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.
Gateway South District Superintendent Rev. Myrna Bethke addresses the congregation
We are blessed to be a blessing! And we’ve learned to be hospitable; many PUMCers are constantly on hand to prepare food, set up rooms, and to great visitors.
On Sunday Feb. 12, 2017 we were blessed to be able to host the Southern Region’s Day of Learning. Approximately 250 people from all over South Jersey (in the Cape Atlantic, Gateway South, and Delaware Bay Districts) gathered in PUMC to join in worship and to attend a series of workshops. The worship was uplifting and powerful, and the workshops were informative and inspiring.
And being good Methodists… the food wasn’t bad either!
The Regional Day of Learning is also a chance to connect with old friends. Pictured below are three of our former Associate Pastors, who participated in the Day of Learning. Revs. Peter Jamieson, Chris Heckert, and Eric Ostrow served PUMC as Associate Pastors, but they are now ordained elders who are leading their own churches.
Former PUMC Associate Pastors Revs Peter Jamieson, Chris Heckert, and Erik Ostrow
Countless other “homecomings” and re-connections happened throughout the afternoon as we gathered for worship, learning, and fellowship.
To learn more about the Regional Day of Learning, check out the post that announced this event…
Announcement Post
The “Southern Region” of the Greater NJ Annual Conference (the “region” includes the Cape Atlantic, Gateway South, and our own Delaware Bay Districts) will be holding their annual “Day of Learning” on Sunday February 12. And, it will be held at our church!
Details of the Day…
- Where: Pitman UMC (Directions)
- When: Sunday February 12
- Time: 1:45 PM (till however long you want to stay…)
- Registration: You must pre-register online by Feburary 9 (see button below for workshop details)
Agenda…
The Day of Learning will open at with check in, and then things will get moving with a service of worship. After the short worship service, we’ll break up into a series of workshops presented by conference staff and Regional Clergy members. Participants will be able to select two of the workshops (they’re held back to back). After the workshops- hey we’re Methodists: Food! If you’re hungry and want to stick around, the day will be topped off with an optional “light dinner” (advance registration for the dinner is required).
Here are the details…
| 1:45 – | 2:15 | Sign in and welcome |
| 2:15 – | 3:00 | Worship |
| 3:00 – | 4:15 | Workshops A |
| 4:15 – | 4:30 | Break |
| 4:30 – | 5:45 | Workshops B |
| 6:00 – | Dinner (optional- advance registration required- see registration form) |
Stuff You Can Learn…
The theme of this year’s Day of Learning is entitled:
“Reclaiming your Passion for Ministry“
Here’s a summary of the available workshops:
How to Register…
To attend, you must pre-register by Thursday February 9. The registration cost will be $10.
For further details and registration info, click this button: Day of Learning
Check out the following post about the Day of Learning event that was held in our church a couple of years ago.
District Day of Learning Brings Delaware Bay to Pitman (3/7/15)
What’s all this stuff about Conferences, Regions, and Districts???
Here’s the organization of the United Methodist Church in the USA:
Local churches are part of an Annual Conference (there’s roughly one Annual Conference per state… depending on size). Our church is a member of the “Greater New Jersey Annual Conference.” The GNJAC is broken up into three “Regions”, and each region contains three “Districts.” The Region layer was created a couple of years ago.
Anyway, our church is part of the Delaware Bay District, which is part of the Southern Region, which is part of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference.
But you don’t need to know any of that in order to attend the Day of Learning!
Not only is the Day of Learning a great opportunity to learn more about this “tool” we call the “church,” it’s also a great way to meet and fellowship with the other Methodists in our area.
