Free of God, or Free in Christ?
The signboard message said “Freedom in Christ.” But don’t many people prefer their own notion of freedom; a freedom apart from Christ? A freedom FROM God? Some may not understand the freedom that God offers, and instead they might prefer to have freedom to ignore God. They might be more apt to ask the following and choose the second option: FREEDOM IN CHRIST OR FREEDOM FROM CHRIST? The “God Questions” Every human being eventually...
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 MoreFive Finger Praying
How do you pray??? Do you use words? Do you just think of images knowing that God knows the rest? What do you say? Do you ask for stuff? Do you just confess and ask for forgiveness? Do you vent your frustrations??? Ever since the beginning of human existence- even after Jesus introduced His model prayer- people struggle with figuring out how to pray. Maybe you use the “A. C. T. S. ” Model: A- Adoration C- Confession T- Thanksgiving S- Supplication The Five Fingered...
Read MoreGreater NJ Annual Conference Meets to Rejoice! (5/22/17)
The yearly conference meeting of the Greater NJ Annual Conference was held in Wildwood on a Sunday through Tuesday beginning May 22. The legislative schedule was comparatively light, but the conference (as usual) was filled with worship, fellowship, and learning.
Read on to learn more about this year’s annual conference.
Pitman 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 MorePastors Ponderings: To Sing is to Pray Twice!
Our service on 6/25/17 didn’t have a sermon! Instead, we turned to Music to lead us to and through our time of worship as we celebrated God’s Grace.
Read MorePUMC Musicians Use Guitars to Fight Cancer! (6/3/17)
Cancer. It has affected, it is affecting, and it will affect many different people in many different ways. For surviving family, it creates mourning, To victims, it creates pain. And to survivors, it creates celebration. But for all of us, it’s something that needs to be eliminated. We need a cure. Every year, the American Cancer Society sponsors what it calls a “Relay for Life” event. A “Relay” event was recently held at the Washington Lake Park, in nearby...
Read MoreOur Fathers House Graduates Class of 2017! (5/25/17)
It’s always one of the highlights of the year…for the kids, for the parents, and for the church! The 35 Pre-Kindergarteners who comprise the Class of 2017 put on an awesome show during the graduation ceremony on May 25, 2017.
Read this post to see some inspiring pictures and to learn more about Our Father’s House.
PUMC is on the Air!
It’s Sunday morning and you can’t make it to church. Maybe you’re not feeling well. Maybe your car won’t start. Maybe it’s snowing. Maybe you just don’t feel like venturing outside. No problem! All of our services are “broadcasted” on Live Stream. Go to church using your computer or phone!
Read MorePUMC Prepares for annual conference for Annual Conference (5/21/17)
It does get a bit confusing… PUMC is part of the Delaware Bay District… The Delaware Bay District is part of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference The Greater New Jersey Annual Conference is part of the Northeast Jurisdiction The Northeast Jurisdiction is part of the United Methodist Church! And, once a year, the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference holds a conference in Wildwood NJ. Notice the lower case “c” in the word for “meeting”… this...
Read MoreA Week of Strength
During her Mother’s Day sermon on 5/14/17, Stephanie Hogan invited us to (re-)consider the depth of God’s awesome love for YOU, how He chose you, and how He is with you constantly to guide and strengthen you. God wants to deepen your relationship with Him by molding you into the man or woman He wants you to be; the person He created you to be. The “scripture reading” for her sermon was a series of 7 passages which talked about God’s special personal relationship...
Read MoreBLAST to Fight Hunger by Washing Cars (5/20/17)
It’s called the “30 Hour Famine.” Our Youth Group (Big Loud Awesome Spiritual Time) participates in it every year, but this goes beyond a simple fast. In addition to taking some time for spiritual reflection, we’re also going to make a difference for people who have no choice between eating and not eating. And as part of that reflection, we’re also going to improve the reflection of the cars in our community! On Saturday May 20 (between the hours of 1:00...
Read MoreWhat do You Know About Mother’s Day?
Mother’s Day. It comes every year on the 2nd Sunday of May. How much do you really know about Mothers Day? First of all, is it “Mother’s Day”, “Mothers’ Day” or “Mothers Day”??? Where do you put the apostrophe? Or do you even use one? Google “Mothers Day” and you’ll see all three spellings. So is it: A day for your mother (Mother’s) A day for all mothers (Mothers’) Or a day just named after female...
Read MoreA Drop of Example, or a Gallon of Advice???
On May 10,2017 (several days before Mother’s Day), the following message was posted on our signboard: A DROP OF EXAMPLE IS WORTH MORE THAN A GALLON OF ADVICE As we approach Mother’s Day, think about it… What has left a deeper impression- what do yo remember most: The things your Mom said, or the things she did? Chances are, you probably remember some great advice that Mom gave. A host of sayings, scripture, music, or just plane home-spun wisdom constantly prod...
Read MoreEncore Call for Photo Directory Pictures (6/22/17)
ENCORE! One more day of photography is available for those that weren’t able to attend or may have just decided to not miss the chance to be a part of the PUMC Photo Directory. (You do not need to be a member of the church). Whatever the reason, NOW is the time. Our final day of photography at the church will be Thursday, June 22 from 2 PM to 9 PM (APPOINTMENT REQUIRED) in the Gathering room (2nd floor). To schedule your appointment, click this button: Photo Directory Limited...
Read MorePastors Ponderings: A Divine Love Song
Pastor Jim submitted the following on April 5, 2017… Greetings Friends: PLEASE READ: 1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (NASB). PLEASE READ: Hebrews 6:1-2 “Let us stop going over the same old ground again and again, always teaching those first lessons about Christ. Let us go on instead to other things and become mature in our understanding, as strong Christians ought to...
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!).
Say a Nehemiah 2:4 Prayer!
Things are going along pretty well, then all of a sudden life throws you a curve and the steam of anger or fear starts to build. Or, all of a sudden you’re in a dire situation where you need to make a quick decision. What do you do?
Follow the example of Nehemiah and say a quick “Nehemiah 2:4 Prayer”!
Breakfast and Yard Sale will Help La Pamilla Church! (4/29/17)
On Saturday April 29, our Fellowship will once again be buzzing with activity to support our mission efforts for a church in La Palmilla Mexico. We have held these breakfasts and yard sales twice a year for many years, but we are now very close to the point where our friends in La Palmilla will finally be able to dedicate their new sanctuary! Breakfast Buffet (8-11AM)… We’ll throw one of our “Famous” Breakfast Buffets from 8:00 AM to 11:00AM. Come out and enjoy...
Read MorePastors Ponderings: Christ the Lord is Risen Today!
No Easter Sunday at PUMC would be complete without singing the hymn Christ the Lord is Risen Today. In this article (and in the corresponding podcast on the UMC website), Dr. Paul Chilcote guides us through this hymn’s verses and shows us how to take the Risen Christ into the other 364 days of the year.
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