This is a half-hour worship service beginning at 8:30 a.m. and is located in a shaded outdoor chapel behind the church. Each week a member of the congregation volunteers to lead, often showing some aspect of his/her faith journey.  This year’s theme is “Sharing Our Faith Journey.” 

Music is included, and Kent Hills plays the trumpet to accompany the hymn-singing. 

In case of inclement weather, services take place in the church.  Contact Sonia Seaton Metelsky for more information.

One great thing about the Family Picnic is that everyone is relaxed, and it is a great time just to enjoy one another.  Their is food and fellowship and many conversations going on at the same time. There are “people watchers” and “busy bees.” You will be glad you came.

More details to come.

This will be the third trip to Merger (15 miles west of Port-au-Prince) for some of the mission team, but the first one for Glenn Dale United Methodist’s Stephanie Blanchard and Kent and Marilyn Hills. The team (currently 11 people) will support the Institute of Grace in its efforts to build and support a hospital. The team has requested help with construction (electrical and floor tiling), medical (nurse training), Bible School, and English classes.

Financial support is greatly needed. Donations can be sent to Bowie United Methodist Church, 13009 6th Street, Bowie, MD 20720 and designated “Haiti Trip”. All donations will be used for supplies or spent in Haiti and are tax deductible. If you want to make a difference in assisting Haiti, this is your chance! Your money will be used for the following supplies:

• Medical – $500
• Flooring – $10,000
• Paint – $100
• Electrical wire – $800
• Bible School Crafts – ?
• Breakers – $100
• Feeding Program – $1,500
• Room for Generator – $4,500
• Perimeter Wall – $2,000

It was a hot day, but it gave us an idea of what it’s like if you have to walk for your water everyday, no matter what the weather conditions are. 

Our walkers were Elizabeth and Jaran Jackson, Elliott Kindred, Denise Robinson, Pat, Jerry, Muffie, Molly and Mitchell Seaton, Kay Smith, Nancy Watson, Teresa and Jason Hill.  Thank you to Pastor John Blanchard and Joan for coming out to support us – what a nice surprise! 

The CROP walk is the oldest charity walk in the U.S. and CROP stands for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty. The walk provides funds to CWS, a cooperative, multi-denominational ministry that provides hunger relief, disaster relief and tools to help people from impoverished countries make an income. CWS supports 80 countries around the world, including the United States.

The meal is quickly set-up and then we call for the blessing.  The blessing is often led by one of the men, but sometimes one of us from Glenn Dale United Methodist Church will say the blessing.  While the men eat their meal,  sometimes Pastor John Blanchard will give a short message, or the ladies will sing a song.  While we eat our meal, we sit and talk with the men. 

The men seem to enjoy having us sit and visit them.   The men always express thanks and appreciation for the food we bring.  Everyone is encouraged to come with us sometime in the near future.

Words and notes of thanks make it clear that lives have been uniquely blessed. Many people, in addition to the crafters, have contributed to the success of this ministry by giving yarn and requesting shawls for friends and family members.

The shawl blessing on Sunday, April 25, was special as 16 walker bags (which can be attached to the side of a walker to carry items) were blessed as well as eleven shawls.  The bags were given to church members and nursing homes.

Shawls are given for many different reasons:  appreciation, friendship, comfort, celebration, illness, etc. Shawl request forms are on the table at the back of the sanctuary.  They can be filled out and given to Marilyn Hills or another member of the shawl group. 

If you’d like to contribute yarn, three 6-ounce skeins or 18 ounces of yarn (185 yards) are needed to make a shawl. 

Glenn Dale United Methodist Church responded to Bishop Schol’s request for prayers and aid to Haiti by taking special collections for immediate financial aid and by gathering the health kits, which consisted of the following:

• 1 hand towel (15″ x 25″ up to 17″ x 27″, No kitchen towels)
• 1 washcloth
• 1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
• 1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
• 1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)
• 1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, No child-size brushes)
• 6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
• $1 to purchase toothpaste (UMCOR Sager Brown is now purchasing toothpaste in bulk to be added to health kits before shipping to ensure that the product does not expire before they are sent)

The kits were sent to St. Matthews United Methodist Church, which was a designated drop-off site for the health kits.

Click on the flyer image to download a PDF for photocopying

Everyone is invited to Glenn Dale United Methodist Church’s Flea Market Fun Fest on Saturday, May 22, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (rain or shine) for a day of exciting family activities and bargain hunting.  

The Flea Market Fun Fest includes many free activities and surprises. These include live music and entertainment, a moon bounce, door prizes, face painting, a clown, balloons, and popcorn. So, bring the whole family – young and old! There is something for everyone. 

You can also join the fun and sell your own treasures at the Flea Market Fun Fest. To reserve space, table, and chairs for a mere $15.00, please call Bobbi Lutz at 301-503-5140 and send your pre-payment to Elizabeth Jackson, c/o Glenn Dale United Methodist Church, P.O. 187, Glenn Dale, Md 20769 by Saturday, May 8. Crafters are welcome. 

Items for sale at this annual event are handmade crafts, plants, knickknacks, household items, toys, books, Glenn Dale United Methodists Church Cookbooks with great recipes, and much more. 

The church will be selling doughnuts, muffins, coffee, and tea for early shoppers. We will also be selling an old-fashioned lunch featuring a fish fry, grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, potato salad, coleslaw, baked goods, and sodas beginning around noon (food will only be sold by the church). Proceeds will benefit the church’s general fund. 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Our Easter celebration begins Thursday with an Agape Meal, Communion, plays, and musical performances starting at 6 p.m. On Friday, we will observe Good Friday with a 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. prayer vigil.

On Easter Sunday, we will have an Easter Egg hunt for our little ones at noon on the lawn next to the church. We will also have two services to rejoice and celebrate the resurrection:

• A sunrise service (about 6:48 a.m.) at historic Perkins Chapel next to Glenn Dale United Methodist Church. Child care will not be provided, but children are welcome.
• A 10:30 a.m. traditional services in the main sanctuary. Children who attend can help ring the church bells and sit with their parents for the first part of the service. After the Children’s Moment at the steps of the alter, they can go with nursery volunteers to a classroom for Bible study and Easter crafts, followed by playtime in the nursery.

We hope you, your friends, and your family make Glenn Dale United Methodist Church your Easter destination.

Last year, Glenn Dale United Methodist Church had 10 walkers and raised $1950.00 in the 2009 CROP Walk.  This the most money Glenn Dale UMC has ever raised! 

Our church participates in the Hyattsville CROP Walk, which raised a total of $49,000 last year.  25% of this money goes to Help By Phone which is a local food pantry in Prince Georges County.  The CROP Walk also supports Church World Service to raise funds and awareness for both international and local relief efforts (including relief work for the recent earthquake in Haiti).

• Responding to emergencies in the U.S. and around the world
• Nurturing development at the grassroots with seeds, tools and homegrown strategies
• Assisting refugees to return home when possible, and to find other viable options when it’s not
• Speaking out in partnership on issues that make a difference in the lives of hungry people
• Food security so parents can reliably feed their families
• Water for all so that families have water for drinking, household needs and farming

Let’s see if we can increase the number of walkers from our church and raise more money for this worthy cause.  Please see Teresa Hill for more information.