Ellen

Ellen

  This is my church

  It is composed of people just like me.

  It will be friendly if I am.

  It will do great work if I work.

  It will make generous gifts for many causes if I am generous.

  It will bring others into fellowship if I bring them.

  Its seats will be filled if I fill them.

  It will be a church of loyalty and love, of faith and service if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these.

  Therefore, with God’s help, I dedicate myself to the task of being all these things I want my church to be.

  -Old Union Reminder

My husband Stuart and I married in November of 1983. We decided that a compromise was necessary for us regarding our place of worship. Stuart was raised in a UCC Church in Frederick. This church has a large congregation and its worship format is formal. I, on the other hand, was from a very small Methodist church family. I was accustomed to an informal church worship and an active congregation. We needed to make a decision about where we would belong as a couple and eventually as a family.

As this is my story and not my husband’s, I will try to stay focused on what attracted me to Glade Church and what has kept me there.

We visited the church one time. The pastor arrived (literally) on our doorstep within days, on his bicycle! The Reverend struck me as somewhat eccentric and definitely a biblical scholar. His approach to Christian Education was somewhat alien to me but certainly not unacceptable. In fact, I found Glade Church’s pastor to be refreshingly direct and most sincere. He made no promises of eternal happiness in conjunction with a commitment of membership into his congregation. In fact, it was intriguing to me that most of the town of Walkersville would discuss, in some forum or another, the topic of Pastor Paul’s sermon for the week following his message. His message was often controversial. It was interesting to me that some would react with anger if words were spoken that were offensive to one’s beliefs. I felt excitement to be part of a Church family that stimulated people in a community to question their own beliefs, talk about them, and as a result, mobilize feelings and belief’s that may have been stagnant. Well, the pastor’s visit was only the beginning of our decision to join this church. We were warmly welcomed and included in all aspects of the church life. We were never made to feel “new” or un-included. It was wonderful!

The above paragraph and the message contained in the “Old Union Reminder” is a testament of what there is for me at Glade Church. Glade Church is full of people who disagree on many issues but they are also people who are willing to work out things. They give of themselves in such a way that the return is a direct benefit of that effort. Our Church is alive with people that are involved. It was soon after we joined Glade UCC that I began teaching Sunday school. Soon we were helping with the Church Supper, the annual Halloween party, and the Youth Group. There is little doubt that I gained spiritually from these involvements.

There have been many rough times for me at Glade Church. And yes, it has been tempting at times to turn the car in the direction of another church on Sunday mornings. And yes, I have done so on occasion. I have attended church services where the message was strong, and the people were welcoming. I feel that visiting other houses of worship is an important part of our Spiritual Growth. It has also taught me that few things in life are worth having if we do not work hard and have a willingness to weather the storms. After all, it is those difficult times that can make our commitment that much stronger. No, I could not be away for long from where my heart lies with Glade Church. I love the diversity of our members and the love and acceptance of others into our congregation. After all, they accepted and included me! They welcomed me with open arms and I have felt welcome ever since that first visit. We are a congregation of people that work side by side; we mourn, worship, and pray together, and sing, laugh and have fun together. It is a place where we learn more about our God and how to live and express our commitment to Him. Changing pastors, starting new programs, and altering our order of worship will not shake my commitment and love for the people and the ministry that make up the family of Glade United Church of Christ. Praise God!