Provo Community Church

Our top two most listened to sermon podcasts of 2011 were:
1. Evolution – A Topical Summer Sermon Podcast
2. Hell – A Topical Summer Sermon Podcast

Hot-button issues make for red-hot sermon titles. Tackling evolution and raising hell works – from a preacher’s perspective that is. Typically the preaching in our church tradition follows the Revised Common Lectionary. It has three years worth of suggested sermon scriptures and ensures that the church is exposed to a broad variety of Biblical texts, not just the pastor’s favorites. In July, August and September Provo Community UCC went topical on their pulpit. The worship planning committee polled the congregation for weeks and came up with the most wanted topics – two of which yielded the Rev. Daniel Haas’ most popular sermons. Maybe democratic preaching is a nice addition to our repertoire?
The Rev. Daniel Haas analyzes the best of 2011 on his personal blog.

Every month Provo Community United Church of Christ prepares sack lunches for the homeless in Utah County. They are then distributed by our partner agency the Food and Care Coalition. Please help by donating items to go in the brown paper bags and please help putting them together on Tuesday, December 27 at 6:30 in the fellowship hall. A list of needed items can be requested with Bev Larsen in the church office at 801-375-9115 or office@provocommunityucc.org
Please bring your favorite potluck dish for dinner!

From the prophets of old to the baby in the manger there is much to be learned. How is God still speaking through prophecies of the 8th century BCE? How are we still listening in Provo, Utah 2011? Come and stretch your mind tonight from 6-7 pm. This also concludes our Bible Journey for 2011.

For the fourth and last time our loving church community opens their homes to all. Tonight there will be appetizers at church, main dish at one home, dessert at another home and drinks back at church. Salem Pond we also be on the itinerary! Come eat, feel the love. It starts at 6:00 tonight. Please be on time.

“Kirche auf Deutsch” our church’s German language ministry provides opportunities for local Germans to network, share, and support one another. On Sunday, December 18th, at 5:30 pm, our German language Christmas service will feature the German Chorus Harmonie from Salt Lake City and much more.

This fourth Sunday of Advent, December 18th, we will receive gifts to the Christmas Fund, one of the special offerings of the United Church of Christ.  The Christmas Fund supports retired church professionals or their family members with needed support or current church professionals with support during crisis.  The generous gifts of UCC congregations and individuals to the Christmas Fund enabled the Pension Boards’ Ministerial Assistance program to provide some form of Ministerial Assistance to approximately 1,600 persons over the past year:  Christmas “Thank You” gift checks were sent to approximately 900 persons in 2010.  Monthly pension supplementation is being provided to 434 persons. These gifts total $103,401 per month. A significant part of the annual total of $1,234,344 comes from the Christmas Fund. (2011 Data)  Quarterly health premium supplementation is being provided to 267 families.  Emergency Grants totaling $38,163.35 were provided to 24 individuals and families from January 1 through July 31, 2011.

If you are not in church this Sunday, you can drop off your donation during office hours, or give online.

On Sunday, December 18th the church has a cookie walk right after fellowship hour. You are invited to bring cookies. The cookies are displayed and you are welcome to go through and fill as many containers as you want. The price will be $8.00 each. This is a fund raiser for the church. So please bring your favorite cookies and take others home. Please RSVP on facebook.

For the 33rd time the community is cordially invited to an evening of scripture and music. Carols by Candlelight is a fun and festive opportunity to start the holidays. It will be on Sunday, December 11th, at 7 pm.