Author Archives: Steve

This Week at PVUMC 12/26/23

Merry Christmas! What a wonderful and blessed Christmas Eve we all had together. At midnight on Christmas Eve, I rang the church bells for over a minute and was struck by the place in Pleasant View’s history our church has. I pray, we continue to be a place of sanctuary, hope, and healing for another 150 years.

The office is closed this week and I am on vacation until January 2. Anne Culver, unfortunately has tested positive for Covid. Please be mindful of close contact and take a Covid test if you are having symptoms. Anne was going to be my contact for pastoral emergencies this week, however, for obvious reasons she will be unavailable. If you have a pastoral emergency, please don’t hesitate to call me on my cell phone.

Read Pastor Steve’s Christmas Sermon
On Christmas Eve, I preached on how the manger points to the Eucharist and how that ultimately points to the hope of Christ dwelling in our hearts. Read it here.

This Sunday, December 31st
This Sunday on the Seventh Day of Christmas, we will be gathering for a Wesleyan Covenant Service. A Wesleyan Covenant is a Methodist Tradition on New Years that goes back to the 18th Century. It includes reading scripture and singing Christmas carols. I hope you find it a great way to start the New Year with intentionality.

Service is at 10am, Sunday School at 9am
There will be no nursery care or children’s church this Sunday.

Children’s Ministry Volunteers Needed
Please consider signing up to volunteer in our children’s ministry. I have recently added dates for 2024. We also have openings for December as well. We’ve been getting visitors lately and this is one of the best ways to offer hospitality and ministry to young families. If all of us volunteer to sign up once a month to watch the nursery and children’s church, then we should have no problem getting coverage. Click here to sign up.

Save the Dates
January 7th – Epiphany Open House and Christmas Tree Bonfire at the Parsonage (5pm)
January 28th – Kids Club/Family Workshops
February 14th – Ash Wednesday

This Week at PVUMC 12/18/23

Hello friends, Pastor Steve here. One of the things discussed in our Church Council meeting last week was a need for better communication in the church. So I have taken the liberty to start a weekly Newsletter. Each week, typically on Monday, I will be posting to our website all the ways to stay connected here at the church. I hope this effort will help bring all get more on the same page and let people outside the church know what we are up to.

Read Pastor Steve’s Sermon
Yesterday, I preached on Joy being found in the freedom to feel fully the things God put in your heart. To read my sermon, click here.

Children’s Ministry Volunteers Needed
Please consider signing up to volunteer in our children’s ministry. I have recently added dates for 2024. We also have openings for December as well. We’ve been getting visitors lately and this is one of the best ways to offer hospitality and ministry to young families. If all of us volunteer to sign up once a month to watch the nursery and children’s church, then we should have no problem getting coverage. Click here to sign up. 

Christmas Eve Services
10am – Lessons and Carols with Communion
6pm – Christmas Pageant with Communion and Candle Lighting
11pm – Midnight Mass with Communion and Candle Lighting

*If you are planning to come to any of our Christmas Eve services and would like to help out, we especially need some readers, please let me know as soon as possible*

Upcoming Events
Advent Open House in the Sanctuary – This Wednesday (2-5pm)
Tell your neighbors that the sanctuary doors of PVUMC will be wide open on Wednesday. We will have prayer and meditation stations set up around the sanctuary and refreshments in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome to come and get in the Christmas Spirit!

Epiphany Party at the Parsonage – January 7th at 5pmCome enjoy an Open House at the Parsonage. We will have lots of food and drinks and we will end the evening with a Christmas tree bonfire. Don’t forget to bring your dead Christmas tree to the parsonage when you take it down.

Kids Club/Family Systems Workshops – January 28th
Starting Sunday, January, 28th we will be offering once-a-month Kids Club for elementary aged kids and Family Systems Workshops for adults. Kids Club will be an evening of games, bible lessons, and snacks (think VBS), led by Amanda Pratt. My wife Heather (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) and I will be leading Family Systems workshops on the topic of marriage, parenting and family; our work will help bridge the gap between mental health care and faith. We will gather on the Fourth Sunday of the month at the church. More info to come, spread the word, all in the community are welcome.

*Be sure to check the church calendar in the events tab for our complete list of events.*

Update from Pastor Steve 12/12/23

Communication Update
New Website! Hello Church, Pastor Steve here. I want to personally thank Daniel Herrin for our website’s new look. Here you will find the latest about what’s going on around here. I want to invite you to explore our site and see all the wonderful features like the church calendar, our Sunday School offerings, the donation page, and our stream of instagram photos. I also want to invite you to my blog (click here). All of my sermon’s are archived there.

Online Directory! I have also noticed that many of you are utilizing and enjoying our new online church directory. To download it, go to your App Store and download Instant Church Directory. If you are still having trouble or would like to be added, don’t hesitate to send me a text or email. I can also upload your favorite family photo or take one for you on my spiffy new iPhone if you would like.

Events Coming Up
Don’t miss out on these wonderful Advent Events:
This Saturday, Dec 16th: Christmas Box Packing (9am) in the Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, Dec 20th: Advent Open House (2-5pm) in the Sanctuary

Christmas Eve Service Times: 10am Lessons and Carols, 6pm Family Service, 11pm Midnight Mass. Communion, Candle Lighting and Christmas Carols at each service.

Sunday, Jan 7: Epiphany Party and Christmas Tree Bonfire at the Parsonage. Please feel free to drop off your dead Christmas tree anytime after Christmas.