sunday School are available on the literature rack in the coat room.

If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer to lead the Children’s Moment during worship, please see Bonnie Beyer, Child Care Director, or Kaite Knack, Communications

Coordinator.

Hillcrest Child Care Center

Summer Fun!

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Our Church in Pictures...

Hillcrest Church Prayer Group

National Night Out Event 2019

School Supply Drive 2019

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Vacation Bible School 2019

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Hillcrest United Methodist Church

9100 Russell Ave S

Bloomington, MN 55431

E-mail: occ@hillcrestmethodist.org

hillcrestmethodist.org

Phone: (952) 881-8601 Fax: (952) 888-2961

www.hillcrestmethodist.org

www.facebook.com/hillcrestmethodistchurch

MISSION STATEMENT

“Living the Ultimate Challenge — To Make a Difference in God's World”

How We Share

Our Gifts

You will find our members

out in the community

serving meals at Loaves and

Fishes...

There will be knitters

working on prayer shawls

or preemie hats while

volunteering in the church

office…

Others will be making

blankets for a battered

women's shelter.

We will be found making

sandwiches for homeless

shelters in the church

kitchen, making t-shirts into

diapers...or simply caring

for our neighbors in

countless little ways.

People need care…

we try to provide that care

in the name of Jesus.

Share your gifts—Join

us!

Every Sunday: Worship, 9:30a Fellowship, 10:30a

Communion First Sunday of Every Month

Hillcrest UMC Staff:

Pastor Jill Meents Certified Lay Minister Jerry Jensen

Communications Coordinator: Kaite Knack

Director of Music: Nancy Miller

Organist/Pianist: Loryce Sivertson

Child Care Center Director: Bonnie Beyer

Child Care Staff: Nathalie Morales Altamirano, Kelsey Cornell,

Jasmine Tapia Garcia, Maribi Sanchez Omana, Jessica Ronnei, Jennifer

Contreras Sanchez, Jean Scott, Rosie Sola, Carla Sorensen, Monsy

Valdepena, Lady Vasquez, Carla Zenk and Kristin Zumberge

Church Office Hours:

Monday-Thursday, 9:00a-3:00p & Friday, 9:00a-12:00p

Church Office: 952-881-8601

Child Care Center Hours:

Monday—Friday, 6:30a-6:00p

Child Care Center: 952-881-5330