Voices in Praise Choir to Resume Rehearsals on Sept. 18
We’re still in the thick of summer, but if you’re an adult who likes to sing, keep in mind that the first choir rehearsals of the season are just over the horizon. The first rehearsal of the 2014-2015 season will be on Thursday September 18, at 7:00 PM. We rehearse on Thursday nights throughout the season (September through June). The Voices in Praise choir is open to ages High School and above. We sing during the 11:00 service. Our first Sunday of the season will be on Sunday...
Read MoreWhat an Awesome God! (8/3/14)
Pastor Jim’s sermon on Sunday August 3 posed the question, “what is awesome?” We throw around that word so much that we allow it to describe almost anything. Could it be that our trivial regard of God’s True AWESOMENESS has led us to regard God in our own limited terms? Could it be that the God who created the universe is actually awesome enough to care about us? Here’s the audio recording (from the 11:00 service). You can listen to the sermon while following...
Read MoreUMW collecting Cereal for Pitman Food Pantry (8/17/14)
Help Feed Pitman’s Poor! The Pitman food pantry is always in need of food donations, especially during the summer. To help highlight this, our United Methodist Women’s group has been organizing a monthly drive for donations. Donations are requested to be placed in the pantry shopping cart (located in the Fellowship Hall). This month we’re highlighting Cereal and Jelly. Donations can be made at any time, but the monthly UMW donation has been set for Sunday August 17. ...
Read MorePray for Missionaries in Honduras
One of the items topping our national news lately has been the flow of children from Central America to the US who are fleeing the violence and poverty in their homelands. The politics may be controversial, but the story reminds us that we need to be in prayer for missionaries around the world who are our “boots on the ground” ministering to the poor and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. World Gospel Mission (WGM)… Missionaries Joy Phillips and Meg & Scott Rambo have...
Read MorePUMC to Host Pitman Camp Meeting (8/3/14)
The Pitman Camp Meeting is a ministry of the Pitman United Methodist Church, but it is supported by local United Methodist Churches. Throughout the summer, the Camp Meeting service is held in the Grove Auditorium on Sunday evenings at 7:30 PM. Each week is “hosted” by a different church. The host church supplies the speaker (usually their pastor) and the special music (usually from their church’s music team). Next Sunday, on August 3, it is our turn to host the Camp...
Read MoreRed Letter Bibles need to be Read!
Bibles come in all shapes and sizes- paperbacks, leather bound, thin paper, thick paper, pages with big margins, pages with study notes and devotions. And then of course there are many many different translations- King James, New King James, New International, New Revised Standard, New Living, and on and on. Some Bibles have a large font and are thick. Others have a small font but can slip into a pocket. Some Bibles print the words of Jesus in red text. Some Bibles have a family tree and...
Read MoreA Road Trip to Heaven (7/27/14)
What’s heaven like? Pastor Jim’s sermon on July 27 took us into the book of Revelation to take a look at the New Jerusalem as described in Revelation 21:8 – 22:5. The title of his message was, “A Road Trip to Heaven.” Scroll down to the bottom of this post to access the audio recording… Here’s the scripture passage (Revelation 21:8 – 22:5)… Click here to learn more 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as...
Read MorePUMC to Host D.S. Installation (9/21/14)
Effective July 1, the Rev. Dr. Jisun Kwak became our new District Superintendent, Replacing Rev. Richard Nichols (who was appointed as the Pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Moorestown). On Sunday September 21, our church will have the honor of hosting her service of installation as the Superintendent of the Delaware Bay District. The service will begin at 3:00 PM, and a reception will be held in our Fellowship Hall afterwards. Bishop John Schol, the presiding bishop of the...
Read More2014 Lay Leadership Academy to be Held Sept. 12-13
What’s a “Vital Congregation?” Other than being a “buzzword” that’s in the forefront of discussions around the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, it is a commitment to doing what the church is supposed to be doing: Making Disciples for Jesus Christ. Vital Congregations… The United Methodist Church is seaking to empower local church congregations to become a “vital” part of their communities so that they are better equipped to...
Read MoreTime to Dust Off the Bible (7/20/14)
Time to Dust off the Bible. Do you have any Bibles laying around that you haven’t read in a long time? Is it time to put them to use? Check out Pastor Jim’s sermon from Sunday July 20. The recording at the end of the post is from the 11:00 service. You can scroll down, start the recording, and follow along while listening… The sermon covered 2 Kings 22:1-13. Here’s the text (using the New International Version… note that Pastor Jim read from the Life...
Read MoreJim Hughes to speak at Camp Meeting (7/27/14)
Rev. Jim Hughes will be the “speaker” at next week’s Camp Meeting service. The service is held in the Pitman Grove Tabernacle, starting at 7:30. Jim has a unique style of preaching the Word. Using music, costumes, and drama, Jim draws the congregation into the story of the Bible. We learn how Nicodemus may have felt after his night time encounter with Jesus. We get a look into the motives of Judas. We see the love and invitation of Jesus in a fresh way. Jim has...
Read MorePastor Larry and Pastor Kee begin new Ministries (7/6/14)
There’s a lot of excitement around our church with the arrival of our new pastor, Rev. Jim Bolton. But our previous pastors have moved on and their new churches are welcoming them also. Rev. Dr. Larry Potts (formerly our Senior Pastor) is now serving at the Franklinville UMC, and Rev. Kee Young Yang (formerly our Associate Pastor) is now serving at the St. Paul’s UMC in Bayhead NJ. The church websites of these churches offer a glimpse into the arrival of their new pastors…...
Read MoreThe Voice of God is Calling (7/13/14)
Pastor Jim gave his 2nd sermon at PUMC on Sunday July 13. His text was from John10:1-5 and Acts4:5-12. The title of the sermon was, “The Voice of God is Calling”… John 10:1-5; The Sheep Hear the Good Shepherd… In John 10, Jesus identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd. The sheep (us!) hear His voice and recognize that it’s Him. Not only do they recognize His voice, they obey His voice and they are able to tune out all of the other noise and static...
Read MoreNeighborhood Center Bus Destroyed by Fire!
As reported in the June/July edition of the Methodist Relay, the bus used by the Neighborhood center in Camden caught fire and was destroyed. They are in the process of raising $100,000 to purchase a new bus. PUMC supports the Neighborhood Center with our Missions fund. The Neighborhood Center offers after school programs, child care, and summer camp programs for children living in the city of Camden NJ. Camden is one of the poorest and most dangerous cities in the country, and...
Read MorePUMC Welcomes the Boltons! (7/6/14)
We welcomed Rev. Jim Bolton, wife Judy, and daughters Rebecca and Lindsey during their first Sunday with us on July 6. As Rev. Bolton said at the beginning of the service, “Worship should be fun!” And it certainly was an uplifting celebration as the Boltons joined our church family. A pastor is not only the guy in the pulpit, but he (or she) is also a vital part of our church family. We are thrilled that the Boltons now call PUMC their home! Who Am I??? Pastor Jim and his...
Read MoreWho Am I? (7/6/14)
On Sunday, July 6, Pastor Jim Bolton was introduced to our church as our new pastor. Pastor Jim’s first sermon was entitled “Who Am I?” It was both an introduction to the new pastor and also a probing question into our own relationship with Jesus Christ.The scripture for the message was from Matthew 16:13-16 and from Joshua 1:1-9. Yeah, but who do YOU say I Am??? In Matthew 16, Jesus asks His disciples two questions. First, “Who do people SAY that I am?” ...
Read MoreChoir Completes ’13-’14 Season (7/6/14)
The Voices in Praise Choir completed its 2013 – 2014 choir season this Sunday with a rendition of “O Glorious Day.” Rehearsals started back in September, and we were in the loft and singing anthems during most of the 42 Sundays between September and this past Sunday (July 6). The Year in Review… During this year, we sang three cantatas. Our usual Christmas cantata was on December 22, and it was entitled “A Festival of Carols.” We sang...
Read MorePUMC Anchors Both Ends of 4th July Parade (7/4/14)
Pitman celebrated Independence Day with its annual 4th of July Parade. The parade traces nearly the entire stretch of Broadway and then ends in our parking lot. PUMC offers space to the parade “marchers” to disassemble floats, take a drink of water or visit the restrooms. PUMC and its members were actively involved in the celebration. PUMC was at the beginning of the parade…. The parade organizers selected PUMC member Mary Lou Hagerty (also affectionately known as...
Read MorePastor Jim Bolton Begins His Ministry at PUMC!!! (7/6/14)
Pastor Jim’s first Sunday with us is this week- July 6. His sermon this week is entitled- appropriately- “Who Am I?” He is preaching on Matthew 16:13-16 and Joshua 1:1-9. Communion will be celebrated during both services. The second service will also feature the initial get-together of “Pastor’s Pals” (the children’s sermon). So if you’re young enough to join Pastor Jim (or feel young enough to be with the kids), plan on coming down to the...
Read MoreRev. Bolton Becomes PUMC Pastor (7/1/14)
Rev. Dr. Jim Bolton is now our senior pastor!!! The sad “goodbyes”of this transition have now turned into joyous “hellos!” Our new pastor is with us, and Jim, Judy, and daughters Rebecca and Lindsey have joined our church family. As we look forward, our excitement about the ministry we can do under Pastor Jim’s leadership continues to grow and grow. And now we anticipate the joy of welcoming the Boltons to our church during their first Sunday with us (this...
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