There’s always something happening at Glen Mar.
SPOTLIGHT MINISTRIES
- Fundraiser for the American Cancer Society – Glen Mar’s Angels for a Cure team will hold a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society in the Gathering Place today. It will collect donations and sell luminaria and angels. The team will participate in Relay For Life of Baltimore and Howard County on Saturday, May 16 from 4:00 to 8:00 pm at Howard Community College’s Athletic and Fitness Center, 5500 Dragon Place, Columbia. For more information, stop by our Gathering Place table or email the Angels for a Cure Team.
- Sleep in Heavenly Peace – The Howard County chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace will be holding a twin bedding drive at Gen Mar Church from today, April 19 through Sunday, May 31. Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) will deliver this year approximately 200 beds to children ages 3-17 yrs old in Howard County that don’t have a bed of their own. Donations can be left in the Gathering Place. New twin bedding only. Thank You!
- Looking for service hours? – Saturday, May 2, 9:00 am-3:00 pm. Stay for an hour or for the day! The Family Survivor Network (FSN) needs many hands to help clean their space! Donations like Dawn, Soft Scrub, cleaning sprays, Magic Erasers, hand-soap, paper towels, toilet paper, sponges, cleaning cloths, wipes, Windex are greatly appreciated! Contact Adrienne Taylor to learn more!
OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE:
- Habitat For Humanity – Saturday, May 9. Do you enjoy doing handy work? Or do you wish you knew how to do handy tasks around your home? The Glen Mar Habitat Crew welcomes you to join us, either way. You must be 16 or older to work on a Habitat site. We work the second Saturday of every month. If construction isn’t your gift, you can still support this wonderful mission by volunteering in the Restores. Contact Adrienne Taylor to learn more.
- Christ Church’s Interfaith Refugee Ministry Needs You – This interfaith coalition helps primarily Afghan refugee families in Howard County. For more info and to connect with them, email the Social Justice Team.
- Summer Mission Trips – We are offering two mission trips this summer. Home repairs with Carolina Rebuilding Ministry, June 21-27, for youth and adults currently in 8th grade and older. $300/person with discounts for women, confirmands, and 3rd or more family members. Urban ministry during Baltimore Mission Week July 20-24, for youth and adults currently in 6th grade and older. $125/person with discounts for adults and confirmands. Scholarships are available. See D.C. Veale with any questions.
- VBS Donations – VBS is looking for your trash so we can turn it into treasure! Visit the VBS table to pick up a list of items, both new and used, that we need for VBS!
- VBS is looking for volunteers to serve during the program. Help children explore the true nature of God and show kids what it means to be rooted in a relationship with God. Stop by the table in the Gathering Place to check out available jobs and to sign up to help. You can volunteer for the full week or just a few days!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- Family Matters Pot Luck Dinner – Saturday, May 2, 6:00–7:30 pm. Do you have kids in preschool through middle school? We are a small group that typically meets every 1st Saturday of the month. This is a great opportunity to make friends with other families with kids at Glen Mar! Bring the whole family, an entrée or side dish and join us in the Glen Mar Youth Lounge.
- Support Glen Mar’s Bike MS Team – Monday, May 4 (all day). Eat in or take out a delicious meal from Tino’s Italian Bistro located at 8775 Centre Park Drive in Columbia. A percentage of all sales will go toward our team’s fundraising efforts in support of the MS Society.
- The Brigade 5.7K & 1.57M Family Festival – Sunday, May 3 at 8:00 am at the Canton Waterfront Park (3001 Boston St, Baltimore, MD 21224). Each spring, the Brigance Brigade Foundation (founded by O.J. Brigance of the Baltimore Ravens) hosts a 5.7K run event to raise funds for its PALS (People Living with ALS) grants program and to honor O.J. Brigance’s jersey number, 57. The event features a 5.7K race but for non-racers, it includes a 1.57 mile walk and family festival activities.
SAVE THE DATE!
- Glen Mar’s 2026 Summer Concert Series:
- Friday, June 26 – Patagonia Winds,
- Friday, July 24 – Radio King Orchestra
- Friday, August 14 – Air Force Blue Aces
- Christian Summer Camps – The Baltimore Washington Conference offers sleep-away summer camps for 3rd through 12th graders at several nearby camps. Many Glen Mar kids and youth have enjoyed these camps over the years. Learn more here.
- VBS 2026 Rainforest Falls – Join us July 13-17th for a week of adventure exploring what it means to be rooted in a relationship with God! An extended option is also available for kids who need a full-day program. Register NOW! Space is limited! Contact Julie Metakes or visit the website for more information.
YOUTH NEWS:
- Youth Group – Tonight! 5:30-7:00 pm. What do Taylor Swift songs and the Bible have in common? Come hang out as we unpack real-life themes like love, identity, and purpose—and put your knowledge to the test with a fun Gospel according to Taylor Swift Jeopardy showdown! Bring $5 for dinner!
- Confirmation Retreat – All youth and adults going on the confirmation retreat next weekend should meet in Youth Lounge this Friday, May 1, at 5:30 pm with your dinner. We will eat at Glen Mar before leaving for West River for the weekend. Bring your luggage, bedding, and West River waiver form. We will return to Glen Mar about 1:30 pm on Sunday, May 3.
- Confirmation Stole-Making – All parents and friends-in-faith of this year’s confirmands are reminded to meet in Youth Lounge next Sunday, May 3, at 12:15 pm to make the stoles for this year’s confirmation class. We’ll provide the stole fabric, glue guns, and basic accessories. You provide the decorations.
- Next Week – The Gospel According to Star Wars, 5:30-7:00 pm.
- Graduating Seniors – All graduating high school seniors (or their parents) are asked to submit a senior picture to D.C. for Graduating Senior Sunday on May 10. Please include the full name of the student and the high school from which they are graduating. Pictures must be turned in by May 3.
MUSIC MINISTRY:
- Music groups for adults, youth, and kids: For more information, visit our Glen Mar Music Ministry blog. Sundays: Children’s Choir at 10:45 am, Voices of Praise Youth Choir at 10:45 am, and Youth Bell Choir at 11:30 am.
STEPHEN MINISTRY:
- We’re brought up to be strong, self-sufficient, independent people. So we try to keep our struggles hidden, stuffed deep inside. However, that’s not God’s plan. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Stephen Ministry is here to help. To find out more, talk to one of the pastors or contact us by email at Stephen Ministry Team.
EARLY LEARNING CENTER:
- Glen Mar’s Early Learning Center – serves children from infants through preschool, and we are currently welcoming families for the 2026–2027 school year! If you know a family who may be looking for care, spread the word!
IN OTHER NEWS…
- Good Trouble – Sign up for the Social Justice Mailing List to receive email notifications about local opportunities to stand up against injustice. Learn about protests, letter writing campaigns, vigils, educational gatherings, and more. Email the Social Justice Team to join the list.
