Cedarbrook Community Church sits on Stringtown Road in Clarksburg, in the upper reaches of Montgomery County, Maryland, and it is known locally as a place where Sunday worship flows into weeklong community. Since 1989, this non-denominational congregation has grown from a small group of Jesus-followers meeting in a Gaithersburg movie theater into a multi-generational church whose identity is built around Life Groups, family-friendly programming, and steady service to neighbors in need. Visitors on a Sunday morning will find two worship gatherings, children and student ministries running in parallel, and a culture that openly invites the curious, the new, and the committed.
From a Movie Theater to Stringtown Road
Cedarbrook was planted in March 1989 by Pastor Paul Abbott and a group of about forty Jesus-loving people who first met at the Loews Movie Theater in Gaithersburg. In those early weeks, lighting, sound, Sunday school classes, caregiving, worship, and small group leadership were all carried by a few dedicated volunteers willing to sacrifice time, energy, and money to advance the gospel.
The 1990s brought rapid growth, and the church relocated first to the Montgomery Playhouse and then to Northwest High School in Germantown. In the summer of 1995 the congregation purchased land in Clarksburg, and in June 2000 it held its first services in its own building at 23700 Stringtown Road. The move marked the beginning of a deeper investment in the Clarksburg community, and the church now points to a long list of changed lives: homes provided and furnished for those experiencing homelessness, marriages rebuilt, addictions broken, and relationships restored.
Sundays at 9:30 and 11:15
Worship services run about seventy minutes and include live music and teaching from the Bible. Casual dress is welcome, and visitors are encouraged to come with an open heart rather than worry about appearance. The two morning gatherings, at 9:30 and 11:15, share the same basic shape but give families flexibility to choose the time that fits.
The 9:30 service is also the church's livestream, available on the Cedarbrook Community Church YouTube channel for those who cannot be on site. After the second service, those exploring faith are invited to First Step, a relaxed one-hour gathering designed to introduce newcomers to the story and heartbeat of the church and to help identify a next step. There is also a three-week Next Steps membership class that meets on Sunday evenings.
What Cedarbrook Believes
Cedarbrook describes itself as a gospel-centered, Bible-based, Spirit-empowered, missional church. The statement of faith teaches that the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired, infallible, and inerrant word of God in the original manuscripts, and that Scripture is the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice. The Leadership Team serves as the final interpretive authority on the Bible's meaning and application for the church.
The church affirms one true God eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the eternal second person of the Trinity, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, who lived a life of perfect obedience, died on the cross as the substitute for sinners, rose bodily, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return personally and visibly. The Holy Spirit permanently indwells every believer, regenerates, gives assurance and spiritual gifts, and produces Christlike character.
Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone on the basis of his shed blood and resurrection. Baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper are observed as ordinances of obedience but are not means of salvation. Marriage is defined as the lifelong union of one man and one woman. The church teaches a personal, physical return of Christ and the resurrection of both believers and unbelievers to eternal destiny.
Two ordinances are observed regularly. Baptisms are scheduled as significant milestones in a Christ-follower's journey, and the church invites anyone who has decided to follow Jesus to sign up to go public with that commitment.
Life Groups: The Heartbeat of the Church
Cedarbrook is unusually explicit about its small group philosophy. Cedarbrook teaches that faith is not meant to be lived in the crowd, and Life Groups are the heartbeat of who the church is. Life Groups are gatherings of roughly ten to twenty people who meet during the week in homes and at the church to share a meal, open the Bible, pray together, and serve a chosen mission in the local community.
The church frames Life Groups around three convictions: a place where everyone belongs, a place where everyone matters, and a place where love is visible. Group members are encouraged to discover and use their God-given gifts, even if they never hold a microphone or teach a study. A separate Life Group guide is available for newcomers, and Life Groups are organized by enrollment type so people can find one that fits.
Children, Students, and the Refuge
Cedarbrook runs a full suite of age-specific ministries. Promiseland, directed by Julia Seifert, serves children from birth through fifth grade every Sunday with songs, games, and Bible teaching. Parents are equipped with tools to continue faith conversations at home, and the ministry publishes a monthly theme to help families reinforce the same lessons during the week.
Middle schoolers meet as The Wave during the 11:15 service in a space called the Refuge. Designed for sixth through eighth graders, The Wave mixes games, music, biblical teaching, and small group interaction. Jessie Freeland, who grew up at Cedarbrook as a middle schooler herself, directs the ministry and is supported by part-time staff who focus on teen discipleship.
High school students gather as Oasis on Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 in the Refuge. The Sunday-night rhythm, led by Justin Fortune, gives older students space to grow through worship, teaching, and peer small groups that often run deeper than a Sunday morning format allows. The youth worship team is led by Peter Jackson, who also serves the broader worship ministry alongside his father, Spiritual Formation Pastor Ken Jackson.
Iron Men and the Women's Ministry
Cedarbrook's men's ministry, called Iron Men and led by William Ferry, is built around the Proverbs 27:17 image of iron sharpening iron. Iron Men hosts a monthly Connect Night on the third Tuesday with live teaching and roundtable discussion on biblical manhood, a weekly men's Life Group that meets at the church on Tuesdays, regular outdoor activities through Iron Men Outdoors (camping, hiking, and kayaking), and an annual retreat. A daily 5:45 a.m. Iron Men leadership prayer call keeps the core team rooted.
The women's ministry, led by Mollie Randall, focuses on connecting women to Jesus Christ and to one another through God's Word, prayer, fellowship, and service. Two recurring gatherings anchor the calendar: MomCo, which meets on the second and fourth Mondays from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. for mothers to build friendships and share insight, and Mornings for Moms, a Wednesday morning program on the second and fourth weeks from 9:30 to 11:30 that welcomes mothers and their children together. Throughout the year the ministry also offers small group Bible studies, larger gatherings, and seasonal events open to women in all seasons of life.
Clarksburg Closet and ESOL: Mercy on the Same Block
Two of Cedarbrook's longest-running community ministries are based just steps from the church. Clarksburg Closet, operating out of 23810 Stringtown Road a few doors down from the church, provides free clothing to neighbors in need through donations from the church and broader community. Volunteers fulfill clothing requests, and the ministry maintains an ongoing need for diapers and wipes (especially newborn and size 4), new underwear and socks, children's shoes, children's clothes, and men's and boys' clothing in the most-requested sizes. Donation drop-off hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to noon. The closet operates on the principle of Matthew 25, that caring for the least of these is caring for Christ himself.
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) is a free Monday evening class that meets at 7:00 p.m. Students pay only a small fee for a workbook, register in person on their first night, and study in classes offered in English, Spanish, French, Hindi, Korean, and Chinese tracks. No teaching experience is required to volunteer; the church simply asks for a love of people.
Beyond these programs, Cedarbrook runs Clarksburg CAN in partnership with a local food resource network, supports public school outreach, and maintains a Celebrate Life ministry offering compassionate support around unexpected pregnancy, post-abortion healing, and the conviction that every human life bears the image of God. Cedarbrook also offers pastoral care and prayer support to anyone in need.
Alpha, Baptism, and the Pathway of Discipleship
For those exploring faith, Cedarbrook runs Alpha, a ten-week series of dinner gatherings that begin with a free catered meal, followed by a thirty-minute video on a major question of faith, and concluding with small group discussion. The series is intentionally low-pressure: there is no obligation to speak, and no question is off-limits. A current Alpha cycle is scheduled for evenings from October 5 through December 7.
Those ready to take a next step can attend the Next Steps membership class, which meets for three Sunday evenings and explores what it means to follow Jesus, how the church functions as a spiritual family, and how to identify spiritual practices and gifts. First Step, a one-hour introduction held after the second Sunday service, is the church's recommended starting point for newcomers who simply want to meet a few people and learn the basics.
Global Missions: From Clarksburg to the World
Global engagement is woven into Cedarbrook's identity. The church partners with missionaries and ministries in Cambodia, Kenya, Peru, Malaysia, India, Africa, the Western Mediterranean, and with other field workers, and Student Ministries has a particular focus on student mission trips to Peru and Kenya. Specific partners include the Cambodia Hope Organization founded by Chomno In, Compassion International work in Githunguchu, Kenya, two church-planting works in Peru led by Moises and Santos Buendia, Fellowship of Christian Athletes work in Malaysia, SportsLife Leadership, Aenon Ministries in India, MOPS International, and East West in the Western Mediterranean.
Cedarbrook's vision is to be a disciple-making, missional church committed to planting new gospel-centered churches in the Baltimore-Washington area and beyond, with a particular heart for unreached people groups. A Church Plant Pastor Resident, Jason Chang, is on staff as part of a deliberate strategy to seed future congregations.
Worship, the Arts, and the Building
Worship at Cedarbrook is led by Worship Pastor John Gist, Music and Production Director Jason Benowitz, and a youth worship team coordinated by Peter Jackson. The contemporary style blends live band-driven music with expository teaching, and the leadership team describes its goal as creating an environment that encourages an authentic encounter with God rather than a particular liturgical structure. The team serves alongside dozens of volunteers who run sound, lighting, and production each week.
Iron-Sharp Governance and a Generous People
Cedarbrook is governed as an elder-led congregation. A Leadership Team of elders (Paul Ajamian, Walter Chang, Carl McLaughlin, and Ed Obendorfer) sets the church's goals, values, and policies. The Lead Pastor and ministry staff implement those strategies, while a Board of Directors composed of deacons and deaconesses (Rob Ervin, Lindsay Folkerts, Michael Leahy, Deb Macklin, and Frank Schwartz) stewards operations and finances. The same conviction runs through every level of leadership: servant-oriented, sacrificial, Spirit-led, and wisdom-based.
Giving is approached as a spiritual discipline rather than a transaction. Cedarbrook teaches tithing as a minimum expression of stewardship and offers online giving through Church Center, Text-to-Give by texting an amount to (888) 991-4403, in-service giving, and mail-in gifts. Beyond the general budget, an EMPOWER offering funds four strategic initiatives: ministry leader development, local and global missions, church planting, and digital ministry. Stock transfers, IRA qualified charitable distributions, real estate, cryptocurrency, and estate planning are all accepted as non-cash gifts.
The Lead Pastor and the Team Behind the Church
Lead Pastor Jonathan Kwon joined Cedarbrook after serving as Executive Pastor for Campus Ministries at Woodside Bible Church in Royal Oak, Michigan, and earlier as a consulting manager at Deloitte and in various roles with the NYC Department of Homeless Services. He holds degrees from the University of Notre Dame, The New School, and Princeton Theological Seminary, and he and his wife Michelle have two young daughters.
Spiritual Formation Pastor Ken Jackson has been on staff since 1992, longer than almost anyone in the building. He was the very first visitor on Cedarbrook's opening Sunday, and the greeter who welcomed him that day became his wife. Worship Pastor John Gist has led music at Cedarbrook for fifteen years and has been in ministry for twenty-five. Business Director Peter Johnson came to Cedarbrook after a twenty-year career as a sergeant with the Montgomery County Police Department. Communications Administrator Marian Green has attended Cedarbrook since 2005, and Administrative Assistant Abby Martinez has been part of the church community for nearly thirty years. Promiseland Director Julia Seifert, Middle School Director Jessie Freeland, High School Director Justin Fortune, and the rest of the team round out a staff that the Lead Pastor regularly describes as family.
A Place Designed for the Curious and the Committed
Cedarbrook welcomes two kinds of people at once: those exploring who Jesus is for the first time and those who have followed him for decades. The church's commitment to make this room for both is visible everywhere, from the Alpha table to the elders' bench, from the children's check-in desk to the volunteer room behind the Clarksburg Closet. The best way to experience it is to walk through the doors on a Sunday morning, grab a coffee, and stay long enough to hear a sermon and meet a few of the people who call this place home.