From a Handful of Hungry People in Ijamsville
For more than fifty years, Christian Life Center has gathered on Green Valley Road in Ijamsville, Maryland, in the rolling countryside north of Gaithersburg. The church describes its own beginnings in plain terms: "Big things often start small, and that's exactly how the story of Christian Life Center began. A handful of people, a simple hunger for more of God, and a willingness to say yes became the foundation of something extraordinary. Piece by piece, prayer by prayer, God took the little things and wove them into a greater purpose." From that handful, CLC has grown into a thriving Apostolic church built on what it calls the power of the Spirit, on the truth of Scripture, and on a commitment to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.
The founding pastor is Ron Libby, who planted the work with his wife Linda and now shares senior leadership with his son Sean Libby and Sean's wife Monique. The Libbys are joined by associate pastors Charles and Beth Smith and Charlie and Michelle Marratto, plus a bench of ministers, trustees, and licensed ministers who shepherd the congregation together. The pastoral team's shared conviction shows up everywhere on the property, from the nursery classrooms to the sanctuary to the missionary partnerships abroad.
An Apostolic Church Built on Three Pillars
CLC states its mission in three short phrases: Reach Up in worship, Reach Out to save, and Reach In to strengthen. The first pillar, Reach Up, gathers the church into passionate worship that the leadership describes as a lifestyle of surrender, devotion, and love for God - "more than just singing." The second pillar, Reach Out, sends the congregation into personal evangelism, local outreach, and global missions, picking up Jesus' command in Mark 16:15 to go into all the world and preach the gospel. The third pillar, Reach In, invests in the people inside the church through discipleship, teaching, and fellowship so that believers are "equipped to walk in victory and fulfill their God-given purpose." Together the three pillars shape everything from Sunday morning services to the budget.
The church's full doctrinal commitments are spelled out in a separate Statement of Beliefs. CLC also describes itself as Spirit-led and rooted in the truth of God's Word, and its services are built around what it calls four core elements: teaching, worship, preaching, and prayer.
Sunday Mornings at 10 AM: Life Classes, Then One Worship Service
Sunday is the heart of the week at CLC. Everything starts at 10:00 AM with what the church calls Life Classes - age-appropriate, classroom-style teaching environments that run simultaneously across the building. There is a separate class for every stage of the family: a nursery for the smallest walkers and three-year-olds, Kids Life for pre-K through fifth grade, Student Life for grades six through twelve, Young Adult Life for eighteen- to thirty-year-olds, and Adult Life for those thirty-one and older. The Adult class is offered in English, Spanish, and ASL, and there are dedicated Spanish and Deaf classes as well. Discipleship classes round out the menu.
At 11:00 AM the entire congregation moves into the sanctuary for a single corporate worship service. The format follows the four core elements: teaching, worship, preaching, and prayer. Visitors are told the services are "lively and Spirit-led, centered on passionate worship, strong biblical teaching, and powerful preaching," with energetic worship, a message grounded in Scripture, and an open invitation to respond in faith. The whole morning runs about two hours, and afterward people gather in the Connection Center for light refreshments, conversation, and a chance to meet ministry leaders.
Wednesday Nights: Midweek Life Classes
Midweek worship follows the same template on a smaller scale. At 7:30 PM the sanctuary fills for a corporate worship service, and then Life Classes spread across the building for kids, youth, young adults, and adults. Spanish interpretation and ASL interpretation are available, and specialized discipleship classes run alongside the main offerings. The midweek service typically ends around 9:00 PM. CLC describes it as "the perfect opportunity to grow," with teaching tailored to each stage of life and a tone that aims to send people back into their week strengthened.
Ministry Nights: Men's, Ladies', Hispanic, and Marrieds Life
On the second and fourth Sundays of each month, the church calendar adds a 6:00 PM gathering called Ministry Life Events. The format rotates through four tracks - Men's Life, Ladies' Life, Hispanic Life, and Marrieds' Life - so the same evening takes a different shape depending on the week. Each gathering mixes fellowship with biblically based teaching and practical encouragement for the season a person is in.
Men's Life, led by Jim Ondrish, meets weekly on Thursday mornings for prayer and throughout the year for teaching forums that bring in local and national Christian speakers on topics like career and family balance, marriage, financial stewardship, and improving a prayer life. Ladies' Life, led by Monique Libby, gathers for prayer on the first Monday of each month at 8:00 PM and hosts ladies' prayer breakfasts and seasonal events with inspirational speakers. Marrieds' Life, co-directed by Paula and Dino Mejia and by Richard and Shawna Senior, runs seminars and social outings that focus on parenting, financial planning, and Christ-centered marriage. Hispanic Life (Vida Hispana), led by Karina Garcia, operates in Spanish with its own Vida classes on the second, third, and fourth Sundays at 10 AM, plus Spanish Bible studies and Spanish-language events that build lasting friendships.
Kids and Youth: Anchored in Truth from the Nursery Up
Children's ministry at CLC is organized so that every age has its own environment, its own curriculum path, and its own check-in system. Early Life, the nursery program, runs two rooms: Diggers for one- and two-year-olds and Planters for three-year-olds. The rooms use Bible storytelling, songs with motions, sensory play, and visual aids to introduce the smallest children to God. The check-in process uses matching security tags, open-door parental access, and text-message alerts if a child needs a parent during the service. Staff are trained to accommodate children with special needs.
Kids Life covers pre-K through fifth grade and meets Sundays at 10 AM and Wednesdays at 7:30 PM. The program runs on three core efforts: Inspiration, Instruction, and Involvement. Background-checked teachers lead worship, an age-appropriate Bible lesson with a memory verse and a clear main point, and hands-on activities that reinforce the lesson. Kids who need extra support can be accommodated through the special-needs pathway, and pre-registration is available online.
Student Life, called Anchored Youth Ministry, gathers seventh through twelfth graders on the same Sunday and Wednesday schedule. The program organizes its work around five verbs that begin with P: Provide a safe environment, Partner with parents, Pursue authentic faith, Promote the apostolic lifestyle, and Prepare students for young adulthood. Co-directors Justin and Tina McGrath and Nathan and Leticia Lettman lead the team, with Yelsin and Gigi Saenz serving as assistants. The youth ministry describes its goal as helping teens choose "to cling to the anchor for their soul, Jesus Christ" when their beliefs are challenged by secular culture.
Young Adults Building on the Foundation
Young Adult Life is for eighteen- to thirty-year-olds, with weekly meetings at 10 AM on Sundays and 7:30 PM on Wednesdays. Directors Killian and Danielle Ngalibika shape the ministry around three streams: Discipleship, Worship, and Fellowship. The Discipleship stream focuses on equipping young adults to understand and stand on the truth of God's Word. The Worship stream teaches that worship is a lifestyle, not just a song, that flows into every decision and relationship. The Fellowship stream builds community through game nights, outdoor adventures, and small groups, anchored in the conviction that "we were created for community."
A Multicultural House of Worship
CLC describes itself as a multicultural church with over fifty nations represented, and the practical infrastructure of language access is built into every service. Sunday and Wednesday gatherings offer live Spanish and French interpretation, plus ASL interpretation for the Deaf and hard of hearing. Visitors who need a translation headset can stop by the Welcome Center on arrival and pick one up. Songs are often sung in Spanish and other languages, and the Adult Life class meets in English, Spanish, and ASL. Hispanic Life runs its own Vida classes on the second, third, and fourth Sundays at 10 AM, plus Spanish Bible studies and Spanish-language events. CLC frames this diversity by quoting Revelation 7:9: "a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne."
The Journey: Discipleship Step by Step
Beneath the weekly schedule, CLC offers a layered discipleship pathway. Newcomers can fill out a connect card or a "Start Here" form to be contacted by a team member. From there, the church walks individuals through what it calls The Journey - a guided path available in English or Spanish, designed to help people experience "God's presence, truth, and purpose." A Discipleship Director oversees enrollment. For those who want personal attention, the church runs a 1:1 Bible study program that matches each person with a trained Bible study teacher at a time and place that works for them. For daily growth, CLC offers a downloadable daily discipleship guide and a Thrive Devotions email digest that carries a recap of Sunday's sermon.
Beyond the Four Walls: Missions and Giving
CLC describes its giving as "a sacred act of worship," and the church channels resources into a wide network of mission and outreach efforts. Locally, giving supports the day-to-day ministry of the church as well as church-planting and leadership development across North America. Internationally, the church partners with missionaries and humanitarian projects on several continents: Europe (Finland, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain), Asia and the Middle East (the Gulf States, Cambodia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Turkiye, Syria, Jordan), Africa (Morocco and the Western Sahara, Senegal and French West Africa, Liberia), Latin America and the Caribbean (Bolivia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic), the Pacific Islands, and North American gateway cities from Boston and Quebec City to Miami, El Paso, and Metro Washington DC.
The church also names specific ministries it underwrites: Tupelo Children's Mansion, Haven of Hope for girls, maternity and adoption services, special-needs ministries, outreach to people who are incarcerated, support for international orphanages, Bible quizzing programs, and disaster relief for children. Giving can be made in person at one of four stations near the rear of the sanctuary, through the Church Center app, by text to (877) 859-2154, or by check mailed to P.O. Box 1938, Clarksburg, MD 20876. The church has also launched a three-phase growth campaign called Greater Margin, Greater Access, and Greater Harvest - the second of which will expand the parking lot and the third of which will add seating capacity.
Pastoral and Ministry Leadership
The pastoral team is led by Senior Pastors Sean and Monique Libby, with Founding Pastors Ron and Linda Libby still actively involved. Associate Pastors Charles and Beth Smith and Charlie and Michelle Marratto share in the work alongside ministers and trustees Nita Johnson and James and Heather Keaton, plus Justin and Tina McGrath. Licensed ministers include Ian and Annie Garland, Karina and Edy Garcia, Nathan and Leticia Lettman, Jason and Khadijah Lettman, and Bryan and Ashley Jose. Skylar Hunt serves as Creative Director and Rayne Libby as Music Director. Ministry directors round out the structure: Jim Ondrish for Men's Life, Monique Libby for Ladies' Life, Karina Garcia for Hispanic Life, Paula and Dino Mejia and Richard and Shawna Senior for Marrieds' Life, Justin and Tina McGrath and Nathan and Leticia Lettman as Student Life Co-Directors, and Killian and Danielle Ngalibika for Young Adult Life. The same conviction runs through every layer of leadership - that a church alive in the Spirit is worth the drive.