YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED HERE
In the middle of the 18th century German Reformed and Lutheran residents in MIddletown began to meet for worship west of the present town. Since that point our church has been a thriving, integral part of the Valley's spiritual and social life. We are now a congregation of nearly 500 members, some with roots back to the earliest settlers and others who have moved here in the last year.
OUR LOCATION:
In the heart of Middletown, MD, we are located directly across from the Middletown Fire Hall on South Church Street, where Routes 17 and Alternate 40 intersect. Click here to get detailed driving instructions from your address.
Visitors
WHAT DO WE BELIEVE?
We believe that each person is unique and valuable. It is the will of God that every person belong to a family of faith where they have a strong sense of being valued and loved. We believe God is still speaking and our task and our joy is to listen and then respond. For more information about the United Church of Christ, visit www.ucc.org
I hope you find these pages a helpful snapshot of life around our congregation. I also encourage you to visit with us some Sunday morning. As our Statement of Welcome says, we welcome you no matter where you are on life's journey.
ON BEHALF OF OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS...WELCOME!
Rev. Mark Wakefield is a native of Virginia and has served parishes in North Carolina, New Jersey and, since 1988, as the pastor of Christ Reformed UCC in Middletown. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and received his Master of Divinity at Andover Newton Theological School in Massachusetts.
It was nearly three years ago that my husband, Andrew, and I moved to Middletown from Rockville, MD with our two children, Max (5 years old) and Veronica (4 years old). Over these past three years we have become more and more integrated into the life of the Christ Reformed family. I have been blessed with the opportunity to lead worship on a number of occasions and to serve as a Sunday School teacher for both youth and adults. I have been an active member of the Christian Education Board and designed and facilitated the Christ Reformed Women’s Retreat in April 2008.
I received a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in 2004, and since that time my work experiences have been diverse and rewarding. I have served as a guest preacher/worship leader regularly for multiple congregations through the years, and most recently served for 15 weeks as the Sabbatical Supply Pastor for Emmanuel (Baust) UCC in Westminster. I also completed a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education with the Department of Spiritual Care Services at Washington County Hospital this past summer. I am currently a Student In Care with the Catoctin Association and am poised to proceed with the ordination process.
My fieldwork in seminary was with Community Ministries of Rockville (CMR), a coalition of 21 faith communities in the Greater Rockville Area dedicated to providing direct services and advocacy for the most vulnerable members of the community. In time I became the Program Director for the Rockville Emergency Assistance Program. After taking time off to stay at home with my young ones, I returned to CMR in 2005 to serve as the Program Director for the Mansfield Kaseman Health Program, providing primary and preventative health care for uninsured and underinsured adults in Montgomery County.
Since 2000, I have also managed my own small consulting business, providing training, facilitation and event planning/management services for a diverse list of clients, specializing in governmental and non-profit sectors. The emphasis of my work as a consultant has been in individual and organizational capacity building, fostering teamwork and building community through the development and nurturing of partnerships.
I grew up the youngest of seven children in an outer-ring suburb of Boston until my parents relocated to a small town on Cape Cod when I was 13 years old. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Westfield State College (MA) and then went on to receive a Master in Public Administration in 1994 from The American University in the District of Columbia. Before answering the call to ministry, I enjoyed a rewarding career in local government management. After working for Montgomery County, MD, I served as Assistant to the Town Manager in Lexington, MA, and then in 1996 became Assistant to the City Manager and then eventually Assistant City Manager of Rockville, MD.
All of these experiences blend to inform and shape my desire to serve God’s people and to build up the Body of Christ. Thank you for your warm welcome and hospitality. I hope that you will feel free to contact me if there is any way that I can be of assistance or if you have comments, concerns, or questions. I can be reached at the church office number (301-371-6610) or you can email me at michelle.beadle@comcast.net
My door and my heart are always open.
Associate Pastor Michelle Beadle
Check out these sound files of sermons from Rev. Mark Wakefield and Rev. Michelle Beadle.
"Catching the Wind" - 2/14/10 "All The Bounty" - 2/21/10 "Sincerest Form of Flattery" - 2/28/10
