General Info:
In Walkersville, Maryland, Glade Church is located in a community just on the edge of the greater Frederick area with easy access and parking. We are a community of faith on a journey of faith. Our church is part of the wider family of Christian churches, called the United Church of Christ, and we come from many backgrounds and traditions. As a church offering an extravagant welcome, we like to say, No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here. Our vision and values, show just how much we encourage all people to share their gifts and talents in the life and leadership of our church. Here all people are valued as part of the family of God. As a mission oriented church, we believe our faith calls us to being active in the world' acting locally, regionally and globally. Our mission and outreach ministries involve on-going work in Honduras, with Habitat for Humanity, the Gulf Coast rehab work, serving meals at the Frederick Soup Kitchen and assisting the Glade Valley Food Bank. Together we are called to be a people committed to a transforming Christianity that nurtures all life in the 21st century. Our Adult Christian Education ministries offer a wide range of classes, book discussion and in-depth spiritual and Biblical studies. From September through May, we offer a series of special topics classes on Sunday mornings at 9: 15 a.m. The topics change about every five or six weeks. Our youth are a priority here Glade Church. Each week we have several offerings for our youth that focus on their spiritual development. Youth and children are not only welcome in worship they are included and involved by singing, reading scripture, playing music and performing dramas and skits. For the youth of our church we offer weekly Sunday School classes for all ages, starting with nursery/toddlers through 12th grade. Since its founding in 1750 by the German Reformed pastor, the Rev. Michael Schlatter, Glade Church has had two locations: on the outskirts of what has become the town of Walkersville ( 1750 to 1896 ), and to the present in the center of the town ( 1896 ). The original brick church building was built in the late 1800's. Once the church moved into the town of Walkersville, the congregation torn down this building and reused the bricks to build a parsonage ( pastor's home ) at the present site on Fulton Avenue. Then in 1975, the congregation took down the house to make room for an educational wing, reusing the bricks to build one of the walls and a fireplace in our parlor. The membership has renovated and expanded the current facilities three times in the past 105 years. Most recently, in 1996, the church spent $550, 000 to make the facilities handicapped accessible, unify the worship space, and make the sanctuary and social hall adaptable with movable walls. In February 2000, we affirmed, after a yearlong process, a new mission, vision and values statement. The membership includes about 575 boys and girls, men and women with 342 confirmed youth and adults with 256 listed as active. Worship attendance averages about 140.