December 1, 2017
Paradise Valley United Methodist Church
FMSC MobilePack Event Tomorrow
At last count, we had registered more than 70 participants for the Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event at the Phoenix Convention Center tomorrow, Friday, December 2, 3-5 pm. Just meet us at the center if you're going. Click here to get a parking pass for $5 parking.And don't forget to wear your God's Love in Action T-shirt if you have one!
Pastor's Message

  Dear Friend in Faith,

At Christmas, we often long for gifts which cannot be purchased, gifts that touch our deeper desires. I think all of us long for more peace in our lives and in our world. We long for the gift of hope from God, to be able to trust that God is with us in life’s troubles. We long to know if life can be better. What can we believe in when stress is high during the holidays or when the future looks uncertain for us?

Our worship during December is about coming home. That may be a physical place where we return to, or it may be a spiritual place where our hearts can feel God’s presence, care and help.

In many ways, the Christmas story is about coming home. Fear, surprise and uncertainty accompany Mary’s news about the first Christmas. She has been asked to do a remarkable...


Christmas Gifts for Congolese Refugee Family
We recently welcomed a Congolese family of eight to the United States and would like to help them have a merry Christmas. Our church is co-sponsoring the family through RAFT and Lutheran Social Services. The children are age 1-18, and one of the biggest needs that have is for clothing. A RAFT Core Team is in place, but if you would like to serve with them, please contact Keith Sobraske . RAFT helps ignite faith, transform lives and create community by bringing God's love into action.
Worship and Fellowship at PVUMC
Paradise Valley United Methodist Church (PVUMC) invites you to worship at 8 am, 9:30 am or 11 am this Sunday. The first two services are more traditional, while the later service - Ignite - is a distinctive alternative.

Please visit the website  calendar and news blog to read all our announcements online.

See the Looking Ahead, our bulletin insert, for news, the weekly calendar, a prayer list, and more. Purchase your Advent book this Sunday, and take a look at the class offerings, including three offered in members' homes. We launched our Advent blog with daily devotions on December 1, and invite you to subscribe to receive them via email or read them online. Read More.

The Prayers of Intercession are included in the Looking Ahead. Unless otherwise requested, prayer requests are e-mailed to the 200+ Prayer Team members and shared with pastors and staff. Submit a prayer request using our online request form or call the church office at 602.840.8360.
Christmas Concert at PVUMC: Gloria!
Enjoy Christmas music performed by PVUMC's children, youth and adult choirs, with handbells and instrumental music. The Chancel Choir will perform the Randol Alan Bass “Gloria.” The concert also features The Warehouse Brass. This event weaves music, poetic texts and audience sing-a-longs for an uplifting evening fitting of the season. A dessert reception follows in the Fellowship Center. Childcare is available; call 602.840.8360, ext 134 at least 48 hours in advance.  Register for the concert TODAY
Blood Drive Sunday, December 3
Donating blood is a life-saving gift. Every year, our church hosts a blood drive, and this year, PVUMC has partnered with the American Red Cross for a holiday blood drive. We had an amazing response over the past few weeks, and added more spots to the schedule. If you would still like to donate, there may be openings for walk-ins on Sunday, December 3, 8 am-1 pm in the Fellowship Center. Together, we can save lives.
Winter Wonderland December 15
PVUMC invites you and your family to a Winter Wonderland and Family Movie celebration on Friday, December 15 , 6:30-9 pm in the Fellowship Center.

Wear your pjs, drink hot cocoa, and snuggle down into your blankets and pillows to enjoy Elf, the Christmas Movie featuring Will Farrell.

We'll have free pizza and popcorn, visits with Santa and Christmas crafts at 6:30 pm.

Bring your camera to capture the moments you share together.



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Support Youth Missions at the Paradise Perk Sundays, 9 am-1 pm
Visit our on-site coffee shop, the Paradise Perk, for all your coffee needs every Sunday. A 16-oz cup of fresh-brewed coffee from the self-serve cart only costs $2. The Perk also offers a wide variety of espresso drinks, smoothies, teas, and soda. All proceeds support youth missions and make the life-changing trips we offer affordable for our church families and students. In 2018, the senior high youth go to Houston on a mission trip. Read More.

NOTE: Childcare is availa ble with a 48-hour reservation for all our
events and classes on campus. Call 602.840.8360, ext 134.