A new 7-week study will begin April 8th based on Don Piper’s book, “90 Minutes in Heaven.”

The class will be held at the church, Room 100-102 at 3:30 p.m. each Thursday afternoon.  Each lesson will provide a DVD segment by Don Piper and discussion of video and reading material. The study deals with these relevant issues:

• Heaven in the Next Instant?
• Does God Still Work in Miraculous Ways?
• Who Will We See in Heaven?
• What is Heaven Like?
• Are Angels Real?
• Does Heaven Change Anything Now?
• Are You Longing for Heaven?

There is a workbook so if interested you’ll need to sign up so we can be sure to order you a book. Sign-up sheets are posted outside the Sanctuary and Worship Center. If you have any questions, please contact Dixie Norfleet at the church (729-4551). Please sign up by April 1st if you plan to attend.

Prayer is an important and powerful part of your Christian journey.  How to pray and having a purpose can be difficult, even if you’ve been a Christian all of your life!  Here’s an opportunity to grow!

Diane Sensintaffer, leader of the Salem UMC Prayer Ministry, is starting a new effort that can change your life!  You’re invited to participate in a planning meeting on Monday, March 22 at 7pm.  This will develop a series that will form the core of an active prayer group.

Please (prayerfully) consider joining this effort and growing in your faith.

For those of you that have participated in the Community Garden, or for those that would like to, here’s an opportunity!

March 20th will be the garden clean-up and planning  day, and a chance to meet the other gardeners and visit with Master Gardeners. We will be assigning and
marking plots for new gardeners.  Please plan to attend if you are available.  Some seeds will be available at that time.

This is a wonderful time and good fellowship. Please consider being a part of this hands-on ministry!

The world famous Salem UMC Spring Luncheon is going to be on Saturday, April 17th!  This has been a wonderful event, full of all kinds of table settings, food, and fun!

This doesn’t happen all by itself, though – table setters are still needed!  Information about when tickets go on sale, the menu, and the entertainment will be coming out soon (so keep watching!).

Man adjusts a tower clock for Daylight Savings Time Brian Snyder/Reuters

Daylight Savings Time kicks in at 2 a.m. on Sunday March 14, 2010, moving clocks forward one hour, your clocks spring forward this weekend

You may have wanted to help our backpack program and the kids it helps, but the scheduling didn’t work.  You may have wanted to support one of the other community/youth programs we have, but for whatever reason, couldn’t. Here is a way you can help!

The schools are having their book fair.  This brings a wonderful variety of worlds into their hands.  Some kids, however, can’t afford a book.  That is where you can help!  The book fair is in April. We’re a little late getting started, so they really need you to prayerfully consider supporting this.  Bring your donations into the church office.  You can change a kid’s life.

Monday evening at 7:30 you are invited to join us to discuss how to make the prayer ministry of SUMC more meaningful and effective.  Ideas include a new prayer chapel as well as specific times and activities.   Hope you can join in.  Can you hear me now?

Would you like to deepen you knowledge, be a better speaker, and equip yourself for service?  How about attending an official Basic and Advanced Lay Speaker Course?

• Sat, March 27^th at Boliver United Methodist Church – 8:30am-5:30 pm – Cost is $30.00 – lunch included  (Register and pay before March 19^th)
  - Basic Course: “Leading, Caring, & Communicating”
  - Advanced Course #1: “Our United Methodist Heritage
  - Advanced Course #2: “ United Methodist Theology, Doctrine, & Polity
• Sat, April 17^th at Ozark United Methodist Church – 8:30am-5:00 pm – Cost is $30.00 – lunch included (Register and pay by April 1^st)   
  - Basic Course: “Leading, Caring, & Communicating”
  - Advanced Course: “Each One a Minister: Using God’s Gifts for Ministry”

If you need more information or registration forms contact Dixie Norfleet at the church 729-4551.

We held our first Povery Simulation Tuesday evening, February 23.  Kim Edwards brought a staff of 20 volunteers and gave us a hands-on awareness of poverty and the challenges poverty presents.  The evening was such an eye-opener to the difficulties and obstacles poverty presents.  I pray that this will help us make a more significant difference in our community.

Cross-training (also known as conditioning) refers to training in different ways to improve overall performance. It takes advantage of the particular effectiveness of each training method, while at the same time attempting to neglect the shortcomings of that method by combining it with other methods that address its weaknesses.

Easter is Sunday April 4, join us to cross train for the day!