Pastors Ponderings: Running into a Burning House!
Pastor Jim submitted the following thoughts on 3/18/17… Greetings Friends: PLEASE READ: Matthew 9:35-38 “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the...
Read MorePastors Ponderings: Who is St. Patrick?
Pastor Jim submitted the following on 3/17/17… Greetings Friends: A very Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all! Below is a brief yet informative article about Patrick and this day. I cannot take credit for it other than I received it from Christian History Institute, of whom I am a member. I hope you are blessed by this humble offering about a wonderful Saint of the Christian Church. Pastor Jim We all Know St. Partick’s Day… but what about St. Patrick Himself??? ON...
Read MoreWhat is UMCOR Day? (3/26/17)
There’s an earthquake… there’s a drought…. there’s a Tsunami… there’s an epidemic… What do we do when terrible things happen to people? Do we just sit by and say “Oh, that’s such a shame.” Or do we actually do something to relieve the suffering? UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) may sound like the name of some stuffy committee. But it truly is the driving force of our church’s response to suffering anywhere...
Read MorePraise Band Concert Raises the Roof! (3/12/17)
It was a Sunday evening. Most of us had already gone to church that morning. But on Sunday 3/12/17 nearly 200 local Methodists gathered at PUMC for a Praise and Worship Concert. The silent auction before the concert and the love offering taken during the concert will be donated to our friends in La Palmilla Mexico to help them complete the construction of their new sanctuary. We are sending a mission team to LaPalmilla this summer (July 22-August 1). For years, this thriving church has been...
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 Church Picture Directory is on the Way! (3/14/17)
Mother’s Day is coming…what better gift than a beautiful family portrait! LifeTouch will be taking portrait pictures to include in our next Picture Directory on March 14 & 15, 21 & 22 and April 11 & 12 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. (APPOINTMENT REQUIRED) in the Gathering room (2nd floor). Please use the button below to schedule your appointment now. Your appointment will take approximately one hour. NO purchase of the photos are necessary but please do have them taken to be...
Read MoreTwo Wings Helping Angels of God!
Angels of God is a ministry that seeks to help people by providing little used clothing and other household items. People can shop the Angels of God “store” (on Broadway in Pitman), pick out what they need, and then “check out” without paying. Although not directly connected with PUMC, we have been supporting this important ministry in many ways over the years. Currently, two collections for Angels of God are being made in our church: Our Angels of God Small...
Read MoreSoup ‘n Salad Lunch Looks for Spring! (3/5/17)
Spring will come soon!!! After the 11:00 AM service we’ll be treated to a Soup (and beverage) lunch. Everyone is invited. We will provide the soup and beverages, but we hope that you will bring your favorite salad or dessert (as a “covered dish”). If you don’t bring any salad or desert, you’re welcome anyway! Share Soup and Shared Ministries… There will be a freewill offering for Shared Ministries. What is...
Read MorePUMC Using Daffodils to Fight Cancer! (3/19/17)
Spring is arriving! And one of the first tastes of the new season is the emergence of those yellow flowers through the soil. Daffodils! They’re beautiful, they are harbingers of warmer weather, and- they can be used to fight one of the deadliest diseases afflicting mankind; Cancer. We’re selling mini pots of daffodils to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The daffodil pots are being sold for $10 each. A nice round number. But note that we’re able to purchase...
Read MoreThread ‘n Yarn Ministries Extend God’s Love (2/19/17)
Colorful Ministry on Display When we arrived in church on Sunday February 19, the altar rail was draped with a huge collection of beautifully knitted, crocheted and quilted items. Over 75 of them were laid on the altar so that we could lay hands on them in prayer. These items are used to extend God’s love, through PUMC, through blankets and shawls, to those who are in need. Each item was lovingly created over the last 6 months by the Hooks ‘n Needles ministry and the Scrappy...
Read MoreLenten Devotional for 2017
Members from four local churches have come together to produce a Daily Devotional for this year’s Lenten season. The booklets were published in hardcopy form and distributed within the participating churches, but electronic copies of the devotions are presented here. If you want a printed copy, visit or contact one of the participating churches: Evangelical UMC (Clarksboro) Zion Community Church (Clarksboro) Trinity United Methodist Church (Mullica Hill) and Pitman United Methodist...
Read MoreBLAST- Feed and Games! (2/20/17)
Our Youth Group keeps active in many ways. Sometimes it’s all Fun and Games. Other times, it’s expressing God’s love through some serious (but fun) service. BLAST celebrated this Presidents Day weekend in typical fashion. First by having some “Where’s Waldo” fun at the Deptford Mall on Sunday. And then on Monday by serving breakfast at the New Visions Day Shelter in Camden. Where’s Waldo? The Deptford Mall is a familiar place for most of us...
Read MorePUMC Hosts Regional Day of Learning (2/12/17)
Fourteen years ago, a fire destroyed our downtown church building. It was located in the business district- right in the middle of town. But it had no parking, and its multiple levels and maze of staircases made it totally “non-accessible.” Ten years ago we moved into a new “state of the art building.” It’s located on the edge of town, but its parking lot and accessibility make it well suited to being used for large groups. We are blessed to be a blessing! ...
Read MoreBrady Can in Superbowl. PUMC Souper in Cans! (2/5/17)
It was a record setting Sunday… or at least different in many ways. In the morning, PUMC’ers dressed down in their favorite team jersey garb. Some of us even wore our new PUMC sweatshirts. Pastor Jim wore his favorite Jerry Rice 49’ers jersey. In his sermon (and throughout the service), Pastor Jim turned the popularity of the super bowl into a series of object lessons about how we can be part of God’s Team… of how we can join up with God for a certain victory. ...
Read MoreThere’s No “I” in “LOVE”!
The signboard said… THERE’S NO “I” IN “LOVE”! OK…. maybe a little corny and trite. Maybe a bit too much along the lines of the classic message that says “WHAT’S MISSING IN CH CH?” (if you need the answer… “U R” missing…). But, can love be truly selfless? Don’t you have to love yourself before you can love others? And don’t you have to think of yourself before you can love...
Read MoreDinner and Concert to Benefit La Palmilla Mission (2/11/17)
February 11 isn’t quite Valentine’s Day, but it’s a great opportunity for having a night out at something resembling a “dinner theater.” The “dinner” will be a covered dish dinner, and the “theater” will be a concert by our own Lee Whitaker (with some help from our Praise Team). Here are the details: Date: Saturday February 11 Time: 5:00 PM dinner, 6:30 PM concert Place: NOT...
Read MorePUMC to Host Blood Drive (1/27/17)
On the afternoon of Friday January 27, our Fellowship Hall will be the site of a Red Cross Blood Drive. Give blood? Why??? Due to various causes, the blood supply is currently dangerously low. This isn’t about the blood supply across the country, or across the state, or even across the region. This is about the blood supply in our area hospitals! On Friday January 27 (from 2:00 – 7:00 PM), PUMC will do their part so you can do your part. If you’re able, consider making an...
Read MorePUMC Set to Collect Cans of Soup on Super Bowl Sunday (2/5/17)
Even if you don’t live in Atlanta or Foxboro, Sunday February 5 is going to be a big (“Super”) day. Even if you’re not a football fan, a lot of good things (er- “super” things) are happening on this day. Here’s the count down: 1: We’ll hold two worship services (9:30 and 11:00… the “normal schedule”). 2: We’ll observe our annual “Dress Down Sunday” Wear your favorite sports jersey. 3: There...
Read MoreBLAST Refocuses Trust During Mid-Winter Advance (1/15/17)
On January 15, 2017, BLAST returned from our annual youth retreat, MidWinter Advance (MWA) at America’s Keswick in Whiting, New Jersey. Our group was made up of twenty-five youth, young adults, and leaders. The retreat that was filled with fun, fellowship, and faith. The four-part message, led by the college team, focused on Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your path.”...
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