United Methodist Men to Gather with Pastor Jim (9/13/14)
The UMM will kick off our monthly gatherings with a special evening on Saturday September 13, at 5PM. Our “guest” speaker this month will be Pastor Jim! Instead of the donuts and coffee that we have at our usual Saturday Morning gatherings, this time we’ll enjoy some pizza and call it dinner. We’re asking $5 to cover the cost of the pizza and drinks. This will be a chance to hang out with the guys and to meet our (still) new pastor in an informal setting. In October, we’ll begin our...
Read MoreUMW to Pack Sewing Kits for UMCOR (10/8/14)
Hands-On Mission! Pitman UMW will be hosting a Hands-On Mission Event for all women on Wednesday evening, October 8th. We will be packing Sewing Kits for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Sewing kits foster independence rather than dependence. Women can make clothing in their own size and in the style of their culture. Cottage industries often grow out of the sewing classes where women use these kits to practice valuable income-generating skills. Beginning in September, we will...
Read MoreOur Father’s House Gearing Up for ’14-’15 Season (9/8/14)
Back to School… The Our Father’s House Preschool is getting ready to begin our 6th year! The staff have been working over the summer and are anxious to meet their new classes. Here’s the schedule as we get closer to that first day of school: Thursday 9/4 and Friday 9/5: Student and Parent Orientation days. Monday September 8: First Day of School You can be part of the excitement at Our Father’s House; the kids are truly a treasure! The teachers are...
Read MoreNeighborhood Center to Visit PUMC (9/14/14)
Michael Landis, the executive director of Camden’s Neighborhood Center will visit PUMC on Sunday, September 14. The Neighborhood Center is one of the missions supported by our church. “Truly I tell you, just as you did it for one of the least of these, who are members of my family, you did it for me” Matthew 25 Neighborhood Center Helps… and They Need Help… For more than 100 years, The Neighborhood Center has offered comprehensive childcare, after school...
Read MoreWomen’s Conference to be held in Ocean Grove (9/13/14)
Living Proof Live… On Saturday September 13 (beginning at 9:00 AM), renown author and speaker Beth Moore will lead a Living Proof Live event which will be held in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Ft. Wayne Indiana. Living Proof Live, sponsored by Nashville-based publishing company LifeWay Christian Resources, will feature Moore’s dynamic storytelling and passionate Bible teaching. Dove-award winning musical artist Travis Cottrell, who also serves as worship pastor of Englewood...
Read MoreDS Rev. Jisun Kwak Visits PUMC (8/3/14)
Our new District Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Jisun Kwak, is busy trying to meet the people and churches of the Delaware Bay district. Our district is made up of 68 churches covering parts of Salem, Cumberland, and Gloucester counties (the district office is in Woodstown). So it’s quite an undertaking for a new District Superintendent to become acquainted with all of the churches in our district. On Sunday August 3, we were honored to worship with Rev. Kwak during our 11:00 service. After...
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 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 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 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 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...
Read MoreBret Walker to Speak at Pitman Camp Meeting (7/6/14)
The Pitman Camp Meeting began its 145th season last week (Sunday June 29). The speaker was the Rev. Bill Wilson, of the Chews Landing United Methodist Church. This week, the speaker will be Bret Walker. Bret is a member of PUMC who went into the ministry. He is now serving a two point charge as a local pastor in Pedricktown (Hudson UMC)and Auburn (Ebeneezer UMC). During our recent Vacation Bible School, Bret taught faith skills while portraying Moses. The camp meeting services are held in...
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