All posts by Church of the Good Shepherd

An Episcopal Church located in Pitman, NJ
General, Latest News

Easter Service Schedule

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  The Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church of Pitman (Gloucester County) is pleased to announce its Lenten schedule of services, including Holy Week and Easter.   Good Shepherd, which is celebrating its 115th anniversary in 2022, has an active and welcoming congregation and has resumed in-person services as well as live-streaming services on its website and YouTube channel, which are available for viewing at any time.    

         Holy Week is the most important time of the year for Christians.  Beginning on Ash Wednesday, the days that lead up to Easter Sunday precede the most significant event of the Christian year, and the cornerstone of faith—the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Holy Week is one continuous service that begins on Palm Sunday and ends with chants of Alleluia at the end of Easter Sunday services.

The Church of the Good Shepherd’s complete Lenten schedule is as follows:

MORNING PRAYER

Tuesday & Wednesday Mornings in the Chapel & on Zoom

9:00 am

LENTEN STUDY

Monday evenings

7:00 pm via Zoom with Father Don & Mel Caron

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Every FRIDAY at 7:00 pm

WEEKLY HOLY EUCHARIST SERVICES

SATURDAYS  at 5:30 pm (Contemplative Prayer at 4:30 pm)

SUNDAYS at 10:00 am (Contemplative Prayer at 9:00 am)

THE SUNDAY OF THE PASSION: PALM SUNDAY

Saturday, April 9th at 5:30 pm – Blessing of the Palms & Holy Eucharist

Sunday, April 10th at 10:00 am – Blessing of the Palms & Holy Eucharist

TENEBRAE SERVICE

Wednesday, April 13th at 7:00 pm

MAUNDY THURSDAY

Thursday, April 14th   

7:00 pm – Holy Eucharist and The Stripping of the Altar

8:00 pm until midnight – The Watch before the Altar of Repose & the Labyrinth

GOOD FRIDAY

Friday, April 15th     

8:00 am and 2:00 pm – Reconciliation   

10:00 am – Children’s Service & Stations of the Cross                                                                                                   

12:00 noon – Adult Stations of the Cross

7:00 pm – Mass of the Pre-Sanctified Service

HOLY SATURDAY

Saturday, April 16th 

7:00 pm – The Great Vigil of Easter and Holy Eucharist (*No 5:30 pm Service)

THE DAY OF RESURRECTION: EASTER DAY

Sunday, April 17th 

10:00 am – Festival Eucharist with Easter Music and the “flowering” of the Easter Cross

Latest News

Pitman Yard Sale

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Pitman will be hosting its annual Town Wide Yard Sale on Saturday, June 5th, from 8:00 am until at least noon; and the Vestry has voted to participate by selling the accumulated donations that we have in storage from last year’s missed Holly Fair. All proceeds will be directed to the Holly Fair account and the Church projects it supports.

We are looking for a few parishioners to assist with the setup early that morning, breakdown at the conclusion of the event, as well as “sales” help throughout the morning.

Please email April c/o goodshepherdpitman@gmail.com or
Beth Portocalis at bport0627@verizon.net to sign up.

Donations of items to include in the Yard Sale will also be accepted up to the morning of the event. (Please, no clothing or linens…Christmas decorations will be held till this year’s Holly Fair.)

You may coordinate a donation drop-off with April via the above email or
by calling the Church Office at 856-589-8209. Tables or Spaces are available to those who wish to sell their own items for a donation of $15.00 (per Table or Space). To reserve Tables or Spaces, contact April via the above email or by calling the Church Office at 856-589-8209.

8:00 a.m. to Noon
Saturday, June 5th
Church of the Good Shepherd, 315 Highland Terrace, Pitman

Latest News

Block Party – September 7th, 4 – 8 p.m.

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Everyone welcome! New date September 7th, 4-8 pm.

Come join the fun at our bigger and better Block Party!
Compete for first place prize in our Inaugural Corn Hole Tournament led by Brian K Startare. We’ve got DJ Joey Mack and live musical performance by singer Lisa Travis, Face Painting by Cheryl Burness, Inflatable Bounce, Latin food and more, Snow Cones, and the amazing Doughlicous homemade edible cookie dough by Katie Plianthos!

We will be on Wildwood Avenue at the corner of Highland Terrace, — we have a permit to close the street! Yard games are FREE! Come and play!

General, Latest News

Holly Fair – Saturday, December 7th!

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The Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church of Pitman is pleased to announce that it will hold it’s 50th annual “Holly Fair” on Saturday, December 7th from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. Popular with area residents celebrating the start of the Christmas season, the Holly Fair features 25 area crafters with a wide array of unique handmade gifts, including home-made crafts done by Church parishioners.

16518334646_032a63be57_o (1)Food abounds in the Good Shepherd Restaurant, featuring homemade soups, sandwiches for breakfast and lunch and more! Take out service is also available. A variety of delicious holiday favorite homemade baked goods will also be offered and our popular cookie by the pound offer is returning! The popular St. Nick’s children’s craft center is returning, and bargains galore can be found in the Christmas Store, the Dollar Store and the More than a Dollar Store featuring new and gently used holiday decorations, household items, gifts and trinkets.

16542461061_3d8ac024c8_o A limited supply of fresh wreaths and grave blankets will be available for sale, but come early as they are always a sell-out. The Good Shepherd Choir will be performing throughout the day to entertain you while you shop. With caroling, the smell of soups and baked goods, and the colors of Christmas abounding, you’ll really get into the spirit of the season! Good Shepherd is conveniently located at 315 Highland Terrace (at Wildwood Avenue) in historic Pitman, Gloucester County. It is easily accessible from Route 55, Delsea Drive (Route 47), Woodbury-Glassboro Road (Route 553) and Broadway/Main Street.

General, Stewardship

Saturday Wine and Cheese, Sunday Ice Cream Social

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This weekend at Church of the Good Shepherd we are winding up our Spring Stewardship Campaign!

“Many Gifts, One Spirit”
We have many gifts and we are of one spirit!

On Saturday, May 6, after the 5:30 PM service, we are offering a Wine & Cheese Thank You Reception in the Parish Hall.

On Sunday, May 7, after the 10 AM service, our Sunday School is offering their Teacher Appreciation Celebration Featuring a Beautiful Sunday School Video!

And Then We Will Share in a Delightful Thank You Ice Cream Social!

Come to one or both celebrations!

Please prayerfully consider your commitment to Good Shepherd then return your Pledge Card to the Offering Plate in Church or the Parish Hall.

Let us Praise God for our many Blessings!

Pledges made in 2017 (either Spring or Fall) are intended for the calendar year 2018. If you want to begin your pledge commitment earlier, thank you! But we do not ask you to pledge twice. Please know that your fellow parishioners welcome and appreciate your commitment and support.

Sunday School Updates

Sunday School Updates

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Good things are happening at the Church of the Good Shepherd!  The year started off with a refreshed Sunday School program…renovated classrooms, bathrooms and even curriculum.  No small detail was left unnoticed.  There is even a room dedicated to our Youth Group where they can relax, hang out and connect with each other.  4e1b3c12-3b8e-44d3-a94a-484f9fa6c166

Each week the students participate in Buzz.  Buzz is refered to as “curriculum in a box”.  A five step program is followed for each session which includes games, crafts, stories, acting and more.  The boxes are age appropriate, containing 13 weeks of lessons with everything the teacher will need right inside the box!  (If you are a teacher volunteer, that means no more hunting for supplies at 8:15am Sunday morning!)

The children love it because it encourages them to talk about what is going on in their lives.  They are able to relate to their classmates, learn about each other and see God’s love in action!  It’s a modern approach to Sunday School that aligns with each child’s learning style.  The students agree, our Sunday School program ROCKS!

Outside of our regular lessons, students are invited to hear a bible story told each week by one of our parishioners.  This bible story is the perfect compliment to Buzz since it maintains the balance of a more traditional approach to Sunday School.

Also new at Good Shepherd are shorter, five-week terms.  For the teacher volunteers, this means far less commitment.  For the students, it means a chance to meet several of our adult parishioners.  The downside to a five week term perhaps, is that it can result in many new faces for the children.  To help combat this, teacher volunteers visit classrooms the week before their session begins–introducing themselves to the students to help ease the transition.

Finally, with the Christmas season quickly approaching, our Christmas Pageant preparations are in full swing!  Mary is rehearsing her lines, Joseph is preparing to navigate his path to the manger, the Soldiers are perfecting their marching and all the children actors are eagerly awaiting curtain call on December 11th.  If you are new to the church, this is a great time to see our youth in action!  They clearly are what makes our church thrive!

Good things ARE happening at Church of the Good Shepherd…and we’d love for you to be part of it!