Special Announcements
A service is held online each Sunday at 10 a.m. Click here to access the online service.
A limited number of people can participate each Sunday in worship in the Spirit Center. Sign up here by noon on the Saturday before worship and include the names of family members attending so that accurate assignments can be provided.
Please be seated in your assigned seats and be ready to worship by 9:45 a.m. Sunday School and childcare will not be provided, but children are welcome to stay with you in worship.
In-person participants are required to wear masks. Please stay home if 1) you are not feeling well or 2) you have had close household contact with someone who has a known or suspected case of COVID-19 or 3) you have tested positive for COVID-19. If you test positive, you can attend worship if you have since tested negative or 10 days have past and you have been without symptoms for at least 72 hours.
Click here to view previous services.
Weekly Vespers Services called "Saturday Night Live" will be held on Saturdays at 5 p.m.
Vesper Services are held in the Glen Mar parking lot. If you will be joining us, please help us ensure we have enough room to safely space everyone by letting us know you’re coming. Click here to RSVP via SignUpGenius. These services will not be held if it rains. Folks who have RSVP'd will be notified if the event is cancelled.
Folks can set up lawn chairs in every other space in the lower lot or sit in their cars and listen to the service on FM radio (station 101.5).
Masks will be required and we'll need to maintain six feet of distance between households. If you are experiencing any symptoms of illness, we love you, but please stay at home.
For more information, visit this webpage.
View this week's Capital Campaign Mission video https://www.youtu.be/rpd8-7_uZIE.
Download the weekly Capital Campaign devotions.
Commitment Sunday, the culmination of our Mission Possible Campaign, is Nov. 8. If you haven’t already turned in an estimate of giving for Mission and Ministries funding or for the Capital Campaign, it’s not too late. In fact, it’s never too late, because Glen Mar is happy to accept new giving estimates at any time. Your giving estimate helps us responsibly plan the church budget for ongoing ministries and new initiatives.
Glen Mar is currently registering children and youth for learning. Visit this website page for more information.
Other youth programs, including confirmation, are available. Visit this website page for more information.
While the building is closed, programs for children and youth continue online. Youth are gathering by Zoom and through Bible study apps for high school Rooted, Confirmation Class, and small groups. Sunday school teachers are sharing videos and do-at-home lessons for preschool and elementary-aged kids.
Don't miss out. Sign up for the Family Vine or sign up for one of the Youth Newsletters or contact Margaret Lang for children's learning, Jen Rowell for middle school programs or Sean Danaher for high school programs.
The Glen Mar Task Force For Re-Entry is meeting and continuing to monitor conditions, recommendations and guidelines from our Bishop, LaTrelle Easterling, and authorities. We want to prioritize safety, care, connection and love for God and neighbor. We are committed to continuing to provide meaningful online ministry, as we continue to prepare and pray for the best ways to safely gather. Questions? Email Mandy.Sayers@glenmarumc.org.
Glen Mar is currently accepting requests for outdoor gatherings at the church, with social distancing. All requests have to be approved by our Task Force for Re-Entry committee. If you want to gather, email Mandy.Sayers@glenmarumc.org who will take your request to the team and get back to you.
Registration is open.
Follow the Glen Mar Early Learning Center on Facebook or visit the website page www.glenmarelc.org.
For more information email elc@glenmarumc.org or call 410-461-2859.
Events Currently Scheduled
Baptism class is for adults seeking baptism or for parents who wish to have their infants and children baptized at Glen Mar. Classes will start on Sun., Nov. 15 at 11:15 a.m. Contact melaina.trice@glenmarumc.org for more information.
Glen Mar has been holding Zoom meetings with as many "small groups" within our church as it can to discuss our Mission Possible Campaign and where we sense God's vision for the future and gather as many perspectives as possible from the congregation.
If you haven't already attended one of these Zoom meetings, please join us Sun., Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. Contact Mandy.Sayers@glenmarumc.org. for the Zoom link for that meeting.
Spend time with your Glen Mar family at the Fall Festival on Sun., Oct.25, 3 - 5 p.m.. This event will feature Trunk or Treat, a ministry fair and costume contest. It will be held in Glen Mar's lower parking lot.
Bring masks with your Halloween masks and be prepared to social distance. Sign up for half-hour slots here.
Visit for more information.
The Micah 6:8 Ministry will be reading Be the Bridge: Pursuing God's Heart for Racial Reconciliation in a six-week online study on Thursdays, 7 - 8:30 p.m. Meeting dates are Oct. 29, Nov. 5, Nov. 12, Nov. 19, Dec. 3 and Dec. 10 (skipping the week of Thanksgiving).
How long do you think it would take to read through the entire New Testament? A couple of days? A week? How about less than one hour! This activity is open to anyone and everyone.
On Sun., Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. you are invited to participate in a flash mob simultaneous reading of the New Testament. Meet at Glen Mar on the hill with the cross with your Bible in hand. Or read from the comfort of your home or in a park. Open to the book of the New Testament you have signed up for, and read it out loud in fellowship with other members of the Glen Mar family. Be a part of praising God, growing disciples, and serving the world in support of this capital campaign activity! Masks and social distancing required apart from family groups.
Can We Help You?
Mask-making videos are available at on Glen Mar's COVID-19 Crisis webpage.
Opportunities to Get Involved
The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to provide God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Glen Mar has been participating in Operation Christmas child for many years. Small groups and families at Glen Mar usually pack and send over 300 boxes each year.
This year’s participation will be a little different. Everyone is encouraged to pack a shoebox at home and bring it to the church to drop off during a designated drop-off time. Shoe Boxes will be available for pick up outside of Glen Mar on Sat., Oct. 24, 4:45 - 6 p.m.; Sun, Oct. 25, 10:45 a.m. - noon and 3 - 5 p.m (during ministry fair); Sat., Nov. 7, 4:45 – 6 p.m.; and Sun., Nov. 8, 10:45 a.m. – noon. You may also use any shoebox you have at home.
Check the Operation Christmas Child website at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/ or the handout provided with the boxes for suggested items. Please include $9 for each box to cover shipping. For some children this will be the first gift they have ever received.
God provides just the right thing for each child at the right time. No liquid, food or military items are allowed. Boxes will be collected outside of Glen Mar on Sat., Nov. 7, 4:45 – 6 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 8, 10:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 14, 4:45 – 6 p.m.; and Sun., Nov. 15, 10:45 a.m. – noon.
Email occ@glenmarumc.org to coordinate a pick-up or drop off.
Many helpers are needed to help set up outside buildings on the church grounds for this year’s Journey to Bethlehem (aka Walk to Bethlehem). Youth are especially welcome to volunteer. Set up will begin on Sat., Nov. 7 at 8:30 a.m. and will continue until complete (probably mid-afternoon). (This setup was originally scheduled for Sat., Oct. 3.)
Needed items are drills, work gloves, trailers, trucks, ladders and masks.
Contact Dan Kagey, who will lead the effort, if you can help.
For information about the event, visit this webpage.
During Journey to Bethlehem (a variation on Walk to Bethlehem) volunteers are needed to read and act at scenes as well as serve as parking lot attendants. Journey to Bethlehem will be held 5 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 4, 5, 6, 12, and 13. Also, on Dec. 12, there will be a 12 – 3 p.m. matinee. Email Margaret Lang at jtb@glenmarumc.org to volunteer.
Volunteers (sewers and non-sewers) are needed to help with costumes for this event. Email Adrienne Taylor at costumes@glenmarumc.org to volunteer.
The Glen Mar Wish Upon A Star mission project, which started over 30 years ago, will once again take place during November.
This year will be a challenge as we deal with COVID-19 and revised worship schedules. Nevertheless, we will continue to support families sponsored by Ames Memorial United Methodist Church, Eva Johnson Foundation, the Howard County Public School System, and the Baltimore Campus of the Board of Child Care of the United Methodist Church. We will also provide gift cards for families identified by the Judy Center of Howard County, HopeWorks and the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center.
Stars will not be issued this year. You will be able to sign up for gifts and gift cards on SignUpGenius. Details concerning access to SignUpGenius and options for ordering and paying for the gift cards will be provided here in early November.
All gift items must be new. PLEASE DO NOT WRAP GIFTS. The recipients will do this. Due to the time-sensitive nature of this outreach ministry, it is imperative that all gifts and gift cards are returned to the church no later than noon on Sun., Dec. 6. Gifts and gift cards may be dropped off in Glen Mar’s lower parking lot between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Nov. 21-22, Nov. 28-29, and Dec. 5-6.
If you have any questions about this ministry please contact Mary McKay or Phil Enstice at wishuponastar@glenmarumc.org.
Our prayers and thanks go to all who participate in this ministry. For those who cannot participate, we ask that you pray for the Wish Upon A Star families and Glen Mar, as together with Christ, we continue to reach out and make a difference.
Family Survivor Network (FSN) is a grief support organization based in Sandtown, a neighborhood in Baltimore. FSN is an amazing group of people who walk with families through the grieving process when they've lost a family member to violence. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of people who need the services of FSN in Sandtown.
In October, FSN was forced to move out of its offices and found new space more centrally located in Sandtown. FSN is now renting a house it hopes to buy later. The house is currently owned by and directly across the street from a man who owns the local funeral home. Because of the better location, the neighbors stop by to say hello and ask about FSN. They are very grateful that they will soon have a place where they can gather with others who have shared their painful experiences and begin to heal.
The building is in need of serious repairs. The Glen Mar Habitat for Humanity crew worked there one day. Other volunteers have stepped up to help. The building is getting closer to being usable, if not optimally repaired. If you want to support these efforts, habitat@glenmarumc.org.
For more information, click here or contact Kelly Rogers at socialjustice@glenmarumc.org.
Glen Mar is still making masks to supply them to people who cannot afford them. Jobs include sewing and ironing. Materials can be provided. For more information, contact mask@glenmarumc.org or visit this webpage.
Although gift cards are not currently available at Glen Mar, there are other ways you can obtain them and still benefit Glen Mar. Participating in the gift card program and other Extreme Fundraising programs supports Glen Mar ministries and ministry partners but costs the buyer nothing extra.
To Place an Online Order
First, enroll at https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/Login/Enroll using Glen Mar's enrollment code AF17656D14184.
Once you have enrolled, you can sign in any time at https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/Login and place an on-line order. You can also print cards at home, send by email or reload existing cards.
To pay for your on-line orders you may have a direct debit from your checking account (15 cent fee) or pay by credit card (2.6% fee). For additional information visit https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/Support/faq/online-payments
or call ShopWithScrip Customer Service at 1-800-727-4715.
Click here for more information about Extreme Fundraising programs. Questions? Contact fundraising@glenmarumc.org.
As it has been doing for many years, a small team of Glen Mar members provide meat loaves and milk on the 4th Tuesday of each month. Many of Glen Mar’s team are in the 60+ age category which is considered an “at risk” group. While they want to continue to help, they are limited in their ability to shop.
Glen Mar needs volunteers under age 60 to help with this ministry by shopping for supplies prior to the 4th Tuesday of each month. Contact Linda Hunt grassroots@glenmarumc.org.
Collections, Donations, and Loaned Items
The College and Career Prep program would love donations of computers and money to purchase hard drives and software to help youth in Baltimore with their education.
College and Career Prep is currently making sure that youth in Baltimore have computers and internet access for e-learning. This is particularly important now because one of Glen Mar’s partners in Baltimore, Little Flowers Early Childhood & Development Center, is expanding its after-school program to all-day e-learning for about 100 elementary-age children, who will need the equipment to access daytime e-learning with their schools.
Donated money will be used to buy hard drives and software needed to rehab surplus donated computers and new ones if there are sufficient funds.
Send a check made out to Glen Mar Church/College and Career Prep to Glen Mar Church, 4701 New Cut Road, Ellicott City, MD 21043.
Questions? Email collegeprep@glenmarumc.org to volunteer.
Glen Mar’s volunteer mask makers, who now total about 40, continue working even though masks are readily available for purchase because they want to supply free masks to people who cannot afford them.
The volunteers need the following supplies:
- Elastic – Up to ½ inch through ¼ inch or narrower
- Grosgrain ribbon (1/4-, 3/8-, ½-, or 5/8-inch wide)
- Thread, any color
- Pipe cleaners or chenille stems
If you are interested in donating food, household supplies, or grocery gift cards to these families, Adrienne is willing to deliver them to the families we serve. Limited pick-up is available or you may order online and have the items delivered to Adrienne's house. Please email Adrienne hehhc@glenmarumc.org to make arrangements.
Ministry Updates
COVID-19 has changed a lot about our lives right now. Some changes have brought to light the generosity and kindness of many people. The Glen Mar Mask Team is one example.
During the first months after the coronavirus hit, people jumped in and did whatever was necessary to make and deliver masks for healthcare workers and those who serve the vulnerable. Volunteers worked well beyond the time when providing masks was fun. The team cut, ironed, bagged and sewed. People donated supplies and made pick-up and delivery runs.
As masks became readily available for purchase, the team realized that there were many who would have to choose between buying masks and purchasing food, so the mask team continued to make masks to give out at food pantries.
The team sent masks to the Navajo Nation that was disproportionately hit by COVID-19 and had little personal protective equipment. The team donated masks to a cancer treatment ward in a low-income area in Florida. The team gave masks to Habitat for Humanity so it could continue operating in the troubled neighborhoods. When the team learned that people in Sandtown in Baltimore didn't have access to affordable fabric masks, it sent masks to Family Survivor Network and to Pastor Rodney Hudson of Ames Memorial United Methodist Church to distribute in the area. After 26 weeks of making masks, the team was able to give away 4,000 masks.
And the team is still working on masks to make sure everyone has equal access to this simple safety tool.
Recently, Glen Mar raised $9,500 for Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center through donations and purchases on an online Silent Auction.
Grassroots provides 24-hour crisis intervention, suicide prevention, shelter and outreach services to individuals and families experiencing a personal, situational, mental health, or shelter crisis.
Glen Mar raised $1,115 in this year's Bridges to Housing Stability Chili Challenge Virtual Edition held in September. Seventeen congregations supported the event which raised money through online meal purchases, donations in virtual jars and a virtual auction. Glen Mar has participated in this event since it started in 2011.
This year's entire event raised $32,968.
Bridges to Housing Stability serves the homeless and low-income households. Its mission is to provide a path to self-sufficiency to prevent and end homelessness through affordable housing solutions and advocacy in Howard County.
College and Career Prep (“Prep") has served youth in Baltimore for five years and continues to help them with educational and other needs remotely now due to the coronavirus.
During August, volunteers worked on obtaining computers and internet access for e-learning to enable about 100 elementary-age children to access the e-learning program that Little Flowers Early Childhood & Development Center just expanded from an after-school program to an all-day one.
Volunteers sent new and refurbished computers to our youth in Prep and also to Little Flowers. Bonnie supplied Chromebooks and Nancy provided tablets earlier this year. The price of Chromebooks has almost doubled, and they are often not in stock. Providentially, Val Eddy’s brother has his own ministry with his scouts to rehab used computers for youth who need them. Rod Angle is donating eight computers, and the Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Lab is donating another 15 surplus laptops which need hard drives and software. After Val’s brother works his magic, Prep is hoping to have enough computers to support e-learning for all of our Prep youth and many more students at Little Flowers.
In addition, volunteers are supplying back-to-school supplies for Baltimore youth in our Prep program. In prior years we’ve donated backpacks with supplies. This year, Prep will save the backpacks for spring when students are more likely to attend in-person classes.
Many volunteers tutor and mentor youth remotely. One sent a chapter book to an at-risk youth with whom she works to keep up her reading proficiency. Others, like Cris and her kids, tutor in person every other week.
