Holy Week Activities

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Holy Week and Easter are coming very soon. Here is a list of the various activities that will take place at Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church:

Palm Sunday, March 24th will offer a worship service at 9:30 AM in which the Sunday School children will bring the palms into the Sanctuary and help to distribute them to the congregation.

Maundy Thursday, March 28th will offer a special worship service and reading of the passion at 7:00 PM. Communion will also be served.

Good Friday, March 29th will offer an evening service commemorating the death of Jesus at 7:00 PM.

Easter Sunday Sunrise Service will take place, weather permitting, at 6:30 AM on Beach Rock in Barkhamsted. This service has a long-standing tradition of meeting at the top of the rock to greet the Son. The service is a combined effort of the North Congregational Church in New Hartford, the First Congregational Church of Barkhamsted (aka Barkhamsted Center Church), and Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church. Following the early morning service, a community breakfast will be hosted at the Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church. Everyone is welcome to join in the fellowship.

Easter Sunday Worship Service will be held at 9:30 AM in the Sanctuary and will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. A light coffee hour will be offered following the service.

Our church is open to all and we welcome visitors and new friends to join us in the worship and fellowship that we offer.

Something new in the parking lot!!

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Have you noticed something new in the church parking lot? The Youth Group has started an initiative with St. Pauly to collect used clothing, shoes, blankets and linens, drapes, AND stuffed animals. If you’re thinking about cleaning out some items from your house this spring, remember this drop-off spot. All items are sorted, washed, and bundled, then sold to the Red Cross for use wherever there is a need. The Youth Group will be paid a small fee for coordinating this drop-off location which will be used to help support some of their mission projects. It is requested that all donations be in tied bags to avoid spillage all over the small space.

Drop-off spot
Drop-off spot
Itemized items that will be accepted.
Itemized items that will be accepted.
Here are things NOT accepted.
Here are things NOT accepted.

 

 

 

Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday Observances, and Lenten Bible Study

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The men of the church will be hosting their annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on February 12th, 2013 at 6:00 PM in Fellowship Hall. Everyone is welcome to come and share in the feast. A good-will offering will be collected to help with our church missions. Please come join us in our celebration of Shrove Tuesday and indulge in pancakes for supper!

You may also wish to begin your observance of Lent the following day, Ash Wednesday, at our worship service beginning at 7PM.

Each Sunday after our coffee hour the congregation is invited to join in the Lenten Bible Study based on the book by Adam Hamilton entitled Final Words From the Cross, in which Hamilton examines Christ’s dying hours and his final words as seen and heard through the eyes and ears of those who stood near the cross. This study will begin on Sunday, February 10th; books are available from the Pastor by calling 860-379-2157. Everyone is welcome to come learn about this cornerstone of our faith from an enlightening perspective.

Covenant Service: January 20th

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On Sunday, January 20th we will be renewing our covenant with God and the Methodist Church, as directed by the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. Read the words of John Wesley:

“Dearly beloved, the Christian life, to which we are called, is a life in Christ, redeemed from sin, and through him consecrated to God. Upon this life we have entered, having been admitted into that New Covenant of which our Lord Jesus Christ is mediator, and which He sealed with His own blood, that it might stand for ever.

On one side the Covenant is God’s promise that He will fulfill in and through us all that He declared in Christ Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of our faith. That His promise still stands we are sure, for we have known His goodness, and proved His grace in  our lives day by day.

On the other side we stand pledged to live no more unto ourselves, but to Him who loved us and gave Himself for us, and has called us to serve Him that the purpose of His coming might be fulfilled.

From time to time, we renew our vows of consecration, especially when we gather at the Lord’s Table: but on this day we meet expressly, as generations of our fathers have met, that we may joyfully and solemnly renew the Covenant which bound them and binds us to God.

Let us then, remembering the mercies of God, and the hope of His calling, examine ourselves by the light of His Spirit, that we may see wherein we have failed or fallen short in faith and practice, and, considering all that this Covenant means, may give ourselves anew to God.”

Everyone is welcome to come and renew your pledge to God and to the church which he created. Our service begins at 9:30 AM on Sunday morning.

Prayer Vigil: December 16th

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There will be a Prayer Vigil on Sunday, December 16th at 6:00 PM at the Barkhamsted School in support of the victims and their families in Newtown, CT.  Area churches have been asked to help organize and communicate the information about this vigil.  Weather permitting, the event will take place on the grounds of the Barkhamsted School; in the case of bad weather, the event will be held inside the school in the auditorium.  Please come and show your support for those families affected by this terrible tragedy, as well as their entire community.

Anti-Bullying Program in January

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IMG_2520It’s no secret that bullying, whether in the schools, in the workplace, or anywhere, is a rising problem in our society today. On January 11th, 2013 Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church will be hosting an Anti-Bullying Program, starting at 7:00 PM.

Our guest speaker is Rachael Anders, reigning Miss Teen Connecticut United States. In addition there will be a panel of experts from the fields of education, law enforcement, the legal field, and mental health. Our goal is to make kids, and especially their parents or caregivers, aware of this problem as well as the potential consequences to the victim and the person doing the bullying.

Following the short presentations by the speaker and the panelists, there will be time for questions from the audience. The evening will conclude with light refreshments and a time to mingle and perhaps ask additional questions.

In case of snow, we have scheduled a “snow date” for the following Friday, January 18th.

We hope you’ll come with your children and learn more about this important topic.

Annual Christmas Caroling

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Hope you’re loosening up those vocal cords so you’re ready to join the annual Christmas Caroling. Singers are invited to meet in the church parking lot at 4:30 pm (previously listed incorrectly as 4 PM) on Sunday, December 16th, and travel to various homes to share the joyous sounds of the season. Then everyone is invited to join the singers upon their return to the church about 5:30 PM for a dinner of soup or chili. It promises to be a fun time, so please join us!!

Christmas Season Activities

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The Advent season is upon us and our church is busy making plans for various activities.  Here are some that you’ll want to keep in mind as the time goes by.

  • The Sunday School children will present their Christmas Pageant on Sunday, December 16th.
  • Christmas Caroling to shut-ins will take place on Sunday, December 16th.  Those wishing to join in the singing should meet in the church parking lot at 4:00 PM.  Upon returning to the church about 5:30 PM, everyone will enjoy a simple meal together.  This event is open to the community and everyone is welcome to share in the music of the season and a common meal.
  • Christmas Eve will be celebrated with two worship services.  The first, at 7:00 PM, is a family service especially directed toward families with children.  At 11:00 PM a traditional Candlelight Service will take place, ushering in the birth of the baby Jesus.

We invite everyone to come join with us in the celebration of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  For more information, please call the church office at 860-379-2157.