Hilltop will begin its new Sunday schedule, Sunday, May 6. Here's the new line up:

 Sunday School for all ages at 9:00 am

 Coffee Fellowship at 10:00 and 11:30 am

 Worship at 10:30 am

See you Sunday!

March 15, 2012

Sisters and Brothers in Christ at Hilltop:

Marilyn and I are excited about becoming part of what God is doing at Hilltop United Methodist. 

In Matthew 28:20 Jesus gathers the remaining disciples on a mountain and uses these verbs: “go … make … baptize … teach.” That passage and those verbs are key elements of Marilyn’s and my spiritual formation. In order to “go” we must leave places of safety and boldly and confidently answer God’s call. Our Christian vocation is the intentional creation of new life-long students of the gospel realized through our relinquishment of worldly ways. Everything we understand about Hilltop communicates Hilltop is a community with that spiritual grounding. 

I told the Hilltop Staff Parish Relations Committee that if we had been asked to write a description of a church where we would feel called, the description Hilltop provided was one we would have written.

We are impressed with what you are already doing. 

We are excited about joining the Hilltop Christian family on this journey.

We look forward to being at Hilltop in July! 

We see this as a sacred opportunity God has placed before us. 

We both ask you to be in prayer for churches relinquishing their pastors to other churches this year. This is a time of anxiety you uniquely understand. Your collective prayers for patience and assurance are powerful, knowing that God is at work and will provide. 

Yours in Christ,

Dennis Shaw

Open the document on the right side of the page to read the complete text. 

All men of the church! On Sunday, June 17 we celebrate Father's Day and Men of the Church. For this occasion, we are assembling a special Men's Choir to present a musical offering. Please contact Roberta (801.571.5777 x3) if you would like to be a part of this. Rehearsals are to be decided. Please lend your voice to the glorious power of men joined together in song!

 The newsletter has gone digital. 

        We hope that everyone is receiving and reading the newsletter every month. To be notified when it is available online, send an e-mail to office@hilltopumchurch.org saying “add me to the newsletter group.”  

In an effort to save paper and money, we would like to minimize the number of paper copies printed. We encourage everyone to get the news-letter from the website. If you don’t have access, you can pick one up at the church. Or homebound members can be mailed their copy. Just be sure to inform the office of how you would like to receive your newsletter.     ttt

A final chance to have your picture taken for the directory will be Easter Sunday, April 8. Come to the Ada Room after all services - no appointment needed. 

To preview your pictures taken for the church directory:

• Go to www.shutterfly.com
• Sign in (at the top, right) using login email office@hilltopumchurch.org, and password - hilltop.
• Choose the “Church Directory” album
• After viewing your pictures, send an email to office@hilltopumchurch.org with the picture title, such as “dsc_5645.jpeg” to choose your preferred picture for the directory. Be sure to include full and proper spelling for each person in the picture.
• If you would like to upload your own photograph, choose “Upload” at the top left. Follow the instructions. When uploading, make sure you add to the “Church Directory” album. Be sure to send an email to the office saying this is the picture you would like to use.
• If you are unhappy with all your photos, come back next Sunday for a retake.

You may also email your directory picture to JoAnna Neal at thehatlady@aol.com. We’ll still need the names and proper spelling of everyone’s name in the picture. Don't forget that the deadline to submit a photo is March 18.

If you are interested in having your picture touched-up for the directory and for personal printing (a disk will be given to you), write the dsc picture number, as stated above, with your contact information and place in an envelope along with a $25 donation to Hilltop UMC and place in Skip Poole’s mailfolder.

If you have questions, please contact Peggie Shultz at pshultz70@gmail.com.

Will YOU Be In It?

Beginning Sundays, March 4-18, we will take family photos after each worship service in Fellowship Hall for inclusion in the new Hilltop photo directory. NO APPOINTMENT IS NEEDED.

Already have a photo you’d like to use? Submit it to JoAnna Neal at Thehatlady@aol.com or upload to the Directory shutterfly web site. (See the article above this one.) Include the names of all in the photo, your address and any phone numbers you have. If you want your email included, add that, too, Please submit photos that include only family members - no Santa’s or Mickey Mouse. But family pets are welcome! Deadline to submit photos is March 18.

We would also like to include college students and members of the armed services. Submit those photos to JoAnna and let us know where they are in school or are stationed.

The funeral for Pam Hallenburg will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 18. A reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall.

Read the Salt Lake Tribune obituary at http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/saltlaketribune/obituary.aspx?n=pamela-deckard-hallenburg&pid=155865176.

Hilltop UMC in Sandy, Utah is looking for a part time Children’s Ministry Director. Resumes should be sent via e-mail to office@hilltopumchurch.org no later than January 23.

See the attached article for a complete job description.

Hilltop has begun to record worship services and post them on our web page. Go to the new link on the main bar - "Listen to Worship Services."

Open the news article of the service you are interested in hearing. The bulletin for that day will be listed so you can follow along. To open the MP3 file, click on the link on the right side of the page under "Article Attachments." 

November is shaping up to be a busy time for Hilltop United Methodist church. A church Gathering on November 12, Thanksgiving on the 24th, and the all-church annual conference on the 29th. And somehow these three events are curiously linked together.

So two of those three events are recognizable and perhaps already on your calendar, but what is this Hilltop Gathering all about? And more importantly, why should I be thinking about spending three or so hours with the people I see every Sunday? Well, the answer lies in why you already know what you’re doing for Thanksgiving and why you’ll probably go to this year’s all-church conference.

We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving as a high holy day in the church, but we certainly recognize its’ core celebration as being central to Christian thinking. What could be more significant than being thankful? Thankful that God is with us, that he gave his son for us, that we are family. Yes, the family gathering during this holiday has significance in that it binds together even the most obstinate person-alities into a union greater than the parts. The pilgrims made it known that the harvest was worthy of a time to set aside every day concerns and give thanks for blessings we too often take for granted.

Hilltop has the need to be thankful that God has been with us during our times of trial. As our church has struggled with the loss of a senior pastor and associate youth pastor there has been an unsettled nature about the mission of our church. It has at times zapped our strength and perhaps misguided our energies, but it has not extinguished God’s flame in this place. Some would say that it came to a flicker and brought us to a low place, yet God would not let it die. And for this we need to give thanks and acknowledge his power to work with his church to rekindle the life that is needed for Hilltop.

So gathering together and sharing our bond is necessary. Being thankful that we are building upon what others have set as a foundation can only serve to strengthen us. Encouraging one another by re-committing our devotion to seeking God’s will for Hilltop should be on our minds. And the gathering will be a place for that.

Our church is in the midst of a teaching moment. We can see the need to be a body with many parts. It is not one, but all that defines who we are. Our challenge is to not let the flame fade, but to recognize each part as necessary to the whole. Our purpose is to serve and not lend deaf ears or be obstacles as to how we will move forward.

The all-church annual conference will be a defining time for our church. Having two interim pastors to shepherd us through the last few years has given us the opportunity to recover and renew. Now is the time for us to build back not only what we think we had, but what God would like us to have. This is our opportunity to focus on God’s work here at Hilltop and to reflect that love that he has shown us. The selection of our next pastor should be influenced by concise statements about our present real-ity and who we believe we are called to be. Hilltop needs to say who we are right now in a unison voice so God can build this church that he has so lovingly cared for and patiently waits to grow in this community. For without an idea about who we are, what our reasons for being a church are, and a desire to become what God has in mind for us, we are lost sheep.

So come to the Hilltop Gathering and be a part of a new covenant. Speak out about our future. Speak out about what you know is the heart of our congregation. Be a part of the body of Hilltop and watch us grow!

Barry Welliver
Council Vice-Moderator and Gathering Chair

The leadership of Hilltop want to know your thoughts and opinions about our church, its ministries, programs, and people. We have created an online survey and ask that you set aside a few minutes to thoughtfully answer questions vital to determining Hilltop’s future. All answers are anonymous and no personal information is required. You should have received an e-mail on September 23 directing you to the questionnaire, provided the office has your e-mail address. 

To go directly to the email, click http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/C3SNTZY.

If you would like to be added to this list, please send us your e-mail address at office@hilltopumchurch.org.

If you do not use e-mail, you may request a printed copy of the survey from the office. Your opinions are important and will help to achieve the goals outlined in last month’s Highlights:
 

1. Build Congregation Strength by discovering our love for the church and exploring who we are as HILLTOP. 
2. Create a church & community profile which defines our key demographic and 'service area.‛

But the survey is only one step in the process. There will be more to come. Look for more opportunities to help build and
define the new Hilltop!

Hilltop United Methodist Women's Fall Consignment Sale is Friday, Sept. 23 to Saturday, Sept. 24
with the Pre-sale on Thursday evening (Sept. 22)

There are big changes this year in the way consignor's prepare their items for sale. To see these changes or to find out how to be a consignor or volunteer, go to the sale webpage. (From the menu bar above go to Activities>Children's & Maternity Sale.)

As part of the Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) meeting on June 22, the committee discussed the proposed Part-Time Youth Ministry Director Position. This position was identified in the original 2011 budget, but was withdrawn due to budget constraints. Recently, an anonymous donor has offered a dollar for dollar matching gift to fund a part-time Youth Director position in the amount of $5,000. The committee has spent the last few weeks talking to members of the congregation to determine the best course of action with regard to accepting the donation. After consultation with members of the church and much discussion within the committee, the need for a Part-Time Youth Ministry Director Position was confirmed by the committee.

Read the entire proposal in the attached letter. 

The office will be closed Monday, April 25, 2011.  Please call on Tuesday or leave a message. 

Find us on Facebook and keep up with the latest news and events.  You do not need a Facebook account to go to www.facebook.com/HilltopUMC.

Bring your books to exchange or just come to shop at the Hilltop Book Exchange.  Hours are Friday, January 21  from 3 pm to 6 pm; Saturday, January 22 from 9 am to 2 pm and Sunday, January 23 between all services.  For every two books you bring, you can take one home or buy books at $1.00 for hardbacks and $.50 for paperbacks. 

Come check out the selection and find your favorites!

Rehearsals begin Sunday, January 23 at 3:00 for the Glee Club and instrumentalists for our 2011 youth fundraiser! All youth are invited to bring their voice/instrument and attend today's rehearsal. The Glee Club will meet upstairs in the Music Room and the instrumentalists will meet in the sanctuary. No slushies!

Purchase your tickets beginning April 15 for Hilltop Gospel Choir's 2012 concert "BY FAITH." Tickets are only $5 each and are available at the Scrip desk in Fellowship Hall 9:00-9:30 am and 12:00-12:45 pm.

Concerts are Sunday, April 29, 7:00 pm, at Mountain View Christian Assembly, 8000 S. 300 E. in Sandy; Friday, May 4, 7:00 pm, at New Pilgrim Baptist Church, 5133 S. Heath Ave. in Kearns; and Sunday, May 6, 7:00 pm, at Hilltop United Methodist Church, 985 E. 10600 S. in Sandy. Tickets may also be purchased at the door, or in advance by calling 801.571.5777. Childcare will be provided at the Hilltop location only.

See the poster on the music bulletin board for more information, or call Roberta at 801.571.5777 x3.

We joyously look forward to sharing this great night of praise with you!

A proposal was presented to and approved by Church Council to begin a new worship schedule starting May 6. Sunday School will be at 9:00 am, fellowship at 10:00 am and worship at 10:30 am. Below is the formal proposal. This is an exciting time for Hilltop and we hope to see you in church. If you have comments or concerns, please post a message on the form below. 

A Proposal for Unity - Presented by the Positive Action Coalition

GOAL: A unified Hilltop United Methodist Church centered in Christ

where all people can belong, grow in their beliefs and become disciples of Christ.

Whereas Hilltop is at a critical turning point in determining our identity for the future,

Whereas Hilltop has declared through Congregational Gatherings and surveys a need for unity and a deeper spirituality within the congregation,

Whereas the UMC has envisioned a connectional Church with a clear consensus about its missions and has called for a greater focus on creating disciples for the transformation of the world,

Whereas reflection and discussion have led to a greater clarity about the values and needs of Hilltop, the time for action is upon us,

THEREFORE, the core of the Positive Action Coalition (PAC) has prayerfully developed a proposal to take action to bring about the goal of a unified Hilltop centered in Christ where all people can belong, grow in their beliefs and become disciples of Christ.

The Proposal

The United Methodist Church’s Vital Congregations Planning guide encourages, “God’s plans flow from the Holy Spirit and therefore all involved in this process are called to immerse planning in prayer, Bible study, Christian conferencing, and testimony.” They suggest the use of SMART actions:

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Attainable

R – Relevant

T- Time framed

In order to accomplish the goal of a unified Hilltop United Methodist Church centered in Christ where all people can belong, grow in their beliefs and become disciples of Christ, the Positive Action Coalition (PAC) is proposing:

1. Creating one unified worship service that is inviting and inspiring and fosters an environment that leads to the desired sense of unity and deeper spiritual connection within the congregation. (May 6, 2012)
    
2. Creating unity-building fellowship opportunities such as regular pot-luck meals and church-wide service projects that bring various groups together in mission. (May 6, 2012)
    
3. Establish a variety of short-term, theme-oriented classes that encourage all to participate in their own Christian growth while nurturing others in theirs. (September 9, 2012)

Funeral services for Enid Rust will be Friday, March 23 at 3:00 pm at Grace Community Bible Church (11592 South 1300 East Sandy, UT 84094).

More information is available from the Salt Lake Tribune obituary - http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/saltlaketribune/obituary.aspx?n=enid-gay-rust&pid=156600527.

Hilltop is looking for a part-time youth director. Position is open until filled but we would like to person to be in place by January 3, 2012. For complete details, see the job description attached to this article (on right side of page). 

To apply, send a resume to Hilltop UMC, 985 East, 10600 South, Sandy, UT 84094 or office@hilltopumchurch.org.

5:00 p.m.
Communion and Candles

7:00 p.m.
Communion and Candles
Hallelujah Bells

9:00 p.m.
Communion and Candles
Chancel Choir

11:00 p.m.
Communion and Candles
Chancel Choir

Memorial services for Michael Noll will be held at Hilltop on Saturday, September 17 at 1 p.m. A reception for family and friends will follow immediately in the Fellowship Hall. 

Obituary from the Salt Lake Tribune - http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/saltlaketribune/obituary.aspx?n=michael-thomas-noll&pid=153623986.