ministries
our ministries & missions
We have many areas where we serve the community and congregation. Scroll down the page to view how we are His hands and feet in this Body of Christ:
Giving Ministries
Missions & Outreach
Music
Spiritual Growth
Annual Events
giving ministries
Offerings and Collections We take a weekly plate offering and started online offerings years ago. Offerings support a variety of activities and mission areas to include facilities maintenance, salaries, food pantry supplies, donations to local charities, and Second Mile needs. Our Missions Chair also uses these Second Mile funds to help missions and charities outside our church. Many in the congregation take advantage of the secure online offering for its simplicity and consistency. Many people find it convenient to stay on track with their commitments and easier than trying to make offerings when they’ve missed a worship service. We also use it for special designations during drives or a donation focus for events. There are links in the social icon areas of each page on this site.
Giving Tree We collect items throughout the year for various causes and needs such as The Frederick Rescue Mission, Religious Coalition, Ballenger Creek Elementary School and other organizations as solicited by a consortium of local charities.
Clothes Closet & Food Pantry On the third Saturday of the month, we are open to serve those in need. There are a variety of goods available, and the leader has brochures and handout sheets to help those in need find additional resources.
Ways of Giving Our Finance Chair produced an information tri-fold to provide avenues for donating to the church and its ministries, and establish a legacy today for tomorrow. See the tri-fold here.
Sunshine Group A group of volunteers join in for fellowship and work as they prepare cards, notes, prayers, and Prayer Bears for celebrations and those needing some support.
missions & outreach
The Frederick Rescue Mission Volunteers sign-up to provide and serve the evening meal on the first Tuesday of the month to the men in the Life Recovery Program. The rotating group of servants registers with The Frederick Rescue Mission so they can be granted access. The residents are so grateful to the church for sharing and enjoying the conversation each month. We also participate in the supply and distribution of Christmas stockings for the men in the Life Recovery Program. The stockings are loaded with toiletries, a treat, and card from the family that donated.
The Religious Coalition Our Missions Chair receives information on the needs of The Religious Coalition and creates a list of items for donation. The church generously responds to fulfill the needs, and the Mission Chair uses discretional funds to fill in or meet special needs, especially for the adult and family shelters for the homeless.
Faith Community Partnership We are an active member of the Faith Community Partnership which is a group of faith congregations working along with the Frederick County Dept of Social Services to serve those in need throughout our county. Via the online request line of the Faith Partnership, we are able to provide emergency supplies to vulnerable adults, families, and children.
music ministry
Sarah Alderman, retired FCPS music teacher, is the music director at our church. She leads the congregation in singing each Sunday, along with members of the Praise Band, as well as accompanying hymns on our wonderful John Brown organ. Our Agape Choir, along with members of the local community, typically presents a Christmas and Easter cantata, as well as singing during special services. They do an amazing job for a small church! Soloists are always welcome to sing at a service! During our annual Vacation Bible School, Sarah works with the children in singing songs to praise God. It is always lots of fun!
Trained members of our congregation teach and lead the Children’s Hand Bell Choir in providing special music during the year, including playing before the Agape cantatas. These servants are dedicated to share the love of music with the younger bell players, as well as making them participants in the worship experience.
BUMC also has a full Praise band that performs contemporary music, as well as some traditional music. They will often back up special vocalists. The “Praise Band & Friends”, which integrates additional musicians from the community, will perform concerts throughout the year. They also perform at other venues outside of the church, blending a variety of Christian and secular songs. You might even catch them performing as “The OtherSide Band”, when they perform mostly secular songs!
Music is a vital part of the worship experience at BUMC and we always invite you to become part of it!
spiritual growth
Sunday School There is no Sunday School during the summer. Beginning when the public schools start, a group of talented and dedicated teachers plan and execute 9:30 am Sunday School for children. They typically work through a theme for the year and are engaged in lessons, crafts, and creating special treats or offerings to support our missions or to spread joy throughout the congregation. Often these lessons are posted to a closed group on Facebook to share with those that could not attend or for discussion with their parents. They also plan help execute celebrations for parents and grandparents during Ladies’ Tea and Dad, Dudes, & Donuts.
Children’s Church In 2024, we began to offer Children’s Church during our time of worship for younger children. We have an excellent group leader that is assisted each Sunday by another adult volunteer. The children enjoy activities, crafts and lessons. They return to the sanctuary to partake in Holy Communion.
Worship and Bible Studies We hold adult-level studies typically 9:30 AM on Sundays and a matching Zoom session in the evening. These studies are organized and led by our pastor, and he usually rotates laity leaders for individual classes. The intent of these studies are to dig deeper into His Word, first individually, then as a group. The conversations and questions build upon themselves as the Holy Spirit guides the interaction. It has been described as peeling back the onion to look at deeper layers and to look across the arching of His love letter to us. We have developed a simple guide to use in the preparation and it is available here for download.
Vacation Bible School If you have young children, you should get into this! 2023’s VBS had forty participants registered! Each year, we have a team of volunteers that begin research and planning months in advance of the event. It is a 9:00am-to-noon, week-long event that is packed with non-stop fun, engagement, prayer, learning, and fellowship! The children actively participate in clever and sometimes challenging take-home crafts. They also participate in a larger single VBS craft project that remains at the church. They are taught songs that support the overall VBS theme and perform a couple of them on the following Sunday.
Each year we choose a local cause or charity to serve as an outreach ministry for the children. They are taught about the situations and their causes and how they can engage and help. In 2021, we supported Blessings in a Backpack for local children to have food to carry them and others in their families over the weekend. In 2022, we supported The Frederick Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs’ Beyond Shelter Campaign. In 2023 we supported the needs of the local children by collecting money and new underwear and socks.
annual events
Pancake Supper We traditionally hold a Pancake Supper on Shrove Tuesday that is open to all. It is a great time of fellowship for those planning, executing, and cleaning up for the event – and for those that come to partake in the supper! It runs 5:00 pm-7:00 pm and we suggest a free-will donation.
Ladies’ Tea Usually the Sunday before Mother’s Day at 9:30 am where the children are joined with their mothers, grandmothers, or female guardian for a variety of teas and light refreshments.
Strawberry Fest Depending on the Spring season and strawberry availability from Mayne’s Farm, we hold a Strawberry Fest around the first part of June. Our Praise Band and Friends perform on the grounds, while desserts are served indoors, and games are offered outdoors
Dads, Dudes & Donuts Usually the Sunday before Father’s Day at 9:30 am where the children join their father, grandfathers, or male guardian for a round of donuts or fruit.
Sandwich Sales The United Methodist Men typically take orders and sell turkey and country ham sandwiches – and they are loaded! This year we introduced “close to the bone” ham that is less salty than the country ham. Keep a watch on our calendar and events posts on the home page. Or, join our newsletter and never miss a beat!