How did it get to be July already!! I hope everyone is enjoying the summer even though we’re experiencing a heat wave!! To pass the time, please take a minute to look over the July edition of our church newsletter, The Link. You are always welcome to join us in worship on Sunday mornings. We are welcoming a new pastor, Jeff Cedarfield, beginning July 1st and we invite you to join us at 10:30am on Sunday to get to know him. Notice the time in bold as we will be meeting a half hour later than our previous services. Pastor Jeff serves two congregations and needs travel time to allow him to arrive safely. To learn more about Pastor Jeff, please see the prior blog post introducing him.
July brings big changes to Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church! As with many times of change, it is bittersweet as we bid farewell to Pastor Barbara and wish her well in her retirement, and joyous as we welcome our new pastor, Jeff Cedarfield. As an introduction, I’ve copied the letter to the congregation from our SPRC chairperson, Angela Root, as she puts words together much better than I can! Please read on to learn more about Pastor Jeff, and plan to join us on Sunday mornings to make him welcome! Of particular interest, please note the Sunday morning worship time moves to 10:30am, to allow Pastor to serve both his congregations.
Good morning brothers and sisters in Christ.
I am pleased to announce that the Bishop and Cabinet have appointed Pastor Jeffrey Cedarfield to serve as pastor at PVUMC beginning July 1, 2026.
Pastor Jeff has been serving as a half-time pastor at Copper Hill UMC in Granby since July 1, 2025. Effective July 1, 2026, he will share his time between the two churches. Next month, at Annual Conference, he will be recognized as a licensed Local Pastor within the New York Annual Conference.
Pastor Jeff was born and spent the first part of his childhood in northern Vermont before his family later moved to Warwick, Rhode Island. He earned degrees in Political Science and English Literature before going on to receive his law degree. He practiced civil and criminal law for 21 years before transitioning to work in insurance for four years.
Jeff lives in Canton, Connecticut with his wife, Lisa, and two of her three children. Jeff’s two sons, Ethan and Riley, are grown, as is Lisa’s eldest daughter. Outside of family, work, and church, his interests include hiking, camping, fishing, and barbeque in its many forms.
Pastor Jeff’s spiritual journey has been equally meaningful. Several years ago, he was a member of Plainville UMC, where he delivered messages as a certified lay speaker. In 2023, he became a member of North Canton UMC, where he has served in leadership and delivered messages in several churches throughout the quad prior to his appointment at Copper Hill UMC.
His spiritual gifts and talents include serving as co-leader of the Methodist Youth Fellowship at Plainville UMC and developing and co-coordinating an 11-year Thanksgiving food drive that collected over 150,000 pounds of donations, valued at more than $300,000, for the Plainville Community Food Pantry. Currently, Copper Hill UMC hosts a youth group for grades 6–12 that meets twice monthly, as well as two men’s groups that meet weekly on Tuesday evenings and Friday mornings.
Our time with Pastor Barbara has been an incredible gift to our church. As Pastor Barbara begins to wind down her ministry with us over the next seven weeks, the SPRC will work closely on a smooth transition plan with Pastor Jeff. I will also be reaching out to him to invite him to visit again sometime in June so that he may introduce himself and answer questions from the congregation.
I know that change can be difficult, but it also brings opportunities for growth. Pastor Barbara agrees that Pastor Jeff will bring many gifts and talents to our church community.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me or any member of the SPRC.
Shown below is the July calendar for the Community Food Bank, housed at the Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church. The food bank serves any CT resident in need of food assistance. Please see the highlighted dates on the calendar showing when the food bank is open. For additional information, please call the number listed below the calendar or send an email to their administrator.
Our church newsletter, The Link, is shown below. This month is bittersweet as we prepare to say farewell to our beloved pastor, Barbara Schaffer. We will then welcome our new pastor in July. We all will miss Pastor Barbara but know that she will enjoy her long awaited second retirement! As the weeks go by, we will prepare to welcome our new pastor, Jeff Cedarfield. I will be sharing information about Pastor Jeff as his arrival time approaches.
In the meantime, please look over our newsletter and plan to join us in any of the events that you can. Our church is open to everyone and hope that you’ll come share your faith with us here in Pleasant Valley.
Although the heading says May Link…it is actually the June edition. Sorry for this error.
Shown below is the June calendar for the Community Food Bank, housed at the Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church. Information regarding days the food bank is open, as well as times when donations can be accepted, is show below the calendar. Should you have any questions, please contact the food bank by calling the phone number listed or by emails.
To those who may travel on West River Road in Pleasant Valley, please be aware that the road will be closed on Sunday, May 31st from 9am to noon. The Barkhamsted School PTO will once again be hosting a Fun Run for adults and kids during that time, so for safety sake the road will be closed to traffic during the race hours. Please make find an alternate route if you’re coming to church.
Today was a busy and special day in many ways for PVUMC. We celebrate Memorial Day by remembering those people in the Armed Services of our country who paid the ultimate price for securing our freedom. It is also Pentecost and we celebrate the beginning of our church and remember how the disciples were showered with the Holy Spirit and allowed to continued the work of our Lord.
In addition to that…we celebrate the addition of four new members of our congregation as they prepared for, and participated in the worship service in which they were Confirmed into the church family. These four young persons have spent the past five months studying with Pastor Barbara learning about the church and its foundations. Today we welcomed them…Karmen, Cassie, Axel, and Ayden. Congratulations to you all and WELCOME!!
From the thrill of Palm Sunday’s entrance to the holy city, through the despair of Good Friday, and the joyous celebration of our risen Christ on Easter Sunday we welcome you to come join in any or all of the opportunities to worship with us. Here are the services for Holy Week:
Sunday, March 29th join us at 10:00 am as we celebrate Palm Sunday with the children passing out palms as they march into the sanctuary.
Thursday, April 2nd join us at 7:00 pm and share the Last Supper with Christ and his disciples. Communion will be served.
Friday, April 3rd gather at 7:00 pm in sadness as we bear witness to the agony and crucifixion of our Lord.
Easter Sunday, April 5th come celebrate with us at 10:00 am as we hear the joyous news that Christ lives! He has risen from the dead and lives again!! Hallelujah!! Blessed be the name of the Lord!
May the peace of the Lord be with you and your loved ones and may you know the joy that comes with knowing Jesus!
Our church newsletter, The Link, is shown below. Please take a moment to look it over and plan to join us for any of the worship opportunities, as well as any of the special events that are coming up. Our church is open to everyone who wants to share our joy in the Lord’s love.
Pleasant Valley-Winsted United Methodist Church 