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Welcome to St. John's, Deer Park   

    For many years a chapel was a part of the Deer Park hotel complex.  Beginning in 1886, Episcopal services were conducted in the chapel by visiting clergy from St. Matthew's in Oakland.  Chapel worship continued until after World War I.  In 1923, the vestry of St. Matthew's entered into a contract with the trustees of Union Church of Deer Park for the use of their building.  The mission congregation from the chapel chose the name of St. John's during this time.  In 1950, the Rev. John Atwell was assigned to St. John's and his duties included holding services at the Log Church, too.  The present St. John's was built in 1960 on land donated by the Loomis family under a diocesan mission program.  Money from the Episcopal Advance Fund from the Diocese of Maryland was used for construction.  The church was completed in 1962, and the Rev. Thomas Staup conducted the first service there on February 25, 1962.

    St. John's houses the Food Pantry as a satellite location for the House of Hope.  St. John's collects food, canned, dry, and frozen and distributes it to needy families.  It is staffed by faithful volunteers who restock the pantry and maintain the pantry space as well as meet appointments for distribution.  The Food Pantry at St. John's has been operating for over twenty years.

    The Episcoporium, located in office space just outside the sanctuary, is stocked with books on spirituality, theology, and life issues, among others, as well as a good selection of local crafts.  Members of the congregation and visitors find The Episcoporium a good place for gift shopping as well as a place to pick up a thought-provoking book or two.

    St. John's maintains the Sunday School for the Episcopal Church in Garrett County.  A dedicated group of teachers offers an exciting curriculum for our younger members.  The Sunday School meets concurrently with the service, and the first Sunday of every month is Young Peoples' Sunday, when the members of the Sunday School participate in the many aspects of the liturgy, from reading lessons to chalice-bearing.  There is also a "Kid Pit" at the back of the sanctuary filled with soft toys and stuffed animals for younger children.  Young people are always welcome at St. John's and we try to make the church a welcoming and happy environment for them, too.

    The 9AM service makes use of the Rite II liturgy and offers a wide range of musical choices to enhance your worship experience.  The sermons are recorded and are available for you to take with you after the service.  The church has a stair-lift for those who are unable to negotiate the steps leading up to the sanctuary, as well  a as wheelchair accessible restroom.

 

©2005 The Episcopal Church in Garrett County
This site was last updated February 17, 2006
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