"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news,
    who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation,
    who say to Zion,   'Your God reigns!' "
Isaiah 52:7

THANK YOU
Please accept our sincere Thank You to everyone at Christ United Methodist Church who helped us say goodbye to our Mom on Saturday, April 19, 2008. We truly felt like we "celebrated" her life inside the church she loved so much. Thank you to the members of the Praise Team who provided the special music: Melinda Chrysler, Gail Hammond, and Beth Hagemeister; the music was so perfect for the day and for Dorothy. We also want to thank Gerry Drewry for the beautiful piano accompaniment. Thank you to the women and men who provided a wonderful meal and to everyone who worked so hard preparing the food and for cleaning up the kitchen. We know it was a lot of work, but we also know it was done out of love for Dorothy.

And now to say Thank You to Pastor Dan. He was with Dorothy the morning before her surgery, his prayers were with her all weekend even though he happened to be in "jail". He was with her right away on Monday morning praying with her and talking to her. He was back with our family on Tuesday, praying for her and for all of us. He helped us through a very difficult day. he continued to provide support and help to us as we were planning the Memorial Service. he brought joy and hope to the service and everyone there felt uplifted. It is very difficult to find the right words to express our gratitude to Pastor Dan and everyone at Christ Church, so we can just say "Thank You" to each and every one of you.

Dorothy was a very special woman and we miss her, but we also know that what she gave each of us can never be taken away.

Sincerely,
The Family of Dorothy Hjelter

WALK FOR LIFE
A fundraiser for New Beginnings Ministry of Cannon Falls will be happening starting at 9:00 a.m. at the Riverside Park in Cannon Falls. You are invited to be involved as participants and as donors. Please come to discover how you might be a part of this ministry. Forms and other information can be found on the website at www.newbeginningspc.com/index.html.

IN NEED
We are in need of people to do the following. Please contact Pastor Dan if you are willing:
- Nursery coordinator
- People to help with Fall Sunday School planning
- EVERYONE - to clean up after yourself!

WISH LIST

• Speakers for the kitchen and nursery - will allow workers to hear the service
• A long throw projector - will reduce clutter at the front of the church, and provide a brighter projection.

PRAYER GARDEN
The Christ Women have a dream for a prayer garden, and outdoor sanctuary where people can go to meditate, pray or just to find peace and comfort and rest awhile with God. They are proposing a prayer garden on our church grounds. This would be started with memorial monies and donations already given to UMW, and there would be no church funds involved. The UMW feels this would not only be a sanctuary of peace and prayer, but would also be a beautiful addition to our grounds. If you are interested in learning more about the prayer garden, please contact Francis Robeson.

PRAYER CHALLENGE
There is a nation wide movement of prayer that has begun for our nation. The request is simple and not time consuming. The petition is that each of us commit ourselves to ONE minute per day at 8:00 pm to stop and pray for our nation ... the umpcoming election ... the war in Iraq ... the need for Spiritual renewal in our nation. To that I, as your Pastor, am also challenging you to add ONE more minute to your prayer EVERY day at 8:01 pm to pray for our church and our community, that God might use us as vehicles of change and that His Spirit would be at work in our hearts. I believe in the power of prayer and that our 2 minute consistent commitment to prayer Will Make A Difference! Join our nation ... Join me ... in prayer every day for the heart of God at work in us. TWO minutes will make a difference!

PROPOSED SUMMER SUNDAY SCHEDULE
As we leave our regular school schedule and enter into summer, we want you to know that we will not be having Sunday School. To adjust to that change, the Admin Board has suggested that we adjust our hours to accommodate summer schedules. Therefore, the proposed plan is to move the Contemporary Worship Service to 10:00 a.m., adjusting it to 1/2 hour earlier than now. So the Sunday AM schedule would be:
  8:30 a.m.  Traditional
  9:30 a.m.  Fellowship
10:30 a.m.  Contemporary
The Pastor has committed himself to providing a Child Sensitive Moment at each service.

GREAT BIG GIVE-AWAY
In September we will once again have our Annual Great Big Give-Away. For that to be successful, we need your support. If you've got some GOOD stuff (not clothing) that you are going to give away ... keep it for our annual give away. "Don't throw it away, give it away, someone can use it."

CUMW NEWS
We are working on our new mini cookbook, "Crock Pot Recipes". Please send us your favoriate recipes. The cookbooks available for purchase are "Soups, Stews, and Sandwiches", "Chocolate", "For Spring Lovers", "Hot Dishes", "Holidays", and "Salads". Each mini cookbook is $1.00 and all proceeds are used for CUMW mission projects. We appreciate your support of our work toward helping others.

If you know of someone who would benefit from physical and spiritual comfort through a prayer shawl, let Marilyn Otte or Dorothy Hjelter (both listed in the directory) know, or put the request in the UMW mail box. Prayer shawls are given with prayers as a symbol of our caring and of God's love. This ministry is not limited to members of our church, but include families, friends, and neighbors or anyone seeking comfort. We give thanks for the monetary donations toward the purchase of yarn, and for the volunteers who have joined this ministry in knitting and crocheting the prayer shawls. Keep an eye for out for upcoming information on the prayer shawl ministry.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR:
1) Anyone interested in helping with the family movie night at church. These will be on Friday nights, the dates have yet to be set when we find people willing to help. If you are interested, contact Pastor Dan or Don Thompson.

2) Someone who is interested in taking charge of the barbel study. (A Bible study held at local bars in the area.) This has typically be on Monday nights, but the schedule is open to change. The idea is to go out to where the people are and encourage any who are interested in joining. If interested, let Pastor Dan or Don Thompson know.

GOD ENCOUNTERS
The visioning team would like to put together a small publication called "God Encounters." This is pretty much the same thing as sharing your stories in church, but in written form. As these stories are collected, they will be printed and made available to the church as well as being posted on our website. These testimonials can be of great benefit in helping others during a time of need as they see the hand of God at work in the lives of people they know. God did not stop inspiring and moving people when the book of Revelation was finished. He is still here, He is still moving, and He has His eyes on you! Tell us your story so we can print it! Send the stories to either Don Thompson or Pastor Dan. This publication will come out monthly on the first Sunday of each month.

Also, if you are willing to stand up and share this with the church, please let Dan or Don know so they can schedule a time for you to share your story in person!

NURSERY NEWS
We still need nursery workers. If you are willing to help out, sign up on the nursery door. Reminder: Because of all the young children bursting out of the seams in the Nursery, we want to remind you that the Nursery is for children age 4 years and younger. There are activity bags containing crayons, markers, and activity books in the back of the church for the older children.

The following people are signed up for nursery duty. Our many thanks!

May 11	Cindy & Byron Landon
May 18	Colleen Henecke
May 25	Shanna Kimmes & Beth Hustad
June 1	Shanna Kimmes and Jessie Ludden
June 8	Judy Wilson

ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD MEETINGS
Administrative Board will meets the second Wednesday of each month from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. You may view past minutes on the Minutes page. You will need to logon with your user id and password. If you need a user id, or have forgotten your password, contact Beth Hagemeister.

VISIONING TEAM MEETINGS
The Visioning Team will be meeting the 2nd Saturday of every month from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

NEW UMC WEBSITE
After more than two years of development, United Methodist Communications is proud to announce the launch of the newly redesigned UMC.org, the Web site of the people of The United Methodist Church. United Methodist Communications invites you to visit www.UMC.org today and take a look at the new resources and features available to you. You will be able to use UMC.org to find leadership resources, learn more about what’s going on in the church globally, register your congregation’s needs to connect with volunteers, help seekers find your church, and much more. For a quick introduction to the organization and features of the site, view the video at www.UMC.org/Launch.

MEMBERSHIP
If you are interested in becoming a member of our church, we'd love to have you join us. Contact Pastor Dan with your desires and we'll set the date. We don't pressure anyone to join, since that has to be your desire. Being a part of "us" does not require membership, only your participation. You have freedom to make your own choice. Having said that, we would love to have you officially join our ranks. If you are so inclined, contact Pastor Dan.

MONTHLY BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKS
The Adams family will serve as hosts to check your vitals between services. This will happen the first Sunday of each month.

SUNDAY MORNING TREATS
Several people have asked about the treats in the narthex every Sunday morning. The treats are furnished by members. There is no sign up sheet. Every is invited to bring a treat from time to time. If you leave a donation, it is divided between the United Methodist Women's ministries, and the Sunday School.

WEEKLY CHURCH NEWS
If anyone has any information for the weekly Church News, please contact Pastor Dan Horn or Jamie Kieffer.

BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS
If you are interested in learning more about the questions Christians are asking themselves today, about spirituality, faith, and theology, Pastor Dan has an extensive personal library that he is very willing to share. The topics are far-reaching and the authors represent a range of thought and a variety of writing styles. There's also talk of starting a book group sometime next year.

RANDOLPH FOOD SHELF
There is a need for the following items: dish soap, cooking oil, kleenex, deodorant, laundry detergent. There is NO need for peas, greenbeans, or corn. There already is enough for 10 years!

We want you to know that if you have friends that have a need for food, The Randolph and Cannon Falls food shelves are available. If there is a special need, contact Corrine Simonson, Cindy Landon, or Pastor Horn.

The Randolph Food Shelf located at St. Mark's Lutheran Church on highway 56 is open as follows for those living in the Randolph School District.
- 1st Wednesday, 9-11 a.m.
- 2nd Wednesday, 4- 6 p.m.
- 3rd Wednesday, 4- 6 p.m.
- 4th Wednesday, 9-11 a.m.
- 5th Wednesday, Closed If there are other special needs, contact Corrine Simonson, Cindy Landon, or Pastor Horn.

The Cannon Falls Food Shelf is located at First English Lutheran Church and is open as follows.
- 1st Saturday, 10-12 a.m.
- 2nd Thursday, 10-12 a.m.
- 3rd Thursday, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
- 4th Thursday, 10-12 a.m.