The United Methodist Church at Absecon

Believe it or not, this Thursday is Thanksgiving! It is great to have a day every year when we are intentional about giving thanks to God. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't give thanks the other 364 days! This Sunday, we will learn what it means to be so thankful that our thankfulness turns into gratitude!

What are the gifts of the Spirit? Paul wrote about that a lot... A LOT! Paul liked to make lists, and this topic is no exception. In multiple letters, Paul made lists of what the gifts of the Spirit are. You may have heard several sermons about them; things like prophecy, teaching, speaking in tongues and many more. It is great to know what they are and it is especially important to be able to ide...

What is a Saint? Different denominations have different ways of answering that. For United Methodists, a saint doesn't have to be somebody who has already passed. Our denomination does not have any system where people are elected to sainthood. We do not pray to saints, nor do we believe they serve as mediators to God. We define a saint as anyone who "exemplifies a Christian life", or as the Bible...

This Sunday is Halloween! It's not often that we find ourselves in church, but this year we do! While it may feel strange to be in church on a day like Halloween, and while some churches may kind of avoid the topic completely, we are going to learn that what became Halloween actually began with the church and a day called All Hallow's Eve. Say Hallow's Eve real quick 5 times in row and you will un...

What is Grace? Grace is the undeserved and unmerited love of God. John Wesley had a very unique way of describing God's grace. He saw it in three distinct ways; preceding salvation as prevenient grace, continuing in justifying grace and brought to fruition in sanctifying grace. Let's explore how we can observe each one of them in our lives!

What is the Bible? Sure, the quick answer is that it is the Word of God and the collection of sacred texts of the Christian Church. But what else does the Bible mean to us? The Bible is God's way of being revealed to us, it is how we get to know God. And there are many different ways we get to know God through the Bible. We see God as a storyteller, as a poet, as a songwriter and as a community bu...

What is the church? The famous hymn has taught us that the church is more than a building. The church is more than just an hour on Sunday. The church is the people. But what does that look like? Sometimes, to get the best answer, you have to go all the way back to the beginning!

Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the presence of God who gets things moving! In scripture, the Holy Spirit is seen as wind, fire and advocate. The one thing they all have in common is action! Winds blow. Fires burn. Advocates speak. When the Holy Spirit moves, things happen! When we follow where the Spirit is moving, lives are changed. How is the Spirit working in your life?

Who is Jesus? Christians know Jesus in 2 very important and distinct ways; fully God and fully human. This week, we will take a look at a few stories in the New Testament where we can see both sides of Jesus present. In particular, as we baptize two new Christians, we will look at Jesus' own baptism and where we can see his full divinity and full humanity in that story.

Who is God? Did you ever ask yourself that question? How could we possibly define God? Well, first the language we use is important. I asked 'WHO" is God instead of "what" is God. "Who" implies a personal relationship, that we relate to God on a personal level, not as an object. This week, we will explore the many names God has been given over the years and the ways that we may see God interacting...

What is community? It's the thing we have been missing so much the last 18 months. People, family, friends, neighbors. Since the start of the pandemic we have learned just how much we need the people in our lives. Maybe we took them for granted before. But now that the pandemic has taught us how much we need them, let's never forget that lesson again. This need for human interaction is a part of w...

The Bible is filled with images of Labor. As Christians, we worship, serve and believe in the God of Abraham. Abraham was a man who God used to establish a new kind of religion. It wasn't always easy. Abraham's descendants would be thrown into forced, unpaid labor...slavery. That's one form of labor in the Bible. Another is the frequent use of the imagery of laborers in God's vineyard. Some labor...

Olympic athletes are focused. You can see that on their faces as they prepare for their event. They are able to block out all distractions; the noise of the crowd, the presence of other competitors, it's as if nothing else exists at that moment. Nothing is going to slow them down or distract them. Can we be equally focused on our faith? When we pray, when we worship, when we serve, what would it l...

James 1 says "whenever you face trials...consider it a joy". Joy in trials? What's so joyous about trials? Our joy comes in persevering, overcoming obstacles and learning from experience. Joy is different from happiness. We may not be happy about our trials, but through them we can feel joy.

What is the most humble act you have ever seen? The Bible says a lot about what it means to be humble. What is a humble Christian? This week's scripture from Matthew 23 will teach us how Jesus defined humble faith. As he always does, Jesus will teach us how to practice our faith in every moment whether we are in church or out in the world.

Would you cook without first getting ingredients? Would you put a pot on the stove without first putting water in it? Would you try to drive a car without first starting the engine? Preparation and training is important. The same is also true with our faith. Before we do anything, we first have to prepare for it. Before we preach the Good News of Jesus Christ, we have to understand it for ourselve...

Have you been watching any of the Olympics? During the Olympics, athletes from all over the world compete against each other at the same time. We see a great athlete at the top of their sport and performing the best that they have in their entire lives. Not only are they trying to compete with the best in the whole world, but they are also representing their entire country too! We see their perfor...

This week, E.T. is going to be visiting the United Methodist Church at Absecon! Ok, not really. But what if he did? E.T. wouldn't know anything about worshiping here. He wouldn't know where to park his spaceship. He wouldn't know where the sanctuary is. He wouldn't even know where the bathroom is. Even though E.T. will never worship with us, other people will. They, like E.T., may know nothing abo...

Has anyone ever given you power? Maybe it was at home or in school or at work. Power is a big deal! History has been defined by people's use or abuse of power. So how do you use the power you have been given? This week in church we will discuss the power and authority that keys symbolize. In the scripture for this week, Jesus tells Peter that he will give him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Did...

Have you ever asked yourself if you belong here? What is it that makes us belong? It isn't what other people say about us. It isn't even what we may have thought about ourselves. It is what God says about us that makes us belong. God sends us and equips us. That alone makes us belong. The unique and special gifts and graces God has given us make us belong. So what makes you belong?

Please join us as we officially welcome Reverend Dave, Sherrie, and Georgie to AUMC! This video also includes the "Celebration of a New Appointment" and Children's Moment.

This Sunday we welcome the Rev. Juliann Henry to our worship services. Pastor Juliann once served as AUMC’s Assistant Pastor. She now serves as Manager of Pastoral Care at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center.

This Sunday we welcome the Rev. Brian C. Roberts to our worship services. Rev. Roberts is a former pastor of AUMC, and is currently serving as the District Superintendent of the Cape Atlantic District. His message this week is Fire Up – Having a Blast with God and is based on Revelation 3:14-20. This is the third (and final) installment of his series titled: Fanning the Flames - Revival Absecon UM...

This Sunday we are again welcoming the Rev. Brian C. Roberts to our worship services. Rev. Roberts is a former pastor of AUMC, and is currently serving as the District Superintendent of the Cape Atlantic District. His message is titled You Can Be Ignited with Spirit Power! This is the second installment of his series titled Fanning the Flames - Revival Absecon UMC Style.

Reverend Miller is bringing his final message before retirement. He has been a pastor for over 26 years which included 20 years as a reserve chaplain in the Navy and a traditional guard chaplain in the New Jersey Air National Guard. Before he leaves his post as the pastor of The United Methodist Church at Absecon, he has some final thoughts.