• www.parkerumc.org • 303-841-3979 • office@parkerumc.org

April 2012

Campuses in Parker & Elizabeth

Easter Cantata presented by our Fine Arts Department at the 8 & 9:30a services: Remember - Where the Past Ends and Forever Begins Palm procession at all 3 services. Holy Communion at the 11am ser-vice only.

Services at 8a, 9:30a & 11a

2 “Inspiring Through Christ the Love of God and Neighbor”

John Wesley

Aldersgate Circuit Rider

Ruth Chapel

“Exploring Parker UMC” Interested in knowing more about the history of how our Bible came to be in its current form? Ever won-dered how “Methodism” came to be, why they / we are called “Methodists” and who those Wesley boys were ? Ever asked yourself where the “United” in the United Methodist Church came from, when and why? Know a little about the history and growth of Parker UMC but would like to know more? Would like to meet some of the leaders of your Church and hear briefly about our many ministries and committees? Considered joining in membership with Parker UMC? If the answer to any or all of these questions is “yes”, then plan to attend the next “Exploring Parker UMC” class. Lunch and child care are provided. Our 2012 schedule of “Exploring Parker UMC” for the 1st half of 2012 is:

April 15 June 3

Call the office to sign up. 303 841-3979

2nd Saturday of each month. All men are invited to join us in the kitchen at 8am for good food and fellowship. The April gathering is Saturday 4/14.

We’d Love to Greet

Everyone By Name –

Please Wear Your Name-

tag Sunday Mornings If you need a new nametag, please call the Church Office and we’ll make one up for you.

Easter Prayer Vigil

We invite you to join us in a Prayer Vigil Easter Weekend: Good Friday April 6th through Easter Morning Sunday April 8th. This is a wonderful way to reflect on the miracle of Easter, what Jesus went through, and what the Lord wants for our Church. If each of us can adopt just a small block of time, the prayer vigil will be a 'round the clock stream of prayer on this most important weekend. Please join us! Look for the poster at the information desk to sign up for your time. You can pray anywhere. Your Prayer Ministry Team.

What a wonder-ful retreat we had in February! Over 50 women were blessed by the gentle lead-

ing of Michelle Rahn and the group sharing, playing and worshipping. The retreat planners did an outstanding job of preparing for everyone. Looking ahead to Sunday, April 22nd, we will have a special hap-pening at PUMC called a Prayer and Self-Denial event. We will share a noon meal after the third worship service and then move into learning more about possible prayer practices and the influ-ence of technology into our lives and the mission areas around the world. All women of PUMC and the Elizabeth Methodists are encouraged to come! We will have child care and be finished by 2:00 pm. On Thursday evening the 10th of May, we have invited Carol Par-tridge, a missionary from Macedonia to share with us. She is a writer of chil-dren’s books, short stories, and dramas for children. More information will be shared next month. Our eight circles are always open for more members. For informa-tion, contact Pat Chase, 303-506-9823 or patchase99@yahoo.com .

Wanted! Daughters, Sons, Ma-mas and Papas of all ages for this summer’s musical! PUMC is collaborating with the new PACE

Center to perform FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Auditions are June 4 and 5 from 6:30 - 9:00 with c a l l b a c k s o n J u n e 6 . Rehearsals will start week of June 18th from 6:30-8:30. There

will be 7 performances starting July 27 and closing on August 4. In the tradition of our previous shows, the more people involved, the merrier! This show will be a wonderful, family oriented, community out-reach program for both the church and the Parker Task Force. For more informa-tion, contact Kim Moore at kimberleys-moore@gmail.com.

Introducing our new Senior Pastor, effective 7/1/2012:

Rev. Randy Jessen. O n Su nd ay, 3 /1 1, your Staff/Parish Re-lations chair Ted Tedesco, and our Dis-trict Superintendent, Rev. Melanie Rosa, announced the ap-pointment by Bishop Elaine Stanovsky of Rev. Randall W. Jessen

as the new senior pastor of Parker UMC, effective July 1. as Pastor Mike retires effective June 30. Pastor Randy is currently serving Wil-son UMC in Colorado Springs. Go to www.wilsonumc.org, where you can start to get to know him, listen to some of his past sermons, read his introduc-tion, or read his blog with a new posting each day of Lent at www.randyjessen.blogspot.com .

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April 2012 Acolyte Schedule RED ROBES ON THE

FIRST SUNDAY Please don’t forget to wear your crosses

when you acolyte. 8am 9:30am 1at Jack Eimen Jackson Warner Harrison Cassel Jack Baumbach 8th Emma Sheffield Kaleb Stroman Kyra Kauffman Stevie Thone 15th Luke Sayler Ethan Caron Jacob Pier Derek Ackley 22nd Ervin Keeling Mason Day Andy Bader Lily Peterson 29th Cameron Rowley Elissa Marquart Jordan Rowley Kirsten Yinger. If this date does not fit into your schedule, kindly call someone else on the list to trade Sundays with or take your place. If you have misplaced your list, call me for another list. Thank you for your help and for your responsibility in this very impor-tant job in our church. Please remember to arrive 10 minutes before the service is to start so you have plenty of time to get organized. Thank you. Carole Rector, 303/841-4541

On the 3rd Friday of each monthly, XYZ (eXtra Years of Zest) meet for breakfast at the Village Inn on Parker Rd, just north of the church at 9:00 AM. Every-one who feels chronologically gifted are invited to join us. The April gathering is 4/21.

As the birthplace of Methodism a s w e know it t o d a y , E n g -land is t h e h o m e o f m a n y r i c h histori-cal sites a n d t r e a s -u r e s t h a t

help give credence to our very remark-able spiritual heritage. To explore and experience some of this history, Pastor Mike and Ti will be co-hosting an Edu-cational Opportunities trip to England with Rev. Keith and Mary Ann Watson September 26-October 4, 2012. If you are interested in joining us on this tour, please talk with Pastor Mike or email him at mike@parkerumc.org. For fur-ther details go to www.parkerumc.org. You can access the brochure from the home page.

On Thursdays, The XY Zingers Gospel and Barbershop a cappella singing group welcomes all men who have an interest in singing. Practices are Thurs-day mornings. For more information, contact Denver Fox, 303 773 3890.

“Journey With Jesus” Saturday 4/7 10a-11:30a

Journey with Jesus This year, we are excited to present to you a new family experience for Easter!!! Join us on Saturday April 7th at 10a as we journey together, walking the path that Jesus walked during his last days on earth. Children and their par-ents will journey together through this multisensory event, experiencing Jesus’ love and forgiveness for all, discovering the real meaning of Easter, and receiv-ing a few Easter Eggs along the way. Join us for our NEW family-centered experience that will forever change your Easter experience!

4 “Inspiring Through Christ the Love of God and Neighbor”

Our children’s Sunday School classes continue to grow, and the Sunday morn-ing energy is electrifying to be around! Because of the increase in kids, we are in need of a few extra hands in our classes.

Baptisms in 2012 We offer several opportunities each year to receive children and adults in bap-tism. This month, the baptism class will take place on Sunday, 4/22 with bap-tisms on Sunday, 4/29. If you’re consid-ering the sacrament of baptism at this time, this might be a perfect opportunity to schedule with the office for the class at 303-841-3979. Baptism Sundays in 2012 > April 29—Class 4/22 > July 29—Class 7/22 > September 30-Class 9/23

Calling All Readers! The Contemporary Christian book group would like to invite you to join us in reading some thought-provoking books this spring. The books and the dates of our discussion are listed below. We meet at 7:00 p.m. the first Wednes-day of the month at the church. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Susan G u s t i n a t 3 0 3 - 8 0 5 - 2 4 4 3 o r sjgustin@comcast.net. April 4: Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place. In her memoir, Cor-rie Ten Boom describes how she and her family helped rescue Jews from Nazi persecution in Holland during World War II. May 2: Phyllis Tickle, The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why. “Tickle, author of God-Talk in America…, observes that Christianity is holding its semimillen-nial rummage sale of ideas. With an elegance of argument and economy of description, Tickle escorts readers through the centuries of church his-tory… and persuasively charts the char-acter of and possibilities for the emerg-ing church.” (Publishers’ Weekly) June 6: Desmond Tutu, No Future Without Forgiveness. “The es-tablishment of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a pio-neering international event…. With the final report of the Commission…, Archbishop Tutu offers his reflections on the profound wisdom he has gained by helping usher South Africa through this painful experience…and shows readers how to move forward with hon-esty and compassion to build a newer a n d m o r e h u m a n e world.” (amazon.com)

Palm Sunday Cantata 2012 Remember - Where the Past Ends

and Forever Begins The haunting words reach to us from antiquity. “The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.' For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” - I Corinthians 11:23-26 Remember. Remember. As commanded, the Israelites have retold the story of the faithfulness of their God for centuries. They have recounted how the blood of the lamb protected them from the angel of death. The world is on the brink of eternal change now, because it is Jesus, the Christ who is saying remember. Re-member the things I taught you, remem-ber the trials and the triumphs, remem-ber the promises and the prayers, re-member the bread and the wine. God will reclaim His people and it will be forever inscribed on their hearts, sealed by the Master, in His own blood. Re-member. Once you encounter the Mas-ter, how could you ever forget? Please join the Parker UMC Choir on Palm Sunday as this timeless story is told through scripture and song.

“Creation Care Conference”

Climate Change & Faith

April 14 & 15, 2012 Keynote Speaker: Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter, Director of Bridge-Works in Casper Wyo-

ming. Author of Green Church” books. Held at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 4500 N. Wadsworth Blvd., Wheat Ridge, CO. • 15 Workshops to choose from. • More than 15 exhibitors. • Complete details can be found at

www.coipl.org/programs/conference2012 or call 303 429-5792

• Flyers are posted on our main bul-letin boards.

“A Festival of God’s Creation” is o b s e r v e d b y t h e U n i t e d Methodis t Church on the Sunday

closest to Earth Day. This year it is observed on Sunday April 22.

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Do you give of yourself in service to others? Do you help with Praying Hands Ranch…sing in a nursing home…play bells for uplifting others…volunteer to build something for oth-ers…volunteer at Parker Task Force…join a mission trip??? If the answer is yes, please have the leader of your group let Frank Hill know of your ser-vice to others. Our Missions Committee is keeping track of what kind of difference we make in the lives of others!!! Frank can be contacted at 303-841-4559 or at colohills@msn.com

News From Little Blessings Preschool

"Eden Gardeners"

Calling all gardeners – from master gar-deners to gardening wannabes! We are looking to start a small group to share tips, traps, and our general enthusiasm for gardening. After all, as poet Doro-thy Frances Gurney wrote, “One is nearer God's Heart in a garden/Than anywhere else on Earth.” Here is our tentative schedule of meet-ings and activities for Spring 2012. We are currently working to sign up speak-ers from local organizations such as the extension service and master gardeners program, on topics such as soils and composting, veggie gardening, and

xeriscaping. What subjects would YOU like to hear about? Please join us in launching this new group! If you have any questions or suggestions for the Eden Gardeners, please contact Diana Hill at colo-hills@msn.com. If you plan to attend the first meeting on March 29, please email Diana to let her know you are coming – we want to have plenty of dessert!

Date When Where What Thursday, March 29 Dessert at

6:30p; dis-cussion at 7:15p

Room 137 Please join us for dessert starting at 6:30. Please bring your favorite gardening catalogue(s) and/or seeds to share as we get acquainted, start-ing at 7:15. Speaker Craig Miller, "10 things not to do in your landscape."

Thursday, April 12 7:00p Room 137 Xeriscape with Craig Miller

Thursday, April 26 7:00p Room 137 Master Gardener Thursday, May 10 7:00p Room 137 Master Gardener

Sunday, May 20 9:00-11:30 a.m.

Narthex Plant sale. Perfect time to be planting, in that weekend between Mother’s Day and Memorial Day! Please bring extra plants and seeds that you don’t need, to share with others.

Thursday, May 31 7:00 Room 137 Presentation by Luan Akin and Grandma Mimi of Tagawa’s

Sunday, June 24 TBA Local garden tours

Sunday, July 1 TBA Local garden tours

Register your child today at Little Bless-ings Preschool and Kindergarten for the 2012-2013 school year. We have nurtur-ing and enriching classrooms for 2-year-olds up to Kindergarten. Contact Tricia Woods at tricia@parkerumc.org to schedule a tour or call us at 303-841-3979. Back by popular demand is our 3 week

summer camp the first three weeks in June for currently enrolled Little Blessings Pre-school & Kin-

dergarten students. Please look for up-dates in the May issue of Cross & Flame.

EDEN GARDENERS’ SCHEDULE

6 “Inspiring Through Christ the Love of God and Neighbor”

Rev. Michael Nickerson

Ammon Lane-Ramsey, Youth Pastor I recently saw a great video on YouTube. Yes, there are actually great videos on You-Tube. Who would have th oug h t? Ok ay, s o what I need you to do is go watch this video i mm e d i a te l y . S to p

reading and enter this link into your w e b b r o w s e r : h t t p : / /youtu.be/3YXINEYdnkY Once you’re done watching come back and finish reading. If you don’t have time to watch

it right now or are not capable., wait to finish reading once you’ve had the chance. O k a y , n o w t h a t y o u ’ v e watched it, I hope you were as moved as I was. I think it is unfortunate that this young lady had to make this video. And unfortunately Christians are gener-ally seen as people who judge others in our society. If we read through the Bi-ble, it could be argued that God often showed “tough love” to the Israelites. This would be the same type of love that a parent might show a child. Often

God’s followers acted childish and needed to be shown the way through a tough, but loving grace. This is God’s job, not ours. We are to be followers of Christ who continually showed us how to love others, even those who may not be considered good people or those who may not be Christians. It is not our job to judge others, only to love. So, I for one am a part of the movement. Are you going to join us? Until next month, God bless!

B y n ow y ou have probably heard that Rev. Randy Jessen has been ap-p o i n t e d t o Parker UMC as of July 1, 2012. We are indeed fortunate to be

able to welcome such a seasoned spiri-tual leader to our church. I feel Bishop Elaine and her cabinet did a great job in choosing a person who will serve Parker UMC very well. Some of you may remember that we used the ‘New Consecration Sunday’ program as a focus for our 2001 finance

campaign. The program called for a guest preacher to deliver the final Con-secration Sunday sermon to challenge us in the commitment of our prayers, presence, gifts and service to help fulfill the mission of our church. Rev. Jessen kindly accepted my invitation to deliver that sermon. If you were with us for that wonderful event, you have already had a taste of the integrity, compassion and enthusiasm he brings to ministry. His history of pastoring growing, vital churches that are involved in significant mission made him a perfect choice for that occasion. Of course, I’ve been concerned about who will lead Parker UMC into its next chapters. While we have all worked

together to move our church forward during my 12 years with you, I have fervently prayed that my successor would be one who could capably build on our efforts. My anxieties are com-pletely alleviated with Bishop Elaine’s announcement. In my opinion, Rev. Randy is the best choice the bishop could have made and I believe the next few years will be ones of growth in size and spiritual commitment for Parker UMC as we welcome Rev. Randy Jes-sen. Grace and peace,

Rev. Pat Bell, Associate Pastor For there is no distinc-tion, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God

put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. (Romans 3:22-25) As you read this, we are just coming out of the season of Lent and are emerging into the excitement of Palm Sunday and the awe, wonder and joy of Easter. These are two really great Sun-days to be in church. The Chorale is performing the cantata and the kids get to march through the sanctuary waiving their palm fronds. Then the next week, we come to church and celebrate the

resurrection of Christ, as we all remind each other that “He is Risen indeed!” We also are blessed with the coming to church of hundreds of folks that we haven’t seen for a while, which I always find exciting. In between these celebratory Sundays, however, we cannot forget (or at least we should not forget) what comes in between - the events that played out on the cosmic stage as good overcame evil. Jesus Christ, God-with-us, gave up his life and suffered a horri-ble death so that we could be set free from the power of sin and the fear of death. As the atoning Lamb of God, Jesus took upon himself the sins of man-kind and gave us all the chance to come to God, washed clean through faith in Christ and clothed in His righteousness

rather than in our own attempts at right-eousness. During Holy week, we have a Communion service on Maundy Thurs-day where we remember the Last Sup-per and the establishment of the new covenant that Jesus said was, “poured out in my blood for the forgiveness of sins.” We also have a service on Good Friday where we remember the Passion events and the sacrifice that was given for us and for all. I would encourage you all to attend as many of the services during Holy week as you are able. I believe that, in order to fully realize the power of the Sundays, one should begin to understand the significance of the Thursday and Friday. I hope to see you there. May God bless you all.

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Cody Anderson, Minister to Children & Families

Rev. Megan Ryan, Associate Pastor

I have to admit it: just because I am the children’s minister doesn’t mean that my house is com-pletely peaceful, that my boys listen to me 100% of the time and do exactly what I

ask of them. In fact, sometimes my house can be absolutely crazy with two boys who are fighting over one toy, or who are into things that they aren’t sup-posed to be, or are upset at my ideas as a parent and are letting me know about it. And I can get completely frustrated! With so many parenting ideas out there, I often am desperately searching for something new and different that just might work in helping me be a better parent. Often, it doesn’t work and I am back to my search. Then I took a won-derful parenting class here at the church called “Parenting With the Fruits of the Spirit” by Dianne Daniels, and, while my house it still chaotic at times and filled with some arguing, I have to say that I am a more calm parent with the wonderful tools that she presented.

Our Children’s Ministry is now going to use the Fruits of the Spirit as our disciplinary model. It is founded from Galatians 5:22-23a that says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful-ness, gentleness and self control.” How it works is this: if a child decides to make a bad choice, you call them back to these 9 fruits. You ask them these nine questions: “When you did that, did it show love? Did it show joy? Did it show peace? Did it show patience? Did it show kindness? Did it show good-ness? Did it show faithfulness? Did it show gentleness? Did it show self con-trol?” When they answer no, then you remind them that God wants us to live a life filled with the fruits of the Spirit. Now, in the off chance that they re-spond “yes”, then you ask them to tell you how. When they aren’t able to do that, you take them back to the nine questions. The amazing thing about using the Fruits of the Spirits as a disciplinary model at home or within our Children’s Ministry is that children learn a Bible

Scripture, and then are able to think about their actions and how they are living their lives. It brings them back to their faith, which is a wonderful place to be brought back to. And even though they still make mistakes, they start to be able to see how their faith is at work in them. And as a parent, it brings me back to a calm state where I can reflect on my faith as well. As we journey through this new model, I encourage you to try it for yourself at home. You will be amazed at how your children remember all nine fruits and how they start to connect their actions with their faith. If you would like more information, please feel f r e e t o c o n t a c t m e a t cody@parkerumc.org. Continued prayers for you and your family!

“How is it with your soul?” This question comes f rom John Wesley, the spiritual father of the United Methodist Church, and is one that was asked on a very fre-

quent basis in the early United Method-ist Churches, and even beforehand. People would form small groups that were not meant to think about the large picture and ideas that were based on the world “out there,” but were clearly fo-cused on early believers’ spiritual lives. Every week, they would come together and ask this very question of one an-other, and would answer very honestly how they had lived out the example of Christ in their daily lives. Because I’ve

been so moved by the examples of oth-ers when I’ve been placed in such small groups, where trust is key, I have imple-mented this question into various groups that I’ve led. It’s amazing to see the transformation that can occur when a sacred space is set up in which people feel safe to share what’s really going on in their lives. Of course, in confirmation classes with seventh through ninth grad-ers, I’ve gotten some funny looks at the start. Yet it is amazing how after a few weeks where this becomes the common routine, group members inevitably be-come comfortable sharing things with their small group that they might not with even close friends or family mem-bers.

Transformation can occur when we allow ourselves to be open with a group of fellow Christians, and to openly hear one another without belit-tling or criticizing. With gentle nudging from one another and from the Holy Spirit, our lives can change. I’ve seen it happen many times in many settings. So, next time we meet as a small group of Christians, maybe a good opening question can follow the lead of our spiri-tual father. So, I ask: How is it with your soul?

8 “Inspiring Through Christ the Love of God and Neighbor”

Ways to Interact Online: - You can sign up for all events by visit-ing www.parkerumc.org/#/youth/event-registration Look for the Register Now link at the bottom of the page. - You may also now pay for your events online. Visit the Payment Center by clicking on the link at the top of the Event Registration Page. - Join our Group on Facebook - “Parker UMC Youth” April Activities April 1 - Sunday Night LIFE - 6-7:30PM April 8 - NO ACTIVITIES - EASTER April 15 - Sunday of Service - Noon-3PM April 22 - Sunday Night LIFE - 6-7:30PM April 29 - Sunday Night LIFE - 6-7:30PM Sunday Morning SLAM All youth grades 6-12 meet in the Fel-lowship Hall for games, announcements and worship. We then split into age

appropriate groups (6th Graders, 7th and 8th Graders, and High School) for our morning lesson. Sunday Night LIFE - April 1, 22, and 29 6-7:30PM Food, fellowship and a whole lot of fun! Bring your friends and $2 for dinner! Small Group Jr. High - Wednesdays 7-8PM In the Youth Room Confirmation Class April 1 - Class Meets @ 5PM April 8 - NO CLASS - EASTER April 15 - Class Meets @ 5PM April 22 - Video Work Day - 3-6PM April 29 - Class Meets @ 5PM 2012 Mission Trip Sign Up Now Registration is open for both of our Summer Mission Trips. To find out more information and to register, please visit the youth website. If you have fur-ther questions, please contact Ammon.

Jr. High - YouthWorks! - Martin, SD - June 17-22 Sr. High - Appalachia Service Project - West Virginia - July 6-15 Graduating Seniors - Senior Celebration - May 6th I need your pictures! All graduating seniors who wish to participate in this years Senior Celebration, I need pictures to start creating your slideshow. Gather pictures from birth to the present along with your theme song and put them on a flash drive. Please rename the pictures and number them in the order you want them shown beginning with 001. Please contact Ammon if you have questions.

Joyful Noise Presents: “Spend Awhile on the Nile”

By Christy Semsen and Daniel Semsen April 22 at the 9:30 Worship Service All aboard! Join Mr. Cruise (an overly-enthusiastic tour director) and his faith-ful daughter Liza on a boat trip up the Nile as they retell classic Bible stories. But there's a problem: The stories are all wrong! It takes the kids of Ocean View Church who are on board to set the re-cord straight and help Mr. Cruise un-derstand the real truth about God's en-during love and faithfulness to His peo-ple. Make sure you don’t miss this fun program performed by our talented children!

Journey With Jesus- An All New Easter Family Experience

April 7th, 10:00-11:30 AM This year, we are excited to present to you an ALL NEW family experience for Easter!!! Join us on April 7th at 10:00 as we journey together, walking the path that Jesus walked during his last days on earth. Children and their parents will journey together through this mul-tisensory event, experiencing Jesus’ love and forgiveness for all, discovering the real meaning of Easter, and receiving a few Easter Eggs along the way. Join us for our NEW family-centered experi-ence that will forever change your Easter experience!

Summer Sunday School Teachers Needed

Our children’s Sunday School classes continue to grow , and the Sunday morning energy is electrifying to be around! Our regular teachers have done a wonderful job this year, loving our children and helping them grow in their faith. Many of our regular teachers take a summer break to rejuvenate and it is a wonderful time to bless them by having volunteers teach their classes for them. Please consider becoming a Sum-mer Sunday School teacher for our chil-dren’s classes. This is a wonderful min-istry to be a part of, and blesses not only

our children, but the teachers that are so dedicated to helping them grow. If you would like to become a part of this great ministry and teach a Sunday or two this summer, please contact Cody Anderson at cody@parkerumc.org, or call the church office.

Preteen Events Preteen Events are for children in 4th, 5th and 6th grades. This is a fun time where kids get to come together and have fun while growing in their faith. Friends are always welcome! We will be having two Preteen Events in April: April 13th and the 27th from 6-8pm. Mark your calendars and make sure to not miss all the fun!! For more information, contact Cody Anderson at cody@parkerumc.org or call the church office.

Palm Sunday Procession On Palm Sun-day, April 1st, a l l c hi ldr e n will process with palms at the beginning

of all services, Please bring your chil-dren to the commons (narthex) before the start of each of the services. Their teachers will meet them there in each age group and handout the palms for the procession of praise!

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Mission of the Month: Bethany United Methodist Church—Pushkin, Russia The Russia Initiative is a program of the General Board of Global Ministries. The backbone of the Initiative is the Partner Church Program, by which US based churches provide financial and rela-tional support to the emerging churches in Eurasia. The heart and soul of the mission is in the encouraging relation-s h i p s w i th you n g a n d g row i n g churches. Parker United Methodist Church is now in its fourth year of the Partner Church Program with three other churches to contribute funds for salary and program expenses to the pastor of Bethany United Methodist Church in Pushkin, Russia. Our church, along with Hope, Trinity, and Webster Hills in St. Louis, Missouri provides Pastor Andrey Kuznetsov’s meager sal-ary of $15,500, of which our portion is $3,000. Last April Greg and Kelsey Hill traveled to the Russia Initiative Consul-tation XIV in Oklahoma City. They learned that the Russia Initiative and the

rebirth of Methodism in Russia began with five congregations in 1992 and has now grown to 111 churches and Bible groups in the Eurasia Episcopal Area. The Hills were privileged to meet Bishop Hans Vaxby of the Eurasia Epis-copal Area who spoke at the Consulta-tion presenting the roadmap for the UMC in Eurasia. This vision anticipates that the local churches in Eurasia will have reached the goal of self-sufficiency in terms of pastoral salary and basic ministry expenses by 2015. Last year Bethany UMC was the recipient of a substantial gift from a large Korean con-gregation. This gift, along with our 2011 contributions from “Noisy Sunday” and the Russia Initiative Golf Tournament, enabled them to finally complete reno-vations to the church’s interior, gaining much needed electricity and plumbing in the building. Let’s support Bethany with our gifts and our prayers as they move toward their goal of financial self-sufficiency and as they work in the Pushkin community on our global UMC mission to “make disciples of Jesus

Christ for the transformation of the world.”

HOW TO HELP Tornadoes 2012: UMCOR Ad-vance #901670 Horn of Africa Crisis: UMCOR Ad-vance #982450 Pakistan Floods: UMCOR Ad-vance #982450 Philippines Typhoons: UMCOR Advance #240235 Turkey Earthquake: UMCOR Ad-vance #982450 Relief Supplies: UMCOR Ad-vance #901440

BRIDGE OF LOVE: The Rocky Mountain Conference has a unique way of supporting the mission and ministry of the United Methodist Church throughout the world. This comes through the Bridge of Love Offering and the tradition continues. The offering this year will go toward special projects i n Z i m b a b w e a n d A n g o l a . Zimbabwe was once the bread basket of Africa, but after long years of political turmoil it is a country in need of help to rebuild. The Methodist Church has been active throughout the struggles despite the adversity. The Methodist Church has orphanages, hos-pitals, elementary and secondary schools, training centers for teaching, nursing and agriculture , outreach pro-

grams for the poor and Africa Univer-sity which trains future leaders. Bridge of Love offerings will be used to pur-chase an ambulance for Mutambara Hospital, supplies to refurbish class-rooms and provide training for women a n d c h i l d r e n i n p o v e r t y . The church in Angola struggles during the time when the country is recovered from 40 years of war. They are at peace but many programs for health and education have not received adequate government support. The church has responded. Plans are in place to rebuild and repair several health clinics. In the West Angola An-nual Conference a young District Super-intendent of Huambo said, "We now have a building for a clinic, but we do

not have funds to buy equipment and furniture". Teachers will receive in Pre-ven ti ve Medic ine and Firs t Aid classes. Education is a vital part of the health care mandate. Even though some health care is provided in the gov-ernment hospitals there is an over-whelming need throughout the coun-try. Many prefer the ministry and care of the church. You will find the Bridge of Love Jar in the Narthex at Parker United Methodist Church from April 1st through mid-June. Please toss your spare change or extra dollars into inter-esting jar this year!! (Checks are also welcome.) The Parker UMC Missions Committee

Bethany UMC April 2011

Pastor Andrey Kuznetsov & Family

10 “Inspiring Through Christ the Love of God and Neighbor”

Kim & Dusty are Wycliffe Bible Translators in Africa and our Mission of the Month of October

From: Kim Hill To: Dusty Hill Sent: Monday, March 05, 2012 12:12 AM Subject: Hills' March Prayer Email Up-date D e a r P r a y i n g F r i e n d s ,

We are very happy to say, "Greetings from Entebbe, Uganda, our new home!" Thank you so much for paving our way here with your prayers and encouragement. Our transition has gone well and we are feeling more set-tled by the day. Our long flights went smoothly, and even though the jet lag was stressful, the kids were troop-ers. Our new house is very nice, and we're all happy to have our own home again with a big yard where the kids can hoot and holler. Entebbe is a very different place when we reflect on our home in Tanzania. It is a major UN base that assists countries surrounding Uganda, and there are many expatriates here serving with the UN, development organizations, and Christian missions. The kids and I quickly converted an old storage room into our school room where we now grow our minds (and patience). Although I was initially in-timidated to be teaching, it has gone surprisingly well through the Lord's grace, and I think I can confidently say that we are all enjoying it for the most

part. There are definitely some perks of home schooling such as reading outside, taking long breaks when Cooper is awake, capturing lots of spiders while reading Charlotte's Web, and doing science experiments in our own kitchen - no setting off smoke alarms yet! Dusty began working the day after we arrived, and he has been encouraged by the dynamic team of Ugandans and missionaries that are serving here. The folks at the office are enthusiastic, equipped, and ready to do the work the Lord has given them. He has been meeting with a few government offi-cials, helping discuss branch issues through Skype with the rest of our lead-ership team, and probing some of the linguistic challenges for some of the languages in Uganda. He is trying to build trust among the team and in the Lord so that they can work well to-gether and weather the storms when they come. Today, Dusty is traveling to Dar es Sa-laam, Tanzania for a week of meet-ings. Later in March he will go briefly to Nairobi, Kenya for a short work-shop. Please cover him with your prayers during his travel for safety, for good interactions with others, and that the Lord would use him to further his kingdom. We would also ask you to pray for the kids and me while he is gone. Praises: -for new relationships with other expats and Ugandans -for safe travel and a smooth transition - f o r o u r h o m e a n d v e h i c l e Prayer Requests: -for Dusty's safe travel and that things go well at home while he is gone

-for a good resolution to some linguistic issues in some Ugandan language pro-jects -for us to glorify God in our family, s c h o o l , a n d m i n i s t r y Kidisms: -Jack, praying before a meal: "Dear Lord, I pray that when Tessa's a teen-ager she'll give me back my train." -Tessa, spinning Jack around in a twirl-ing chair: "Just have faith in God, Jack!" -Jack: "I have a hypopisis." (hypothesis) -Tessa, trying to encourage Jack on something he built: "I'm impres-sive!" (impressed) -Jack, thirsty: "I'm starving for water!" We may be in another country, but you're still very much in our thoughts. If you would like us to pray for something specific, please do write us and let us know. We hope you will not forget that you are a critical part of the Lord's work here, and we're truly grateful to have you with us on this journey. Thank you for your faithful support, encouragement, and participa-tion in our lives and ministry. In His Grip, Kim, Dusty, Tessa, Jack, and Cooper Hill w w w . h e a r t o f t h e h i l l s . o r g www.hillsofafrica.blogspot.com

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April 2012

Sunday 4/1/2012 Liturgical Date: Palm Sunday Liturgical Color: Purple or Red Lesson: Philippians 2:5-11 Psalm: Psalm 31 9—16 Gospel: John 12:12-16 Preaching: Rev. Mike Nickerson Special: Palm Sunday Cantata at 8 & 9:30a Palm Procession at all services Holy Communion at 11am only Sunday 4/8/2012 Easter Sunday Liturgical Color: White or Gold Lesson: Acts 10:34-43 Gospel: John 20:1-18 Preaching: Rev. Mike Nickerson Family Worship Sunday-no Sunday School Classes Sunday 4/15/2012 Liturgical Date: 2nd Sunday of Easter Liturgical Color: White or Gold Lesson: Acts 4:32-35 Psalm: Psalm 133 1-3 Gospel: John 20:19-31 Preaching: Rev. Mike Nickerson Special: New Members Class Noon-3p

Sunday 4/22/2012 Liturgical Date: 3rd Sunday of Easter Liturgical Color: White or Gold Lesson: Acts 3:12-19 Psalm: Psalm 4 Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48 Preaching: Rev. Pat Bell Special: Joyful Noise Children’s Program 9:30a New Members Joining at 8a & 11a only Native American Ministries Sunday Sunday 4/29/2012 Liturgical Date: 4th Sunday of Easter Liturgical Color: White or Gold Lesson: Acts 4:5-12 Psalm: Psalm 23 Gospel: John 10:11-18 Preaching: Rev. Mike Nickerson Special: Baptism Sunday New Members joining at 9:30a only

APRIL 2012 WORSHIP SCHEDULE

Parker Campus Worship

Sundays 8am, 9:30am & 11am

Elizabeth Campus Worship

Sundays 8am & 9:30am

Easter Services Sunday 4/8 Parker Campus: 8, 9:30 & 11a

Elizabeth Campus: 8 & 9:30a