The people of PUMC (Pitman United Methodist Church) might meet in a church building, but we’re also part of our community. Day in and day out we continue to benefit from the the skills and dedication of First Responders (such as police, fire fighters, EMT crews, utility workers, road crews, and others). On February 24 2026, we’re going to show our appreciation to some of those “first responders.” Just like the grace offered by God, nothing is expected in return.
WHO: Police, Fire, EMT, Doctors, Nurses and families (from Pitman, Glassboro, Mantua, and Washington Twp.
WHAT: Dinner (buffet)
WHERE: Pitman UNC Fellowship Hall (directions)
WHEN: Tuesday April 21, 2026. 4:00-8:00 PM
COST: Ya gotta be kidding! Absolutely Free!!!
REGISTRATION: NOT needed. But we would appreciate it if you could fill out the following form to give us an idea of how many are coming.
Dinner RegistrationYou might be thinking, “oh no- another thing to sign-up for… another commitment!” Don’t worry- that’s not what this “form” is all about. We simply want to get a heads up on how much food to prepare. This is not a commitment or “Reservation.” If plans change, simply enter the form again (if you can’t attend anymore, just select “0” for the # people attending). We’ll go by the last form that’s submitted. If things change at the last minute, don’t feel obligated to correct this form; come anyway. Entering your name is optional, but including the name will will allow us to identify multiple submissions (we’ll use the last submission). The fields marked by an asterisk (*) are required. When the form is finished, click the “Submit” button. Thanks again for all you do!!! |
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Please remember to click the “Submit” button after completing the form… |
God Calls Us to Do things We Can’t Do
Sometimes we need to do something that we just can’t do using our own strength, or knowledge, or willpower. It might seem impossible to us, but lives depend on getting the “impossible” done.
Here are a few examples:
Follow the Prime Directive…
In the TV series “Star Trek”, starship crews obey a “Prime Directive” to not interfere with the development of other civilizations. God calls people to a different “Prime Directive.” Here’s how Jesus put it when someone asked Him to cite the most important commandment (Matthew 22:32-40):
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
God calls all of us to Love God and to honor His name, and we do that by loving and serving our neighbors. We do that by obeying His call, even if it doesn’t make sense or if it seems “impossible.”
Build a Big Boat….
The Bible has many examples of how God calls us to build that community of love which is centered around the majesty of our Creator. Here are a few (click on each tab):
Save Downtown Pitman from Burning to the Ground….
On December 3, 2003 someone walking by what was then the Pitman United Methodist Church noticed smoke; the church was on fire!
For one person, stopping the fire and making sure nobody was inside the burning building is an impossible task. Yet, this “impossible task” needed to be done (scroll down for more about how this impossible task was accomplished).
But God Gives Us Help
The call may come at any time or any place. During our lives, bad things happen, and we need to respond in order to save lives and protect property. But most of us have no idea of what to do:
- How can I put out a fire if I don’t know the difference between a Halligan bar and a pike pole?
- How can I save someone who’s having a heart attack if I can’t tell an EKG from a CPR?
- How can I stop a violent intruder if I’m a 98 pound weakling?
- How can I direct drivers around an accident scene if I’ve never done it before?
God fills people with a desire to serve and then gives them training, equipment, and other resources. We give names to these people such as Police, Fire Fighters, EMT squads, Doctors, Nurses, Road Crews, Linemen, Electricians, Plumbers… and the list goes on and on. God provides all of us with people who are ready to serve.
Help to Love our Neighbors…
Love is something hard for us to conjure up on our own. Loving an enemy is impossible. But God instills His Holy Spirit within us and makes the impossible possible. In “church speak” theology, we call that help “Grace”. Despite our selfish tendencies, God’s Grace gives us the strength to “Do What Jesus would Do.”
Jesus told us to “Feed HIM”; He loves us so much that He considers Himself to be hungry and thirsty. How can any of us feed the needy? How can ew know who the needy are, where they are, or what they need?
But somewhere along the line, years ago, God gave someone the passion and ability to create the Pitman Food Pantry. Because of that, anyone can “feed Jesus” by donating to the Pantry. We can’t stop world hunger on our own, but God provides ways for us to do what we can.
Beyond the Pitman Pantry, God has provided many other ministries that we can support; we can do our part and give whatever gifts we have to help our neighbors (and people all over the world).
Help to Build His Kingdom…
In different ways, all of us are being called to “build a floating Zoo.” God has plans for the arc of humanity. Sometimes those plans transcend any individual’s lifetime, but God still calls on His people to move the ball forward to accomplish His will.
For some reason, He uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. People who love God become the Almighty Creator’s hands and feet.
When we’re called to a task that seems “impossible,” God provides the help we need in order to accomplish the task. He provides skilled people and material resources to help us obey Him. The Bible gives many examples of how God provided His people with the resources needed to answer that call. Are are a few of them:
Help to Stop a Fire…
On December 1, 2003 our church building was destroyed by a fire. The church building was in the center of town and was surrounded by nearby stores.
Instead of rushing into the burning building, the person who discovered the fire dialed 911.
The building was destroyed, but the fire didn’t spread and nobody was hurt. It was an impossible task for this individual, but the “impossible” happened.
When someone in need dials “911”, the phone doesn’t ring in our church office. It rings in an office that the community has established to provide skilled emergency help. There can’t be any delay or “paralysis of analysis” before responding to the call. Property is in danger and lives are on the line. First responders have to know what to do and to be ready to respond at any time of the day or night. They have to work under any conditions, even if it threatens their own lives.
The people of PUMC have a special appreciation for a time when our First Responders saved our community from a devastating fire. The flames could have easily spread and ravaged the entire downtown area. But the volunteer firefighters from Pitman (and from several nearby towns) risked their own safety to contain the fire. No lives were lost and no one was even hurt.
All First Responders are ready to answer that “911” call and to come to our aid immediately. In our own church, there have been times during a Sunday Morning Worship service where someone has had a medical emergency and the police and EMT crews arrived almost immediately. We host blood drives and see the dedication of nurses. We host flu clinics and are inspired by the dedication of the county health technicians. In all events, we are surrounded by skilled officers who can protect us from the unimaginable. In and around the church, our community is gifted by skilled people who are always ready to answer our calls for help.
We Need Each Other
No single person is able to “answer the call” on their own. In fact, we may not even be able to “hear the call” without the support of others. Like a finely tuned machine, God has given each of us a role and empowered us with the skills and knowledge to fill that role.
Tabernacling…
To put it mildly, there are “severe limitations” on what a church can do without a building. After the fire, it took four years until we could build a new building. In the meantime, we “tabernacled”. What that means, is that PUMC was helped and sustained by people in our community who offered their own resources to PUMC. God gave people outside of the PUMC family the ability to help us continue our ministries, and He gave them a spirit of love to make the sacrifices needed to fill our needs. Here are some examples of God’s provision from that period of “Tabernacling”:
- Our pastor, Rev. Lanie Price, was uniquely qualified to guide us through this difficult period. Her experience as a missionary in several war-torn African countries enabled her to be the “right person at the right time” to lead us through this tragedy.
- The First Baptist Church hosted our first meeting after the fire.
- The First Presbyterian Church opened their sanctuary to our choirs to present the Christmas Cantata that had been planned for our sanctuary.
- The Pitman Public Schools allowed us to meet in the High School and Middle School.
- The owner of a downtown storefront provided a place for us to store the items that survived the fire and to house and office.
- The Broadway Theater allowed us to use their facility to hold our Worship Services.
PUMC is surrounded by a community of God-given love which has the resources and skills to help others in their time of need.
Community Service… Volunteer fire fighters go beyond being prepared to fight fires, they also go out of their way to serve the community. They answer false alarms, hang Christmas lights across Broadway, and they even assisted in the installation of our steeple cross many years ago. Each year, members of the Pitman fire company visit Our Father’s House (PUMC’s preschool) during Fire Prevention week.
A New Building and a New Calling for an old Church….
The Pitman Grove Methodist Episcopal church was founded in 1885. We’ve undergone several name changes over the years, the last being in 1968 when the “Methodist Church” merged with the “United Brethren” and our denomination was renamed the “United Methodist Church.”
We’ve been around a long time, and had a key role in the forming of Pitman. But God had new plans for the Pitman United Methodist Church. The old building held a lot of memories and changed many lives over the years. It barely fit into the corner lot, but it wouldn’t fit into today’s needs.
God provided PUMC with a new building and new ways of serving the community. In a strange twist, the fire gave PUMC a new building and a new calling (but then again, the tragedy of Jesus’ death on a cross resulted in the greatest blessing for all of us…..). In a sense, we have become “first responders” in our community .
The fire ended up giving us a new state of the art building and enabled us to “answer God’s Call” in new ways. PUMC has become a community center of sorts, and we open our doors to any group which uses the grace of Jesus to help people.
Not only did the fire remind us of our connection with our neighbors, it also provided us with a facility which we could share with our neighbors. Here are a few of the things PUMC can do now that we couldn’t do with our old building:
In the past, God has provided the means to do His will, and He continues to do so today. He has given each of us a part, along with resources and skills, and He has structured His church so that we can work together to accomplish “the impossible.” The apostle Paul told the church in Corinth:
And God has the same message for us today in our own world. We each have a different piece of the puzzle, and God calls us to share that piece with the rest of “the body.”
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Protection and Inspiration
When we consider our First Responders, we remember their service and skill. We remember how they solved the problem and made our lives easier and safer. But they also serve as an example. God calls all of us to show His love by preparing ourselves and to give ourselves in service. First responders undergo a lot of training and practice, and then they sacrifice their time and even endanger themselves to protect and serve the community.
Christians have a similar call. We meet together to worship, pray, and to study. We gather around other “hot coals” to warm our own spirits to love and serve. But then we leave the “friendly confines” of our church to engage the “real world.” Outside the church doors is a world in need of our helping hand and the God’s healing love.
First responders of all stripes are an inspiration of selfless love and service. So on this evening of a “First Responders Dinner” we are grateful not only for the protection and service, but even more deeply for the example and leadership of selfless servants.
Thank you First Responders!
Notes of Thanks
If you’d like to thank our First Responders by sharing a brief account of how you have been helped by them, please scroll all the way down to the bottom of this screen (to where it says “Leave a Comment”). (all entries are monitored; email addresses won’t be published).
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For more on what PUMC is doing with our neighbors, click the below button:
Neighbors
