David Meece Testifies of New Rainbows! (10/14/17)
Renown singer /songwriter David Meece performed “In Concert” at our church on Saturday Oct. 14, 2017. In may ways, it was like any other concert by a “celebrity.” Before the “show”, there was a table full of CDs in the lobby and bashful young ladies had the chance to meet the “star” backstage. When David took the “stage” he opened with a rousing performance of “Raise These Arms,” getting everyone to clap and tap their...
Read MorePracticing Extravagant Generosity (10/15 thru 11/11 2017)
Unity. Pulling together to be of one heart and one purpose. In our church, that purpose is to glorify our Creator-God and to help Him build His Kingdom. Our goal is to become more like Christ in every facet of our lives. One of the attributes of God is that He is generous… REALLY generous. Imagine the Son of God somehow squeezing Himself into a human body, living on this earth, and then dying on a Roman cross? Think about the God who has provided all of your needs throughout your...
Read MoreEye Opening Experience! (Camp Meeting, 6/25/17)
Summer! When the end of May hits the calendar our senses are surrounded with a fresh set of experiences: The smell of burgers on the grill… The chlorine-laden breeze of a pool… The sights of sand and beach… The smell of sunblock lotion… The quiet splash of whirling lake water as you paddle a canoe. But to experience all of that, our senses must be open. The speaker at the first service of the 2017 Pitman Camp Meeting was Rev. Bill Wilson, and he focused on our sense...
Read MorePitman Camp Meeting Opens 2017 Season (6/25 – 8/27)
For 147 years, Christians have gathered in the “Pitman Grove” to hear the word of God and to worship our Creator and Savior. This year’s season of the Pitman Camp Meeting is already underway and will continue throughout the summer on Sunday evenings. The services are held at 7:30 p.m. in the William (Bud) Moore Auditorium located in the center of the Grove area, and are lead by various pastors and music teams from the Methodist Churches in the area. Here’s the schedule (all services...
Read MorePUMC Hosting an Emmaus Encounter (5/11/17)
For the past 20+ years, PUMC members have been blessed by attending a weekend retreat known as the Walk to Emmaus. Unfortunately, because of the rigors of the “rustic” accommodations, many seniors have been unable to even consider going on a weekend.
But now there’s an opportunity to experience Emmaus at our church! This Face to Face models the Walk to Emmaus, but it is presented in our church over four seperate days (no overnight stays!).
God’s Gonna Trouble the Water on Palm Sunday! (4/9/17)
Both services on Palm Sunday will be led by our choirs, and their message will begin with the announcement that “God is gonna trouble the Water.” The services will feature a cantata called “A Journey to Hope.” So how can “trouble the water” be a picture of hope??? The Bible relates several accounts of where water was “troubled” to give hope and healing to those who had faith. Water can be many things. Water can represent nourishment, or...
Read MoreGod’s Love Story (2/12/17)
Valentine’s Day! Love!!! What is Love? More importantly, what is God’s Love? In this sermon Pastor Jim took a look at the book of Hosea to see a demonstration of what God’s love looks like.
God is crazy in love with you. Will you return that love? Will you accept Him into your heart? He wants to forgive you and begin a relationship with you right now. What does this story in Hosea teach us about that love?
Everybody is a Player on God’s Super Team (2/5/17)
Super Bowl Sunday… Things were a little different in church on this particular sabbath. Pastor Jim wasn’t wearing his usual clergy robe. Instead he was trying to look like Jerry Rice with his red 49’ers jersey. The service listed in the bulletin looked a bit strange too: things like “The Huddle Up”, “A Time Out”, and the “Coin Toss” marked the schedule. We were surrounded by object lessons, and Pastor Jim’s sermon put them to use,...
Read MoreNew Years Eve Silent Communion (12/31/16)
Milestones such as New Year’s Eve can be helpful reminders of re-assessing your relationship with God. How have you grown? How has your faith been tested? When did you fail to heed God’s call to discipleship? How can you be a better disciple in the future? Not only do we need to hold each other accountable, but we also need to hold ourselves accountable. Small groups and “Emmaus Reunion Groups” are important accountability tools. But, we still need to come to the...
Read MoreChoirs to Present Annual Cantata: Adore (12/18/16)
For the past gazillion years, the choir or choirs at our church have presented a service of worship through words and music (i.e., Cantata). It’s always been presented on the Sunday before Christmas… at 4:15 PM. Yes, 4:15 PM! No clue where that time came from, but… It’s Tradition! It always happens! And so another Christmas is upon us. Tradition! It always happens! But is that all it is??? Habit? Tradition? Christmas isn’t only a tradition; It’s an...
Read MoreBlue Christmas Service (12/21/16)
Many of us lost loved ones during this year. Some of us lost loved ones years ago, but still feel the emptiness. For any of us, the family traditions of the holidays bring back memories of Christmases past. During this holiday season we are especially aware of those who have walked with us and who are an integral part of those memories; but now they’re gone. December 21 is the longest night of the year, and it’s an appropriate night to acknowledge the dark times that our paths...
Read MoreSingle Service & Lunch Celebrate our Anniversary! (10/30/16)
Sunday October 30 has two things about it that are special to PUMC: THING 1 THING 2 Back in November of 1885, the PITMAN GROVE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH was organized. From that small beginning of 43 members, we have grown into what is now the “Pitman United Methodist Church.” It’s our birthday and we are now 131 years old! It’s the 5th Sunday of the month! So,coupled with something that’s true of us every day (we love to eat!), we’re all going to...
Read MoreAcolyte Ministry Training (9/20/16)
Worship is nothing but a jumble of notes and words unless the Holy Spirit is there. In Matt 18:20, Jesus said: “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Acolytes help us recognize and celebrate God’s presence among us during our services of worship. The symbolic lighting of the altar candles ushers in the spirit of worship. And at the end of the service, the “unlighting” of the candles and removing of the flame reminds us that...
Read MoreFall 2016 Small Groups are Set to Kick Off!
Over the years, Pitman United Methodist Church has offered to its congregation small groups that based their existence on building relationships with one another and with God. Some groups lasted several years, and some ended after their courses of study were completed. Small groups are part of God’s plan for spiritual maturity! “Two are better than one…. If they fall, one will lift up the other…” Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”...
Read MoreSpecial 10:15 Service will Remember 9-11 (9/11/16)
Can it be that it’s been 15 years already? Most of us remember that fateful day when two planes crashed into the World Trade Center, a third crashed into the Pentagon, and a fourth into a field outside of Shanksville, PA. This anniversary isn’t anything to celebrate, but it is something to reflect upon. And so on Sunday September 11, we will hold a single worship service at 10:15. Sunday School (all classes) will NOT be held this week. However, nursery will be available....
Read MoreYouth Challenge Church to Look for God Sightings (6/27/16)
Our Youth Fellowship Group- BLAST (Big Loud Awesome Spiritual Time) led our worship services on Sunday June 26. They led both in music and in Word. Music… The choir and praise team were given the week “off”, and the services’ music was led by guitarist Lance Bird, percussionist Jeremy Andrade, and Bassist Melissa Brown. Other BLAST’ers gathered around the mics to lead the singing. Word… Three passages from...
Read MorePitman Camp Meeting Begins 2016 Summer Schedule (6/26/16 – 8/28/16)
For 146 years, Christians have gathered in the “Pitman Grove” to hear the word of God and to worship our Creator and Savior. This year’s season of the Pitman Camp Meeting is already underway and will continue throughout the summer on Sunday evenings. The services are held at 7:30 p.m. in the William (Bud) Moore Auditorium located in the center of the Grove area, and are lead by various pastors and music teams from the Methodist Churches in the area. Here’s the schedule…
Read MoreHoly Week Events Prepare for Resurrection Day (3/20/16 – 3/27/16)
Easter Sunday is quickly approaching! In order to celebrate the resurrection, we need to experience everything that led up to that glorious morning. On Palm Sunday, March 20, we considered the beginning of this Holy Week when our Lord entered Jerusalem. Our choirs led us through a special worship where to journeyed from the palms, through the cross, and to the empty tomb. During this special week, PUMC is providing some special opportunities to prepare ourselves for the majesty of Easter...
Read MoreChoirs set to Lead Palm Sunday Worship (3/20/16)
Can it be Palm Sunday already? Didn’t we just celebrate or Lord’s birth??? Yes- we’re there. The Lord is coming! On Sunday March 20, we will “sing hosanna” to our Savior by worshiping in music. During both services, our Choirs and Praise Team will lead a musical journey through Holy Week. Traditional hymns and contemporary praise music will be sung by the choirs. The music to be “presented” will be familiar to most of the congregation, so sing...
Read MoreCongregants Get a Dress-Down! (2/7/16)
As soon as we arrived to worship on Sunday February 7 (2016), we knew things would be different. Actually, Pastor Jim always tries to keep us on our toes, but this Sunday he greeted us wearing a Jerry Rice San Franscisco 49’ers jersey! One look around the sanctuary and it was easy to see that something was up when people were wearing clothes emblazoned with names such as Phillies, Eagles, Steelers, and Flyers. It was Super Bowl Sunday, and we were going to change things up a bit to...
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