It’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.

Our youth group is being re-energized and their first official meeting will be on Saturday, Nov. 17th at 6 PM at the church. This group will target youth in the high school+ age group and will create a “bridge” between the younger Sunday School years and the older adult church involvement. Tom Lucas, along with Evan Bailey and Peggy Arnold will be the team leaders and, so far, they have quite a few kids who are interested in attending. Saturday’s meeting will include supper. If you know of any high school or older kids, invite them to come see what MYF [Methodist Youth Fellowship]  is all about.

Wow!  Where has the summer gone!  Sunday, September 9th is Rally Day, which marks the beginning of the Sunday School year, as well as the start of the fall activities of the church.  Sunday School is offered for children from pre-school to middle school age, and takes place during the normal worship service, at 9:30 AM on Sundays.  Children will participate in the opening part of the worship service, and, following the Children’s Sermon, will then leave the Sanctuary to go to their respective classrooms.  We have a dedicated and caring staff in our Sunday School who offer imaginative and interesting instruction in the Christian faith.

If you have any questions, or would like more information about our church school, please contact our Sunday School Superintendent, Mindy Henry, at 860-738-7737.  For general questions about our church and the services, or other opportunities we offer, please call the church office, at 860-379-2157, when the office is open on Tuesdays from 11-5, and Fridays, from 2-4PM.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Youth Group Babysitting Event, scheduled for Saturday, February 11th, has had to be postponed. More information will be provided when a new date has been selected.

On Saturday, February 11th, the Youth Group of the Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church will host their second babysitting event. From 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, parents can leave their children in a safe environment in the care of the church youth and adult chaperones. Activities will include games and crafts, as well as snacks and drinks. Each child should bring a lunch from home. The suggested donation for this all day event is $20. Reservations are requested by calling Mindy Henry at 860-738-7737. 

Sunday, September 13th is Rally Day and the beginning of our year of church activities, including Sunday school. We will be having a cookout with games and food for the kickoff! We invite everyone to bring hamburgers and hot dogs for their family and a side dish to share. A sign up sheet will be on the Besse table in the Narthex. Cooks will be provided
and bring a lawn chair. If you have a fun game to share bring it! This event will be rain or shine! Hope to see everyone there!

Also, the Sunday School staff is in place but we are still in need of a teacher for the Junior and High School group. We are looking for two teachers to commit to a month at a time. A month is 3 weeks because the childdren will be in service the first Sunday of every month. The sign up sheet wil be on the Besse Table in the Narthex. Please see Mindy Henry for more information.

Hey kids (and parents) –  it’s that time of year again!  The last week of July will be Pleasant Valley UMC’s VBS week, so mark it on your calendars!

For updated info, please visit the VBS page of this blogsite.

Hope to see you there!

If you will graduating this spring from high school or college, we want to offer our congratulations!

In the June Link, graduates will be listed by name and the school from which they graduated.

Please send information to psfoxx@att.net.

Vacation Bible School will be held the last week in July this year.  More details will follow!