April, 2015 Christ United Methodist Church

In the beginning – 1995 – there were only chimes. Handbells would come two years later, thanks to a 1997 fundraiser that provided dollars to purchase a five-octave set. The names of those who opened their hearts and wallets are listed in the memorial book near the north entrance of the Alpine Center. The names are also engraved on the individual bell handles. Fifty players, one more octave of bells and countless pairs of white gloves later, the Wesley Ringers are celebrating 20 years of performing their unique music in worship. “We’re like 12 people playing the piano at the same time,” says Cindy Kentner, one of the group’s earliest members. “When all the chords are there, it’s pretty awesome. When we were all there. When we were all ‘on.’ We make a great sound.” “Timing is everything,” adds Jeff Baldwin, who joined in 1996 and also strums acoustic 12-string guitar in the praise band. “You’ve got to keep a steady beat. That’s almost more important than reading the notes.” Ann Daniels can remember her exhilaration the first time the chimes performed at Christmastime. “I couldn’t believe we were doing it,” says Daniels, who brought years of piano lessons with her. “I’d heard bell choirs before, and had really admired what they were doing.”

Jane Gilbert was there at the start, responding to a call put out by founders Kay Foss and Phyllis Jones. “I am the original member,” laughs Gilbert, who recently turned 83 and has put her bells down after hip replacement sur-gery. “I played cello in high school, and I played the piano for many years. I always liked music, and I started singing in the choir right away. I thought I might enjoying playing the bells, so I went.”

Gilbert recalls attending a workshop in Madison with Kentner and Pastor Cindy Marino: “That’s how we learned,” she says. She also has fond memories of those two Cindys “looking at me and laughing” in a friendly way when she occasionally played the wrong note. Camaraderie is a common theme among Director Vicki Peterson’s current members, who also include Don Black, Geneve Harris, Diane Kirkland, mother/son team Gloria and Patrick Lauher, mother/daughter duo Sharon and Emily Mouri, Dennis Rinaldi and Diane Wilson.

Six octaves, one hundred hands, twenty years Wesley Ringers bell choir celebrates two decades of music by Mark McGowan

The Flame

(Wesley Ringers continued on Page 7)

The Wesley Ringers, directed by Vicki Peterson, at a recent rehearsal

Bell JuBellee Saturday, May 2

Rockford Christian High School 1401 N. Bell School Road

Wesley Ringers perform at 4:30 pm Tickets are $5.00

Page 2

Generosity and New Life “Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking” (2 Corin-thians 8:7 NRSV). As we move into the season of Eastertide, we give thanks for the amazing gift of Jesus’ resurrection. When God raised Jesus from the dead, God showed that love is stronger than death, that new life can come forth from situations of destruction or despair. We know this in Je-sus the Christ, and we have seen it in our own lives. Again and again, God surprises us in Christian hope, of-fering new possibilities. At Christ UMC, we are excited about possi-bilities before us in expanding our ministry. Through careful study by the Strategic Planning Team, the Finance Committee, and Leadership Team, it became clear that our annual debt service of over $150,000/year was threatening the congregation’s ministries. We discern a calling to put chil-dren first, to expand our ministries with children and families, and to expand our communication ministries. We also need to create capital reserves to deal with some long-deferred maintenance. To be able to carry out these ministries, we need to spend less on our mortgages and more on our ministries. On Dec. 8, the Church Conference voted to approve a capital campaign for 2015, and the “Ditch the Debt, Grow Our Ministry” campaign began to take shape. During Holy Week and the week after Easter, every local member of the congregation will be called. The caller will be checking to make sure the family had received the Vision Brochure, but the caller will also be asking the congregant to pray and will ask for prayer concerns. Those concerns will be prayed for within the Prayer Team and within the prayer events taking place the week of May 10. Starting April 12, we will be celebrating God’s goodness to us and looking forward to God’s hope-filled future. Our services will focus on topics such as gratitude, pray-

A Word from the Senior Pastor

Journey with Jane

er, ministry, and faith. We will be focusing on how we have experienced Christ’s grace in our own lives and in the life of the church. It will be an energizing, strength-ening time, culminating in Pledge Sunday on May 17 and First Fruits Sunday on May 31. Every penny raised will go to pay the principal on our $1.6 million debt. (The costs of the campaign itself have been covered by desig-nated gifts). To carry out this process, the Campaign Leadership Team has been meeting since late January. We have been working together to plan the spring worship services and opportunities for prayer. We also have been having lots

of conversations—with one another and with other supporters of the ministries of the church. I have been deeply touched by the gift of these conversations. I am hearing from you and others how much you love the church—how God spoke to you through the musical offer-ings, the closeness of a Bible study group, the care of the Funeral Luncheon group, or the opportunity to serve through Outreach. You have experienced spiritual growth and free-dom through the church, and you yearn for the children of the Rockford area—your chil-dren and grandchildren, as well as the chil-dren of our neighborhoods—to experience

that same joy. Because God has richly blessed you in faith, you yearn to pass that same blessing on to others. God is doing a new thing in our midst. As we Ditch the Debt (using all capital contributions to pay down the principal on the mortgages), we can watch God Grow the Ministry, as funds that would have been used toward debt service instead can go toward hiring a full-time Christian education director, hiring a part-time communications staffer, and carrying out Trustees-identified projects in our buildings. A new generation will have the opportuni-ty to know saving faith in Jesus, because of our response this spring. Hallelujah! Peace,

Jane

Alpine Center (MAILING ADDRESS FOR

BOTH CENTERS): 4509 Highcrest Road Rockford, Il 61107

Phone: 815-399-5910 Office Hours: Monday—Friday

8:30 a.m.—5:00 p.m.

Sunday Worship Services Blended Worship Services:

8:00 and 9:30 a.m. Celebration Service:

11:00 a.m.

Our Master’s Center 5973 Darlene Drive Rockford, Il 61109

Phone: (815)399-5910

Sunday Worship Service 9:30 a.m. Child care is available

Rev. Jane Eesley, Sr. Pastor jeesley@christumc.cc

Rev. Lora Zink, Interim Assoc. Pastor lzink@christumc.cc

Rev. Scott Himel, Assoc. Pastor shimel@christumc.cc

Welcome to Christ United Methodist Church!

Page 3

Christ UMC Mission Statement We will live out God’s vision as we

Gather: introduce people to Jesus Christ, Grow: move from believer to follower, and Go: make a Gospel impact beyond the church

The Flame is a monthly publication of Christ United Methodist Church, available by mail or online at www.christumc.cc. Editor—Linda Kuntz Features Writers—Don Black, Mark McGowan, Beth A. Palm Contributing Photographer— Joe Whinnery Director of Worship Arts and Communications—Jody Warren

March 29—Palm Sunday At 8:00, 9:30, 11:00 at Alpine Center; 9:30 a.m. at Our Master’s Center. Nursery care available at all services. Palms and Passion—We invite you to share in a celebration of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but also remember as the story of the passion unfolds, the crowd’s shouts of praise turn to demands for his crucifixion

April 2—Maundy Thursday 6:30 p.m. at Alpine Center Nursery care will be available. We invite you to experience the sacrificial love of Jesus and celebrate his life-giving covenant for all of us.

April 3—Good Friday (Two services at Alpine Center) Nursery care will be available.

Noon Our Good Friday Noon Service is one of the sights, sounds and smells of Good Friday. It is a series of readings, responses, silent reflection and prayer designed to help us enter more deeply into the meaning of Good Friday, who God is and how God creates hope and new life. 7:00 p.m. Tenebrae Cantata “A Service of Shadows” Please join us as we reflect upon the dark journey of our Savior’s final hours told through scripture, candles and music by members of the Sanctuary and Chancel Choirs.

April 5—Easter Morning

Join us at any of our Easter morning services to celebrate the Risen Christ.

Alpine Center: 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. Our Master’s Center: 9:30 a.m.

Communion will be celebrated at all of our morning services. Nursery care will be available at all services

Page 4 Fellowship News; Church News

CUMC Senior Fellowship Group Friday, April 17 at Noon

Dining Room, Alpine Center Come and join this group for those who are age 65 or better for a wonderful homemade lunch and fellowship with your friends. After lunch, Lutheran Social Services will present a timely program on tornado and other weather preparedness for seniors. Call the church office at 815-399-5910 to make your reservation by Monday, April 13. Please join us!

WOWS Widows Or Widowers and Singles

Open to all single women age 65 and over

In April: We will go to lunch at the Hoffman House at noon on Tuesday, April 14. Please RSVP to Sharon Watts at 815-398-3541 by Monday, April 6. Please remember to bring your articles for our collection for the homeless. Suggested donation items are: stick deodorant, disposa-ble razors, shave cream, shampoo (full size), Kleenex pocket packs.

In May: The WOWS will meet at the Greenfire Restaurant, 6795 Riverside Blvd on Wednesday, May 20 at 12:30 pm. Call Donna Simmons at 815-877-5381 for reservations by May 18. Bring small items like toothpaste or Kleen-ex for donations.

In June: We will be going to the Senior Follies show, probably on Thursday, June 11. Save the date and watch for more information in the May issue of The Flame.

Mom’s Connection Plan to join us for Mom’s Connection. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of every month, 9:30-11:00 am in the Alpine Coffee House. Moms of all ages are welcome to join us! Every meeting will have coffee, snacks, fellow-ship and there’s always free childcare. Call or email Megan Abbott with questions at mabbott@christumc.cc or 815-399-5910. April 10: Lisa Kehoe, lactation consultant/doula April 24: Fellowship

Scrapbooking/Stamping April 18, 9:oo am—4:00 pm

Alpine Dining Room Stay for all day or just a half day - whatever fits your schedule. Not everyone in our group scrapbooks. Some are stamping or working on other projects so join us for a fun day of crafting! Childcare will be provided from 9 a.m. to noon only, but you must request it. If chil-dren will be joining us, it's requested they be at least middle school age. Please bring money for a sandwich plus snack to share and your own beverage. RSVP to Mary Hicks at 815-742-1136 by Wednesday, April 15th if you need child-care.

Landscape Annual Spring Clean Up at Alpine Center

Saturday, April 18, 9:00 am—noon Tuesday, April 21—1:00 - 4:00 pm

We plan to rake, trim and ready the flower beds for planting. If you can help, bring rakes, leaf bags and trim-mers. Come and get your fresh air and exercise. Ques-tions? Call Jack Schroeder at 815-399-9160.

April Movie Night

Places in the Heart on April 24 A 1930's widow, played by Sally Field, struggles to

produce a cotton crop or lose her farm. She needs the help of friends, including the strangers who become friends. Places in the Heart (1984) is a story of courage and hope. Movie night starts with munchies and con-versation at 6:15 p.m., Fri., April 24, at the Sacred Grounds Coffee House at Alpine Center. The film be-gins at 6:30, followed by a discussion. We're finished by 9:30. The movie is rated PG for adult situations/language and violence. Join us for this evening of fellowship and free entertainment.

Page 5 Church News

Harmony Hunger Concert Friday, April 17, 2015, 6:30-9:00 pm

Hononegah High School Performing Arts Center

The United Methodist Men are sponsors of the 7th Annual 2015 Harmony Hunger Concert. Proceeds will benefit the six area food pantries. The concert will feature the Alleluia Quartet and the Blackwood Broth-ers Quartet. Tickets are $10.00 each for reserved seat-ing. Contact Ted Plum, CUMC member, for tickets and information at 815-979-6694.

Rainbow Covenant Coins in April Rainbow Covenant coin offering on Sundays in April will go to the U.S.A. Advance Project: Imagine No Malaria. Imagine No Malaria is an extraordinary effort of the people of the United Methodist Church, putting our faith in action to end preventable deaths by malaria in Africa.

An Important Note from Pastor Jane Exciting things are happening at Christ UMC. It has been a great joy for me to witness so many persons working on behalf of the Kingdom. On March 15, 61 persons gathered in our sanctuary and were trained to contact every household of our church. This is something we have never done. They will be inquiring about the household, seeing if they received recent mailings from the church and asking each one to join in a mighty prayer process seeking God’s will for them and for their church. The thought of each household earnestly seeking God’s direction in their life each day is a powerful image with exciting potential. Jesus asked us to ‘seek first the Kingdom of God’ and that is exactly what these Prayer Team Contact members will be urging all to do. The results of this for our church are immeasurable. Thank you to all the Prayer Contacts and to our entire church family for opening yourself to God’s will in your life. Blessings,

Pastor Jane Eesley

Understanding Low Vision & Employment: A Networking, Job Searching, and Accessibility Workshop

Presented by Spectrios Institute for Low Vision— an internationally acclaimed low-vision clinic based in Wheaton, IL.

Friday, April 17th

9:30 AM – 2:00 PM Alpine Campus: Dining Room

Refreshments and Lunch Provided Come join us to learn about low vision and the tools and technology that can enable a person with a vision loss to be successful in school, retain their independence, stay employed, or seek employment. Please call Spectrios to reserve a space, 630-690-7115 ext. 122. Ask for Leah Gerlach.

New 7 Week Class begins April 7 and 8 The Call: The Life, Ministry and Message of

the Apostle Paul—Discussion class on sermons of Rev. Adam Hamilton

Two class times are available: Starting Tuesday, April 7 1:30-3:00 pm weekly for 7 weeks Alpine Conference Room Facilitator: Jim Hellmich Starting Wednesday, April 8 6:00—7:30 pm weekly for 7 weeks Alpine Coffee House Facilitator: Jeff Kearney This class is about the story of the Apostle Paul—a man second only to Jesus in his impact and influence on the Christian faith. Join us as we retrace Paul’s journey and study his remarkable life and life-changing mes-sage through a series of DVD sermons preached by Rev. Adam Hamilton. The class will watch the sermon and then discuss what was learned. No book purchase is necessary.

United Methodist Women Page 6

UMW Circle Schedule The United Methodist Women invite all women of the church to their circle meetings. Visitors are welcome and encouraged! To learn more about each circle, con-tact Carla White-Carpenter at 815-885-3425 Some cir-cles do not meet in the summer.

Out to Lunch Bunch Thursday, April 30 at 12:30 pm

At Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles Street For reservations call Rickie Andersen at 815-885-4373 or email r.andersen@comcast.net. Please remember to bring your articles for our collection for the homeless. Suggested donation items are: stick deodorant, disposable razors, shave cream, shampoo (full size), Kleenex pocket packs.

Priscilla Circle Priscilla Circle will meet on Monday, April 27 at 6:30 pm at JoAnn Johnson’s house at 6193 Commonwealth Dr. We will have a speaker, Lonna Converso, who will speak about Midway Village. For devotions, Geneve Harris will do the UMW Prayer and Self-Denial service. It should be an in-teresting talk. You don’t have to be a member of Priscilla Circle; we like to welcome new people also.

Martha Circle Martha Circle will hold its regular meeting on Wednesday, April 8, at 12:30 pm in the home of Donna Simmons, 4243 Ahlstrand. Wilma Porter will present a program on the UMW study: Latin America: Places, Culture and Faith. There will also be an offering taken for Prayer and Self-Denial. We welcome visitors! If you have questions or need a ride, please call Wilma at 815-877-3465 or Donna at 815-877-5381.

Caravan Circle For the month of April, Caravan Circle will be going to Grace Lutheran Church, 343 Grant Avenue, Loves Park, to learn about Friday Funfeast on April 15. Carpooling from Our Master’s Center at 9:30 am.

United Methodist Women News; Church News

Real Simple magazine story

The Quilt Group of Christ Church is featured in the April issue of the national magazine, Real Simple, in a story wondering if America has replaced real friend-ships and civic participation with social media. Other groups in the story are Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority of Willingboro, N.J., and “The Smart Ladies,” a non-book club in Paducah, Ky. The story discusses the pros and cons of face time vs. Facebook in our society. Donna Copeland is identified in a full-page photo-graph of the quilters. “We take turns bringing treats and gather around the table for a coffee break,” she told the magazine. “That’s when we share news, ideas, finished quilts, or projects that we may have made at home.” Dan and Donna’s daughter, Sarah, is a the food editor of Real Simple magazine. The special 15th anniversary issue features a cover pull-out of the magazine’s covers.

Rebekah Circle Rebekah Circle will meet in the coffee house at Alpine Center at 9:30 a.m., Wed., April 8. After re-freshments, we'll have a devotional service of Prayer and Self-Denial. This year's theme of the service is God's love and welcome to us and, in gratitude, our love and welcome to others. Through stories of home missioners and deaconesses, we'll see models of wel-come and hospitality. The offering will support the Retirement Benefits Fund for retired missionaries and deaconesses of the UMC. This will also be our meeting to look ahead and plan for 2015-16, so bring ideas. Visitors and new members are always welcomed.

Greeting Cards For Sale The sale of greeting cards by the UMW, is one of the many ways we raise money for missions. Please remember our sales when stocking up on cards, they are created at our church by our women. Look for them on April 12th and the 26th in Fellow-ship Hall.

Page 7 Wesley Ringers; Easter Egg Hunt

“I love playing in the back row with the guys … Bill Sims, Patrick Lauher, Jeff Baldwin … and joking around,” says Kentner, who also played the clarinet. “We have a good familiarity up there,” Baldwin agrees. “The practices are a lot of fun, and we kid around a lot.” Sharon Mouri shares a music stand with her daughter, Emily. Their sets of bells cover two octaves combined; the two flautists each hold four bells at a time. “I’ve played bells all my life, and had for over 20 years before we came to Christ UMC in 2005; Emily has played since she was in junior high. It was just kind of natural for us to seek out the bell choir. It’s something we love to do,” Mouri says. “Bells are a really different way to share music. It’s al-most like a dance when you play. It’s all about move-ment.” Yet the music that the bells conjure up – so beautiful and often so hypnotic – creates an ethereal stillness. The wordless, gentle melodies encourage contemplation of the morning message, Baldwin says. “It’s a time of listening and being,” he says. “It’s having some quiet time to reflect.”

(Wesley Ringers continued from Page 1)

For the players, it’s a time of concen-tration and teamwork. “It takes all of us working together,” Daniels says. “It is a joy to contribute to worship, which is really the reason we’re there.” Sometimes, though, it’s simply about making music. As they have for many years, the Wesley Ringers will perform at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2, during the annual JuBell-ee Festival at Rockford Christian High School, 1401 N. Bell School Road. Cathy Moklebust, clinician and guest conductor, will direct more than 100 ringers from 15 bell choirs. Mokle-bust was named “Composer of the Year” in 2005 by Jef-fers Handbell Supply, and has won an ASCAP Writer’s Award every year since 2001. Tickets are $5; all proceeds benefit a local charity. For more information on JuBell-ee, call (815) 637-6963 or email JuBell.eeFestival@hotmail.com.

Saturday, April 4, at 10:30 a.m. at Christ UMC, Our Master’s Center

5973 Darlene Dr. (Near the intersection of Harrison and Mulford)

Bring your Easter baskets.

If weather permits, we will hunt outdoors. Otherwise, we will hunt indoors!

There will be treats and an Easter craft for all participants.

Bring a friend and join us for this special day!

Page 8

could handle the difficult Assembly language in the sec-ond one. So, he changed to the education department, hoping to teach high school physics someday. But when he was a student teacher at Farmer’s City, teaching jobs were scarce. For a while he was a substitute teacher. In 1975, Jeff was working at Sears, putting on tires and batteries, while pursuing that teaching degree. Susan, his wife-to-be, was working at Christie Clinic in the bookkeeping department as a data entry opera-tor. One night in January, “We saw each other at a restau-rant,” Jeff explained. He was with his best friend and Susan was with her best friend in the Red Wheel at Champaign. “We kept looking at each other,” he said. The ex-change of glances finally got him to meet her. They were married in August after his best friend married her best friend. They will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniver-sary this year. Jeff and Susan have three children: Chris is a market analyst for a big coupon clearing house at Deerfield. Tim recently got a job at DeKalb as a test administra-tor for English As a Second Language students. Emily, who attends Western Illinois University at Macomb, recently got an internship for this summer at New York City in Kleinfeld’s, a world renowned bridal shop. She wants to own a bridal shop someday. All three children were raised in this church. Jeff never found a teaching job, so he went back to U of I for an electrical engineering degree, specializing in utility power generation, and was graduated in 1977. Sundstrand was hiring and they liked Jeff’s resume, so the couple moved to Rockford in 1978. “My salary almost doubled when I went to Sundstrand,” he said. Del Arthur, who worked with him at Sundstrand, in-fluenced Jeff to attend Christ Church. While Jeff had started playing guitar in high school, he had laid it down for about 20 years or so. Mitch Olson, the church music director then, invited Jeff to play at Sun Camp. “Most people probably remember me because I had a boat and we water skied them around the lake,” he said. He also played guitar at night activities. Jeff had not been active in church until he went to Campus Life at the university. In 1982 he joined our church. Mitch started the Praise Team in 2002. Jeff joined the Spirit Singers. And he joined the hand bell choir a year or so after it formed. “The church had a chimes choir before the bells,” he noted. Only one ringer has been a member of the bell choir longer than Jeff.

Jeff Baldwin, continued from back page

Another activity was stage setup for Kids Klub, during its musicals. They would build it and take it down each year. “It never went up the same way twice,” he chuckled. Jeff has participated in all of the Disciple Bible classes plus numerous other studies, and attended a Walk to Em-maus. In the mid-90s the sanctuary was updated and along with it the organ rebuild. All of the wire contacts – about 1,500 – were individually re-soldered, Jeff said. Each one has seven wires coming from them. “I worked on that all summer,” he said. “We saved a bunch of money” doing it ourselves. Another activity will be helping the Capital Campaign by providing their home near Guilford High School as a meeting place. Church work keeps Jeff busy: preparing for Praise Team practice on Wednesday night, attending a men’s group Thursday before work and practice bells that night, and then one Sunday a month it’s a 7:30-to-noon stretch – practice bells, play bells two services, and finish with Praise Team the third service. “I love the church,” he said. “I find God there.” He’s been on six or seven work camps in South Carolina, Hannibal, Mo., Michigan, and the Broadlands in eastern Illinois. “I was one of the cooks a couple of times,” he said, re-calling the experience of purchasing about $600 of food daily for the more than 100 campers. At work, Jeff designs and tests aircraft electrical genera-tors, which are powered by the jet’s engines. “I was involved in the design of the generator on the B2 Stealth Bomber,” he noted. And a couple of years ago when Boeing flew its prototype 787 to Rockford he got to walk through it. He helped design its electrical generator. “I really love the work,” he said. He also helped design a generator for the Lockheed F35, the Joint Strike Fighter. The incident that convinced Jeff of God’s plans came during a South Carolina work camp. In the heat of a drought, they were to build a deck for a house. Using primarily a pothole digger, Jeff pounded and dug eight hours a day all that week in the hard soil to cre-ate the footings. “It was hard work, but we got it done,” he said. Following the camp, around August, Jeff had a mini-stroke (a TIA) at work. Medical examination revealed heart defects which were later repaired. “But I always thought, ‘If God wanted to call me, it would have been then and there’,” he said. “I got back to work – at a safe place – to discover and fix the heart prob-lem.” “So, God has something in mind for me,” he said.

Page 9

Vicki was born into a musical family and began learn-ing to play instruments at a very early age. God’s worked many miracles in Vicki’s life. About a year after accepting the Lord in college, she started suffering with crippling and disabling panic at-tacks. She put her violin in a closet for 12 years be-cause she never thought she’d be able to play again in front of people. She got a job in business and just didn’t make time for God. Through some gut-wrenching experiences, and God redirecting her focus to things of eternal importance, Vicki stepped out in faith and quit her HR Manager job to be obedient to God’s call into His service. This was right after her husband had been permanently laid off from his employer….a huge step of faith. $79,000/year to $1,000 per month unemployment. He has taken her on quite a journey as He’s called on her numerous times to step out in faith, even if it was “outside” her comfort zone. When she first stepped on the platform to play in the orchestra at First Free Church in 1993 she froze in fear and only played the first four notes of the morning anthem. Since then, He’s taken her step by step from one ministry oppor-tunity to another, each one requiring a bit more faith. “He’s never failed to meet my need.” “Every time I step up to direct or play is a God-given miracle. I know Je-sus is always with me, and I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. It’s all about God and being obedient to His call.” She met Sherrill Muller at the Senior Follies table at the Senior Expo in 2013. After a brief conversation Sherrill mentioned that her church was looking for

Vicki Peterson

some people in Wor-ship Ministry. Sherrill called Vicki with Jody’s contact information, and so it began. Vicki said that when she is out in the com-munity she hears all the time that this church is known for its outreach. She said, “We do Jesus with skin on really well.” One such experience especially touched Vicki when she went Christmas caroling with a group from Our Master’s Center. “We went to five locations: nursing homes, assisted living, private homes. Each encounter had a story. We went to one home and sang to the wife of someone who was singing in our group that night. We were singing Christmas Carols, but he mentioned that her favorite hymn was Precious Lord, Take My Hand. He sang the first verse, then we all joined in for a verse. I think his wife was a shut-in, and she started crying. I was tearing up, as were many others. Those are price-less moments in ministry, and how long were we there? 10-15 minutes. … To give so little for such a great return.” Vicki anchors her faith in personal time with God. Her favorite Bible verse is Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Vicki explains that, “It is only through faith in Him and in His strength, and by His grace that I am able to min-ister as He directs. All I am and all I have, I owe to God. To God Be the Glory!”

By Beth A. Palm

A Note About Easter Sunday Worship

On Easter Sunday, to make room for all worshippers at the 9:30 service, we would appreciate it if you would consider coming to the 8:00 service, which has the same music, or coming to the 11:00 service, which has the Praise Team music. Thank your for your consideration!

Christ Arose Robert Lowry ((1826-1899)

Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior! Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord! Up from the gave He arose, With a mighty triumph o’er His foes; He arose a Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever with His saints to reign, He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

It’s hard to match this hymn for sheer drama. The first stanza begins dismally, then strikes a note of hope, and then the chorus explodes with joy. The music itself comes rising up from the depths and cele-brates on high. Robert Lowry wrote both the words and music to this hymn in 1874. At the time, he was professor of literature at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and pastor of a nearby church. He had written other hymn tunes and texts as he prac-ticed his passion for poetry and song. “Sometimes the music comes and the words follow,” he explained once. “I watch my moods, and when anything strikes me, whether words or music, no matter where I am, at home, on the street, I jot it down. My brain is sort of a spin-ning machine, for there is music running through it all the time.”

Taken with permission from The One Year Great Songs of Faith,

Tyndale House Publishers, 1995

Page 10 Getting to Know Hymn; Salad Luncheon

Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus my Savior! Vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord! Death cannot keep his prey, Jesus my Savior! He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!

40th Annual Spring Salad Luncheon

Wednesday, May 13, 12:30 pm Alpine Center Dining Room

All women are invited to the 40th Annual Spring Salad Luncheon on May 13. Join us for delicious food and great fellowship. A love offering will be taken. The luncheon and program are free. Child care is provided

Our musical program will be presented by Patte Lund and Risë’ Barker. Patte performed in Chicago with her own jazz combo and cabaret act as well as fronting for several of Chicago’s finest Big Bands. In Rockford she has worked with Mike Williamson, Artist’s Ensemble Theatre, and most recently she starred in the Studio Theatre production of “A Little Night Music.”

She performs her one-woman show/cabaret act around town with the help of her “partner in crime,” Rise’ Barker. Rise’ considers her music a gift from God and has always enjoyed participating in musical events, from her years as a teacher, volunteering, Bach Chamber Choir, and Senior Follies.

Page 11 Children’s Ministry News for April

Alpine Center Schedule

9:30 a.m. Worship Hour Infants and Toddlers: Nursery All children begin in the Sanctuary and are dis-

missed after Children's Message (except on the first Sunday of the month)

Pre-School(4)-5th Grade—Lower Level Sunday School Room 7.*

11:00 a.m. Worship Hour Infants and Toddlers: Nursery All children begin in Sanctuary and are dis-

missed after Children's Message. Pre-School(4)-5th Grade—Lower Level Sunday

School Room 7.

Our Master’s Center Schedule

9:30 a.m. Worship Hour Infants: Nursery Pre-School-Kindergarten: Nursery 1st-6th Grade: Begin in Sanctuary,

dismissed downstairs for Sunday School follow-ing the Children’s Message

Every first Sunday of the month* Kindergarten-5th grade children at the 9:30 am Alpine worship center will begin downstairs. We will all come up together to take communion and then return to our Sunday School classrooms.

To ensure safety for our children, we ask that you please pick up your child from their

Sunday School room.

Short-term Interim Director of Children’s Ministries Hired

Ann Daniels graciously agreed about a week ago to serve for the next 4–6 weeks as a short-term Interim Director of Children’s Ministries. Ann is helping the church staff organize the Saturday, April 4th Easter Egg Hunt, plan for Vacation Bible School (VBS), and fill-in a few gaps with JAM and Sunday School teach-ing as necessary. The Director of Children’s Ministries Interview Team continues our search. SPRC recently decided to adver-tise the position as “full time,” and to change the job title to “The Director of Children’s and Family Minis-tries (DCFM).” This name change indicates that, in addition to running the usual children’s ministries events, the DCFM will seek to nurture relationships between our church’s families through event facilita-tion, small group formation, and communication follow-up. If you know of anyone who would be a good fit for this position, then please encourage them to apply by send-ing their cover letter and resume to info@christumc.cc. The deadline for preferential consideration is Friday, April 24th, but all applications will be considered.

Thank You, Volunteers!

The church would like to thank all volunteers who have been keeping J.A.M. and Sunday School program-ming going strong through this time of transition be-tween Directors of Children’s and Family Ministries. The church, in particular, would like to thank Amy Nickel, Ann Daniels, Vicki Persinger, and Melissa Sarver-West; all of whom are running different areas of children’s ministries. Forming our children in their Christian faith is im-portant and life-changing work. The church remains deeply grateful for the many ways in which a commu-nity of volunteers continue to pour into the lives of our church’s children.

Important Dates

Easter Egg Hunt – Saturday, April 4th beginning at 10:30 AM at Our Master’s Center.

VBS 2015 Dates – Monday, June 15th through

Friday, June 19th.

April 1 Debbie Anderson Greg Knapp Stefani Mays Eric Rippentrop Phyllis Smerke Todd Yaun April 2 Heidi Lester Andrew Raffety Lilah Mayberry Roger McKelvey Sharon Mouri Sue Van Grove April 3 Gary Chessare Geneve Harris Kayte Kloss Troy Makulec Christine Riemer Lindsay Roegner Chad Williams April 4 Doug Johnson Janet Johnson Andrew Lantz Megan Salser Christina Shula Lesa Wieck April 5 Edna Berggren Barry Mikels Joel Shumaker April 6 Claire Kelley Jack Mumma Beth Mutton Barbara Sue Nevel Jack Schnor Viane Staniszewski Alexandria Varela Gordy Wermager

April 7 Anne Pierce Julia Zimmerman April 8 Rich Cooper Ryan Cullen Amy Nelson Javier Saez-Gimeno Juleen Varela April 9 Kelly Beaman Diane LaMantia Austin Leaich Avery Martin Dorothy Peters Sarah Price Dennis Thorn Judi Thorn April 10 Marty Bogie April 11 Laura Keller Bryn Lipton Jacob Miller Nathan Schoff April 12 Jim Chancellor Coda Coffer Leland Cottrell Gayle George Jack Hansen April 13 Carol Beaman David Gartner John Hexom Gregg Herrmann Ron Raiber Amanda Milloro Bea O’Brien Jonathan Volz April 14 Wendy Blackburn Steve Davis Robert Faist Kaylie Miller Kelsie Miller Linda Nevel April 15 Jim McGowan Nicole Mann Bob Reitsch Ethan Volk

Page 12 Birthdays

April 16 Ben Stern April 17 Sharon Bliss Virginia Gully Derek Hunter April 18 Alexandra Jacobs Wade Potter April 20 Kari Davis Joshua Harper Teagan Marino Kyra Murray Gabriella Williams April 21 George Garner LeRoy Grande Scott Martin April 22 Cadie Arthur Tracey Greenland Robert Laskey V Nancy Otwell Doug Pomatto Austin Reisetter John Schmitt Cory Schrank Rachel Schrank April 23 Nate Calow Stella Cacciatore George Edwards J Halpin Anne Wilson April 24 Brian Hawes Adam Moore Hilary Peterson Jenae Rezin April 25 Mary Gummow Carson Masters April 26 Cameron Geddes Sherrill Muller Phil Rives

April 27 Olive Bresette Andrew Chancellor Lexi Fegan Alex Geddes Lola Williams Christopher Roegner Mark Schaible Myrna Schelling April 28 Donna Copeland Doris Dion Tony Dzik Lucas Molina April 29 Corey Beard Jan Hudgin Jackson Nickel Bobby Reitsch Kaila Roberson Wes Sattelberg Jeanine Wang April 30 Rachel Erickson Sywan Jo Betsy Leverenz Susan McLaughlin

Anniversaries; The Church is People Page 13

April 1 Jennifer and Mike Melenas April 3 Donald and Ruth Ann Bloom April 4 Nancy and Mark Halverson April 5 Katherine Greene-Hexom and John Hexom Gedeon and Phoebe Trias April 6 Jim and Carol McGowan April 9 Jim and Doris Lindsay Chandra and Stanley Malone April 10 Franklin and Lois Kretschmer April 11 Charles and Mary Jo Frey Tom and Pam Laughlin April 13 Dave and Pat Replogle April 16 Scott and Alicia Arthur April 17 Rich and Kelley Roach Joe and Deb Whinnery

The Church is People

Baptisms: Ellie Louise Harris, Tyler Edward Myers and Olivia Kay Myers, children of Daniel and Jennifer Harris, grandchildren of Kurt and Geneve Harris

Sympathy to: Sharon Watts on the death of her sister Claire Kelley on the death of Claire’s sister Delores Colleen Zahm and family on the death of her husband, Karl Phyllis Melenas and Sharon Lowery on the death of their granddaughter, Tiffany Williams Cuyler Mike and Jennifer Melenas on the death of their niece, Tiffany Williams Cuyler The Williams and Dunbaugh families on the death of Tiffany Williams Cuyler Karon Anderson on the death of her niece Steve and Sherry Brandon and family on the death of Steve’s mother

In the News: Elena Wilson of Christ UMC was featured in a photograph accompanying a story in the March 15 Rockford Register Star. She’s sec-retary of the Auburn High School UNICEF club, which has raised $6,600 for disease pre-vention. Elena is the daughter of Doug and Diane Wilson.

New Appointment: Former pastor at CUMC, Pastor Cindy Marino, has been reappointed as of July 1, 2015 as Lead Pastor of Grace UMC, Naper-ville. She has been serving at Rochelle UMC.

April 18 Ben and Frances Conway April 20 Dean and Becky Schoff Amy and David Steffen Mitzi and Dwayne Williams April 21 Bill and Nancy Trevey April 24 Ken and Kate Harper April 25 Brian and Jodi Miller Jarrett and Bethany Morlan David and Donna Schafman April 26 Al and Patti Lashock April 27 John and Patty Armstrong Lori and Austin Reisetter Dennis and Judi Thorn April 28 Mark and Marlena Bielefeldt Jack and Wanda Schroeder

Page 14 Thank You Notes; Project Undershare

From Phyllis Melenas I’d like to thank all of the people who kept my family and me in their thoughts and prayers after the loss of my granddaughter Tiffany. Also for the cards, calls and hugs as they were a great comfort at such a diffi-cult time. And thank you to Pastor Scott for your compassion and doing such a beautiful service for Tif-fany and my family. I am blessed!

Project Undershare Collection in April The Outreach Committee has designated April as the month to collect for Project Undershare. This is a non-profit organization that supplies undergarments to school-aged children Pre-K three and older in the Rock-ford area who are in need. Project Undershare supplies to organizations such as The Children’s Clothes Closet, RPS 205 Homeless Program, Harlem School District Homeless Program, Head Start and the Crusader Clinic locations. Collecting NEW socks, underwear, and t-shirts, they distribute approximately 7,000—9,000 items a quarter. We will be collecting undergarments at all ser-vices during the month of April. Monetary contribu-tions are also appreciated. Just make your check to CUMC and mark Project Undershare in the memo

line. There will be collection points at both the Al-pine Center and Our Master’s Centers. If you have any questions, please contact LeeAnn Mowbray at (815) 877-0398 or lkmowbray@comcast.net. You may also learn more about this organization at pro-jectundershare.org.

From Sharon Watts I would like to thank all of my wonderful friends at CUMC for all of the cards, prayers and good deeds during my recent accident and also with the passing of my sister. Thank you again so very much.

From Jeannette Boeselager (Amy Nickel’s mom)

Thank you to the Christ UMC church family for your prayers and cards over the past several months on the deaths of my brother, nephew, and great-niece, and as my husband and I have faced challeng-ing health issues. We appreciate your care,

From Ken Walker, Outreach chair Another winning “Souper” Bowl Sunday! Through your generous efforts, “Souper” Bowl Sunday was another success. A total of 899 pounds of food and $345.00 in cash was donated. The value of all contri-butions totaled almost $1,900. Your gifts have aided those having a serious hunger crisis. A sincere thanks to all who gave.

Spring is finally upon us and with the nicer weather here we are very thankful the children are able to go out-side again and enjoy the playground. Next week is our last week before the school is closed for Spring Break. We

will send everyone off for a much needed break with sever-al events taking place during the week. Monday and Tuesday the Winnebago Country Health Department will be here for vision and hearing screening, Wednesday But-ter Braids arrive for pick-up and Friday we will have an Easter Egg Hunt for each class. Registration for the 2015-2016 school continues to go

well. There are several spots available in the 2’s class-

room, and a few Tues/Thurs. spots throughout the rest of

the building if you know of anyone who is looking for pre-

school next year. We continue to take summer camp reg-

istrations and currently have availability for all weeks. If

you are interested in registering your child please stop by

the preschool or call us at 815-398-1458 for a form to be

mailed to you.

Outreach Committee Update We appreciate your steady and bountiful giving to our personal care items bin at church. If you have-n't noticed, we are now posting a Needs List on the front of the bin from two agencies, Shelter Care Min-istries and The Carpenter’s Place Outreach Center. We don’t post the complete lists but do pick items that are easy to find when shopping. We will make every effort to update this list as needs change.

Page 15

A Quick Take…

Youth Snapshot By Jenny Thomas, Youth Director

Youth Ministry

Once a month, the youth group heads to Emmanuel Luther-

an’s soup kitchen. I think it is one of the most fun things we do

and I think the kids would agree. I am never short on parents

and kids that want to volunteer. We try to mix it up menu-

wise so that our guests get a little variety. This month, we

made an egg, ham, and hash brown casserole and served it with

peaches and pastries. Last month, we made baked mac and

cheese from scratch.

I think the favorite meal we put together was in De-

cember. (On this page are several pictures of that event, as well

at the March soup kitchen). A lot of the people who come to eat

don’t have family, so we decided to throw them a Christmas

party. We had a pasta dinner with green bean casserole, apple

cider, and pumpkin pie. One of the parents brought a huge bag

full of homemade scarves, hats, and gloves and we set up a

Christmas tree to hang them on. A few of the kids made sure

every person that came to eat got a pair of gloves and whatever

else they needed. We set the tables with red and green place-

mats and played Christmas music. Jesus calls us to serve the

vulnerable and poor. The homeless are His people! I am always

trying to come up with ways the youth groups can serve the

poor of the world. Whether it’s the soup kitchen, the Feed My

Starving Children outing, or WorkCamps; there is always

something to be done. Our group loves putting our faith into

action. If you can think of any ways that the youth could get

involved in the Rockford community to serve the poor, let me

know!

December crew

December crew March crew

“Prayers are with our Muslim-American friends”

“That’s what our church sign says, down at Christ United Methodist Church, Our Master’s Center, at 5973 Darlene Drive. Those words went up on the sign after eight of us attended a vigil next door, at the Muslim Association of Greater Rockford (MAGR), on Sunday, February 15. We were grieving the losses of the three Muslim students who were fatally shot in North Carolina. The vigil, led by Dr. Arshad Sheikh, included Christian and Jewish speakers as well. Dr. Sheikh spoke of the abominable actions of ISIS and made it clear that MAGR abhors the violence of ISIS. After the vigil, one of the men of our church suggested we put the above words on our church sign, and I agreed.” So begins an editorial written by Pastor Jane which was published in the March 8 issue of the Rockford Register Star. In the editorial she addresses the fact that our church office received two phone calls objecting to the words on our sign. “Some may ask, but why are you praying for your Muslim neighbors? My first response would be that we were invited to a vigil with our neighbors, we were received with warm hospitality, and we want them to know that we care for them. We pray for all who are affected by hate crimes, which includes people of all faith traditions. But we also happen to worship next door to a mosque, so neighborliness isn’t just hypothetical—it’s our day-to-day life.” A few days before this editorial ran in the newspaper, we received an email from Mrs. Huda Ghazal, Principal of Rockford Iqra School. She said that the students had been noticing the sign and wanted to let us know how grateful they were. They had been writing notes and cards all week to thank us for being good neighbors. Mrs. Ghazal, Dr. Arshad Sheikh, President of their center, and some of the students dropped off the letters to Pastor Jane and others who had attended the vigil. Pictured above is a sample of some of the dozens of notes which were received. It was obvious that a great deal of thought and care went into the creation of these cards. Pastor Jane wanted our congregation to see some of these cards and Joe Whinnery took the photograph above. If you didn’t get a chance to see the editorial in the newspaper, you can stop by the church office and we will make a copy for you.

VIP Room: Katie Childs and Emily Palm

The hosts of Dinner Theater: Billy Cook, Jackson Nickel and Cameron Geddes

Waiting to serve dinner

Curtain call after the show

Hailey Hunter, Kaleigh Swafford, Shelby Martin and Chloe Alexander

A big thank you to all who participated and all who supported

this year’s Dinner Theater. All proceeds go to Workcamp

this summer, July 18-25 in Hannibal, MO.

Christ United Methodist Church 4509 Highcrest Road

Rockford, Il 61107

Address Service Requested

Next Flame Deadline: April 23

Non-Profit Org. U.S Postage

PAID Permit #3336

ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS

Articles may be e-mailed to lindakuntz@christumc.cc or mailed/brought to the church office by the deadline date.

Getting to Know You: Jeff Baldwin by Don Black

Check out our website:

www.christumc.cc

Going to church wasn’t part of Jeff Baldwin’s life dur-ing his early years. All that changed when he joined Christ United Methodist Church about 30 years ago. “This church really blossomed me,” Jeff said during an interview. This spiritual change has made him active and noticea-ble at church nowadays. An incident in one of those ac-tivities convinced him that God had plans for him. The 11 a.m. worship sees Jeff playing lead guitar in the Praise Band every Sunday. The 8 and 9:30 a.m. services hear him monthly with the Wesley Ringers, which will play May 2 with about a dozen hand bell groups in the Ju-Bell-ee workshop and concert. He’s also been on work camps, built Kids Klub sets and helped rebuild the organ. Jeff was raised in the Champaign-Urbana area. His fa-ther sold All State insurance at Sears and later managed an employment agency, tavern, and a donut shop. His mother, a homemaker, had worked for Litton’s Depart-ment Store. Jeff has two older sisters and a younger brother. His mother, Betty, 87, lives at Arlington Heights with a sister. She occasionally visits our church. “She just loves our church,” he said about his mother.

(continued on page 8)

“She loves to hear me play at the 11 a.m. service.” This month Betty and his sis-ters will be going on a Caribbean tour cruise, compliments of her children. Early life was ordinary for Jeff, who said, “My high school years were uneventful. I was sort of a nerd.” In high school at St. Joseph’s, Jeff built electrical kits with his science teacher, such as a primitive adding machine with a rotary head, like on a typewriter. In the late ’60s he was building Heath kits and Allied shortwave radios. “You learned to be inquisitive and pursue things,” he said. He had a Commodore 64 computer, then an Apple 2E, and later an expensive Gateway 386. Jeff went to the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, headed toward the computer science curriculum. He squeaked through the first course but didn’t figure he