Greetings to the People of the Cicero United Methodist Church and the Cicero Community!

I am honored and blessed to be asked to serve you in the first six months of 2025. In 2019 I retired after 43 years of full-time ordained ministry in The United Methodist Church. In retirement my prayer and heart’s desire is to continue to serve as God calls. I have found that serving God is a life adventure and journey that takes me to places I never planned to be and to be in relationship with people who are amazing and wonderful.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 have been some guiding Bible verses for my journey. Common English Bible Translation)16 Rejoice always. 17 Pray continually. 18Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19Don’t suppress the Spirit. 20Don’t brush off Spirit-inspired messages, 21 but examine everything carefully and hang on to what is good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil. 23Now, may the God of peace himself cause you to be completely dedicated to Him; and may your spirit, soul, and body be kept intact and blameless at our Lord Jesus Christ’s coming. 24 The one who is calling you is faithful and will do this. I believe it is God’s call that has led me to serve you, and I rejoice and give thanks for the opportunity to share with you in the mission of Jesus.

This is the fourth church in retirement that I have served as an interim. I get better at it each time! Here are a few things about me you might like to know.

• You will get to know more about me as I get to know more about you! I worship God and trust in His steadfast love.

• I love Jesus and desire to follow Jesus in all parts of my life. I claim the promise that the Holy Spirit is the presence of God in us and round us leading us every day and all day.

• I like to laugh, tell stories, and hear the stories of others.

• I think we are all in this together and we are better together.

• Relationships are important. I grew up in Ligonier, a small town in Northern Indiana and have two siblings.

• I have never married but have been blessed with much family by blood and by choice.

• My mom will be 95 in February 2025. I like to play golf, hike, read, play musical instruments, and kayak (I built my kayak out of wood).

• I have a dog named Lulu.

So much more to share, but we will have time. Please feel free to ask me any questions and share your story with me. We all have a story!

I look forward to what God is doing and will do among us as we commit ourselves to following Jesus and open ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us into what God needs us to be.

Pastor Cindy