Men’s Fellowship Gathers with Pastor Chris Heckert (1/8/16)
The Men’s Fellowship group held their monthly gathering on Saturday January 8. The gathering took place in a brand new year, but our speaker was a familiar face. Joining us was Rev. Chris Heckert, who is now serving as the senior pastor in the Haddonfield United Methodist Church. Pastor Chris was our associate pastor between 2004 and 2006 (during our “tabernacling days” after the fire while we met in the downtown storefront). During his time here he blessed us with...
Read MoreBLAST Serves Breakfast to the Homeless in Camden! (12/28/15)
Our Youth Group, BLAST, took part of their Christmas holiday to visit a homeless shelter! We spent the morning of December 28 at the New Visions Homeless Day Shelter (in Camden NJ) to serve breakfast to the people visiting the shelter. We were also able to take a break from the work in the kitchen to sit down and chat with some that we served. About 15 “BLAST’ers” took part in this experience. After preparing a meal consisting of pancakes, turkey sausage, bananas, coffee,...
Read MoreA Missionary’s Heart
The following appeared in an article by Tricia Goyer in “Mornings With Jesus 2015″… “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it.” Matthew 24:14 (NLT) In a small city in the Czech Republic there is an apartment not far from the town square where three young women room together. One is a Czech native who teaches high school and leads a local youth group. The second is from the Netherlands,...
Read MorePUMC Welcomes the Savior! (12/24/15)
On Christmas Eve, we held two services. The first was at 4:00 PM and was geared for families with small children. The 7:00 PM service included the choir, praise team, brass ensemble, and the traditional lighting of candles to the singing of Silent Night. Pastor Jim gave a sermon on Luke 2:1-20 and Isaiah 9:6-7 entitled “Believe.” Here are some pictures from the 7:00 service… most of which are taken from the choir loft. The view of the candles from the loft on Christmas Eve...
Read MoreChristmas Eve Services (12/24/15)
Christmas is finally upon us! We will celebrate the eve before Christ’s birth with two Christmas Eve services. Family Service, 4:00 PM The fist service will be a casual family service and will be held at 4:00 PM. The service will feature carols and Bible readings. Traditional Candlelight Service, 7:30 PM The second service will begin with our annual “Christmas Band” and the singing of many favorite Christmas Carols and Praise Choruses. The choir will sing and...
Read MorePreschool Shines in Christmas Pageant (12/10/15)
Our Preschool, Our Father’s House, presented their annual Christmas Pageant before an adoring crowd of parents, grandparents, and PUMC members. After a welcome and announcements by Pastor Jim and OFH director Eileen Salmon, the kids took over. They took us through the story of Christmas with short songs and lots of energy. The kids presented everything from the Christ Child, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, magi, angels… and even cows. ...
Read MoreBLAST Celebrates 2015 and Looks Forward to 2016! (12/20/15)
Our Youth Fellowship Group, BLAST, led the worship services on Sunday December 13. During that service they unveiled a video which takes a look back at some of our recent activities… Christmas Party! What better way to wrap up the year than to get together and celebrate Christmas with your friends? On Sunday Dec. 20 we will hold our Christmas Party- here’s the itinerary: GATHER LIGHTS! PIZZA! THE STORY GAMES Meet at the church at 5:30 PM We will kick off the Christmas...
Read MoreA Future with Hope: Anna and Charlie’s Story
This post is the first in a series of updates about our efforts to help people whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012… Here is the story of Anna and Charlie, a couple who had recently retired and put all of their life’s savings into their home in Union Beach, NJ. This couple has fostered over 100 children and adopted 9. By building a Future with Hope for them, we are allowing them to continue giving hope to the many children whom God has placed on their...
Read MoreMiddle School Singers Take a Field Trip to PUMC! (12/16/15)
The Pitman Middle School Chorus, under the direction of our own Sue Crispin, presented their annual Christmas concert in our sanctuary on Wednesday December 16. The chorus was about 25 strong, and they presented a selection of familiar secular and spiritual songs. After the concert we all joined together in the Fellowship Hall for a lunch of ham, macaroni / cheese, and of course- cupcakes! During the weekdays, “Sue Crispin” (PUMC Music Director), takes on the role of...
Read MoreChoirs Shine the Light of Christ during Cantata (12/13/15)
Our choirs and praise team presented our annual candelight Christmas Cantata on the afternoon of Sunday December 13. The title of the cantata was “A Light Still Shines.” Here are portions of the forward which is provided in the book: Christmas is a modern day miracle of ancient origin. Two thousand years of human history have not diminished the importance nor the implications of the Incarnation and the joy of that event will resound for millennia to come. As we celebrate the...
Read MoreMen’s Group Enters the Gates with Thanksgiving (12/12/15)
Our United Methodist Men’s Fellowship held our monthly gathering on the morning of December 12, and we considered Psalm 100. This familiar Psalm teaches us that “Theology (knowledge) leads to Doxology (worship).” Our guest speaker was Gino Curcuruto, a chiropractor/pastor/father and devoted Christian. Gino and his family recently moved from Pitman to Philadelphia, with the intent of planting churches in his South Philly neighborhood (or wherever God is leading them). The...
Read MoreSpecial Combined Service (12/27/15)
“Greeting cards have all been sent… the Christmas rush is through…” The Christmas preparations and celebrations will be over… and we’ll be resting up from all of the activity. The last Sunday of the year will have a different feel at PUMC. Instead of our usual two-service schedule at 9:30 and 11:00, we’ll hold a single service at 10:15 AM. ~ Sunday, December 27 ~ 9:30 AM: Continental Breakfast goodies in Fellowship Hall 10:15...
Read MoreHow Much Do You REALLY Know About Christmas?
The Greater New Jersey Conference recently sent an email providing several resources about the meaning of Christmas. (Click Here to view) How much do you know about the season we’re celebrating? Check out these articles and videos… then take our Christmas Quiz!!! The United Methodist Church re-designed their website after this post was first published, and the below buttons no longer work. However, you can still view the video and try the quiz. – Chuck ...
Read MoreHooks ‘n Needles for God Opens a Mitten Tree (11/28/15)
The Hooks ‘n Needles for God group, which uses their talents to create blankets and prayer shawls is collecting gloves and mittens to help needy children keep warm this winter. Amidst all of the Christmas Decorations in our church, there is a very special Christmas Tree in the rear of the sanctuary: The Mitten Tree. Hooks ‘n Needles got things off to a good start by hanging their own items, but there is still plenty of space left on the tree! If you have any children’s...
Read MoreWomen to Make the Super Bowl Something to Look Forward To! (2/7/16)
February 7, 2016 will probably be a pretty normal day for Philadelphia Eagles fans. On that Sunday, the NFL’s two best teams will play for the championship Lombardi trophy. But, it’s extremely unlikely that the Eagles will be one of those teams! But that doesn’t mean that “Superbowl Sunday” can’t be a super day for us. The Mary circle (of our United Methodist Women’s fellowship) is inviting everyone to leave the Superbowl cooking to us: We will...
Read MoreStar Tree to Brighten up Christmas for Needy Families (12/13/15)
Last week, during our annual “hanging of the greens,” many lights, garlands, nativities and trees were brought out to remind us of this special season. One of those trees is very special; we call it our “Star Tree,” and it was placed in our Narthex. This Christmas tree is adorned with Yellow stars, and each star bears the name of a child from our town who is in need of our help. To participate in this ministry… Remove a star with the child’s name on it...
Read MorePreschool Kids Learn How to Brush Up! (12/1/15)
A Dental Hygienist from Washington Township Dental Associates visited our Preschool (Our Father’s House) to show the kids how to take care of their teeth. She presented a fantastic program for the children and gave them a “goodie bag” that they could take home. No, the “goodie bag” didn’t contain leftovers from Halloween! But the toothbrushes and the other contents in the bag will reinforce the need of proper dental hygiene. Here are a couple of...
Read MorePUMC Marches in Pitman Christmas Parade (11/28/15)
On the Fourth of July, crowds line Broadway and a parade of floats heads north towards our church. On Thanksgiving weekend, a smaller (colder) crowd lines Broadway as a parade of floats heads south from our church. And we joined the parade with a float of our own! It was a warm evening, even if a bit drizzly. But the moisture didn’t dampen our enthusiasm and joy of kicking off the Advent season. As we rolled through the center of town, we sang Christmas Carols and joined with the town...
Read MoreCommunity to Observe Thanksgiving (11/24/15)
The Pitman Council of Churches will host a Community Thanksgiving worship service on Tuesday, November 24 at 7:00 PM. The service this year will be held at the Mary, Mother of Mercy Church on Pitman Ave. Notice the schedule change: The service is held on TUESDAY instead of the usual Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Pastor Jim’s 7:00 PM Bible Study will NOT be held. The other Tuesday night activities will continue as usual. ...
Read MorePreschool and Elderberries Bridge Generations (11/18/15)
The Our Father’s House held our annual Thanksgiving Program on the morning of Wed. Nov.19. The sanctuary was packed with proud parents and grandparents watching their children do… well…what kids do best: being kids! After a lot of rehearsal, the classes of our preschool pulled off a delightful selection of short songs (complete with motions, laughter, and even a few moments where the “performers” yelled out to get their parents’ attention). About 40...
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