Welcome
Shepherd of the Hills 
United Methodist Church
13658 W Meeker Blvd.        
Sun City West, AZ 85375-3730
Office: 623-584-2280
 
Saturdays, 4:00 p.m.
Sweet Hour of Prayer Worship Service – Chapel
Communion 
Coffee Hour Following After Service
 
Sundays, 10:00 a.m.
Traditional Worship Service – Sanctuary
Communion – First Sunday of Month
Coffee Hour at 11:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall
 
Sundays, 8:45 a.m.
Connections Sunday School Class 
Fellowship Hall Meeting Room
 
 
 
Worship with us www.shepherdofthehills.org (link below)
 
 
Email: church@shepherdofthehills.org
Pastor-On-Call for Emergencies: 623-584-7642
Prayer Requests: 623-584-2922
Partners in Prayer: prayers@shepherdofthehills.org
 
 

A New Option for Online Worship:

Live Stream our Service

If you are unable to join us for in-person for worship, the 10:00 AM Sunday service will be livestreamed each week. We start with Bill’s gathering music at 9:45 AM and move into the service at 10:00 AM (Summer Hours)

To join: Click on the picture below sometime after 9:45 AM (and before the service ends).                   

We will send out an email to all persons subscribed to our Constant Contact list on Sunday morning at 8:00 AM as a reminder. It will also include a registration link (which will take you TO the livestream after you register) and a direct link to the livestream.

Let us know how your experience is with this. This is a new technology for us and we are still perfecting our technology. 
 

Live Streaming Update: Last Sunday (4/3) a new live streaming solution was implemented and we are happy to report that it performed as expected. We did not experience the same extended outages that were seen during the previous weeks worship services.

While you watch the live stream we would like you to be aware of two things. First, you may notice a small delay (up to two minutes) when watching the live stream. Second, while you may still experience buffering it should be short lived (15-30 seconds), but it will recover quickly and there should be no loss of content.

 Thank you all for your patience as we worked to correct and improve our live streaming.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR !

 

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP CHANGE

BEGINS SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2022

 

We will continue offering two Sunday services through Easter Sunday, April 17.

 

Beginning the following weekend, April 24, we will go to one spirited traditional service at 10:00 AM on Sundays.

 

We expect to continue with one Sunday service through October 8, 2022.

 

Beginning October 15, 2022, we will resume our winter schedule with the informal praise and worship service at 11:00 AM and the spirited traditional service at 9:00 AM.
Previous Worship Services
Sunday May 16, 2022
10:00 a.m.

Prayer for Ukraine
 

 
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY – FRIDAY 
8:30 A.M. TO 4:30 P.M.
623-584-2280
 
 
 
Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church
has a new logo
 
 
 
OUR DISTINCTIVE SHUMC BELL TOWER
 
 
 
YOU ARE CHOSEN, BLESSED & LOVED

                                    Welcome to

Chaplain Diane Harsch 

our New Assistant Minister of Care

 We would love for you to join us and meet Chaplain Diane Harsch (Herrick), our new Assistant Minister of Care, as she is officially introduced during our worship services on March Saturday 19 and Sunday 20.

Diane joined our Staff on Monday March 7. She will offer spiritual support with a focus on late life stages, bereavement care, and presiding at memorial/columbarium services. Diane comes to us with a 20-year career at the Cleveland Clinic Health Care System. She also volunteered as a chaplain at a retirement village that offered multiple levels of care and services for seniors.  In May she will complete a Master of Divinity Degree with a specialty in chaplaincy from Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio.

MEET THE NEW PART-TIME ASSISTANT SECRETARY

 

We are happy to introduce to you our newest employee, Patsy S.

 

Patsy started working in the office on April 6. Her work schedule is currently 8:30 to 1:30 PM, Monday through Thursday.

 

Patsy and her husband of 40+ years, have five married children, two granddaughters and eight grandsons for a total of ten grandchildren.

 

Patsy was born and raised in Phoenix and enjoys spending as much time as possible with her great big family. Be sure to stop and introduce yourself to her when you are on the church campus.

 

 
   
Welcome to Dolores McCaslin our New Invitation & Welcoming Coordinator  

 

SHUMC welcomes Dolores McCaslin as our new part-time Coordinator of Invitation and Welcoming. We will introduce her in all the services this weekend.

Delores began her work among us on Monday, March 14 (although many of you were greeted by her on Sunday, March 13 – as she couldn’t wait!) 

She will be helping us shape an environment of invitation to those around us, as well as welcoming newcomers and assisting them as they become part of our congregation. 

She held a similar position here several years ago, so is a familiar face to many. Please help us welcome her as a part of our staff. She has many ideas and is off to a running start already.

THE LABYRINTH IS FINISHED!

 

The Prayer Labyrinth for our church and community is complete. A Labyrinth is a sacred space where one can talk and listen to God. It is based on the ancient practice of pilgrimage. You journey away from the noise and distractions of life as you walk toward the center where you rest with Christ.
 
 As you walk your way out you are returning to the world renewed and empowered. 

 

 
 
 

Check out the painted rocks in the Prayer Labyrinth!                 

  Absolutely beautiful!

 

How can God shape our character & life in powerful ways?

CONNECTIONS – SUNDAY CLASS

Moses: In the Footsteps of the Reluctant Prophet

Starts on April 24, 2022

NEW TIME: 8:45 a.m.

NEW PLACE: Fellowship Hall

Facilitator: Ginny Griffin
 

SUMMER CLASS COMING SOON

May 26 through June 16

 

The Chosen: I Have Called You by Name, a novel-based Season 1 of the critically acclaimed TV series

By: Jerry B. Jenkins

 

What was it like to encounter Jesus face-to-face? How would he have made you feel, changed your way of thinking about God? Would he have turned your world upside down?

 

Join us starting Thursday, May 26 through June 16

at 1:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall

Facilitators Pastor Alma and Rev. Becky Morrison

 

Books will be made available for purchase in the office for $8.00.
 
 

“ASK ME ANYTHING”

With the SHUMC PASTORS

 

Join us in Fellowship Hall on Sunday, May 1 at 11:15 AM or Saturday, May 7 at 5:15 PM.

 

Do you have questions about the United Methodist Church? Our beliefs? Our Social Principles? Do you have questions about your pastor’s interests or pursuits?

 

Join us in Fellowship Hall after services on Sunday, May 1 (Pastors Deborah and Alma) or Saturday, May 7 (Pastor Deborah only).  They will do their best to answer. 
 
   
   

PRAYER ROCK PAINTERS WANTED!

 

Visitors to our labyrinth are invited to take away with them a small rock as a remembrance of their prayer journey at SHUMC. In our initial basket are rocks we purchased, some engraved with a cross; others are “fake” rocks with inspirational words or scripture verses painted on.

If you enjoy painting and would like to try this out, we would love to have small smooth rocks simply painted with words like:

Blessing – Hope – Peace – Love – Blessed – Loved – Christ is our Hope –  Christ Is Our Peace – The Way – The Truth – The Bread of Life….

They could be embellished with flowers, doves, crosses….or not.

Please let one of the pastors, or our Prayer Ministers, Bill and Linda W., know if this is something you might be interested in doing as a ministry of prayer. Please call the church office 623-584-2280.

 

MONETARY DONATION TO FOOD BANKS

 

Give hope to your neighbors in need. $1 helps provide enough

food for 7 meals. Your donation is 100% deductible and may

qualify for the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit. 

For questions, or how to donate by phone,

call (602) 242-FOOD.

For WAYS TO GIVE go
 
 

SANDWICH MAKING FOR JUSTA CENTER

 The peanut butter party (weekly sandwich making) will meet on Mondays, at 9:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall to make sandwiches for Just Center. Masks and social distancing.

Please call Mary G. at 623-584-2280 if you would like to join them.

 

Most needed items: big jars of creamy peanut butter and grape jelly (preferred). Please bring donations to the church office or leave them on the counter in the kitchen.
 
“You are always touching more lives than you realize.” 

 

To learn more about how Justa Center provides for homeless seniors, justacenter.org
 
 

Grief Group Support is Moving

from Thursdays to WEDNESDAYS at 10:30 a.m.

STARTING on April 20th

Location: Prayer Room

Facilitated by Chaplain Diane Harsch

 

LIFE CHANGING BIBLE STUDY     

The weekly Zoom Bible Study will meet on Mondays at 3:00 P.M. We hope you will join us! The Zoom link will be sent out every monday morning to those interested in participating.

For more details, call Kathy C. at 623-584-2280
 

SUMMER MOVIES ARE COMING!

 

The summer movies are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, June 15 and will meet for eight alternating weeks until September 7. The movies will start at 1:30 PM and light snacks will be served. A movie list will be available soon.

 

It’s Back!

Rummage Sale 2022

Friday November 11 – Saturday November 12

Chair: Julie K.

Co-Chair: Is This Your Calling? We’re Still Looking!

 

Organizational Meeting

Monday April 25, 2022

                                                                      10:30 AM Fellowship Hall

            First Drop Off Day

       Wednesday April 27, 2022

            9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
 

COVID TESTING AVAILABLE ON SHUMC CAMPUS

 

Where to go and get your COVID testing ?

 

Shepherd of the Hills UMC will be the

new COVID test site for Embry Health

from March 15 through September 15, 2022

from Noon to 5 PM in the North Parking Lot.

A way to welcome and serve our community.

THINKING ABOUT JOINING SHUMC?

 

We are not having new member classes right now, but welcome persons who wish to join. Just let the church office know you are interested or have questions and Pastor Deborah will be in touch. 

 

If you want to remain a member of “the church back home” you are welcomed to become an affiliate member (a person who belongs primarily to another United Methodist Church) or an associate member (a person who belongs to a church from another denomination). 

 

SUPPORT THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE

United Methodists and others wishing to provide humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people in the wake of the Russian invasion of their country may contribute to Advance #982450, UMCOR International Disaster Response and Recovery. This fund will provide direct assistance to those in Ukraine as well as assistance to Ukrainians fleeing to neighboring countries.

Gifts to support the people of Ukraine can be made in the following ways:

Online at https://umcmission.org/advance-project/982450

 

  • By toll-free telephone: 888-252-6174
  • By check made out to Global Ministries/UMCOR with “Advance #982450-Ukraine” written on the memo line, either mailed and addressed to Global Ministries/UMCOR, GPO, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY, 10087-9068 or given at or through any United Methodist church

One hundred percent of all Advance contributions go to the designated cause.

The United Methodist community in Ukraine, though quite small, is actively engaged in assisting neighbors in need. Global Ministries is in touch with the church’s leadership as well as with church leaders in countries welcoming those who are fleeing from violence in Ukraine.

 

2022 LAY SERVANT CLASSES

 

Lay Servant classes are being offered through the Southwest District. Click on the link below to register for the different classes being offered.

 

If you have questions regarding the classes, you may contact Betty Stewart, West District Director of Lay Servant Ministries (bettyboop491@cox.net) or John Huie, Desert Southwest Conference West District Associate Lay Leader.
 
Click Her

NO! PASTOR DEBORAH WILL NOT ASKYOU FOR GIFT CARDS OR MONEY!

 

Friends,

Apparently they are at it again. 

Several members have received texts that purport to be from me asking for gift cards and/or money. The phone number is NOT MY PHONE NUMBER! (First thing to check). Call church office to check phone number of pastor 623-584-2280.

But you really do not have to check, because you KNOW that I will not ask you for help/gift cards/money by email.

 Be careful out there.

      Blessings and Peace, 

      Rev. Deborah Lerner, Senior Pastor 

 
A New Season – Worship & Picnic in the Park
See additional photos – United Methodist Women, Gallery-Event Photos, Music, News & Events

Join us for online worship by clicking on the video below
OR go through our gallery of
past services and midweek devotionals on the Worship Tab.
 
The latest sermon is also available by phone.
Simply call 1-623-223-9151.
Also below is our latest Midweek Devotional.
 
Office staff are available through email or by phone during
normal business hours.
Please have all articles in the office no later than JUNE 15 in order to be included in the JUNE-JULY ISSUE of the Voice newsletter.
 
 

 

 

The Mission Candle can be dedicated to anyone to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, honor or in memory of someone special. Please call or email the office to set this up.

Your request will be read during the worship services each week.

Your donation of $20 or more will enable the UMW to raise more funds and allow the opportunity to help support approximately 13 local charities.

 
If you worshiped with us take a moment to let us know. Click here to fill out our online attendance card.
 
CONNECT WITH US