{"id":34305,"date":"2024-11-02T16:05:19","date_gmt":"2024-11-02T20:05:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=34305"},"modified":"2024-11-26T14:01:44","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T19:01:44","slug":"christmas-house-tour-opens-doors-and-hearts-12-7-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=34305","title":{"rendered":"Christmas House Tour Opens Doors and Hearts (12\/7\/24)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pitman Women’s Club Christmas House<\/a> Tour is a bi-annual Christmas tradition which provides a taste of the Christmas Season spirit by guiding guests through a series of decorated homes and public buildings.\u00a0 The “tour” is self-guided and you can visit any location at any time during the tour hours.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

This year, PUMC is excited to be one of the stops on the tour.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The tour is scheduled during the afternoon and early evening of Saturday December 7.\u00a0 In addition to being the “Day of Infamy”,\u00a0 this year’s December 7 is an evening of opportunity to prepare your hearts for the upcoming Christmas season.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Pitman Women’s Club House Tour<\/span><\/h3>\n

In addition to our church, the library, and the history museum (which is behind the Grove Auditorium), about 10 houses are on the tour.\u00a0 \u00a0 A tour ticket is required for the tour of the houses and the proceeds will go toward scholarships for Pitman High School seniors who will be furthering their education after graduation.\u00a0 The ticket isn’t needed to tour PUMC.<\/p>\n

A list of tour locations is now available at businesses in downtown Pitman, and further information will be available at each tour stop.<\/p>\n

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Christmas House Tour<\/span><\/h4>\n

WHO:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 Anyone!<\/span><\/p>\n

WHAT<\/span><\/strong>:\u00a0 Help Pitman High School Seniors by catching the Christmas Spirit<\/span><\/p>\n

WHEN<\/span><\/strong>:\u00a0 Saturday December 7,\u00a0 2024<\/span><\/p>\n

TIMES<\/span><\/strong>:\u00a0 Between 2:00 to 8:00 PM<\/span><\/p>\n

WHERE:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0 Throughout Pitman and at the Pitman United Methodist Church (click for directions<\/a>)\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

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PUMC to show the Christ Spirit!<\/span><\/h3>\n

The word Christmas starts with Christ!\u00a0 It’s a celebration of Christ that reminds us of the salvation He provides and of His call to send us into the world.\u00a0 \u00a0When you stop at our church’s building\u00a0 on the tour,\u00a0 you’ll get a sense of the Christ behind the celebration.\u00a0 You’ll also be given a “tour guide booklet” which will identify each stop and explain the meaning behind some of the decorations that you’ll be seeing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The “tour” inside PUMC will focus on two areas of the building:\u00a0 The Education Wing and the The Sanctuary level. \"\"<\/p>\n

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Education Wing…<\/span><\/h4>\n

As you enter the building from the parking lot, go thorough the door on your left to exit the Narthex.\u00a0 Take the steps to the 2nd floor (you can also use the elevator that will be on your left as you exit the Narthex).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Prayer Wall….<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Christmas is full of decorations that remind us of Jesus’ birth and of His eternal Kingship.\u00a0 Trees remind us of new life and the assurance of new life because of the cross.\u00a0 Wreaths remind us that God’s love is eternal; no end no beginning.\u00a0 We need reminders!\u00a0 During the Open House, reminders of specific prayer concerns will be posted on the walls.\u00a0 Pray for teachers, firefighters, police, doctors, nurses, trash collectors, and the check out person at Wawa.\u00a0 Day by day our community is helped by people doing their jobs.\u00a0 They might seem like routine tasks sometimes, but we depend on the people who preform these jobs.\u00a0 And God has provided them.\u00a0 So be thankful and pray for their wellbeing.<\/p>\n

Classrooms…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Jesus said “I AM the Light of the world.”\u00a0 His death on a tree gave us eternal life.\u00a0 A star guided the Wisemen to the Christ Child.\u00a0 Symbols that we might dismiss as “traditional decorations” can lead us to Jesus.\u00a0 As you stroll through the hall and classrooms, look for Jesus in the decorations.<\/p>\n

After exploring the upstairs classrooms, return downstairs to check out the Sanctuary Level.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sanctuary Level….<\/span><\/h4>\n

Have you ever noticed that the faces of the people in most nativity scene sculptures are blank and emotionless? \"\" The coming of the Messiah, of the One who unites us with God and gives us eternal life, should be a joyous event!\u00a0 Christmas is full of wonder and excitement.\u00a0 Displays in the Narthex, Fellowship Hall, and Sanctuary will try to capture that excitement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Along with the traditional decorations of Christmas Trees, wreaths, and poinsettias, you’ll see an explanation of how these decorations connect us to Christ.\u00a0 There is a lot of symbolism in these familiar decorations.<\/p>\n

And… In addition to the Christmas decorations, the Fellowship Hall\u00a0 will be “decorated” with cookies and punch.\u00a0 Drop in for some free refreshment.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Music and Reflections….<\/span><\/h3>\n

A highlight of our “decorations” will be presented in the sanctuary.\u00a0 Throughout the afternoon (between 2-7PM), the PUMC Music Ministry will lead series of one-hour “mini concerts” to help visitors celebrate the Christmas season.\u00a0 Come and go as you feel led.\u00a0 The music and surroundings will give you some moments to reflect on the meaning of the season and on your life’s “decorations” as we get closer and closer to the new year.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s the musical lineup that’s scheduled for the day:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
2:00 PM<\/td>\nPiano\/Organ (Sue Crispin)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3:00 PM<\/td>\nPiano (Mary Shipley and some of her piano students)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4:00 PM<\/td>\nOrganist Bill Mitchell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5:00 PM<\/td>\nContemporary and Traditional Christian music (PUMC Praise Team)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5:30 PM<\/td>\nCommunity Carol Sing Along<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6:00 PM<\/td>\nBrass Ensemble<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7:00 PM<\/td>\nBell Choir<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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\u00a0<\/p>\n

Throughout the afternoon, our Live Stream system will broadcast the music.\u00a0 To drop in on the broadcast, click this button:<\/span><\/p>\n

Live Stream Page<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Food!<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Fellowship Hall is located next to the sanctuary (exit the sanctuary’s main doors and hang a left).\u00a0 Before leaving the church and continuing on your Pitman House tour, stop by the Fellowship Hall for some punch and cookies.\u00a0 Like God’s gift of salvation, it’s all free!\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why is Pitman United Methodist Church doing this?<\/span><\/h3>\n

God never intended His Church to be an island of “holy rollers” separated from the community.\u00a0 The people in the Church are far from perfect.\u00a0 We’re all “kids under construction.”\u00a0 At PUMC, the church building might be on the edge of town, but it’s part of the community.\u00a0 It’s doors are always open to our preschool families and to groups such as NA, HOPE, and Kiwanis.\u00a0 It hosts flu vaccinations, blood drives, and is even a polling place for elections.<\/p>\n

PUMC welcomes our neighbors, and we want to share some of the Christmas Spirit with everyone.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

And- we recognize the financial hurdles facing High School Seniors as they prepare for college.\u00a0 By serving as a stop on the House Tour, we want to play a part (even a small part) in the Pitman Women’s Clubs efforts to provide scholarships.<\/p>\n

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Jesus came to bring us truth, purpose, and eternal life.\u00a0 As we grow closer to Him, His love and life grow within us.\u00a0 As His Spirit becomes a bigger and bigger part of our lives, God’s love overflows into friends, family, and community.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s Celebrate Jesus Together!<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/p>\n

After the Open House, the poinsettias that beautify the front of the sanctuary will be taken down and placed on sale.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to purchase one, they may be picked up after the Open House for $12.\u00a0 Or, you can purchase a plant and have it delivered to a homebound person.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To order a plant, contact the church office<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0 Or, see a PUMC host during the open house to ask about purchasing a plant.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

+\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0+\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0+\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0+\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0+\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0+<\/span><\/p>\n

For more on how PUMC is involved in our Community, click this button:\u00a0 \u00a0 Neighbors<\/span><\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Christmas House Tour is an annual event organized by the Pitman Women’s Club. It raises scholarship funds to help High School Seniors as they prepare for college. This year, PUMC will be one of the stops on the tour. Stop by to see some beautiful decorations and to be inspired by the coming of the Christ. The tour is on Saturday 12\/7\/24, and it runs from 2-8PM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,55,182],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-evann","category-mission-aroundtowns","category-neighbors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34305"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34305\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34600,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34305\/revisions\/34600"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}