Currently viewing the tag: "Thurmont United Methodist Church"

Clothes Closet Reopens After Renovation Enhancing Accessibility and Community Support

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Alisha Yocum

The Clothes Closet, operated by Thurmont United Methodist Church, recently reopened following a renovation. The remodeling involved removing walls to expand the space, creating a more open layout for the 50-75 individuals it serves monthly. Additionally, the building now features a designated area for church information, prayer requests for their prayer shawl ministry, and Bibles. To enhance accessibility, all signage has been translated into Spanish, but an interpreter is also available.

Established 55 years ago to address needs within the congregation, the Clothes Closet has grown steadily and now fills its current space. The Clothes Closet offers clothes, shoes, coats, bedding, and other necessities to those in the surrounding areas free of charge. The Clothes Closet is supported through donations from the congregation and the community. At Christmas, the Clothes Closet even hosts a Christmas Open House, where families can fill a bag with toys. While this only happens once a year, the organization takes donations of gently used toys for this event all year long.

Volunteers from the congregation, combined, put in over 40 hours a week to the ministry between sorting, filling racks, and assisting customers during hours of operation.

If you are interested in donating clothes, a donation drop-off box is located outside on the property (just follow the signs). If you are in need of assistance, the Clothes Closet is open the first and fourth Monday of each month from 6:00-7:30 p.m., and the third Tuesday from 10:00-11:30 a.m., and is located at 13880 Long Road in Thurmont.

Follow the church’s Facebook page for updates and donation needs. For more details, view the advertisement on page 51.

Volunteers stand in the recently remodeled Clothes Closet (from left): Tanya Jense, Denise Bentley, Sandy Moser, Debbie Kennedy, Julie Zebroski, Estella Motley, Ricky Motley, and Rev. Ken Fizer.

Don’t Forget Our High School Seniors!

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The Catoctin High School Class of 2021 nears graduation on June 3, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. at Catoctin High School. Please keep them in mind for donations through the Safe and Sane 2021 parent group and by participating in event meetings and events.

Safe and Sane has meetings on May 5 and May 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the pavilion at Thurmont United Methodist Church on Long Road in Thurmont.

A Sportsman’s Bingo will be held on May 1 at the Vigilant Hose Company’s Activities Building. Doors open at 4:00 p.m., dinner is at 5:00 p.m., and bingo begins at 6:30 p.m.

To make a financial donation to the class, please mail to Catoctin High School, Attn: Safe and Sane 2021, 14745 Sabillasville Road, Thurmont, MD 21788.

Church Spotlight-Thurmont United Methodist Church

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by Theresa Dardanell

Photos by Theresa Dardanell

“Something for everyone” is a perfect way to describe the Clothes Closet, run by the Thurmont United Methodist Church (TUMC). It also describes the church, itself. When I arrived early for a 10:30 a.m. Sunday service at the church, I spent a few minutes reading the December newsletter. Along with information about the Clothes Closet and the traditional and contemporary Sunday worship services, there were details about the many weekly Bible studies and various small groups for all ages, as well as Christian education classes for adults and children, several committees, and plenty of family fellowship events.

Sunday morning at TUMC begins with the 9:00 a.m. traditional worship service, featuring beautiful organ music. At 10:30 a.m., the contemporary service begins with a group of singers and musicians leading the congregation in joyful upbeat music. After announcements by Pastor Bob Hunter, members of the congregation share messages of joy and requests for prayers. The service continues with a reading, prayers, a sermon, and communion.   Everyone is welcome to attend the “Sunday school for all ages,” from 9:00-10:00 a.m. A group of dedicated teachers makes it possible to provide seven separate classes each week: babies under two years old; toddlers, ages two to four; students in kindergarten through third grade; children in fourth and fifth grades; students in grades sixth through twelfth. Adults can choose from two sessions led by C.J Cordell and Tim Olsen. Coffee and conversation is the focus of fellowship time between the 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services.

Pastor Bob said that there are two things that the church does best. The first is that 10 percent of all gifts and tithes support Christian charities. Donations help to fund missions and missionaries, as well as local organizations, including the Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, the Catoctin Community Medical Fund, Thurmont Ministerium, the Marriage Resource Center of Frederick, and the Alan P. Linton, Jr. Emergency Shelter.  The second thing they do really well is the Clothes Closet, which has been in operation for over forty years. It began in one small room, but quickly outgrew the space and was moved to a larger area when the church moved to its current location on Long Road. As the need grew and donations increased, the church built the Community Clothes Closet building, which opened in 2012. Donations from the congregation, along with members of the community, fully stock the “free-to-shop” building that is open the first and fourth Monday of each month, from 6:00-7:30 p.m., and the third Tuesday of each month, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. There is a bin outside the building to drop off donations. The mission of the Clothes Closet is to “carry God’s love to the people in the Thurmont community and beyond through love, prayer, and free clothing.”

When I visited on December 2, 2018, the members were preparing for the annual Christmas Open House. One very large room in the church building was filled with donated toys, games, wrapping paper, and decorations to be given for free to families in need. During the open house, Christmas music played in the background and childcare and an interpreter were available.

The Christian education program does not end on Sundays. There are five small groups that meet weekly for fellowship, prayer, and education. Pastor Bob leads Bible study on Wednesdays, the youth group meets on Sunday evenings, and other groups meet at various locations. Tim Olsen said that the participants in the groups support and nurture and pray for one another.

There are also opportunities for members in the kids choir, the secret sisters, and the monthly retired and senior citizens luncheon. The church also supports the Good News Club, an after school activity at Thurmont Elementary School. Monthly family fellowship events provide another way for the members to spend time together. Some of the previous events include a beaded bracelet class and Christmas caroling. The first events in 2019 will be Game Night on January 11 and Movie Night on February 8.

The Thurmont United Methodist Church is located at 13880 Long Road in Thurmont. The church is beautiful; it is large, modern, and handicap accessible.  The site includes a pavilion, the impressive Clothes Closet building, and plenty of parking. Next time you have clothes to donate, remember that everything given to the clothes closet is free to anyone who needs it.

If you are looking for a church that offers “something for everyone,” visit the Thurmont United Methodist Church and see for yourself.

    Christmas Services

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    St. Johns Lutheran Church

    Join St. Johns Lutheran Church in Creagerstown for a Celebration of the Birth of Christ Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols, followed by a dinner, at 5:00 p.m. Their Christmas Eve Candlelight Service will be held at 7:30 p.m. in their 1908 worship space. View the advertisement on page 25 for more information.

    Celebrate Birth of Jesus with Trinity United Methodist Church

    Celebrate the birth of Jesus with Trinity United Methodist Church in Emmitsburg during their Christmas Eve Service with Communion and candlelight on December 24, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. View the advertisement on page 26 for more information.

    Tom’s Creek United Methodist Church’s Christmas Journey

    Join Tom’s Creek UMC on a Christmas journey, with a Children and Family Service with song and story, a Traditional Candlelight Service, and a Traditional Candlelight and Communion Service. The Sanctuary is open every Wednesday in December for time of reflection and prayers. View the advertisement on page 26 for more information.

    Live Nativity at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church of Urbana

    Join Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church of Urbana on Sunday, December 6, 2015, for the Live Nativity, featuring live animals (including a camel), music, and narration. Show times are at 6:00 p.m.; 7:00 p.m.; and 8:00 p.m. Admission is free. View the advertisement on page 24 for more information.

    Deerfield United Methodist Church

    Join Deerfield United Methodist Church for a Traditional Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. View the advertisement on page 25 for more information.

    Thurmont United Methodist Church

    Celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Eve with Thurmont United Methodist Church. They offer three different times and style options, including a service geared towards children and a service with different styles of music, the story of Christ foretold, candle lighting, and more. View the advertisement below for more information.

    Weller United Methodist Church

    Discover God’s promise of unending love this Christmas and join Weller United Methodist Church in Thurmont for their new sermon series, December 6-24, 2015, including Christmas Cantata on December 13; Longest Night Service on December 20, and Christmas Eve Services on December 24. View the advertisement on page 26 for more information.

     

    Christmas in Thurmont 2015

    This year, Thurmont’s Christmas in Thurmont event will take place on Saturday, December 5, starting at 10:00 a.m. on Thurmont’s Town Square. They will start with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:00 a.m., followed by the arrival of Santa! They will have live entertainment by ESP Performing Company, hot cider, and cookies, along with photos with Santa for all ages! Christmas in Thurmont includes the business map-stamping activity for adults, grand prize giveaways, caroling, lighting of the Lions Club Remembrance Tree, and the lighting of the Town’s Christmas Tree.

    Their goal for this event is to encourage a spirit of community and giving, and to also encourage our community to support local businesses. All of these activities and prizes are possible thanks to our business community. They are asking that you consider making a donation of cash/check, gift certificates, or merchandise for prizes. Cash/check donations are preferred, but all donations are greatly appreciated. All donors will be acknowledged on printed materials the day of the event, and also on thurmontmainstreet.com and Facebook.

    For more information, please contact Dr. John Hagemann at jhagemann@centeroflife.us, Michael Hobbs at 301-271-2233, or Vickie Grinder at vgrinder@thurmontstaff.com. Donations may be dropped off at Hobbs Hardware, located at 15 East Main Street. If you are not able to drop off your contribution, arrangements may also be made for them to pick up your donation by notifying the above contacts. Checks should be written to Thurmont Main Street. If possible, please have your donations turned in by Friday, November 27. Thurmont First is a 501(c)(3) and your donation is tax deductible.

     

    Christmas in Emmitsburg 2015

    Emmitsburg’s holiday season includes many traditions. Mother Seton School third graders will trim the tree on the square on December 1. Emmitsburg Elementary School students will trim the tree in front of the Community Center on December 18.

    Then, the community will gather for the 27th Annual “An Evening of Christmas Spirit” on Monday, December 7, from 6:00-9:00 p.m., beginning in the Emmitsburg Square. A tree lighting ceremony, caroling, and the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree will kick off at 6:00 p.m.

    At 6:30 p.m., Santa arrives at The Carriage House Inn, located just down South Seton Avenue from the Square. In and around The Carriage House, entertainment, refreshments, a live Nativity Scene, and hay rides will contribute to the holiday celebration.

    From 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., local choirs and vocalists will be featured in Joann’s Ballroom.

    Experience the true meaning of Christmas Spirit here. Canned goods donations accepted for the Emmitsburg Lions Club Christmas Food Drive.

    Traditional Village Christmas

    The Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, Inc. (CFHS) will host the fifth annual Traditional Village Christmas celebration in this historic village on Saturday, December 5, 2015, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This year, CFHS is honored to host local blacksmith Jim Maness, along with jewelers, yarn spinners, and other local craftspeople. Guests can sip apple cider and enjoy heirloom-recipe baked goods.  Kris Kingling, a village Christmas tradition involving masked and costumed members of the community who danced, sang, and ate as they went from house to house, will be recreated.

    Catoctin Furnace maintains much of its original layout and structures, which were constructed primarily between 1774 and 1820. The village introduces visitors to the area’s historical importance and heritage resources, providing the look and feel of an early industrial complex yet retaining the charm of a small community at the foot of Catoctin Mountain. It is located on Maryland Route 806 (Catoctin Furnace Road) in Thurmont. For more information, call 443-463-6437 or visit www.catoctinfurnace.org.

    The Thurmont Historical Society’s Christmas House Tour is Back in 2015

    Take the Turmont Historical Society’s Christmas House Tour on Saturday, December 5, from 4:00-8:00 p.m., and Sunday, December 6, from 1:00-5:00 p.m. The house tour includes four wonderful homes and two churches, for a new lower price of $15.00. Tickets and information are available at Hobb’s Hardware and Browns’ Jewelry.

     

    Toys for Tots

    The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Reserve is once again helping children in our area this Christmas with their annual Toys For Tots campaign. Helping the USMC is Cub Scout Pack 270 with their annual Toys for Tots drive.

    Boxes will be on hand to accept new, unwrapped toys at Food Lion, Mountain Gate Restaurant, and Hobbs’ Hardware, all in Thurmont, until December 8, 2015. The primary goal of the Toys for Tots program is to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate children that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens, and so they can have an exciting Christmas. Please consider donating a new unwrapped toy. If you would like to make a monetary, tax-deductible donation, visit frederick-md.toysfortots.org.

     

     

    Three Local Charities Sponsor Food and Clothing Drive

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    Three local charities—Thurmont Lions Club, Thurmont Food Bank, and Trinity United Methodist Church (TUMC) Community Clothes Closet Ministry—are joining forces to sponsor a food and clothing drive, in recognition of Make a Difference Day, on Saturday, October 24, 2015. Make a Difference Day is the nation’s largest day of volunteering. The annual event is an initiative of USA TODAY, in collaboration with Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service. Millions of volunteers around the world participate in local projects and events on Make a Difference Day (the fourth Saturday in October). The Thurmont Lions Clubs and other local organizations have sponsored a variety of projects during past years, and are participating again this year by organizing a local food and clothing drive.

    The Thurmont Lions Club has been serving the local community since 1929, and sponsors a variety of fundraising events and service projects to help individuals and organizations in the local area. The Thurmont Food Bank, located at 10 Frederick Road, supports many local families in northern Frederick County by distributing donated groceries. The TUMC Clothes Closet Ministry, located on the property of the Thurmont United Methodist Church on Long Road, is open several times each month to help Thurmont-area families.

    looking back — 1971

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    nixons at easter service 1971Easter at Camp David

    by James Rada, Jr.

    Anyone with eyes knew just where President Richard M. Nixon and his family were Easter Sunday morning in 1971.

    It was pretty widely known through town that the Nixons would be spending the weekend at Camp David, a favorite retreat for the president. Since it was also Easter weekend, speculation was on whether they would attend church on Sunday and which church they would choose.

    “Gold Cadillacs, television cameras, photographers, newsmen, and Secret Service agents do not stand outside of a church in Thurmont for the average person,” the Catoctin Enterprise reported.

    The church was the Thurmont United Methodist Church, where the Reverend Kenneth Hamrick was pastor.

    Prior to the Easter service, Mrs. Hamrick had received a call from Camp David asking for her husband.

    Rev. Hamrick was officiating at another church, but when he returned home, his wife had him to return the call. That is when he found out that he would have special guests during his service that day.

    This visit apparently came about because of Mrs. Hamrick.

    “Rev. Hamrick, a part-time White House employe[e], attended a staff reception last Christmas at which time Mrs. Hamrick had asked Mrs. Nixon to bring the President to her husband’s church sometime in the future,” The Frederick Post reported.

    Not only did the president and first lady attend, but they were joined by Julie and David Eisenhower, former First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, and Tricia Nixon and her fiancée Edward Finch Cox.

    “I didn’t mention their presence to others attending the services,” Hamrick told The Frederick Post. “I did mention the President, as well as other world leaders, in my prayers at the end of the service.”

    Rev. Hamrick’s sermon dealt with the rejection of both Christ and Christianity in biblical and modern times.

    Afterwards, Hamrick told the Catoctin Enterprise, “The President said the sermon was ‘very good, very pertinent’ and it appeared that I ‘had done my homework’.” He added that the first lady told him, “It made my Easter Day.”

    The Nixons and their guests then returned to Camp David for an Easter dinner. Two months later, Tricia Nixon and Edward Cox would return to Camp David to spend their honeymoon there after their June 12 wedding.

    President Nixon enjoyed spending time at Camp David. It was a place where he could think, relax, and get work done. He had worked on his first acceptance speech as the Republican presidential nominee there as vice-president. Although John F. Kennedy won that election, Nixon would return to Camp David in 1968 as president.

    W. Dale Nelson tells a story in The President Is at Camp David that Nixon speechwriter William Safire tried making a case to Nixon’s appointment secretary, Dwight Chapin, that the president should spend more time in the White House, not on an isolated mountain.

    “Do you want to be the one who tells the president he can’t go to Camp David? Because it sure as hell isn’t going to be me,” Chapin said.

    According to Nelson, when former President Dwight D. Eisenhower died in 1969, Nixon wrote his eulogy at Camp David. He made the decision to order troops into Cambodia during the Vietnam War there. He wrote his 1972 presidential nomination acceptance speech there.

    The Nixons also spent Easter 1972 at Camp David. They also celebrated David Eisenhower’s 24th birthday during that Easter weekend.