Worship is just the beginning. The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. We were created for connection – with God and with one another. Yet each of us must take our own path, one where God is leading us to grow deeper in faith and become more like Him each day. At Community Church, we are growing to be more like Christ by knowing, loving, and serving God and others. For many, a worship service is the first step on this journey of faith. Maybe you’ve been attending here for two weeks, maybe ten years. Maybe you’ve already tried a few things; maybe you’ve just come each week and worshiped quietly.
We know one of the best ways to nurture your growing relationship with Jesus Christ is to belong to a small group of Christian friends who encourage, challenges and support you as you discern and live out your life mission. We'll help you find a group best suited for you based on where you live, your interests, or your life situation. We have a variety of groups—we're positive there's one group that will be a great place for you to belong, grow and serve. Make a Difference - Become a part of something bigger than yourself. Use your gifts and experience to serve others. Develop friendships along the way while serving in our local community, the world abroad, or within the walls of Community Church.
Community is where we connect and explore the faith with others who are also on the journey. It's the place where we begin to examine Christianity, study the Bible and discover how we can know, love and serve God each day of our lives.
Maintains the appearance of altar and sanctuary for worship.
Not during Covid.
Volunteers help with answering the office phone, stuffing bulletins and offer other clerical and reception assistance.
Usually held as a study series both during the day and in the evening.
Our intercessory prayer group welcomes all. We are a group of loving, laughing, longing people, deepening our relationship with God ~ Father, Son and Holy Spirit ~ through prayer and study. Daily, we pray for each other and lift the names in prayer of those who share their needs and burdens with us. We meet each Wednesday from 4:00 – 5:00PM in the Church Library.
The United Methodist Men meet monthly at 7:15AM at a local restaurant.
Organizing ushers, greeters, communion servers, liturgists, and readers for all three services.
Providing light refreshment to seven course meals for church functions ranging from baptism to memorial services.
Our Congregational Care Team provides expressions of Christ's Love by assisting Community Church at Ocean Pines members, friends, and neighbors in many ways. They serve Holy Communion to Homebound and Shut-In Members, including Residents of Catered Living and The Woodlands and Gull Creek. In the past 3 years they served this Sacrament over 220 times each year. Periodically, they Anoint with Oil the Homebound Members they visit.
They make hospital, assisted living, and home visits to those suffering from illnesses or recovering from surgery. Our Team Members offer Prayers, make telephone calls, send cards and sometimes bring flowers or cookies to a shut-in member. They offer comfort and services based on individual needs.
We take guidance from our Pastors, Dale Brown and Pastor Carey Farlow, and keep them informed of our contacts. Our Congregational Care Team Members are Paul Ranney, Joanie Stearn, Barbara Rusko, Jack Snyder, Jean Taylor, Julie Barton, Fran Morris, Ardell McNult, John Falcone, Diane Holmes and Jim Edwards. If you feel God's call to become a part of this Caring Ministry, or if know someone wishing to receive any of these services, please contact Pastor Carey Farlow at email carefarlow@gmail.com or call church office.
Our library is named after the first Pastor of Community Church. Our library contains hundreds of Christian resources to help you know, love and serve the Lord. Shirley Bradley is our librarian. Stop in. The door is always open.
To entice you to visit our church library, consider the following subject headings:
If there are special titles you would like to see, please let the library staff know and they will try to fill your request. We also accept donated books and will decide whether the titles are suitable to add to our collection.
MOPS is a place to find friendship, community, resources and support for you as a woman and mother so you're not alone. Moms have found community through MOPS for almost 40 years - we're your mothering authority.
We are the Berlin/Ocean City Chapter of MOPs and we are here to serve as a ministry to the community of Moms in our area. We look forward to meeting you and would LOVE for you to be a part of our group. We have meetings September through May. This year's theme is "To The Full" and we are excited about a year FULL of fun, love, encouragement, service and joy.
MOPs is a welcoming and encouraging community open to all moms. During our meetings you will enjoy good coffee, yummy food, discussions, crafts, guest speakers etc., all geared toward building you up as a mom and providing the support and friendship all moms need. In addition to our bi-monthly meetings we host several play dates, mom's night outs, family nights and community service projects.
We offer MOPs kids for your little ones during our meetings which may often include a Sunday School like lesson, craft, free play and snack with our loving volunteers.
We are always looking for volunteers to help with the littles ones, if you are an older mom, a dad, grandparent, retired, or just looking for a place to serve, we'd love to talk to you about how you can support the local MOPs group.
Please feel free to check out our website or contact us with any questions. http://www.mops.org/groups/berlin-oceancity
The multi-media team assists our Pastors in the church's ministries and worship service through various forms of media - audio, visual, electronic and social media. Volunteers are always needed to serve the many ministries of the church, most specifically at the Contemporary Worship Service held at 9:15 on Sunday mornings. At that service, the sound board operator controls all sound, including the Praise 66 band members mikes and a Power Point presentation, created by a volunteer, guides worshipers through the service. Additional volunteers are needed to cover special events, maintain the church's website, Facebook page and Twitter feed.
We have Stephen Ministry because God calls every one of us to love and care for one another. The Holy Spirit has blessed us all with gifts for ministry. Stephen Ministry provides a place where those who have the gifts for caring ministry can put them to use in a meaningful way.
The most obvious answer is the person who receives care. He or she no longer has to walk alone through life's struggles. A Stephen Minister walks alongside this person for as long as he or she need care, bringing Jesus' unconditional love and acceptance to the person.
Our pastors also benefit from Stephen Ministry. It gives Pastors a way to make sure people get the care they need. Pastors are no longer alone in bearing the burden of meeting caring ministry needs. Stephen Ministers also benefit from the ministry through their spiritual growth and their growing dependence on God to guide their relationship with their care receiver. The entire congregation benefits from Stephen Ministry. People no longer slip through the cracks. People feel cared for in their time of need.
Stephen Ministers are the "After People." They are ready to come alongside you—or your friends, neighbors, coworkers, or relatives—and provide comfort and support for long after as needed:
There are two important steps to remember when referring someone to Stephen Ministry. The first is to seek the person's permission. If you know of people who need care, talk to them first. Tell them you care about them, you see their need, and mention you think that a Stephen Minister may be able to help them thru the difficult time they are going through.
The second step to remember is to never promise a Stephen Minister. In some instances a Stephen Minister might not be available or another type of care might be more appropriate. Let the person know that the pastor or Stephen Leader will help meet their need for care in some way, thought it may not be with a Stephen Minister.
If you wish to refer someone please call (or have the potential Care Receiver call) the Stephen Minister Referrals Coordinator: Mary Stover, 410-726-1795 or marystover801@gmail.com.
The first step is to pray. God has called each of us to ministry. Prayer is one way we learn what ministry God is calling us to do. As you pray, ask God whether Stephen Ministry is the right ministry for you.
If you are truly interested, perhaps the best way to find out exactly what is involved and what the joys, challenges, and benefits are to talk to one of our Stephen Ministers or Stephen Leaders. They can share their own experiences about what it has been like to serve as a Stephen Minister. They can answer most of your questions about training, serving, supervision, continuing education, and the time commitment involved.
Potential Stephen Ministers go through an application, interview, and selection process. One of the reasons is so the Stephen Leaders can look at all of the above factors with you and help you determine whether Stephen Ministry is right for you at this time in your life.
When a person decides they would like to be come a Stephen Minister they will complete 50 hours of training. After completing training they will be commissioned as a Stephen Minister. Stephen Ministers meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 5:00PM. During meetings they will have Supervision, where they get support and affirmation of any issues that may arise concerning them or their Care Receiver. Everything is kept confidential. One meeting a month will include Continuing Education. When Stephen Ministers have a Care Receiver they will normally meet with them once a week.
New Stephen Minister Training Class starting January 23rd. Registrations are now being taken.
If you are interested in becoming a Stephen Minister please call Mary Stover 410-726-1795 or marystover801@gmail.com for more information..
The United Methodist Women of Community Church strives to fulfill the purpose of the worldwide organization of United Methodist Women.
On the third Tuesday of each month at 12 noon, our parent group meets to further know God by reciting the United Methodist Women's Purpose, reading from the Prayer calendar and selected scripture from the Bible, sharing a "Response Moment," as well as participating in a pertinent educational program. Several members continue to participate in the United Methodist Women Reading program and have received certificates of recognition from the District. Our United Methodist Women is also a Five Star Unit, recognized for our giving to mission.
Raising funds for missions is one of our priorities. We currently support 19 different local organizations, including Appalachia Service Project, Youth Missio Project for Worcester County, Backpack Program, Habitat for Humanity, HALO Shelter, and Small Miracles.
Linda Baker, President
Dianna Bolyard, Candle Light Circle Chairperson
Mary Jolly, Dorcas Craft Circle Chairperson
The Worship Commission has seen numerous changes over the past year. There have been many new members added to the congregation and there have also been those no longer on the roll due to moving, death, retiring from the commission and various other factors. Each change has been a challenge, or perhaps better stated, an opportunity, to regroup in some areas to better serve the church community.
The influx of new members has been a welcome challenge to assimilate them into some facet of service. In doing so they help fill voids left by departing members and it is also a very good opportunity for the new members to feel more comfortable as a part of the church family. Naturally, new members interfacing with established parishioners gives the older members an opportunity, and a responsibility, to know and guide newcomers.
A team concept is in place in most functional areas of the worship commission. Multiple rotating teams are established for each function for two reasons: It reduces dependence on a few and multiple teams provide opportunities for more persons to be active in a church community service. Trained continuing teams also tend to be more efficient in some areas thereby resulting in a more orderly process during the worship service.
Liturgists, readers, and communion servers are usually not regular team participants but rather, these activities are normally performed by volunteers. All members of the congregation are invited to take part in these activities. Newcomers and particularly young communicants are especially encouraged to be involved. To encourage members to participate in our liturgist program we have offered training classes to include serving communion. We also attend the new members instructional meetings to introduce our volunteer program which has proved fruitful.
We reach out to the community, nation and the world with our various programs. Locally we serve the community with our Shepherd's Nook, Angel's Attic and Sarah's Pantry, our Angel Tree and Back to School programs and are associated with the Small Miracles Foundation. Our Outreach Coordinator provides help to families in Worcester County and Veterans on Maryland's Eastern Shore to help pay for utilities, rent, as well as prescription medications. Through Sarah's Pantry we help feed families in need and Shepherd's Nook provides low cost clothing and gently used household goods as well. We provide cooks and kitchen help for God's Kitchen at Grace United Methodist Church in Salisbury as well as food and help to various charities in the Ocean City area. Our adults reach out through the Volunteers In Mission of the UMC and adults and youth work together through the Appalachia Service Project and the Youth Mission Project in Worcester County.
Our Angel Tree is a Christmas tree covered with paper angels. Each angel represents an individual who is less fortunate and needs our help and care. These names are given to us from local organizations and schools, as well as our own church with an Angel Box located in the Narthex for privacy.
The Back-To-School Program was organized to provide school supplies to needy families who cannot afford the expense of these required supplies. Names of those families are provided by G.O.L.D. (Giving Others Lives Dignity) a part of The Worcester County Department of Social Services. These names are screened for eligibility to avoid duplication from other charitable organizations. A list of required supplies are provided by each school.
Community Church supports United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) which is world wide. It responds to dozens of unsung disasters every year. UMCOR is there even when the news cameras are not. This includes supports refugees fleeing disasters with food, water, hygiene and other essential nonfood supplies and temporary shelter.
New churches are being planted in new places through Global Ministries' mission initiatives in: Cambodia, Cameroon, Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan), Honduras, Latvia, Lithuania, Malawi, Mongolia, Russia, Senegal, and Southeast Asia (Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam).
Global Ministries is working in collaboration with church leaders across the world to plant 400 churches by 2012. These Mission Initiatives are unique in many ways, but mostly because they are places where The United Methodist Church is new to the population. Local churches can be a part of this movement by supporting and learning from these vibrant congregations through a church-to-church partnership with the In Mission Together program.
The In Mission Together program facilitates church planting abroad by developing partnerships with local congregations in the United States. A partnership covenant is created between the two churches, which fosters mutuality and respect for each other. This is important because both will be transformed and energized by this faith-building experience.
The average age for a pastor in a Mission Initiative is just 35 years old. Church planting efforts have been initiated in over 25 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. All 50 U.S. states are represented in the In Mission Together church-to-church partnership program, which connects US churches with new church plants in Mission Initiatives around the world. More than 1,000 churches have been planted since the Global Ministries Mission Initiatives began in 1991.
Open Tuesday-Saturday, 9am - 1pm
Direct Telephone - 410-641-8392
The Shepherd's Nook is our thrift store and flea market offer gently used (and some new) clothing and household goods at greatly reduced prices. Funds raised are used for emergency assistance in our community, including Delmarva Veterans, and the missions of the church. Clothing that cannot be sold is redistributed to other outreach agencies and shelters. Our volunteers work tirelessly to achieve our mission of "providing food, clothing, household items and emergency assistance to meet the needs in our community".
What We Sell: clothing, shoes and accessories for men, women and children, jewelry, baby items, linens, books, CDs, DVDs, housewares, tools, sporting goods, home décor, collectibles, toys and holiday decorations.
We Do Not Accept: TV's, large appliances, furniture, mattresses, box springs and bed pillows, broken items and trash.
Open Wednesday- Saturday, 9 am - 1 pm
Direct Telephone - 410-641-8392
Food is provided to people in our community who have referrals from one of Worcester County's assistance agencies and on an emergency basis. We supply them with frozen meat, bread, and pastries, canned fruit, vegetables, soup and meats, cereal, rice, pasta and sauce and a variety of other items, including basic toiletries. We also provide Holiday Bags of food at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
In addition to food purchased from the Maryland Food Bank, we are very grateful for the substantial donations that are routinely received from Mountaire Farms, Food Lion, WaWa, Noel, food drives and generous people in our church family and community.
The mission of the Small Miracle Foundation is to repair, rehabilitate or otherwise improve dwelling structures of Worcester County residents by focusing on safety, health and warmth. We thank you for your ongoing support to the work of our organization through your generous contributions.
You might ask yourself, "How can I help?" We need volunteers who can do physical work, clean-up and goffers at the job sites. We also need experts in the trades to assist in assessing jobs and directing our crews on sites. We can use assistance with certain administrative tasks, and with fundraising. Of course, monetary donations are always appreciated. Without the involvement of community members, we would not have been able to accomplish the repairs to homes that local residents cannot afford or simply cannot do. If you need additional information, please feel free to call us at 410-629-9829.
CCAOP Prayer Ministry's Mission is to actively encourage and promote prayer within the life of the church. Our mission is to seek God's guidance to reach out to all missions of the church and encourage them to actively pray and to keep the vision of prayer in front of the people.
The goal of a Prayer Ministry is not to do all the praying for the church, but to equip, enable, and encourage church members to pray continually and effectively while making prayer a part of everything they do. A Prayer Ministry Leadership Team was formed in 2021. The goal of this team is to support the pastor and church in using prayer continually. We currently have 5 members on the Prayer Ministry Team plus 6+ active members of the Power Prayers.
The Power Prayers were instrumental in expanding the power of prayer. The Power Prayers have been meeting weekly for many years The purpose of the Power Prayers is to support CCAOP, its staff, ministries, and programs by diligently praying for them at every meeting. They also pray weekly for our community, nation and a vision of World Peace.
Prayer Ministry consists of: