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ae2c3f52-757a-4aa3-b165-588710781846 Fishers of men: a disciple is committed to the mission of Jesus A fully-formed disciple of Jesus will live as Jesus lived: loving others as we love ourselves, caring for the marginalized, and sharing the good news of Jesus wherever we are. We do not have to quit our jobs and move to a foreign country to participate in the mission of Jesus. We do it right where we live and work and play. Each month on this page we will offer practical guidance on how to join Jesus in the work he is already doing in the lives of those around us. Loving Our Neighbors During a Pandemic BOOKS The Art of Neighboring by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon The Hopeful Neighborhood by Don Everts ARTICLES How to be a Compassionate Neighbor During a Global Health Crisis by Evelyn Allen 9 Ways to Love Your Neighbor in This Pandemic by Justin Early ORGANIZATIONS THAT NEED YOUR HELP Clarksburg Closet https://www.cedarbrook.org/clarksburgcloset Clarksburg CAN http://www.clarksburgcan.org Germantown Help https://germantownhelp.org Damascus Help http://damascushelp.org Upcounty Hub at Black Rock (Germantown) https://www.blackrockcenter.org/upcounty-hub Wumco Help (western MoCo Poolesville based org) https://wumcohelp.org A Wider Circle (Gaithersburg area) https://awidercircle.org Interfaith Works (down county - Rockville area) https://www.iworksmc.org Red Wiggler Community Farm (Clarksburg area) https://redwiggler.org NOTES COMMENTS hands page

Our Iron Men ministry is focused on creating opportunities and environments for men to connect and have conversations that lead to a deeper relationship with Christ and one another. There are lots of ways for you to jump in with us – we have a monthly dinner, small group Bible studies, regularly scheduled outdoor activities and events, and an annual retreat.  MEN As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 To enable men to connect with one another, grow in their relationship with Jesus, and make a difference in the world they live in. Our Iron Men ministry is focused on creating opportunities and environments for men to connect and have conversations that lead to a deeper relationship with Christ and one another. There are lots of ways for you to jump in with us – we have a monthly dinner, small group Bible studies, regularly scheduled outdoor activities and events, and an annual retreat. THE IRON MEN CHALLENGE Transform Your Well-being: Beyond Awareness to Lasting Change Many men recognize the need for growth in their physical, relational, mental, and spiritual health, yet true transformation often remains elusive. Traditional avenues like the gym, self help, therapy, church services, Bible studies, and podcasts, while valuable, frequently fall short of producing lasting change. The missing piece? A supportive community that helps men bridge the gap between their aspirations and reality. On the 3rd Monday of each month, we have an Iron Men Connect Night offering live teaching and roundtable discussions focused on Biblical Manhood, fostering growth in Christ's character. Complementing this, are weekly challenges providing exercises that grow you physically, mentally, relationally, and spiritually. And for even deeper accountability and community, we offer Life Groups that meet at the church on Tuesdays. It's time to move beyond knowing what to do and start living it. UPCOMING EVENTS Iron Men Outdoors is a faith-driven community of men bonded by their love for nature and a shared spiritual journey. Through outdoor adventures like camping, hiking, and kayaking, they form strong connections while finding solace and spiritual growth in the beauty of the natural world. It's a brotherhood that combines faith and the great outdoors to inspire and empower men for fulfilling lives. Join us for one of our monthly events. JOIN GROUP CONTACT JOIN AN IRON MEN GROUP

PETER JOHNSON Business Director I'm the Business Director at Cedarbrook Church. I’m married to my wife, Laura, and together we’re raising four incredible kids. Bennett, Marie, Emma, and Sean keep life full and fast-paced. As for hobbies… with four kids, I’m still trying to figure out what those are. I earned my Associate’s Degree from Montgomery College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. Before joining the Cedarbrook team, I retired as a Sergeant with the Montgomery County Police Department after more than 20 years of decorated service. A fun fact about me is that I drive a SAABARU with vanity tags, and my favorite treat is a Baja Blast Mountain Dew. My favorite part of my job is that Cedarbrook Church is woven throughout my entire life. It’s a privilege to serve the church and the people who have poured so much into me and my family. There’s something truly special about showing up each day with an amazing team, working together to advance the Kingdom of God. pjohnson@cedarbrook.org

Our mission is to BECOME radical Christ-followers, BRINGING the good news about Jesus Christ by BRIDGING Christ's love to those who don't know him through service. Our vision is to be a disciple-making, missional church that fuels a gospel-centered church-planting movement in the Baltimore-Washington DC metro area. MISSION & VISION OUR MISSION Our mission is to help people BECOME radical Christ-followers, to BRING the good news about Jesus Christ, and be a BRIDGE of Christ's love to those who don't know Him through service. OUR VISION Our vision is to be a disciple-making, missional church committed to planting new churches in the Baltimore-Washington DC metro area and beyond with the goal of reaching unreached people groups with the love of Christ. OUR VALUES Everything we do at Cedarbrook is driven by our 7 core values. These core values guide our actions and shape our pursuit of God’s vision for us as we actively engage in His mission. GOSPEL CENTRALITY The gospel is the reason and fuel for all that we do. It redeems us, giving us a right relationship with God and transforms us into His likeness through the power of the Holy Spirit. As a result, we aim to make the gospel as clear and compelling as possible in everything we do, always pressing forward to bring the gospel to more people. MISSIONAL God calls us each one of us to be his missionaries, to go where people currently are to love and serve them with the gospel of Christ. Our words and actions reflect the mission of God by expressing the love of God in a culturally relevant way. WORSHIP LIFESTYLE Our worship of God is expressed through everything we do, and everywhere we go: our Sunday worship services, Life Groups, service, daily devotionals, prayer, but also at work, school, and home. We seek to glorify God worshipping with our whole lives. DISCIPLE MAKING Jesus commands his disciples to make disciples, teaching them to observe all that he has commanded. Therefore, we are committed to empowering relationships geared toward helping people mature in trusting and following Jesus so that they can continue to develop relationships that disciple others to trust and follow Jesus. REVITALIZING AND CHURCH PLANTING Just as individual disciples are called to be disciple-makers, churches are called to be church-makers. We do this in two ways: •By revitalizing existing churches. •By planting and helping others plant new gospel-centered churches in areas where the gospel is needed. SERVANT LEADERSHIP Though Jesus is the very Son of God, he did not come to earth to be served by humankind. Instead, He came to serve and put others above His own interests and needs. As disciples of Jesus, we serve others by building up the body of Christ and our surrounding community using our spiritual gifts, passions, experiences, and abilities. SPIRITUAL FAMILY Jesus’ disciples are meant to live in fellowship with others. Every disciple of Jesus is part of a larger body called the Church, or family of God. As a spiritual family, we are committed to cultivating strong, healthy relationships within our church and with other churches in our region.

Find Hospitality: Parking Team Find Assist with parking at Sunday Worship Services and large scale outreach events 0.5-0.75 minutes monthly Monthly 32

Assist The Bridge: Childcare Team Assist Proved childcare support, meal preprations and setup/teardown for monthly meetings 2 hours monthly Monthly 10

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PERU MOISES BUENDIA Tell me more about your mission? My mission is to teach the Word of God to children, and to help them grow in the ways of the Lord, so that they are men and women of good in society who honor the name of God and love their neighbor. What are some victories I can celebrate with you? Despite the separation and confinement that the pandemic has created for us, our ministry brings us together. Among children and adolescents, 65 participate in our Sunday Bible School. They faithfully attend and receive the teaching of the Word of God via the internet. Their parents are learning also because many of the parents help their children get online. What are some of the challenges you face? Not having a location of our own for our church. How can I pray for you? To wisely lead God's people, both children and adults. How can I support you? Praying, visiting our ministry, and sending teams. Where can I learn more? Email missions@cedarbrook.org to learn more. global missions

Teach ESOL: English Teacher Teach Teach English to adults 3 hours weekly Weekly 15

EMPOWER: Church Planting In March 1989, a group of 40 individuals, led by Pastor Paul Abbott, answered God's call to establish Cedarbrook Community Church in Western Montgomery County. Their mission was clear: to make disciples of all nations and baptize people in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. This legacy of faith starts before Cedarbrook's founding, as our church was birthed from another congregation with the same fervent commitment to God's mission. Cedarbrook is a testament to generations of believers who have faithfully obeyed the Great Commission. For 35 years, Cedarbrook has faithfully ministered the gospel to with new generations and diverse cultures. However, despite our rich history, we've yet to plant a new church. It's time to rekindle our original passion and embrace the core of our mission: to help people become radical Christ-followers, to bring the Good News, and to bridge Christ's love to those who don't know Him. Consider this statement from Tim Keller: “The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for (1) the numerical growth of the body of Christ in a city and (2) the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city. Nothing else—not crusades, outreach programs, parachurch ministries, growing megachurches, congregational consulting, nor church renewal processes—will have the consistent impact of dynamic, extensive church planting. This is an eyebrow-raising statement, but to those who have done any study at all, it is not even controversial.” From experience and research, we know new churches best reach new generations, new residents, and new people groups. It’s how Cedarbrook initial grew and continues to grow. But with the number of Christians in our area is continually shrinking, our strategy must change to continue to be mission focused. How can Cedarbrook capitalize on this knowledge? Embrace a Missional Culture: We must transition from individual missional activities of service to a corporate missional focus. Enable Church Planting: Actively support church planters and new church starts to reach unreached people groups beyond our current capacity locally and globally. Foster Generosity: Cultivate a spirit of open-handed giving to revitalize the entire body of Christ in our area. Embracing a Missional Culture To cultivate a missional culture, we must actively engage our communities beyond the walls of the church. This involves building authentic relationships with non-believers and viewing every interaction as an opportunity to share the Gospel. Rather than solely focusing on the church as a place of worship, we must equip and empower individuals to become missionaries in their daily lives. Goals Q3: Establish partnerships with other churches and organizations to expand missional impact Q4: 75% of church members will be able to articulate and apply the church's mission, vision, and values to their daily lives Enable Church Planting A church can enable church planting by actively supporting potential planters through training, providing financial resources, identifying potential new church locations, fostering a culture of outreach and evangelism within the existing congregation, and encouraging members to participate in the planting process by volunteering time and talent to new church initiatives. Goals Q2: Expose the church to the necessity of faithful churches in gospel starved areas Q2: Identify area(s) locally and globally for Cedarbrook to plant churches Q3: Identify potential church planters within the congregation and equip them for the task Q4: Partner with established church planting networks to leverage their resources and expertise Foster Generosity Financial support will always be one of church planting’s greatest needs. The end goal is always for the new local congregation to become financially self-sustaining in time. In order to be a church planting church, it’s important for us hold our resources with an open hand and be ready to willingly give toward God’s work outside our own walls. Q3: Have a church planting seed fund as part of the budget Q4: Provide initial financial support to help new churches get started or offer ongoing financial assistance for operational costs, staff salaries, and ministry expenses for newly planted churches in our target areas GIVE

MOLLIE RANDALL Women's Ministry Leader I’m the Women’s Ministry Leader, and I love creating spaces where women can connect, encourage one another, and grow in faith. One of my very favorite things is seeing God at work—watching women grow in faith and confidence in who He’s made them to be. I’ve been married to Andrew for over 20 years, and he’s my favorite teammate in life (and my go-to for tricky theology questions since he has a Master of Divinity!). We have two daughters, Vivia (14) and Ailyn (11)—and much of my time is joyfully spent coordinating their activities, even if my own to-do list sometimes takes a back seat. When I get a moment to myself, you’ll usually find me working out, reading (anything from fun fiction to books that stretch my thinking), or studying the Bible. I’m an extrovert at heart, so coffee dates and conversations with friends are my favorite way to recharge. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Virginia Tech and spent several years working in both IT and finance before shifting my focus to family and ministry. And when it comes to treats, nothing beats a warm chocolate chip cookie—or a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Learn more about Cedarbrook's history. Cedarbrook Community Church was planted by Pastor Paul Abbott and a small group of 40 people from Valley Brook Community Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. This new church began meeting in March of 1989 at the Loews Movie Theater in Gaithersburg, Maryland. OUR STORY In March 1989 Cedarbrook Community Church was planted by Pastor Paul Abbott and a group of 40 Jesus loving people at the Loews Movie Theater in Gaithersburg, Maryland. In those first days, the lighting and sound, Sunday school classes, caregiving, worship and arts, small group leadership – all the activities that are handled today by so many – were carried by just a few dedicated volunteers. These men and women sacrificed their time, energy, and money with the confidence that God would use their efforts to advance the Gospel and make a difference in the lives of others. And He has! During the 1990’s that small handful of men and women saw our church grow... and grow... and grow. New staff and ministries were added. People who had never been to – or given up on – church found a vibrant relationship with Christ and discovered community with others. We moved from the movie theater to the Montgomery Playhouse, and then again to Northwest High School in Germantown. In the summer of 1995, we purchased land in Clarksburg and in June of 2000, we held our first services in our very own church building. We love being part of the Clarksburg community. Since settling here, we have continued to make a difference in the lives of many both inside and outside of our church family. Homes have been provided and furnished for the homeless. Through our Clarksburg Closet ministry, we have provided free clothing for scores of families in need all over Montgomery County. Through our ESOL ministry, hundreds of men and women have been able to learn English in a loving and welcoming environment. Again, and again, we have had a front-row seat to see God at work: lives have been changed, marriages rebuilt, addictions broken, character developed, and relationships restored. As we look to the future, we believe God has good things planned for us. We believe God is doing something special here. We are still learning, and still growing, and we would love to have you join us. There is a place here for you, a place to connect… to grow… and to serve. So, come, join us in this story of faith that God is writing here. The best is yet to come!